Positive Comments Follow 2012 Amigos Online Member Conference

Positive comments about the program and patience with brief technical difficulties typified attendee reaction to the online 2012 Amigos Member Conference held May 9-10. Conference organizers estimate that 1,250 staff from 194 institutions participated in this year’s conference. The totals include participants from the Missouri Library Network Corporation, which will merge into Amigos July 1, 2012.

In his keynote address, noted futurist Warren Evans offered a look at emerging trends in many areas and how he sees them interacting with each other in shaping the world of tomorrow. In her presentation, conference closing speaker Kara J. Malenfant, Senior Strategist for Special Initiatives, Association of College and Research Libraries, showed attendees how to use future scenarios to manage change and create pathways of opportunity for libraries. Various sessions in the forward-focused conference included seven presentations made by staff of Amigos member libraries and two by staff of the Missouri Library Network Corporation.

Conference session recordings are available for access by staff from any Amigos member institution for a limited time by registering on the Archive tab at http://www.amigos.org/member_conference_2012. Those previously registered for the conference can access the archive at http://mycourses.amigos.org/login/index.php.

Laura Kimberly, Senior Operations Manager for Amigos and organizer of the conference, received a number of supportive comments from attendees. Jimmie Lyn Harris, Reference Librarian, Texas Woman's University, Denton, wrote Laura a note that read, "The TWU Libraries would like to thank Amigos and all the Vendors for the Amigos Online Member Conference 2012" and was signed by Ms. Harris and 10 library staff members. As an aside, Ms. Harris wrote, "Laura, I have to tell you the staff loved the conference. And they were really patient with the technical problems, more than other webinars."