Documentation:Graduate Student Children’s Literature Conference 2012/Meeting 1

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July 13, 2011 Meeting Notes

Graduate Student Children’s Literature Conference, Organization Meeting #1

  • Notes: Saeyong Kim
  • Began at 2pm, ended about 3:30 or so.

Introduction/Opening

Judi Saltman

Nature of the conference: academic conference organized and led by graduate students.

Short history of the conference.

Conference planning and faculty: departments of CRWR, ENGL, LLED, and SLAIS will/can be involved, as well as children’s literature groups outside UBC, such as the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable.

Volunteer List with contact info was handed out.

Past Organizers’ Experience/Tips

Karen Taylor, Kay Weisman, Ellen Wu

  • The importance of group work, the need for decision making. A chair or co-chairs will be necessary to keep things moving efficiently.
  • Think of specific skills to contribute.
  • Budget development, funding. The budget should be practical, and planned in advance of any grant applications. The number of people at the conference could be from one hundred to about two hundred; budget and registration fees should reflect this. The Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable very important to get involved, as they can help with publicity, registration and other matters. (Join the VCLR!)
  • AMS IPF (Important Project Fund) grant is useful, but after application the funding will be confirmed sometime in January so one should plan flexibly, without counting on it.
  • Conference space: I.K.Barber is best and was used for the 2010 conference, but rooms in Ponderosa or the Asian Centre are available if worst comes to worst. Timing of the conference is important as the exam period may cause rooms to be used for finals. Also, conference must be on a Saturday, and timed so as not to coincide with other events/conferences, to ensure that many people can come.
  • Keynote speakers should be contacted one at a time, well in advance, and reminded or checked up on periodically. Flight tickets, accommodation, fee and gifts etc should be considered, and included in budget. -Guardian Angels (GA?): hospitality and moral support persons, one for each speaker.
  • Protocol for administrative support, etc: all letters and requests should go through a faculty member, no direct contact with department heads or administrative staff. LLED Margot Filipenko, SLAIS Judi Saltman, ENGL Judi Brown etc.
  • Registration and publicity: matters of paypal, checks, bank accounts, a conference website/blog, mailing lists and other contacts. When sending out information to mailing lists, know who the keynote speaker(s) will be first, and it’s good to have the booklet ready as well, to call up more interest in the conference. Add information to the website/blog as more plans are made, and update the emails accordingly. Space emails apart skillfully, so they will be read and not deleted.
  • Call for proposals: go through mailing lists for grad students, library associations, childlit groups, MACL etc., North America and Canada-wide.
  • Peer reviewal system: contact the appropriate faculty to establish a structure.
  • Presentations and posters should be reviewed and selected in advance. Contact presenters so they have guidelines and can prepare to come and to present.
  • Plan in advance, always double check. Whenever something is being done, have a second person to check it.
  • (wo)manpower: People to introduce speakers, facilitate presentations, and timekeep will be necessary on the day (possibly one in each room), as well as an A/V person. Tables, chairs, setting up and clearing away, keeping an eye on catering and the movements of conference people will also require a number of people.
  • CRWR: they might present as a panel of readers (for moral support, less intimidating than standing up alone). Maggie DeVries will review submissions.
  • Catering, lunch, snacks and decorations will be done by Kathie Shoemaker and volunteers (Anita Lok Yan Chan).
  • Planning the timetable and making booklets should be done quite early on. Goody bags for the (grad) speakers: find groups and people to contact for stuff.
  • Accommodations on campus reasonably priced and useful. Rides to and from airports, after-conference Dinner with the keynote speakers should be arranged. Liaison/hospitality persons (GA).
  • Everything done (letters, applications or requests) should be checked with the entire group before being sent off/sent out.
  • Ask keynote speaker(s) about any books they might bring, or if you might ask a bookseller to prepare the titles for a book table. Keep very, very good track of money. Pay attention to your budget. Check the requirements of everyone – do the speakers need a PC/MAC, projectors, slides, food,anything?

Volunteer list with contact info

Everyone’s email address was checked, and skills or area of interest stated.

Co-chairs

Rob Bittner, Stacey Matson and Rachel Balko

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