Preconference vs. ALA Meetings

What is the difference between the RBMS Preconference and the ALA Annual and Midwinter meetings? Which one(s) should I attend?

The RBMS Preconference precedes the annual meeting of the ALA, usually in the same city or a nearby location. The purpose of the preconference is to gather rare book and manuscript professionals to discuss a relevant or current issue in special collections. Past preconference topics have included ephemera, fakes and forgeries, and education and special collections, to name a few. Reasons to attend the Preconference include:

• To attend workshops on skills related to special collections
• To attend lectures, forums and discussion groups focused on current issues in special collections
• To network with other librarians, archivists, students, collectors, vendors and others involved in the special collection field

The ALA Annual and Midwinter Meetings serve the entire membership of the ALA. From the point of view of RBMS-related activities, reasons to attend the ALA Annual and Midwinter Meetings include:

• To attend RBMS committee and editorial group meetings, such as the Bibliographic Standards, Seminars, Preconference Planning and Diversity committees, among others
• To attend RBMS discussion groups (Collection Development, Curators and Conservators, Digital Special Collections, Manuscripts and Other Formats, Technical Services, and Public Services), which are open to all conference attendees, not just RBMS members
• To attend the annual RBMS-sponsored program