TO: Vivian Pisano, REFORMA Secretary/Recorder
FR: Susana Hinojosa, Chair, RNCII
RE; RNCII Annual Conference 1999 Report
This report is an update of RNCII activities since January 1999. All activities are associated with the planning and coordination of events for the 2nd REFORMA National Conference, August 3-6, 2000, Tucson, AZ. This information will be presented and discussed at the RNCII program on Saturday, June 26th, 2-4pm, EMCC 238.
RNCII Planning Committee Membership
Susana Hinojosa, Chair
Toni Bissessar, Chair, Site Selection Committee
Kathy Blackmer Reyes, Chair, Program Committee
Carol Brey, Chair, Exhibits Committee
Amanda Castillo and Bob Diaz, Co-Chairs, Local Arrangements Committee
Rafaela Castro, Chair, Preconference Committee
Lily Castillo-Speed, Chair, Publications and Awards Committee
Rhonda Rios Kravitz, Chair, Publicity and Fundraising Committee
Each of the above committee chairs has been given the responsibility for planning the activities within their areas and encouraged to submit planning to date on Reformanet and the RNCII web page for information and feedback.
RNCII SITE
The Site Selection Committee has been working with our local Tucson liaison, Jana Rae Oliver, to finalize hotel and business meeting details and costs with the Holiday Inn. A (hopefully) next to final contract was received early in June. Room rates, costs for meeting space, configuration of exhibit space, comp rooms, etc. are addressed. Toni will be sharing this contract with our ALA Hdqtrs liaison to ensure a fair contract. The Holiday Inn will be our conference headquarters with additional meeting space and hotel space being reserved in nearby hotels. A meeting will take place in New Orleans with Ernie Martin to discuss how Travel Technology and ALA can help us with registration, hotel reservations and travel arrangements.
LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS
The Tucson REFORMA Local Chapter has been given the responsibility for Local Arrangements. Co-Chairs are Amanda Castillo and Bob Diaz. This group has formed several committees, and has met with Jana Rae Oliver from the Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau. A full report of activities to date will be given at this 1999Annual Conference. Activities involve identification & outreach to local authors, planning for events and entertainment and outreach to the greater Tucson community.
FUNDRAISING & PUBLICITY
Fundraising efforts led by Rhonda Rios Kravitz have been very successful to date. A total of approximately $6000 has been raised in a little over three months. Efforts to increase the amount will be continue along with intensified contact with publishers, library directors, and other related organizations and associations.
Publicity for RNCII has been relatively successful. To date two ALA press releases have been issued on the conference and preconference. ALA Cognotes at the Midwinter Conference also featured an article on RNCII.
PR materials, such as buttons, stickers, flyers and more have been and are being created to increase the information on RNCII. As part of this effort, exhibit tables at conferences such as NACCS (National Assoc. for Chicana/Chicano Studies), Texas Library Association, and the upcoming BCALA CultureKeepers IV, and Guadalajara Book Fair will include RNCII information.
PRE-CONFERENCE
The Pre-Conference Committee has been very active and has at this time produced an almost complete preconference program, speakers, and events. The latest preconference program is on the RNCII web site. Publicity for the preconference will increase and has been initiated by a recent May ALA press release. Lalo Lopez, author of www.pocho.com will be a keynote speaker.
RNCII WEBSITE
Romelia Salinas has been responsible for the updating and creation of the RNCII web site, part of the REFORMA web page. This site is undergoing a complete change and revision. A new look, better access to conference information, etc. will be available very soon.
PUBLICATIONS & AWARDS
Under the direction of Lily Castillo-Speed, this committee has been exploring some methods of honoring professional education/library schools that share REFORMA’s goals of diversity, service to communities, recruitment of minority librarians, and a curriculum that supports these.
A form of recognition could be a certificate or REFORMA ‘award’. Criteria, and the process will be discussed at the RNCII Program.
EXHIBITS
A extensive mailing list has been created of exhibitors from RNCI and from other conferences. It is projected that by the end of June 1999, letters will be sent to prospective exhibitors inviting them to exhibit at RNCII and or consider corporate sponshorship of RNCII events. Letters will also be distributed to exhibitors at the Annual Conference. Exhibitor packets will be mailed six months before the conference.
Under the leadership of Carol Brey, the Exhibits Committee is also planning exhibitor events at RNCII that include: exhibitor breakfast; no-conflict exhibitor time; poster sessions in exhibit area; authors signings & readings; door prizes/giveaways. Members of this committee include: David Myers, Verla Peterson, and Suzie Husband.
PROGRAM
Kathy Blackmer Reyes has been particularly active. On June 22, 1999 program proposals were mailed out to all REFORMA members. This material will be showing up on the RNCII web site shortly. It is expected that acceptance of proposals will be made by January 2000.
FUTURE PLANNING
In addition to the above ongoing activities, the RNCII Committee will
be finalizing shortly a list of potential keynote speakers. Programming
along the lines of membership meetings, local chapter meetings, presidential
programs, conference/community events, etc. will be items of discussion
at the RNCII business meeting, Sunday, June 27th, 2-4pm, Chateau
Sonesta (CHAT) –Lafitte B. Everyone welcome.