Embedded librarianship is a hot topic (there were two sessions about it at the SLA conference last week). APLIC members got an early look at what Claire is doing at the Hopkins Population Center during the 2005 APLIC conference.

Tsui, a professor in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, began her talk by saying that APLIC president Claire Twose has been “invaluable” to her research.

Tsui continued talking about research infrastructure, saying it is not often you get money to develop research capacity for the long term – but she got just that from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Tsui is director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, which works with African universities to develop research and training programs.

The institute focuses on multi-country, large-scale research projects and working with universities on curricula to train the next generation. They also helps partners organize their own conferences. Tsui said that in order to keep training programs alive, they have to focus on building research capacity.

Tsui described a typical faculty visit to Johns Hopkins. Visiting faculty audit courses, take training on electronic databases, work on a systematic literature review or data analysis exercise, and give a seminar presentation. Tsui noted that these faculty do not have access to the same level of resources in their home universities – for example, the bibliographic databases and journal subscriptions that Hopkins pays millions of dollars for, reliable internet and electricity, and training in statistical software. “If they had the kind of access that we have here, the speed of  change would be that much faster,” Tsui said.

Tsui went into detail about a research project in Africa, delivering home based family planning counseling and HIV voluntary counseling and testing to couples in rural Malawi. The project faced a number of hurdles, including a year-long wait for IRB approval (due to fears of domestic violence following testing and counseling – but no incidences were reported), the need for confidential referrals, polygamous households (excluded from the study), and community misconceptions.

So far, the project has resulted in a manuscript under review and a submitted NIH proposal, in collaboration with the University of Malawi.

Social Science Division Business Meeting Breakfast (Monday, 8-9:30 a.m.)

This Monday morning breakfast is a good way to meet new colleagues and find out about programs at the conference. If you’re not a member of the Social Science Division, this is also a good way to find out about it. It’s a ticketed event (#425) but $10 for a full breakfast is a conference bargain! You can purchase a ticket at registration on-site.

Thomson Reuters EndNote Bibliographic Update (Monday, 1:30-2:30 p.m., INFO EXPO Hall A, Booth 154)

Yes, it’s a vendor session – but probably useful for those of us who use or provide support for EndNote.

Open Source Technology for Libraries (Monday, 2-3:30 p.m., Conv. Ctr. Room 232)

Nicole Engard is an expert on open source for libraries, having given numerous talks and edited Library Mashups.

Brand You and Web 2.0 (Monday, 2-3:30 p.m., Conv. Ctr. La Louisiane Ballroom)

Mary Ellen Bates is always in high demand at SLA. In this session, she’ll talk about how to use the social web to build your network and share expertise while maintaining a professional image.

International Reception (Monday, 6-7:30 p.m., Meet at the Convention Center, Outside of Lobby B at 5:45 p.m.)

The International Reception is always a don’t-miss SLA event for me, and this year in New Orleans should be no exception. Follow the band from the Convention Center to Generations Hall, a block away.

Social Science, Museum, Arts and Humanities, Education and Academic Divisions Poster Session and Open House (Monday, 7-9 p.m., Historic New Orleans Collections, 533 Royal Street)

After the International Reception, continue networking and enjoying refreshments while viewing poster presentations.

Census 2010: A Progress Report (Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m., Conv. Ctr. Room R09)

Find out the latest on Census 2010.

International Virtual Libraries (Tuesday, 2-3:30 p.m., Conv. Ctr. Room R09)

Learn about major virtual libraries like UNESCO’s World Digital Library and the European Union’s Europeana, plus the Google Books settlement.

Social Technologies for Collaboration (Tuesday, 2-3:30 p.m., Conv. Ctr. Room 230)

Speakers share their experiences with various technologies and provide tips on which to use when.

Embed Yourself: The Librarian is IN (Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m., Conv. Ctr. Room R06)

Many of us in APLIC have opportunities to be involved in research, project planning, and data curation. Find out how to embed yourself at this session.

The Parties

Though things have scaled back a bit with the economy, SLA’s parties are still legendary. After a day of learning and networking, let loose a little bit at the dance parties – the Academic Division Open House and Dance Party on Sunday from 9-midnight at the Sheraton Hotel Rhythms Ballroom, and IT, Leadership and Management, and Physics-Astronomy-Math Open House and Dance Party on Tuesday from 9-midnight at the Sheraton Hotel Armstrong Ballroom.

This was my first conference and, truth to tell, my heart was not beating especially fast knowing I would be spending five days in Dallas, Texas. Preconceived ideas, you see.

So – conference hotel, the usual story: big spaces without intimacy and a maze of meeting rooms spread out on two or three levels. You spend the first day just figuring things out. At some point you forget about the environment and remember that the meeting is about people. Folks who are doing something like you do and who may have some insights. Folks who end up being fun to know, too.

At any rate, the 2010 planning group hit a home run with this year’s banquet.

There’s always a banquet at these kinds of things – I’ve been to so many they all run together in a blur. Of course, you’re there to enjoy each other’s company and maybe gab about things beyond the profession, common interests, or maybe give an award or two. Nobody pays attention to the food, certainly not the chefs who shovel it out by the hundredweight. Let’s be honest – most conference food is boring. In a place like the Hyatt it’s not bad quality but it won’t make you sit up and take notice.

Leave it to APLIC to think outside of the box – or, in this case, the hotel. We held our banquet outside the facility at a very unique local restaurant named . . . Local.

In my other life I translate a restaurant guide to the South of France called the Guide Gantié. For 20 years Jacques Gantié has been writing up restaurants large and small all over Nice-Provence-Cote d’Azur and I get to create the English language edition every year. Yum. His criteria are simple: welcome, service, food, décor. So, in the spirit of the South (France or USA) here’s a Gantié-style look at Local :

“More than one person wondered what Tracy Miller was thinking when she purchased the old Boyd Hotel deep in the Deep Ellum district at 2936a Elm in 1998. Almost 12 years later the results speak for themselves: Clean modern lines from Dallas designer Alice Cottrell, classic Eames walnut chairs, pine floors, 16-foot ceilings; thoughtful arrangements create intimacy in numerous discreet areas within a complex space. It’s comfortable and trendy but we come here most of all for the playful and tasteful New American cuisine of Tracy Miller. Fried green beans with creamy thyme and garlic-infused dipping sauce for an amuse-bouch; appetizers like roasted roma tomato soup with two baby farmhouse cheddar cheese sandwiches or lettuces of endive, radicchio and frisee with haricot vert, blue cheese, crisp pancetta and lemon-shallot vinaigrette; main courses like cornflake-panko crusted seabass, spring pea-lemon risotto, herb beurre blanc and sauté of sunburst squash; grilled grass-fed tenderloin filet, panko crusted tater tots, baby arugula toss and tawny port balsamic finish; special vegan preparation of small vegetables, swiss chard, and fragrant sauce… are all prepared with the utmost care using the best products, presented with delight, and served briskly. The chef’s signature “chocolate constructed” dessert features a seemingly bottomless chocolate soufflee, two small, crunchy brownie-type cookies, and a thimble-sized “milkshake” of ovaltine-chocolate malt ice cream, complete with straw. While occasionally tipping her hat to Thomas Keller, Tracy Miller’s cuisine is anything but derivative. She creates, crosses flavors, seeks the essence of the product, and plays with our memory. Welcome is warm and efficient, service is impeccable, and wines and beers have been carefully selected to match the food. One regret: it’s too bad the entry-level price on wine doesn’t get lower than $44 a bottle (white). At evening’s end, however, we really don’t mind, because we have been treated so well and had such fabulous adventures with the food.”

Wish you were there ? It’s not too early to start planning for next year in Washington.

—submitted by William Fennie

From the World Bank announcement:

Recognizing that transparency and accountability are essential to development, the World Bank Group now provides free, open, and easy access to its comprehensive set of data on living standards around the globe—some 2,000 indicators, including hundreds that go back 50 years. The data is available in Arabic, French, and Spanish in addition to English.

Register today – mail-in registration closes March 15!