APLIC members attending the SLA conference in New Orleans got together for dinner, and then met up again at the International Reception. We looked good at dinner, but forgot to take a picture. We got caught in one of those famous Southern rainstorms just before the International Reception, so we don’t look quite as good, but we did finally remember to take a picture. (Nancy Minter was also at SLA but unfortunately was not available for the picture.)

APLIC President Claire Twose was featured in an article about embedded librarians on Inside Higher Ed.

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.

Following is a report on Amy Tsui’s presentation at the 2010 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.

» Continue reading “Amy Tsui: Building capacity in African universities”

In addition to the APLIC conference (my favorite, of course) I also regularly attend the much larger SLA annual conference. Because SLA is so big, I thought it might be helpful to pick out a few programs that would be of particular interest to APLIC members. If you’ve spotted a good one I missed, please add it in the comments. I’d also like to have an APLIC get-together during the conference – watch for information on the APLIC listserv.

» Continue reading “SLA 2010: Picks for APLIC members”

APLIC doesn’t do things as others do – let’s be clear about that.

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.

» Continue reading “Not a conventional banquet”

Draft minutes from the 2010 annual APLIC business meeting held during the conference in April are now available. If you were at the meeting and have any corrections, please send them to Tara Murray.

The World Bank announced yesterday that it is providing free and open access to its data, including the World Development Indicators database, at data.worldbank.org.

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.

APLIC held its 43rd annual conference in Dallas last week. The conference was small and allowed for a lot of interaction with speakers and between attendees. In the coming weeks, we’ll be posting presentation slides, reports from attendees, and business meeting minutes. In the meantime, here is a photo of conference attendees waiting for a ride to the APLIC annual banquet (courtesy of Elana Broch).

Join us in Dallas for Population Information Roundup: Tools, Experts, and Networks – including what promises to be a valuable introduction to Census 2010, as well as a presentation from Amy Tsui, the director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health and sessions on DHS tools, immigration trends, and tools to support effective collaboration across organizations. Plus sample a unique twist on local cuisine during our banquet at one of Dallas premiere restaurants: Local.

Register today – mail-in registration closes March 15!

The deadline for mail in registration is March 1. Check the conference web page for a preview of the program and a link to the registration form.