MLA '06: General Information

A large meeting is full of little details. This page will help you with travel safety, Internet access, member voting rights, and more.

Academy of Health Information Professionals MLA Connection Booth	The Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) is MLA's professional development and career recognition program. The academy offers credentials to members at various levels of achievement and mastery of the essential areas of knowledge in health sciences librarianship. MLA '06 attendees are eligible to earn up to one point of academy credit per meeting day, for up to three days per year. In addition, the academy recognizes contact hours earned through continuing-education courses and symposia. If you have questions about your academy portfolio or about applying to the academy as a new member, members of the Credentialing Committee will offer individual consultations, or plan to attend the Academy Question-and-Answer Session on Monday, May 22, from 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, in the Cowboy Artist’s Room.
Americans with Disabilities Act	The Phoenix Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Phoenix, and Wyndham Phoenix's meeting rooms, guest rooms, common areas, and transportation services all comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need any auxiliary aids and services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act, please identify include a written description of them with your MLA '06 Registration form or in the online registration center to make your request through the meeting planner.
Business Center	UPS Store Hyatt Regency Phoenix, North Lobby, First Floor Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5: 30 p.m. Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Closed on Sunday
CD-ROM of Meeting Sponsored by New England Journal of Medicine Order your copy on the registration form or onsite at the MLA Registration Desk.	If this jam-packed meeting makes your head spin, catch up on all the information at your leisure by ordering a CD-ROM of the presentations. The CD-ROM includes audio and visuals of plenary sessions and section programs. It will be mailed five weeks after the meeting.
Children	Please contact the hotel's concierge for names of local child care agencies.
Colleague Connection Deadline: May 7, 2006	Not just for first-time attendees anymore, MLA has expanded Colleague Connection to include anyone who wants advice on negotiating the "cacti" of an MLA annual meeting. Experienced members benefit from Colleague Connection, too! Mentoring a colleague during the meeting can expand your professional network, expose you to new ideas, and show you the meeting from a fresh perspective. In addition, you will get the satisfaction of helping someone, and there is no greater reward than that! Please sign up online today! If you register by Sunday, May 7, you are guaranteed to receive your mentor or mentee's name before leaving for the meeting. After May 7, sign up via the Web or in person at the meeting. If you have questions, please contact Dean Hendrix, dhendrix@buffalo.edu, or 716.829.3900 x112. Indicate whether you want to be paired with an experienced member or want to help a new colleague.
Council Display Tables MLA Connection Booth	Section Council: Membership brochures from MLA sections will be available and section council members will be on hand to answer questions. Chapter Council: Learn about the fourteen geographic MLA chapters. Check out chapter newsletters, projects, and membership information.
Exhibit Hall Convention Center: Halls D and E	Hours Saturday, May 20 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. (Welcome reception and opening of exhibits) Sunday, May 21 noon–5:00 p.m. Monday, May 22 10:00 a.m.–noon and 1:15 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Grants and Scholarship Booth MLA Connection Booth	Make a donation to support the MLA grants and scholarship program, and take home a unique gift for a friend, family member, or yourself! Cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards are accepted.
Hospitality Center Convention Center: Lobby 2	Discover Phoenix! Make the Hospitality Center your first stop for maps and information about local attractions. Local Assistance Committee members and other area experts will be on hand to answer questions.
Information Desk Convention Center: Lobby 2	The Information Desk is part of the Registration Center. You may leave messages for members of the Board of Directors, MLA staff, or colleagues or stop by if you have questions.
Internet Café Sponsored by Elsevier Convention Center: Halls D and E; and Lobby 2	The Internet Café provides convenient, 24-hour Internet and wireless access for all meeting attendees. To access your offsite email, bring the name and, if possible, the Internet service provider (ISP) number of your host (mail server) and your MLA username and password.
Job Placement Center Convention Center: Yuma 26	Individual job seekers and employers must register with the Job Placement Center by downloading and completing placement forms by May 1, 2006; employers and individual job seekers may submit late applications onsite through Tuesday, May 23. Only employers area accessed fees; there are no fees for job seekers to use the MLA Job Placement Center.
Lost and Found Convention Center: Lobby 2	Please bring any found items to the Information Desk, located in the Registration Center.
Member Resource Room Convention Center: Yuma 26	For your convenience, a photocopier, Windows-based computers, and a laser printer will be available for association business. Equipment use is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring your own 100MB ZIP disks or 3.5" floppy diskettes. There is no Internet access in this room; please visit the Internet Cafe in the Hall of Exhibits and Lobby 2 for your online needs.
Message Center Convention Center: Lobby 2	Leave or pickup messages for members or colleagues on the Message Center message boards near the onsite Registration Center, which are organized by last name.
MLA '07 Exhibit Hall: Booth 237 Official invitation takes place Tuesday, May 23, at MLA Business Meeting II in the Conention Center Ballroom.	Stop by the MLA '07 booth to learn about next year's annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA, May 18-23, 2007. Members of the 2007 National Program Committee and Local Assistance Committee will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.
MLA Connection Booth Convention Center: Lobby 2	Visit the MLA Connection Booth for all things MLA! Check out the Scholarship Booth for MLA '06 T-shirts, "beanies," humorous ribbons to add to your badge, and lots of useful and fun items for you and your staff back home. Stop by to purchase MLA publications at discounted meeting rates, to learn about MLA's newest programs and services, and to pick up materials, including a copy of MLA's parliamentary procedures for conducting meetings. Also part of the booth is the public relations material Swap and Shop, where you can see and pickup promotional materials from medical libraries around the country. If you would like to submit materials, please download a submission form (PDF, 73KB), and bring it with 25 copies of your materials to Phoenix. If you are not attending but would still like to submit materials, please contact Tomi Gunn for other options. Representatives from MLA's public relations consulting firm, PCI, will conduct a free, 30-minute marketing seminar followed by a Q&A session. The seminar will be offered on May 21 at 2:00 p.m. and May 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the booth. You are invited to join us for a glass of wine and to chat with the editorial boards of both JMLA and MLA News, as well a MLA Publishing authors, on Saturday, May 20, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Newsletter Distributed throughout in the Convention Center.	Edited by members of the Local Assistance Committee, a subcommittee of the 2006 National Program Committee, three editions of The Daily Transformer will be published, Sunday, May 21, Monday, May 22, and Tuesday, May 23. Short, newsworthy articles related to the meeting, date or time changes for events, and other interesting items are welcome by 4:00 p.m. on the day before the intended issue. Please include your name and your MLA or organizational affiliation with your submission. Email copy to daily.transformer@gmail.com or drop copy in box located in the MLA Connection Booth.
Registration Center Convention Center: Lobby 2	Hours Thursday, May 18 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Friday, May 19 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Saturday, May 20 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Monday, May 22 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 24 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. and noon–1:00 p.m.
Speaker Ready Room	A room will be available for those making presentations during the meeting.
Travel Safety Tips Sponsored by Doody Enterprises A print copy of these tips will be available in the MLA '06 portfolio.	To enjoy your stay in Phoenix, AZ, please take a few moments to read the Safety Tips for Annual Meeting Attendees.
Voting Rights	You are eligible to vote at the MLA business meeting at MLA '06 if you hold an MLA membership in at least one of these categories: Regular (includes Introductory), Life, Fellow, Emeritus, Student, or authorized Institutional Representative.
What to Wear	Arizona's atmosphere is casual: jeans or shorts are always in style, and comfortable shoes are best for walking around the convention center and downtown. In late May, temperatures generally range from 61 to 92 degrees, with a possibility of going into the low 100s. Leave your business suits, ties, and hosiery at home; dress for comfort and enjoyment in casual clothing. Do bring a sweater or jacket for air-conditioned meeting rooms and evenings outdoors. Extreme summer sunshine with the heat is always possible, so bring dark glasses, sunscreen, water, and a visor or hat. For current weather, consult the National Weather Service Forecast Office—Phoenix, AZ