1999 Joint Meeting of NCNMLG/MLGSCA, San Jose, CA

Poster Subcommittee Final Report

Submitted by Leah Anderson, Chair

February 16, 1999
 
 

Committee: Leah Anderson, Chair

Thirteen posters were submitted. Three were ultimately withdrawn because the abstracts were also submitted and accepted for the contributed papers session. Of the remaining ten posters, three represented NCNMLG and seven represented MLGSCA. Email messages and faxes were regularly sent to each presenter for abstract revisions, equipment options, and display locations and map. Letters of appreciation were mailed to each presenter.

The poster session was held in the morning in two foyer areas on the same floor as other meeting rooms for the conference. The first group was next to the registration tables and near the exhibit hall. This group received more attention during the designated time slot for the posters due to its location and the fact that the morning session was held on the same side of the floor. The posters were on display until 5:00 pm that day thus providing more visibility. Because of this, the second group received more exposure in the afternoon since two of the contributed papers sessions were held near it. Unfortunately, the presenters were no longer standing with their posters in the afternoon.

I heard three negative remarks about dividing the poster session into two areas. These three people didn't like having to walk the distance to view the second group, and felt the second group was isolated from the main congregation area for attendees.

The poster sessions for 1997 and 1998 were held in the same room as the exhibitors and refreshments. This is an ideal situation because it allows more opportunities for attendees to view the poster displays.

> Leah H. Anderson, MLS

> Sequoia Hospital

> Health Sciences Library

> 170 Alameda de las Pulgas

> Redwood City, CA 94062-2799

> 650.367.5880

> (fax) 650.367.5725

Note: A service for those who might have missed a presentation or for those who couldn’t attend a Joint meeting would be to mount posters and presentations on the website after the Joint Meeting. If this were to be done, chairs, when notifying presenters of their acceptance, should ask the presenters to e-mail their word processing files to the Electronic Program chair, who would specify the word processing program format for saving the document. Nearly all of the presenters had their talks or poster mounts in a word processing file, which many discarded immediately after the meeting. The Power Point files are too big to conveniently handle in mounting on the web site, but word processing files are relatively small. Though presenters should be asked to submit their word processing files when they are accepted to be on the program, they could e-mail the final copy of their presentation just before they leave for the meeting.

M.B. Train
 
 


PROCEDURES FOR THE POSTERS CHAIR

1. Establish timelines

Call for posters and review:

Working back from the date of the conference, establish a timeline for the call for posters and the review process. Work with the chair of contributed papers to eliminate duplication of effort for announcements.

Have the deadline for the call for papers/posters earlier in the fall rather than later. This will allow for the inevitable extensions necessary to receive more submissions.

SUGGESTIONS:

Keep in mind Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when establishing the timeline. Christmas especially undermines one's ability to contact presenters, so allow enough time before Christmas to accomplish certain tasks.

Poster abstracts must be finalized in time to meet the printing deadline for the conference program. This deadline will be soon after Christmas.

 Facilities timeline: Establish a timeline with the Facilities Committee for determination of poster equipment, room layout, and other details. 2. Determine criteria for submissions

Establish criteria for both format and content for abstract submissions, and include them in the call for posters.

SUGGESTIONS:

Do not accept abstracts that do not conform to the required format. This will save a great deal of time when editing abstracts and getting final versions of them from presenters.

Suggest that emailed submissions are preferable. The ability to cut and paste from an email message will be a great time saver.

Advertise the call for posters with the call for papers. Post them in the following places: listservs for both groups, newsletters for both groups, and the Medlib-l listserv.

 3. Organize information about posters and presenters

Create a database of the presenters, their contact information and abstracts. A database will easily generate letters and faxes as well as other lists that will be needed.
 
 

4. Review abstract submissions

Establish guidelines for reviewing submissions. If it is decided to accept any poster that is submitted, perhaps a blind review committee is not needed.

Review submissions as soon as possible, preferably before Thanksgiving. This will allow time to communicate with presenters about editing suggestions, and hopefully receive final versions of the abstracts before Christmas.

5. Contacting presenters and finalizing abstracts

Inform presenters about the acceptance of their poster and give suggestions and instructions for editing their abstracts.

Also include in your letter information about the types of poster equipment available to them (see # 7 below).

Email is convenient and can be a very timely way to communicate with presenters, but receipt of the message cannot be ensured.

Be forewarned: It can be very difficult to get final, edited abstracts out of people.

NOTE: Poster abstracts must be finalized in time to meet the printing deadline for the conference program. This deadline will be soon after Christmas. 6. Mechanics of the poster session

Begin working with the Facilities Committee as soon as possible about types of equipment made available by the hotel for poster presenters. Equipment for a standard poster setup usually includes one draped table; one chair for each presenter; enough easels to accommodate the poster; and an extension cord for electricity if required.

Discuss layout of the poster room with the Facilities Committee a month in advance of the conference. Draw diagrams.

SUGGESTIONS:

Try to view the facilities and equipment for the poster session yourself, if possible.

Arrange to have poster equipment available by 7 am of the day of the poster session, or as early as possible. This provides presenters enough time to set up their posters and still attend the morning sessions of the conference program. 7. Contact presenters a final time

Send confirmation letters to presenters at least two to three weeks before the conference with the following details:

• when and where to set up posters

• what equipment will be provided

• how you can be contacted at the conference

• address to use in order to ship materials to the conference hotel

• reminders of handouts and quantities (50 to 100 copies)

 8. Poster session day

Survey area for the poster session to determine that all equipment is present and in correct locations.

Bring a box of supplies such as tape, scissors, staplers, paper clips, etc., to the poster setup.

Take photographs of the presenters with their posters during the session.

 9. Post conference Send thank you letters to each presenter and reviewers (if used). Enclose a copy of the photographs to each person.

NCNMLG or MLGSCA letterhead can be obtained for thank you letters.

Submit a report to the chairs of the meeting.
 
 

Leah H. Anderson

Poster Chair, Joint Meeting 1999