Registration opened today for the Evergreen International Conference, May 20-22, 2009, to be held in the charming, fun, affordable college town of Athens, Georgia, a straight shot from Atlanta’s hub airport.

To register see the conference website, http://solinet.net/evergreen or go directly to the registration page.

If you don’t have a SOLINET account, you will need to create one, but that will only take a minute. (SOLINET is handling conference registration for this conference, which is jointly coordinated by SOLINET, Equinox Software, and Georgia Public Library Service.)

Don’t forget, program submissions are due March 2. We’re seeing some good ones! Don’t sweat the small stuff — just submit.

Remember we’ve got great keynote speakers — Jessamyn West and Joe Lucia — plus an action-packed conference schedule that includes not only traditional “sage on a stage” programs and panels, but user-directed hackfests, lightning talks, and Birds of a Feather (oh, and pub crawls…).

Early Bird Registration ends April 1, so sign up now and save your money for enjoying the Athens restaurant scene!

We’re seeing some excellent program proposals float in for the first-ever Evergreen International Conference, May 20-22 2009 (see http://solinet.net/evergreen), and yes, we are planning on two half-day “hackfest” sessions on producing documentation. We’ve also had some questions:

* How do I submit a program proposal? Answer: see the conference program proposal web page–
we’ve kept the process as simple as possible.

* When are program proposals due? Answer: 5 p.m. EST, March 2, 2009

* What level of audience? Answer: just about any level. The three tracks for programs — Admin, Tech, and Front Line — ensure that there is a place for any program.

* What category does my program go in? Answer: don’t sweat that detail. Just make a best-guess and if the program is a good match for this year’s conference, it will find a home.

* Can it be a panel discussion or presentation? Answer: absolutely! Just remember these are 45-minute programs so you might want to keep it to two or three panelists.

* What kind of setup will we have? Expect a computer projector and a laptop (or bring your own laptop). We should have online access but remember it’s usually a smart idea to “can” your program so you aren’t completely reliant on online access.

* Does the program proposal need to match the conference theme, “Branch out with Evergreen”? Answer: no, that’s not necessary, all ideas considered.

* How do I submit a lightning talk idea? Answer: you can submit in advance (just send an email to events@evergreen-ils.org), but you can also sign up at the conference. (Lightning talks are five-minute presentations.)

* What about a hackfest idea? Answer: submit it like a proposal.

* What’s a hackfest, anyway, and how long does it have to be? Answer: a hackfest is a concentrated work effort on a special project and it can range from a couple of hours to all day. Hackfests are traditionally used for development — but don’t let that box you in. You’ll have a room, wifi access, tables, and a few hours to spend with colleagues you might not normally get “f2f”-time with. Do you have a usability project? Coding? Documentation? Testing? Want to hold an advocacy camp? Here’s your chance!

* I have other questions. Where can I ask them? Feel free to pose them here on the list but you can also email events@evergreen-ils.org.

The Evergreen International Conference 2009 is jointly sponsored by Equinox Software, Georgia Public Library Service, and SOLINET.