Our long-awaited pursuit of registered trademark status for iREAD� has finally yielded a successful outcome.  Our application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has been pending for some time, with delays caused by other entities (such as Scholastic) having prior claims for possible future use.  Finally these other claims were dropped, and ILA's application was accepted, according to patent attorney James Foley who has been monitoring the situation on a daily basis.  While we are still awaiting the formal registration certificate, we can begin identifying our trademark as being federally registered.  We had pursued this protection to make sure that neither a competing nor entirely new product adopted the term, as it now has significant brand and marketing value to ILA.  

1. More than 100 opportunities to learn from your colleagues at programs, talk tables, poster sessions, an unconference, and special events.  Check out the Preliminary Conference Program for a full list of programs. 
2. Hear Keynote Speaker Kevin Caroll . . . Illinois Authors' Dinner Speakers Melanie Benjamin and Sally M. Walker . . . Anna Dewdney, iREAD illustrator and author of the Llama, Llama books . . . DiversiTEA Speaker Tema Okum . . . Al Gini, ILA's Resident Philosopher . . . and Out-of-Bounds Speakers Andy Burkhardt, Dawn Mushill, and Laura Bollan.  (That's nine reasons for the price of one!)
3. Exhibits! Exhibits! Exhibits!  More than 100 companies will be on hand to show you the latest in library products and services on Wednesday, October 10, and Thursday, October 11.
4. Celebrate the accomplishments of your colleagues at the ILA Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, October 9. Attendance at the luncheon is included in your conference registration -- who said there's no such thing as a free lunch? 
5. Speaking of lunch, did you know a free buffet lunch is provided in the exhibit hall on Wednesday and Thursday?  Food stations, provided by our exhibitors, will be located throughout the ha ll. Add to that the snack and coffee breaks and you'll be kept well-fed throughout the conference!
6. Looking for a job or considering a career move?  Brush up your resume and prepare for your next step at the ILA Career Clinic.  For more information, or to sign up for the clinic, contact  careerclinic@ila.org. 
7. Trustees have their own full day of programming and events on Wednesday, October 10. Click here for a full list of events.
8. The ILA Membership Meeting, on Wednesday, October 10, will feature a legislative update from ILA Legislative Consultant Kip Kolkmeier.  If you've never heard one of Kip's updates, you don't want to miss this opportunity!
9. Spend Wednesday evening, October 10, Rolling on the River with "cocktails, conversations, and colleagues" on the Peoria Riverfront. A casual evening is planned for all conference attendees -- no registration required. Watch for more details coming soon.
10. Make new friends and catch up with friends of long standing.  If you've never experienced an ILA Annual Conference in Peoria, you'll appreciate the intimate setting, which makes it easy to network with colleagues from around the state. We look forward to seeing you!  

Register early and save -- Early Bird Registration closes August 27. Online registration is available at www.ila.org/2012. 

Gail Borden Public Library and Naperville Public Library have discontinued their subscriptions to OCLC Cataloging and started utilizing SkyRiver effective July 1.  Gail Borden will continue to subscribe to OCLC Resource Sharing, and libraries across the state and nationwide can still make requests through WorldCat, although Gail Borden is not able to update their holdings in WorldCat.  Naperville will not be continuing with OCLC Resource Sharing.  To allow libraries to borrow titles, Naperville is contacting libraries and issuing barcodes and pins to allow libraries to place requests directly in their catalog.  Libraries may also fax, e-mail, or mail ALA ILL forms.  More information on how to borrow from Naperville is available at: http://www.naperville-lib.org/node/3369.

Just a reminder that libraries and other public bodies are not required to prepare special reports or documents to respond to typical FOIA requests; rather the obligation is to make regularly maintained records available to the public.

See the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1:

If you need further assistance, please contact the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor, 1-877-299-3642.