I certainly agree with the comments being made about how not staying at the convention hotel hurts AJL. In order for the hotel to offer the convention rate, AJL guarantees a certain number of rooms being sold at that rate. If they are not, then AJL has to cover the costs. Staying at the hotel also adds the convenience of being right on site, not having additional transportation costs, and enjoying all of the benefits of being with other AJL members from early in the morning and throughout the day and evening.
I would like to clarify one comment however. The rate at the Four Seasons Hotel last year was not more expensive than this year in Brooklyn. The rate last year was $179.00 Canadian. For all of you paying in American funds, there was the advantage of the American dollar paying $1.35 or even higher for the Canadian dollar (I do not remember the going exchange rate at that time). When the exchange rate is taken into account, even adding on hotel taxes, the final rate was less than $199.00 US. If the increasingly high costs for hotels in major cities is a cause of concern for AJL members and for convention goers, I suggest that the correct forum for discussion of all of the issues surrounding this is at convention and/or through the national convention committee. See you in Brooklyn Gloria Jacobs ========================================================================== HaSafran - The Electronic Forum of the Association of Jewish Libraries Submissions for HaSafran, send to: Hasafran at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listserver at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 at osu.edu AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org/
