UW-Madison School of Library & Information Studies (SLIS) offers to host
Code4Lib 2010. We meet all the requirements, as outlined below:

Requirements of a Hosting Site:

* A host or hosts willing to manage local arrangements (many colleges and
universities are skilled at facilitating conferences)

The continuing education and outreach unit here at UW-Madison SLIS,
Continuing Education Services (http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed/)
regularly organizes workshops and conferences for professional associations
and other groups, and can handle the logistics of registration, hotel
accommodations, parking, and meals. Continuing Education Services regularly
works with local hotels near the UW campus, to offer reduced rates to
conference attendees.

* An auditorium or similar space suitable for 150-200 persons, plus three or
more "breakout" rooms for 30-50.

As a UW unit, we can book events in several conference centers on the
Madison campus, including the Pyle and Lowell Centers (
http://conferencing.uwex.edu/pyle.cfm) at no cost for the rooms - we do pay
for meals and technology, but the rates are very reasonable. The Pyle Center
has a variety of meeting spaces that can be combined and/or separated to
seat groups up to 238, and also has breakout rooms for smaller groups, with
plenty in the 30 - 50 range. The Lowell Center offers lodging as well as
meeting spaces, at below-market rates. See
http://conferencing.uwex.edu/mtgspaces.cfm

As mentioned above, Continuing Education Services has relationships with
hotels near campus, to offer reduced rates to conference attendees.

* Wireless network available to attendees free or sponsored by the
conference

Wireless connectivity can be arranged at the proposed conference venue, the
Pyle and Lowell Centers on the UW campus, at no cost to conference
attendees.

Additional Desirable Qualities:

* Small college or university town (why? "amenities", my friend, amenities)
Madison WI qualifies as a college town and may even appear in some
dictionaries under the definition for "college or university town".

We have all the amenities associated with college towns - small town
cordiality and relative safety, lots of movie theaters and bookstores, as
well as bike paths, publicly-accessible university owned lakefront and other
natural areas, and great athletic facilities for both watching sports,
competing, and just working out. The campus and downtown are pedestrian
friendly and there is decent public transportation all around the city.
There is also a plethora of entertainment opportunities (music, speakers,
art, etc.) most nights of the week. We promise you won't be bored.

* Reasonably near a major airport (we are prepared to interpret this
liberally if the other qualifications are strong)

It is possible to fly to either Milwaukee WI or Chicago, IL and take a bus
to Madison; Madison is also reasonably well-served by major airlines, and
our recently remodeled airport now has 13 gates, 2 brew pubs - one with
sausages, Usinger's German Wurst  Bar - a Ben & Jerry's, and at least 2
coffee bars (http://msnairport.com/)

*Good evening venues (e.g., interesting and/or good restaurants and bars)

The food is good here! Madison has an excess of restaurants per person, so
that prices on restaurant food are kept somewhat artificially low - a meal
that might cost $40 in Chicago probably costs closer to $28 in Madison.
Wisconsin is an agricultural state, and many chefs and restaurants in
Madison ascribe to the buy local, fresh, and seasonal point of view,
bringing in meats, cheeses, and fruits and vegetables produced within just a
few miles of Madison, and local beers and wines, too.  Madison is not just a
university town, it is also the state capital, attracting visitors from all
over the state, the US, and internationally, so there are many interesting
ethnic restaurants, reflecting the diversity of the population.

* Some distance away from the last conference site, all things being equal
(to spread the travel pain)

Madison is about 1100 miles away from Providence RI, the 2009 site.
Temperatures in February and early March in Rhode Island and Wisconsin are
actually fairly similar. The advantage that Madison provides, in contrast to
Providence, is access to winter sports, such as cross-country skiing and ice
fishing without even leaving town.

Thanks for your consideration of our proposal,

debra

dsshap...@wisc.edu
debra.shap...@gmail.com
Debra Shapiro
UW-Madison SLIS
Helen C. White Hall, Rm. 4282
600 N. Park St.
Madison WI 53706
608 262 9195
mobile 608 712 6368
FAX 608 263 4849