Weather or not - SLA takes Seattle by storm!

Information Outlook, May, 1997 by Ruth Van Dyke

Perhaps everyone talks about the weather because it's unpredictable and idiosyncratic. Seattle is the most northern major American city, as far north as Quebec City, but it has never recorded below zero temperatures and only reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit once. Our temperatures are generally mild thanks to two major geographical features, water and mountains, as well as a meteorological phenomenon, the jet stream.

Seattle and Puget Sound lie between two mountain ranges - the Cascades to the east and the Olympics to the west. Warm, humid air from the Pacific Ocean approaches us from the southwest, encouraged by the jet stream which usually hovers over Seattle in winter and migrates north during summer. As the warm air hits the Olympics it loses much of its water, creating the Olympic Rain Forest with up to 200 inches of water per year. The air is then diverted around each end of the Olympic Mountains, converging in Puget Sound. The typical "convergent zone" lies in northern Seattle neighborhoods where the colliding air spills more water.

Some Washington cities lie in the "rain shadow," an area protected by the Olympics and out of the path of the moist air moving inland. On the other hand, Puget Sound cities experience diverse "micro-climates," areas whose weather is noticeably different from each other, even though physically adjacent. Meanwhile, the Cascade Mountains protect Puget Sound from air moving west from the interior, which is cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

What can you expect in June? Unlike some past SLA annual conferences, whatever the weather it won't be too severe. No tornadoes or wind storms. No oppressive temperatures or high humidity. Don't be surprised if it's overcast, as are 225 out of 365 days. Don't be surprised either by local weather reports: "Sun breaks in the morning, followed by low clouds and drizzle; rain turning to showers by tomorrow."

Sun breaks are those delightful sunny spells that penetrate our overcast skies. Rain isn't just rain, of course. People in Seattle are rain connoisseurs; everyone can tell you the difference between drizzle, showers, and light mist.

Come expecting moderate temperatures in the 50s-70s with the possibility of precipitation. Who knows, all are possible. Check the weather forecasts before you come (see the SLA conference Web site). Bring a light coat or raincoat and buy an umbrella here if you need one. If you do encounter some rain, do like the locals and just walk between the drops.

RELATED ARTICLE: Seattle is Fast Approaching!

The 1997 Seattle Annual Conference is just one month away. This is your association's premier event! We hope that you will be there. Please make sure that you have sent in your housing and registration forms. If you need additional information, please visit us on the Web at www.sla.org. Be sure to check out the Pacific Northwest Chapter conference listserv. Send a message to listserv@microsoft.com., leaving subject line blank and put "join Seattle97" in main message.

In our efforts to keep you up-to-date on the 1997 Seattle Annual Conference program opportunities, we have been publicizing all changes on the SLA Web page. For those of you who may have missed these changes, the following are major program changes that have taken place since the printing of the Preliminary Conference Program. Please note the following:

Major Program Change:

The SLA Board of Directors Meeting, scheduled for Friday, June 14th following the Seattle Annual Conference has been re-scheduled as follows:

SLA Board of Directors Meeting Thursday, June 12th 11:00 a.m.

The SLA Conferences & Meetings Focus Group Meeting - Executive Session, scheduled for Saturday, June 7th at 12:00 p.m. has been rescheduled as follows:

SLA Conferences & Meetings Focus Group Meeting Executive Session Saturday, June 7th 7:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

The Library Management Division program entitled "Managing a Virtual Library on a Global Scale," Monday, June 9th at 3:00 p.m. has been rescheduled as follows:

Library Management Division Managing a Virtual Library on a Global Scale Monday, June 9th 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

New Program Offerings:

The Solo Librarians Division is pleased to announce the following new program to those already publicized:

Solo Librarians Division Success Story: 25 Years of Solo Librarianship Monday, June 9th 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Take a look back at solo librarianship to see how the discipline of one-person librarianship has evolved from a support activity to one in which its practitioners are recognized as the information leaders in their organizations.

Moderator: Rhea Austin, Nathan Associates, Inc. Speaker: Guy St. Clair, SMR International

The Southwest Regional Conference organizers are holding a planning meeting:

Southwest Regional Conference Second Southwest Regional Planning Meeting Wednesday, June 11th 7:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Moderator: JoAn S. Segal, Vintage Ventures

SLA is pleased to announce the following library schools have been added to our existing list of Library School Alumni Reunion participants as printed on page 25 of the Preliminary Conference Program: