[Fwd: Whether to hold the ZIG meeting]

Friday, I sent the message below to the people who were registered at that time
for the ZIG meeting, soliciting input on the question of whether it is
appropriate and practical to hold the meeting as planned, given the tragedies
that occured last week in the US, and the uncertainty about the near future,
particularly, the practicalities of travel.  

I'd like to restrict discussion of this matter to those who are (or were)
actually planning to attend the meeting. That's why I sent the message to those
registered. I'm posting this to the ZIG list to raise the matter to those of you
considering (or who have considered) attending the meeting but who haven't
gotten around to registering (or haven't decided). 

If I haven't already contacted you, and you are considering coming to the
meeting (or were considering and decided not to based on last week's events)
please weigh-in on this matter if you wish. (If you never intended to attend, or
decided not to for reasons other than last week's events, or if you've already
responded, please don't.)

We've gotten considerable feedback already from last week's message, enough to
draw a tentative conclusion: for now, we'll go ahead with the meeting as
planned. Unfortunately though, this is subject to change at any time, right up
until the meeting, based on world conditions.

I want to thank those of you outside the US who have expressed sympathy and
concern over what has happened here. Most of the European responses defered to
the North Americans on this question; most said they would come to the meeting
if held but would understand if it were cancelled. A few Europeans did suggest
postponing the meeting, but because they expected that the North Americans
wouldn't be able to travel to the UK.

But it appears, for now anyway, most of the North Americans don't think travel
will be a significant problem by October 1. Almost all of the North Americans
who responded said they still plan to attend the meeting if held. 

So I re-iterate, there are no plans to cancel the meeting, but that could
change, any time up to the meeting, based on world events. 

Thank you for bearing with us during these difficult times.

--Ray



-------- Original Message --------
From: Ray Denenberg <rden@loc.gov>
Subject: Whether to hold the ZIG meeting
To: matt@isoxford.com, mc.white@btconnect.com,
marit.olander@helsinki.fi,bill.oldroyd@bl.uk, ben.soares@ed.ac.uk,
howard.shoemark@bl.uk,Mike.Wheatley@virgin.net, jan.ashton@bl.uk,
g.butters@mmu.ac.uk,rondon@ioop.com.br, r.madsen@epixtech.com,
p.a.s.needham@ntlworld.com,T.W.Place@kub.nl, dietzd@oclc.org,
juha.hakala@helsinki.fi,montuno90@hotmail.com,
margery.tibbetts@ucop.edu,p.johnston@ukoln.ac.uk, mike@tecc.co.uk,
j.gilby@lse.ac.uk,f.nicolaides@lse.ac.uk, ole.husby@bibsys.no,
mds@notes.rlg.org,Matthew.Dovey@las.ox.ac.uk,
Antony.Corfield@las.ox.ac.uk,levan@oclc.org, rob.koopman@pica.nl,
janifer.gatenby@pica.nl,wemoen@unt.edu, john.lowery@bl.uk,
Will.Blackburn@bookdata.co.uk,tsoboleva@ndi.org,
promukh@indiatimes.com,as@it-innovation.soton.co.uk,
quinn@indexdata.dk,sowen@silverplatter.com,
barbara.shuh@nlc-bnc.ca,ian.ibbotson@k-int.com, a.sanders@mcc.ac.uk,
kevin.gladwell@bl.uk,slavko@mun.ca, rden@loc.gov, pnixon@seachange.com,
mneedleman@dra.com,chiew1977@hotmail.com, pvanlierop@geac.fr, bull@crxnet.com,
lea@bs.dk,Colin.Tatham@las.ox.ac.uk
CC: Ray Denenberg <rden@loc.gov>, Bill Moen <wemoen@jove.acs.unt.edu>,Paul
Miller <P.Miller@Hull.ac.uk>, home <edenenberg@home.com>

This message is sent to those who have registered as of September 14 for the
October ZIG meeting in Boston Spa UK.

Given the tragedies that occured earlier this week in the U.S., and the
resulting uncertainty about the near future (particularly with respect to the
practicalities of travel), those of us involved in the planning of the meeting
feel compelled to give serious consideration to the question of whether it is
appropriate and practical to hold the meeting as planned.

We would not like to cancel the meeting; much work has gone into its planning,
particularly by the hosts, and it will be difficult to re-schedule. Nevertheless
cancelling the meeting might be the most prudent and sensible thing to do. I
can't guarantee that I can travel to the UK two weeks from now and even under
the best of curcumstances here in the US, likely wouldn't know until a few days
before the meeting. I suspect other US participants are in a similar situation.
I have also heard from a few Europeans who feel as threatened as we do in the
US.

We would like to make a decision sometime early next week. Even if that decision
is not to cancel the meeting, we could have to reconsider at any time prior to
the meeting, based on changing conditions.  So the decision next week would be
either to cancel, or that the meeting is "still on, at this time".

As a preliminary step in making that decision, we ask that each of you please
respond; share your views with us on this question. In particular, if the
meeting is to be held as planned (and based on information currently available)
would you attend?

If at all possible, please respond by Monday. Please respond to:
Ray Denenberg <rden@loc.gov>, and also <edenenberg@home.com>;
 Bill  Moen <wemoen@jove.acs.unt.edu>, Paul Miller <P.Miller@Hull.ac.uk>.

Thank you all very much, and I hope you are safe and well.

Ray Denenberg



--
Ray Denenberg
Library of Congress
rden@loc.gov
202-707-5795

Received on Tuesday, 18 September 2001 15:57:18 UTC