Hello,

Apologies for cross-posting. The message below includes information on reserving accommodations and participating in WAML 2023.

WAML 2023, the annual meeting of the Western Association of Map Libraries will be held in Vancouver, BC from Wednesday August 9 to Saturday August 12, 2023 on the University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver campus. While the main conference activities will be planned around in person attendance, there will be virtual options to view live presentations, and for WAML members to participate in the business meeting, sounding board, and executive board meeting.

Conference registration information, including pricing options, will be available at a later date. WAML is committed to keeping registration costs at a minimum, and in recent in-person years this has been kept under $50 USD.

Accommodations - Reserve as soon as you can!

We have secured fairly affordable accommodations on UBC’s campus so we can be close to the conference rooms and other campus amenities. Please reserve your room as soon as possible so we can make sure the rooms stay affordable. Accommodations can get pricey in Vancouver especially during the summer months. You can cancel your reservation up to 2 days before the conference!

• Gage Studio Rooms have been held for WAML attendees (not Signature Studio)
• We have reserved a block of rooms at $159 CAD (roughly $120 USD using the current exchange rate) plus tax per night so reserve soon to get this rate. Once these rooms are booked, the rooms will be market rate at the time you reserve.
• Rooms are close to public transit. Parking passes can also be purchased when checking in. The cost for parking is $16 per day.
• There are accessible suites available in the Gage Apartments. If you need an accessible suite, email [log in to unmask].

To reserve your room:

• Use this Group Booking Link to reserve your room in the Gage Studios on UBC Campus. NOTE: The link defaults to a stay for the whole conference Tuesday August 8 - Sunday August 13. You can modify the dates in the drop down menus - just make sure the Group Code (G230808A) is included in your search. 
• Alternatively, you can call UBC's Conference and Accommodations' Reservations Office at (604) 822-1000, Ext. 3, or toll free at 1-888-822-1030 and indicate you are with the Western Association of Map Libraries Annual Conference 2023 or mention the Group Code (G230808A) to receive the group rate.

For the most up-to-date information about accommodations, please see: https://waml.org/conferences/waml-2023/accommodations/.

Call for Submissions to present in person - Talks and Preconference Workshops

WAML is a great place to present your work and learn about what’s happening at other organizations! You can choose to do a 90 minute pre-conference workshop on Wednesday August 9th or give a 15 minute talk or a lightning talk during the main conference.

Submit your proposals here before Friday, April 28th: https://waml.org/conferences/waml-2023/call-for-submissions/

Hybrid participation? We are aiming to have some hybrid elements to the conference this year since it will be our first time back in person since 2019. We aren’t accepting virtual presentations though so if you want to present this year, join us in Vancouver!

Sponsor Information

We are putting together the sponsor package. If you are interested in learning about sponsor packages please reach out to Jessica Benner, [log in to unmask].

COVID precautions

We will be monitoring and following the COVID19 Campus Rules set forth by UBC Campus Officials. We will send more information closer to the conference. Please be mindful of cancellation policies when planning your trip.

We look forward to our first in person conference in a few years and hope you are all looking forward to it too! If you have any questions, reach out to [log in to unmask] and we are happy to help!

Sincerely,

Evan Thornberry and Jessica Benner (2023 WAML conference hosts)

Evan Thornberry  (He, Him, His)
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Librarian
UBC Library | Research Commons
The University of British Columbia | Koerner Library | Musqueam Traditional Territory
1958 Main Mall | Vancouver British Columbia | V6T 1Z2 Canada
Phone 604 822 8667
[log in to unmask] | [log in to unmask]

UBC Vancouver is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people