It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 36th Annual Course of the International Association of Law Libraries. Welcome also to Atlanta, Georgia, United States, to the Emory University School of Law, and to the Hugh F. MacMillan Law Library. I believe this year's program, taking place in the hometown of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be fantastic. As many of you probably know, Atlanta was chosen as the venue for the 2018 conference a few years ago, and thanks to the hard work of the Local Planning Committee, it was able to fast-track its arrangements to step in for the postponed Manila-Philippines Annual Course, which had been scheduled for this year. The result of this hard work by the Atlanta Local Planning Committee is a well-balanced program that engages actual circumstances about which highly qualified speakers will address the audience.
The carefully selected theme for the Atlanta Annual Course is Civil Rights, Human Rights, and Other Critical Issues in U.S. Law. It is a topical theme, and this year's conference boasts excellent speakers, excursions, and many first-rate networking opportunities. There will also be opportunities to reflect even more thoroughly on the subjects through visits to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum and Atlanta's amazing National Center for Civil and Human Rights. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Atlanta Local Planning Committee, to Emory University, to our sponsors, and to our speakers, for coming together to create this unique and exciting event.
This year, we are introducing something new at the annual course: a pre-conference workshop focused on special collections. It is titled, Well, Isn't that Special? A How-To Workshop on Creating and Using Archives and Special Collections in a Legal Research Context. The three how-to sessions will define special collections and their development; making them accessible through cataloging and finding aids; and using archives and special collections in the law school classroom. The workshop culminates with a specially arranged tour of Emory's amazing Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.
The Optional Day will explore legal aspects of the film and television industry in Atlanta, the new “Hollywood of the South.” A presentation on legal aspects of the film industry will be paired with a custom tour of Atlanta's civil rights era landmarks and local filming locations, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, and the Ebenezer Baptist Church.
We are eager to welcome everyone to this year's IALL Annual Course, see old friends, and get to know many of our first-time delegates. Over half of our delegates this year have never attended an IALL Annual Course – we have delegates registered from 18 countries, and from within the USA, delegates come from 24 different States. There are more than 20 vendors supporting IALL this year, and IALL extends a special welcome and thanks to these sponsors whose generosity is helping to make this IALL Annual Course possible!
To conclude, we hope you form new friendships, or reunite with friends and colleagues from past conferences, and that you enjoy the rich content of the program. We especially hope that you benefit from this unique opportunity to learn from the discussion of past and present social, cultural, and legal issues in the USA. Once again, welcome delegates, sponsors, and guests! Enjoy the famed southern hospitality provided by our friends and colleagues at Emory University and the MacMillan Law Library.
