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The purpose of this paper is to provide a flavor of the content of the American Library Association Annual Conference held in Chicago in July 2009.

This is a first time conference attendee's description of the issues, content, networking, speakers and participants of this conference. The future and purpose of libraries are discussed.

This major conference covered many topical issues and themes that are applicable to librarians, information professionals, and library students internationally. It facilitated many valuable networking opportunities.

The paper is a conference report of value to librarians and information professionals, as the variety of themes apply to the various aspects of the library and information professions and education.

This paper presents the outcomes of a study of the choice of location for distribution centres in logistics operations. A conceptual frame work of location selection for distribution centre is worked out through three main stages. At the first stage, a general geographical area for distribution centre is identified based on the Centre of Gravity principle, taking into consideration socio‐economic factors. The second stage of the selection process involves the identification of alternative locations for the distribution centre and the airports and seaports to be used for in bound and out bound cargo flows within the defined general geographical area. The third stage focuses on specific site selection among the identified alternative locations for the distribution centre based on the quantitative approach. This involves a mathematical model which aims to optimise either the total distribution cost or the integration of total distance transport with given relevant volumes of cargo. In order to illustrate the conceptual frame work, a case study of a logistics service provider will be provided. Data from the case study proved that the conceptual framework for selection is valid and can be of value to logistics companies in their operations and management.

Throughout American industry, there is more evidence now than ever before of the need for change. Many analysts are pointing to the traditional leadership style used in the vast majority of American companies as a major obstacle to growth and improvement. Sixty‐eight per cent of college educated women reported job discrimination, especially at the upper corporate level, because of their sex (The New York Times, 1982). The relationship between what will be required for corporate survival and the innate talents of women managers has not been recognised enough by corporate leadership (Loden, 1985). It seems that women managers possessing certain distinct feminine talents and characteristics may be better prepared to cope with the challenges of the future than many traditional males. The skills they were encouraged to leave behind when they entered the world of management are finally being recognised as critical to their companies' long‐term health and viability.

Alongside the ubiquitous computer games apparently the marketing success of the 1992 toy season was a series of 25 year old puppets who had featured in a repeat showing of the orginal ITV series on BBC — Thunderbirds — more than 70 franchises have been sold to sell goods marked with the International Rescue logo and it is alleged that these products are even bigger than the previous smash marketing hit the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles, saving thousands of jobs and making substantial profits for the British toy industry. The characters are licensed for right‐owners ITC (originally the international marketing arm of ATV, the ITV company which put out the programme, and now an independent company, ATV having long since lost its ITV franchise) by Copyright Promotions, Europe's largest licensing company (‘Thunderbirds are go to save the toy industry’ Sunday Telegraph 15/11/92).