Posted on 03/12/2020; 8:25 pm MST
Dear Colleagues:
In light of recent events regarding COVID-19, The Steering Committee has made the decision to cancel the IUG 2020 conference scheduled for next month, April 15th – 18th, in Minneapolis.
Your safety and the safety of all attendees remain our top priority.
This is a very fluid situation. The landscape continues to change from one day to the next one. We have been monitoring the situation daily and followed guidelines by the CDC and the WHO.
We are also aware that many of you are currently under travel restrictions recently established by your institution (both public and academic). In other instances, you are being asked to take a self-quarantine two weeks’ vacation for any travel out of state in the coming weeks.
We do not want you to be in that position. We want you to be safe and close to your loved ones.
What’s next?
- We will refund all remaining conference registrations and waive the $25 processing fee. Attendees will have the option to carry over the amount and apply it for next year’s conference if you choose to do so
- Please cancel your hotel reservation at your earliest convenience
- If you are the recipient of a scholarship, we will be in touch on how to handle the award moving forward
- We’ll contact the presenters and ask their permission to share their presentations with the community at no cost. Please stay tuned… More details to come in the coming weeks
I want to thank the Programing committee chair, Rhonda Glazier, and her team members who planned a great set of programs for the IUG community.
On behalf of the Steering Committee, we wish the best for you and your family.
Best regards,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Innovative Users Group | Chair 2019-20
The IUG 2020 conference will take place as planned in Minneapolis, Minnesota | April 15th – 18th
Posted on 03/10/2020
I wanted to provide an update in light of the evolving news related to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
According to the CDC, “For the majority of people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low. There is not widespread circulation in most communities in the United States.”
We are still planning to host the IUG 2020 Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 15th – 18th, 2020.
We suggest you follow the recommendations of the CDC (link below) in regards to practicing healthy hygiene habits and travel best practices to help you and your fellow attendees stay safe.
Further information can be found at the following sites:
International Travel
Please keep in mind that If you have traveled to, traveled through, or are coming directly from a location that the CDC lists in the level 2 or level 3 health notice, The IUG Steering Committee ask kindly that you follow International travel policy and look to attend in a future year. Your safety, as well as the rest of the attendees, is our top priority.
We have also been in close contact with the Hilton Minneapolis and they are doing everything in their power to provide a safe environment for all of our attendees. They are also providing hand sanitizing stations in public areas of the hotel and are disinfecting high-touch areas constantly.
An incredible amount of time and effort has gone into making this a phenomenal conference with great presentations delivered by your colleagues and peers.
The IUG Steering Committee will continue to monitor and provide weekly updates here in the forum, the IUG website and social media as needed. Thank you for your support.
We look forward to seeing you at IUG 2020!
Best,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Innovative Users Group | Chair 2019-20
IUG Statement on COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)
Posted on 03/03/2020
On behalf of the IUG Steering Committee, I wanted to address some of the concerns we have received over the last few days regarding the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) and reassure all members that your safety is our top priority.
The IUG 2020 Conference will take place as planned in Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 15-18, 2020. This outbreak of COVID-19 (referred to as the coronavirus) is an evolving health issue around the world. No cases have been confirmed in Minnesota at this time.
The IUG Steering Committee will continue to monitor and follow guidelines issued by the CDC. In addition, we have reached out to the main conference hotel and the local Convention and Visitor’s Association, Meet Minneapolis. Their statements are listed below:
Hilton Minneapolis
The wellbeing of Hilton's guests and Team Members is our highest priority, and we remain diligent in our commitment to provide a safe, hospitable environment for all who visit our properties. It is too early to understand the likely impact on the global travel industry, but based on previous events, we can expect travelers to be cautious.
We are closely monitoring updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from local and international health authorities and encourage our guests to do the same. We understand your concern about your upcoming event planned at Hilton Minneapolis. The hotel has hand sanitizing stations in our public areas of the hotel and is disinfecting high-touch areas more frequently. Hilton is committed to working with you to ensure the execution of a successful event. It is business as usual at Hilton Minneapolis. We look forward to hosting your event.
Meet Minneapolis (Convention & Visitors Association)
We would like to provide you with information and updates on COVID-19 (also commonly known as the “Coronavirus”), specifically as it relates to Minneapolis. Currently, no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Minneapolis-St. Paul region or the state of Minnesota.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend canceling or postponing travel to any destination in the United States.
The Minnesota Department of Health is leading the state and city preparedness and information dissemination.
We are continually monitoring and assessing any new developments and will provide updates if or when new information becomes available.
The IUG Steering Committee recommends that attendees at the conference follow the World Health Organizations’ recommendations to prevent the spread of any respiratory illness.
Further information may be found at the following sites:
1. Minnesota Department of Health
3. Centers for Disease Control
In addition, this information will also be available on the IUG homepage. We’ll make sure to update the community as new information becomes available.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Best,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Innovative Users Group | Chair 2019-20
To influence the development and improvement of Innovative Interfaces, Inc. products
The Innovative Users Group was founded in 1991 as an international organization of member libraries who used the Innovative Interfaces, Inc integrated library software. It is an independent organization from Innovative Interfaces, Inc.
The IUG is led by the Steering Committee whose members are elected by the general membership. It consists of a Chair, Vice Chair/Chair Elect, Past Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, and five Members at Large. All members of the Steering Committee volunteer their services to the organization.
We have grown quite a bit since our first conference but as always our mission remains as it is stated in the Bylaws:
- Serve as a forum to influence the development and improvement of Innovative Interfaces, Inc. products for the benefit of IUG members
- Foster and improve relationships and communication among members, and between members and Innovative Interfaces
- Gather and disseminate information on the use of III products among the users of the systems
Further details on the IUG and its membership are available through its Bylaws.
Looking for details about the IUG 2020 conference? Click here!
First Annual IUG Conference Oakland, CA - April 1993
