Purpose and Origins
To provide a forum for thematic and geographical Western European topics not covered by other WESS discussion groups.
Established in 1997, this discussion group has an annually elected chair. WESS Special Topics Discussion Group was founded during the 1997 ALA Midwinter Meeting, and has met during each subsequent ALA Annual Conference. The charge of Special Topics is to provide a forum for thematic and geographical Western European topics not covered by other WESS discussion groups. Each annual meeting of WESS Special Topics, therefore, has been devoted to a different topic not previously emphasized by WESS.
Dissolution
The Special Topics Discussion Group was dissolved at the 2019 ALA Midwinter meeting.
Meeting Agendas
2016 Midwinter (Boston)
2015 Annual (San Francisco)
2015 Midwinter (Chicago)
2014 Annual (Las Vegas)
2013 Annual (Chicago)
2013 Midwinter (Seattle)
2012 Annual (Anaheim)
2011 Annual (New Orleans)
2011 Midwinter (San Diego)
2010 Annual (Washington, D.C.)
Meeting Minutes
2010 Annual (Washington, DC)
Past Programs
- Irish Studies (Midwinter 2011)
- European-Language e-books and North American Libraries (Annual 2010)
- Mediterranean Studies (Midwinter 2010)Roma and Sinti in Europe–bis (2003)
- Indexes and Guides to Western European Periodicals in the Humanities and Social Sciences (2002)
- Roma and Sinti in Europe (2001)
- European Languages of North America (2000)
- Luxembourg (1999)
- A European Union of East and West (1998)
- Greece and the Greek-Speaking World” (1997)