The Bay Area is the undeniable Center of the Universe when it comes to computers. A great deal of what we now take for granted began here, from Hewlett-Packard, to Intel, Apple, Google, and many other companies, it's hard to deny that this area was not pivotal to computer innovation. So isn't it time that the premier library coding conference finally make a pilgrimage to this computer hardware and software version of Mecca?
Bonus: We've got options! See below.
And let's not forget the weather in mid-February California.
Berkeley, California is the home of the flagship university of the UC system. With a long history of social justice and political activism, plus a thriving restaurant and museum scene, Berkeley is a fitting location for an academic conference. Oakland, its sibling city in the East Bay, shares a history of political activism plus a stellar set of cultural and artistic landmarks. Both east bay cities have strong transportation options, from bike lanes to a subway that connects them to San Francisco and a few major airports.
San Jose, California is the largest city in the Bay Area (and the 10th largest in the United States). A cultural and technological gem, San Jose has a walkable downtown, fast and free public wifi, a vibrant and diverse community of art and activism, great restaurants at a wide variety of price points, and one of a kind museums. San Jose is immediately adjacent to and connected to light rail to Santa Clara, home of many tech companies and the Great America amusement park.
The proposal committee has identified and contacted numerous venues and we are confident that Berkeley, Oakland, and/or San Jose can accommodate a conference the size of Code4Lib.
DLF/CLIR has kindly offered to be the financial sponsor no matter what the result of the vote is. We will likely hire Concentra to manage the conference. We expect a financial surplus from Code4Lib 2018 which can help make the initial downpayments to confirm the venue.
Based on quotes from venues in each city and past conferences, we expect:
Airports include:
San Jose and Santa Clara are served by the VTA light rail and bus system, and there are rail connections to Amtrak, Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and the Altamont Corridor Express at San Jose Diridon Station.
Oakland and Berkeley are served by BART rail (with connections to San Francisco), AC Transit buses, and Amtrak (stations in both Oakland and Berkeley). Also a Downtown/Uptown bus in Oakland: Free Broadway Shuttle
Partial List
Partial List:
The conference will take place on lands originally inhabited by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. We wish to acknowledge this and thank them.
The San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding areas offer may potential options for an extended vacation. In San José you are only an hour away from San Francisco, a bit more than an hour to historic Monterey, two hours away from the Sonoma or Napa Valley wine regions, and three hours from the magnificent Yosemite National Park.
Questions, comments, etc. should be sent to code4lib2019@gmail.com, which will reach all of the Proposal Committee.