Washington July 1998 - A Preview

In June I attended the Council meeting of UNITAS MALACOLOGICA in Washington D.C. where we were shown around the facilities and accommodation being arranged for the World Congress of Malacology to be held in Washington from 25 to 31 July 1998. The Congress is being jointly organised by the American Malacological Union represented by President Robert Hershler and UNITAS represented by President Rudger Bieler. This is the first time that UNITAS has held a meeting outside Europe. Arrangements for the Congress are well in place and I thought that some brief comments on the facilities and general environment might be helpful to potential participants.

The lecture sessions will be held at two sites within the Smithsonian Institution complex in the Mall, central Washington. The Symposia will be held in the large lecture hall in the National Museum of Natural History, whilst all other sessions, including the posters, will be held just across the Mall in the Ripley Centre, a modern, purpose-built conference and meetings complex which has rooms of a variety of sizes. Three Symposia are being organised and these will be the sole items on the programme in the mornings, with a series of concurrent contributed paper sessions occupying the afternoons.

A variety of evening events are being organised for the Congress including a riverboat banquet on the Potomac River and the famous AMU auction of books, reprints and malacological ephemera.

The accommodation being arranged is in two places. Firstly, there are rooms in the student dormitory (equivalent to the British hall of residence) of George Washington University. This is a large building in which single or shared rooms can be arranged. The rooms are quite large, and most have more than one bed with en suite bathroom and toilet facilities. Towels and soap will be provided and there is a cafeteria for breakfast in the basement. Although the accommodation is not hotel standard it is very adequate and air conditioned. Congress participants will be the sole residents of the building. The residence hall is a four-stop easy Metro ride from the Congress. The building is secure and located in an area with restaurants, bars and some shops. Shared rooms will be around $35 per night per person and single $50; this includes breakfast.

Secondly, accommodation can be arranged in a hotel, the "One Washington Circle", which as the name suggests is located in Washington Circle, close to the GW University residence hall and again an easy Metro journey from the Congress. This hotel is excellent and good value for central Washington, with spacious, well equipped double rooms, with large bathrooms, kitchens and balconies. There is also a good restaurant in the hotel. The hotel will cost around $100 a night (special congress rate) for a double room (plus taxes).

Both the GWU dormitory and Hotel are a relatively easy walk from Georgetown or the Dupont Circle area, which both have a great diversity of interesting eating places and bars. There is also plenty to do in Washington. The Mall area, including the Smithsonian, is a complex of museums, art galleries, public buildings and monuments, all of which are free. It would take days to sample these adequately.

Also, to those of you used to the shabby London Underground the Washington Metro is a revelation; it is modern, clean and airconditioned, with smart stations, easy ticketing system and no graffiti. The journey between the accommodation and congress venue is very easy, quick and safe.

Scientists wishing to work in the US National Museum mollusc collections should arrange to do so in the period before the Congress. This is because the collections will be closed soon after the Congress ends pending a move to another building.

Further details of the Congress and registration forms will be distributed in October/November. Watch the Mollia web site:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mologis/mollia.html

The Congress promises to be an important and exciting event with participants from all parts of the world forming the largest ever gathering of malacologists. Be there!

John Taylor