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So as of 4:00pm, I am officially an Emerged Leader from the program of ALA. If you’re looking for leadership training and have fewer than five years of experience, you should definitely take a look at this worthwhile program. And the best part -75% of our Emerging Leaders were sponsored by state associations, round tables, and other organizations, which makes the financial concerns much less worrisome.

Overall, it was an amazing experience, where I met so many librarians who had the same passion for their career as I do. I have so much respect for the work these librarians are doing in their communities. And I really enjoyed working on a group project where each one of us was committed and willing to get the work done in time for the annual conference. If you have any interest in getting more involved in ALA, take a look at this beneficial program!

We are only one away from discussing connected learning at the ALA Annual YALSA President’s Program, A Burning Need to Know: How Passion Connects to Learning. One thing about this event that grabs me is the word “passion”, something I strive to foster in the teens that come to our library. We hope to give them a voice, and a place to share their passions and interests with each other through anime clubs, cosplay groups, book discussions and more.

This summer, we are featuring a series of fandom events for teens. Some programs focus on a specific fandom, some celebrate all fandoms from Doctor Who to photography. If you love it, we want to help you dive deeper into it. As I prepared for these programs I encountered the challenge of at the intersection of fandom and fair use.
Trying to explain to my anime club why we can’t just stream their favorite anime from Crunchyroll or making Frozen buttons in the button maker can be a disheartening activity for any librarian. Their eyes are lit up, they are excited, passionate about what they are doing…and you have to gently let them down. I try to see this as a learning opportunity, that via our favorite movies, TV shows and books we can talk about copyright and the rights of creators to maintain control of their work.

In our fanart and animated gif workshops we encourage our teens to bring their favorite fandom with them, to use as a launch pad for the skills they will acquire. Writing up some notes on animated gifs, I thought it might be a good opportunity to talk about fair use and copyright law when you are dealing with your favorite Disney movie, or a clip from Supernatural. As I tried to translate fair use and copyright from legalese to English, I realized, even I (a librarian) hadn’t thought about fair use in a long time.

We tried to look at it from the creators perspective, sympathizing with an artist on DeviantArt, if their work is copied all over the internet without their consent. Although it can be hard to muster sympathy for multi-billion dollar companies like Disney, my teens lovingly agreed that they would want control how their work is shared or used (even if they want to share it freely).

Passion leads to learning opportunities and I find that often that learning starts with copying someone or something you love. Imitation is a great way to practice skills, learn new ways of doing things, and the passion that drew you to the topic in the first place will keep you hard at work through the dead-ends and bugs in your project. But we need to remember that when we borrow from someone else, we want to make sure we do it the right way.

When offering learning opportunities based on your teens passions and interests, think about including information about copyright and fair use. Let’s foster a generation of library users that always uses attributions, both in their research papers, and on their Tumblr accounts.

Have you been reading for the past year or so on the YALSAblog about connected learning and libraries?

Have you wondered, how the heck can I integrate connected learning into my library’s teen program of service?

Have you thought, I just can’t make connected learning work in my library?

Did you answer “yes” to any of those questions?

If so, then the ALA Annual YALSA President’s Program on Monday, June 30, from 1-3 PM at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Rooms N255/257 is the program you don’t want to miss. At this program you will:

• Hear Crystle Martin, YALSAblog Manager and postdoctoral research fellow for the Connected Learning Research Network at the Digital Media and Learning Hub at University of California-Irvine, talk about what connected learning is and how libraries working with teens can make it work in their libraries.
• Have a chance to talk with connected learning coaches who will help you figure out the best way to bring connected learning into your setting.
• Get a chance to hear from other library staff working with teens about what they are doing when it comes to connected learning, and brainstorm with them how best to make it work for the teens in your community.
• Learn that you probably don’t have to make that many changes in what you already do in order to start on the road of providing connected learning experiences for youth.

In other words, don’t miss this program!

And, if you want to read up on connected learning before this awesome program check out these other YALSAblog posts and resources.

• Connected Learning.TV
• The Future of Libraries For and With Teens: A Call to Action
• Connected Learning: An Agenda for Research and Design
• Connected Learning Supporting Teens’ Passions in 10 Minutes a Day
• Connected Learning: How Sailor Moon Taught Me to Code
• Connected Learning is Passion-Based Learning

Learn more about ALSC events at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference (image courtesy ALA)

And just a reminder, if you’re headed to Las Vegas, the ALSC Local Arrangements Committee has put together some great travel tips. We also encourage you to check out the ALA Conference Scheduler. Here’s just a free ALSC events that you won’t want to miss:

Leadership & ALSC

On Saturday, June 28, 8:30-11:30am as the Caesars Palace Roman I & III, join ALSC members for Leadership & ALSC. This year’s presentation, entitled Biting Into the Core: How Public Librarians Support Student Success, will provide a great forum for members to network and learn new skills.

ALSC 101

If you’re new to ALSC or if this is your first conference as a children’s librarian, then ALSC 101 for you! We’ll provide you with information about the perks of ALSC membership, tips on how to get involved in the organization, and tricks of the trade for navigating Annual Conference. This event takes place on Saturday, June 28 at 4:30-5:30pm in the Flamingo Hotel – Laughlin II.

ALSC Awards Presentation

Celebrate the best in children’s literature and media at the annual presentation of the Batchelder, Carnegie, Geisel and Sibert Awards! The 2014 ALSC Awards Presentation takes place on Monday, June 30 at 8:00am in the Las Vegas Convention Center Room N255/257. There will be a continental breakfast and a chance to mingle with your favorite authors and illustrators. The awards presentation will promptly start at 8:30am and is open to all registered attendees.

ALSC Membership Meeting

Make plans to attend the ALSC Membership Meeting on Monday 6/30, 10:30-11:30am. in Room N252 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This is the perfect opportunity to meet up with friends and become acquainted with new colleagues. Even if you can’t participate, we invite you to submit your questions via Twitter using the hashtag #alscmm14.

Charlemae Rollins President’s Program

At the 2014 ALSC President’s Program, entitled The Ripple Effect: Library Partnerships that Positively Impact Children, Families, Communities, and Beyond, get inspired to create meaningful partnerships in your libraries! Learn how library and community collaborations can be the nexus of support for children and families. Hear from authors Amy Dickinson, Anna McQuinn, and a panel of librarians from across the country. This event takes place on Monday, June 30 at 1pm in the Las Vegas Convention Center Room N254.

…And So Much More!

The Annual Conference is jam-packed with things to do. For a full list of ALSC events at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, please visit the ALSC website or keep an eye out for future communication from the ALSC office.

. . . (and sometimes the little screen too)

With Las Vegas’ colorful history of mobsters, swanky hotels, and famous entertainers, it’s no surprise that the big screen (and sometimes the little one too) are attracted to Sin City. There is a lengthy list of films and television shows that have graced our 24-hour town. Some feature actual locations in Las Vegas while others are happy to simply use our city to set the story.

During your conference downtime, check out some of the locations that appear or inspire your favorite films and television shows. Don’t take your directions straight from the silver screen though; be sure to consult a map, GPS, or even a friendly local for the best way to visit these movie hot spots.

How many of these movie and television locations do you know?

Films:

• Ocean’s Eleven (1960) – The closing shot shows the main cast walking away with the Sands Hotel marquee behind them.  The Sands Hotel is no longer around, but if you go to the Venetian Hotel & Casino you’ll be standing in part of the stomping ground of the infamous Rat Pack.
• Rain Man (1988) – Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman play blackjack at Caesar’s Palace.
• Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992) – Filming took place at well-known places around Las Vegas including the Hard Rock Café, Mirage Hotel, and even the original Wet ’n Wild water park (which closed in 2004).
• Casino (1995) – Filming took place at the Riviera Casino (which served as the fictional Tangiers) but used the entrance of the nearby defunct Landmark Hotel as the entrance.
• Mars Attacks! (1996) The demolition of the Landmark and the Luxor make a cameo in this comical science fiction film!
• Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997) -This one was filmed at the Riviera Hotel and Casino on the Strip.
• Con Air (1997) John Malkovich and Nicholas Cage land at McCarran Airport and later take out the Sands (and a few other landmarks along the Las Vegas Strip).
• Vegas Vacation (1997) – This film is also known as “National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation”. The Mirage Resort was a major location for this film, but Wayne Newton’s Shenandoah also made an appearance.
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) – Circus Circus Hotel & Casino and Flamingo Hotel both make a cameo in this cult classic.
• Rush Hour 2 (2001)- This film took place in the Desert Inn, which no longer exists, but if you stand in front of the Wynn Hotel, you will be standing over the ashy remains of the Desert Inn.
• Ocean’s Eleven (2001) – Danny Ocean plots to rob the Bellagio Hotel & Casino and the MGM Grand Resort & Casino.
• The Hangover (2009) The Hangover was mostly filmed on location at Caesars Palace, including the front desk, lobby, entrance drive, pools, corridors, elevators, and roof, but the suite damaged in the film was built on a soundstage
• Get Him to the Greek (2010) – Planet Hollywood, Red Rock, PURE, and the Ultra Sports Lounge in the Plaza all make appearances in this box office film.
• Last Vegas (2013) Last Vegas takes place at the Aria Resort and Casino and at Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel.

Television:

• American Restoration (2010; History Channel) – I was surprised to find out that this History Channel favorite is a based in Las Vegas AND is a spinoff of Pawn Stars.
• Bad Ink (2013; A&E) – Bad Ink has been filmed in various locations in Las Vegas, but the show is based out of the Pussykat Tattoo Parlor off the Las Vegas Strip.
• Criss Angel Mindfreak (2005; A&E)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000; CBS) – CSI often visit “The Rampart” Hotel and Casino, but viewers may not know that it’s far from the bustling Strip.
• Heroes (2006; NBC)
• Las Vegas (2003-2008; NBC) – Set in fiction, but the show is said to be inspired by the Mandalay Bay.
• Lucky (2003; FX)
• Pawn Stars (2009; History Channel) – This show is filmed on location at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Downtown Las Vegas, only minutes away from the Fremont Experience.
• The Real World: Las Vegas (2002, 2011; MTV) – Las Vegas was so awesome that The Real World filmed here twice. They filmed at the Palms Casino & Resort for the 2002 season, but returned to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for the 2011 season.
• Vegas (2012; CBS)

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_set_in_Las_Vegas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_shows_set_in_Las_Vegas

Submitted by Natalia Tabisaura, YALSA Local Arrangements

If you’ve never been to a convention before, the Exhibit Hall can be a bit overwhelming. Trust me, I’ve done ComicCon’s enough to know how to get the most out of the time you have and, really, the strategy can be applied to any convention or conference you go to. Here are some of my tips on being as efficient as possible when navigating the exhibits at Annual this year:

What Is the Exhibit Hall?

At any conference or convention there are hundreds of companies renting out booths to try and pitch their products to you, and with thousands of people rushing by, many will try almost anything to get you to stop at their specific booth. Some will offer freebies, some have raffles for awesome items like iPads and free airfare to next year’s conference and others will have author signings with some big-name people. In between all the speakers, panels, division meetings and professional development trainings you’re interested in going to, how do you manage to make the most of your time in the Exhibit Hall?

Make a Schedule

Check back on the official webpage for Annual about a month prior to the conference to see the Scheduler. You can browse, search, and select the specific programs you’d like to see and make a nice list of everything you’re interested in. The Scheduler can be a little hard to sort through but if you use the limiters such as Meeting Type, Sponsoring Divisions, and Subject you can find what you’d like to see. Once you know what your days will look like, take the time in between to visit the Exhibit Hall. And don’t feel like you have to see everything all at once. Stagger your time in the Hall throughout the conference so you have time to visit all the booths you’re interested in.

All the Free Swag

You won’t understand just how much free stuff there is until you see the Exhibit Hall when it opens. It can make librarians go mad, so use your head. At the 2013 conference, there were people with book trucks literally running inside to be the first to grab all the awesome freebies. I got caught up in it too, blindly grabbing things from each booth as I passed by, though I learned from my experience that it’s a good idea to take an extra moment to determine if you really want or need what you’re picking up or you might end up with more stuff than you’re able to get home. Be sensible, and you’ll be fine.

There are limited quantities of the best swag and those tend to disappear quickly. The booths limit how much product they put out each day though, so if it’s “sold out” when you go, ask the representative at the booth what time they’ll put out the next batch of items. It’s usually at opening the next day, so if you’ve got some time before your panel, I suggest stopping by early.  Also, if you can make it to the ribbon-cutting ceremony on opening night, you’ll see exactly what the booths have to offer.

Author Events

Every publisher you can think of will be at the conference hoping to sell you their books and to pull you in. The best way of doing this is to bring the authors for book signings, a great ploy because it gets you to buy their book and you get to meet some of your author celebrities. For example, last year I met Laurie Halse Anderson, Marie Lu, Patrick Ness, Veronica Roth, Tamora Pierce, Francesca Lia Block, and David Levithan, and my mind was blown! I mean these are rock stars in my opinion! You can use the Scheduler to see who’s coming this year and plan ahead by buying your own books, though usually the publishers will have their books discounted for the signing. Be sure to carry cash on you though, just in case they don’t accept cards.

Some of the big, big name authors have limited spots, so you have to pick up a wristband or a ticket to attend their signing.  It’s at the publisher’s discretion and is not always listed on the Scheduler so if there is someone big you want to see, find out which publisher they’re going to be with and on opening night for the Hall, visit their booth ASAP to see if you need a ticket to attend.

Raffles and Giveaways

A lot of the booths will have other incentives to get you to stop by, including raffles and giveaways.  This usually requires your filling out an entry form or leaving a business card so they can contact you, but this also means they have your contact info and will be sending you emails throughout the year. Do keep in mind, if you don’t want a million spam emails, that you can unsubscribe from their mailing list when you get back home. One of the easiest ways to find out what booths are raffling off is to look at the ALA Conference Guide handed out at registration. There is a coupon book with most of the Exhibit Hall promos that you can complete before you go so you can quickly submit your entries for all of the drawings you’re interested in.

Networking Opportunities

If you are in a position high enough where you have the purchasing power to actually invest in publishers, new technologies, or furniture then do take advantage of talking with the reps at each booth to see what they have to offer. You might get some deals if you chat them up and make a new associate.

Getting Everything Home

So you went crazy and picked up way too much swag to actually take back home. What do you do? Brilliantly, there is a USPS Post Office in the Exhibit Hall for all your shipping needs. And the best part about shipping books is that you can use Media Mail which is infinitely cheaper than regular postage. Just make sure you only have books in those boxes and pack your posters, stuffed animals and other trinkets separately because the mail carriers do open up Media Mail to check that only books are inside and will charge you the difference if you have any other items in it.  Also, to avoid long lines don’t wait until the last day to ship your loot.

One Hidden Small-but Fun-Activity

While walking around last year’s conference, I noticed that many attendees had these cool ribbons on their badges saying what division or round table they were in, if they were a first-timer, or even cute funny ones like “Library Superhero,” and I wanted to know where these ribbons were coming from! The division and round table ones are almost all located in the ALA Membership Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall, or sometimes near registration, and you can pick and choose which ones you’d like.  Then there are the fun ones put out by different booths and it’s like a random scavenger hunt to find them. If you see someone with one you like, the best way to find it is to ask them where they got it. Otherwise while you’re exploring, take a second to see if the booths have any quirky ones that you’d like. My friend and I made it a goal to see who could get the most and the coolest ones and ended up with five-foot long ribbons.  (photo from facebook.com/farm4.static.flickr.com)

Having Fun and Relaxing

To be honest, I was exhausted by the end of the conference last year.  Between running around to all the panels, joining up with colleagues and meeting new ones, and finding time to eat and rest, hanging out in the Exhibit Hall was actually quite relaxing and fun after the free-swag madness was over. Sometimes just taking some down time to stroll around and browse or wait in line for author signings was a nice little break from everything. I definitely advise taking time visit the Hall and enjoy what’s going on. Overall, don’t stress, have a good time, and try to pick up some good freebies or meet some authors if you can!

Submitted by Soraya Silverman, YALSA Local Arrangements

luck

noun \ˈlək\

1. : success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions

St. Patrick’s Day is drawing nigh, and talk of luck, leprechauns, and pots of gold abound. Luck (both good and bad) is also commonly associated with Las Vegas, and of the millions of people who visited Las Vegas last year, those who spent time in the casinos were most likely hoping that luck would be on their side so that they could leave town with their own pot of gold. Many bring their own lucky charms with them when they visit, but if you don’t have your own or happen to forget it at home there are a few places in town you can visit that will reportedly bring good luck your way.

Photo courtesy of blog.vegas.com

The Blarney Stone in Ireland is reported to bestow the gift of gab to those who kiss it, but Las Vegas has its own version. At the D in downtown Las Vegas (formerly known as Fitzgerald’s) you will find a piece of the Blarney Castle, which has reportedly brought good luck to those who give it a kiss, or if you’re more germ-conscious, a rub.

The Crazy Girls show at the Riviera is a topless revue, but it’s best known for a racy ad campaign with the slogan, “No ifs, ands, or …,” accompanied by a picture of a row of showgirls showing their bare derrieres. The ads were so popular that the Riviera erected a bronze statue of the lovely ladies at the front entrance to the casino, and for years hence those shapely buttocks have been polished to a glowing shine by the large numbers of tourists that rub them for good luck. Many other statues around town are also believed to bestow good luck when given a rub, but the highest concentration of them are found at Caesars Palace, including the Caesar Augustus statue at the entrance (hand), the Joe Louis statue outside of chef Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill (boxing glove), the Cleopatra statue at Cleopatra’s Barge (bosom) and the replica of Michelangelo’s David located within the Appian Way (big toe).

Photo courtesy of vegas.com

If your lucky charms don’t seem to be working, you can always make a wish for good luck, and what better place to do so than the famous Fountains of Bellagio? So many people make wishes into this man-made lake with its famous “dancing fountains” that the Bellagio collects thousands of dollars in coins each month, which are then donated to charity. While you’re there, don’t miss the opportunity to take in one of the amazing water shows. Other popular fountains/water shows include the volcano at the Mirage, the indoor rainstorm at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, the animatronic fountains of the Forum Shops as well as the famous main fountain at Caesars Palace, and various water features at CityCenter (namely at Aria and Crystals).

Whether you stick to the Convention Center or take your chances in the casinos, may your trip to Las Vegas for ALA Annual 2014 bring you nothing but good luck!

For more information:

Fight Friday the 13^th with these lucky charms in Las Vegas- http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/sep/13/friday-13th-thirteenth-las-vegas-lucky-places-char/

Kiss the Blarney Stone and get lucky at the D- http://blog.vegas.com/las-vegas-hotels/kiss-the-blarney-stone-and-get-lucky-at-the-d-29154/

Crazy Girls at the Riviera- http://www.rivierahotel.com/las-vegas-entertainment/crazy-girls.aspx

Caesars Palace- http://www.caesarspalace.com/

Fountains of Bellagio- https://www.bellagio.com/attractions/fountains-of-bellagio.aspx

Volcano at the Mirage- http://www.mirage.com/attractions/volcano.aspx

Indoor Rainstorm (Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood) – http://www.miraclemileshopslv.com/entertain.php?id=19&row=4

CityCenter Las Vegas- http://www.citycenter.com/

That’s Aquatainment! -http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2010/mar/17/how-wets-water-features-give-gravitas-vegas-strip/

Submitted by Jennifer Jost, YALSA Local Arrangements Committee