I have been attending ALA meetings and conferences for many years now. I have tried to be active in ALSC and have taken on different roles in different committees. What Annual has often meant to me in the past was a whole lot of committee meetings. Sure, I tried to get out onto the floor and talk with some publishers and discover new books, but the main thrust of my attendance was my committee.
This year, I looked at Annual through a new lens.
I was on the outgoing side of my Newbery tenure this year, and as such I have yet to commit to another committee! Anaheim meant celebration for me. But it also gave me an opportunity to look at my time at Annual in a different light.
Without hours of committee meetings, I was free to explore the sessions that were being offered. And what happened because of that? I left Anaheim feeling truly inspired.
Like Renee, I attended the session There’s An App for That. Before listening to these knowledgeable folks, I looked at iPads as a student device that could be used in the library, but I hadn’t considered using mine for storytime!
I discovered new (free) resources that I am happy to bring back to my teachers and kids.
I also dove into the YALSA and ALSC joint President’s Program that looked into the “Digital Lives of Tweens“. Not only did this session, enlighten me as to tween tech use in other parts of the country, it gave me a greater understanding about the lives and upbringing of today’s tweens.
And last but not least, there was the AASL President’s Program where Lori Takeuchi (Joan Gantz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop) shared the latest research on just how families and children are using technology in their everyday lives. Again, the session was enlightening and inspiring.
I am going to continue using my new lens to look at Annual attendance. I will make my schedule not only based on my committee meetings, but will be sure to make time to attend several of the sessions that are sure to leave me with a spring in my step and ideas for my program!
Crowds at the Friday Night Exhibit Opening
What was the ALA conference at Anaheim like? Sadly, since the blog was down during conference, all the microblogging I could do was through Twitter. Still and all, it helped me focus on the fun, adventure, learning and camaraderie that is always part of our ALA conferences. Below is just a taste of some of my ALSC tweets in my week in Anaheim. Savor the flavor!
Emerging Leaders Poster Session – It was standing room only as people browsed through and talked to the leaders about their projects. Team E worked with ALSC in developing a mentorship project. Using their slick online tool, I discovered my ideal mentor would be Batgirl – swoon.
Friday Night Exhibit Openings (pictured above). Yes it is just like that – crowds, clamor, arcs, swag, noshing and more. I managed to pick up a bit of swag and arcs, run into old friends and get photographed with Spidey (resulting in winning 34 Spiderman books for my library!). Many of you may have been following twitter #arcgate and know that the scrum can be crazy – and controversial.
Publisher Opportunities – There are many receptions, book previews and meal events that happen during conference that give us a chance to meet authors or get advance previews of upcoming fall lists. I also went to my share of exhibit hall publishing booths just to browse and spy with my little eye the books on hand. My favorite moment was at a dance hosted by Little Brown where Libba Bray danced with us all.
ALA Council – This–and related Council meetings -is where I spent most of my conference time. I represent my state library association but am keenly interested in youth initiatives. I hope you all consider running for a Council-at-Large seat and joining other ALSC members in keeping youth well represented at this great governance structure (don’t be afraid, changes made in the past few years have created a collegial, hard-working Council that is able to work swiftly to address issues and move the work of the association forward. Come on in, the water’s fine).
The Newbery Caldecott Banquet – Chris Raschka and Jack Gantos. Outstanding speeches. Need I say more?
Perks of Being a Wallflower Film Debut – a full twelve weeks before it hits theaters, author/director Stephen Chbosky presented his film through a Freedom to Read Foundation event at a local theater. After the very moving movie, he signed copies of the book. Priceless.
Closing Session and Inaugural Luncheon – R J Martinez inspired us with his story. This was followed by a new brunch-time celebration of all the new division presidents and a chance to congratulate Carolyn Brodie on her presidency. I hope lots of you can join me next year too!
There were plenty more adventures and programs but these were my highlights. And, of course, the most special part of the conference for me is running into, meeting and talking to new and old friends. A chance spent re-connecting, discovering, dishing and laughing renews me for a good long time!
I’m Youth Services Coordinator at La Crosse (WI) Public Library, active in ALSC and blog regularly about youth library services issues at Tiny Tips for Library Fun
Once in a while, a conference session will light a spark that stays with you beyond the time spent listening to the speakers. I Want a Truck Book! has stayed with me, as I think about this fascinating presentation time and time again. Gretchen Caserotti, Deborah Cooper and Tali Balas Kaplan shared their experiences reorganizing their children’s collections to meet the needs of young patrons. Each approached the challenge of reorganizing their collections to help children find books intuitively and easily. They shared their experiences working with public and school libraries.
As Tali Balas Kaplan wrote here in the ALSC Blog, “Successful systems have clear logic and the different pieces are connected in ways that make sense to people who’re using the system.” But the Dewey organization of books by an intricate subject matter system and author’s last name does not make intuitive sense to our young children or their caregivers. One of her young student wrote about his feelings on searching for books in the library: “aginy” (agony). How can we change that experience for our patrons?
And so each of these librarians has reorganized their collections – in part or whole – grouping materials by broad subject areas that make intuitive sense to children. I was fascinated by these projects, as I’ve often struggled to explain our library’s organization system to children. Look at an example Tali Kaplan shared: the call number 327.12 EAR. What do students make of this? Does it make them think of an ear of corn? Or one of their ears?
Now take a look at this book, The Real Spy’s Guide, with the new call number developed using their reorgized Metis system: S Mystery Spies. All of the mystery books are grouped together, with subgroups for topics like “Spies”. Nonfiction and fiction books are grouped together, so a kid who’s really into reading spy stories like Alex Rider might be able to browse and find nonfiction books like The Real Spy’s Guide.
Each library system approached their reorganization slightly differently, but all focused on what made browsing for books easiest for their patrons. Each also found ways to make their new system visually intuitive for children, with clear signage and labeling. It’s a fascinating project, one that I will keep thinking about, sharing with colleagues in my district, and considering for my library.
Do you want to find out more about their projects? Here are some sources of information:
One of the best programs I attended in Anaheim was Using Apps in Children’s Librarianship. Led by a dynamic panel of two school librarians and two public librarians (mrschureads, 100scopenotes, @gaserotti and @amygrav), I left motivated and inspired by all the innovative ways we librarians can think outside the box and use apps to improve our services. Here are just a few amazing takeaways.
Consider mounting an iPad to a wall or an endcap somewhere in your department and encourage children to play with it, just as they would a play panel. Settings can easily be changed to make sure that children have access to only the areas of the iPad you want them to access. There are also cases that can ensure that the iPad is locked down. Once you have it secure, you could rotate different apps each week to keep kids coming back for more. Shape sorting apps, rhyme apps, animal sound apps, storybook apps…the world is your oyster.
I was particular interested in learning about how we can use apps with older children, and the panel certainly did not disappoint. One idea was to incorporate apps into book discussions. Say you have a group of kids at a library program discussing Powerless by Matthew Cody. You could start the activity by asking everyone what superpower do they wish they had. The Art Studio app allows you to draw, paint, and edit photos. So, instead of just asking students to answer the question, incorporate app technology and invite kids to be creative. Working in groups or individually, kids could take their own picture, add drawings to depict themselves with this superpower, and then share their answer and their picture with the group. Genius!
If you want to invite parents into the conversation, librarians could lead an App Chat or Appy Hour program. Parents and librarians meet at the library to make recommendations of apps to other parents. This is also a great opportunity for librarians to talk about what qualities to look for in a good app, and talk about how to use the library’s app–if you have one! We librarians have grown accustomed to reader’s advisory. Why not app advisory?
Thank you to John, Travis, Amy, and Gretchen for all the FABULOUS ideas!
Renee Grassi, Head of Children’s Services Glencoe Public Library Glencoe, IL @MissReneeDomain
The lovely thing about ALA being in Anaheim this year is that so many of our LA Public Library children’s and YA librarians got to attend, many for the very first time. They attended sessions from morning until dinnertime, walked the exhibits until their feet ached, and came back with what one YA librarian called That ALA Glow.
LAPL children’s librarians full of ALA Glow at the Newbery/Caldecott Banquet
So now these librarians are filled with enthusiasm and fabulous ideas. But as I know well, this doesn’t always translate into big change at the library. Sure, you might incorporate some ideas you gleaned at ALA into the storytimes and displays at your own branch – but how do you spread these great tidbits to your fellow librarians?
And more challenging – how do you convince the Powers That Be to implement (or even consider implementing) a terrific program or service that you think would work superbly at your library system?
This has always been the flip side of ALA Glow to me. You come back buzzing with inspiration but then realize “They’ll never let me do that” or “That’s way too radical for our hide-bound library system.” You write a fervent conference report that you suspect gets filed in a drawer unread. And you fear that Nothing Will Ever Change.
This year I’m determined not to let that happen. I’ve asked all the youth librarians who attended ALA to tell me what most excited them in these two categories:
- Ideas and inspiration that other librarians could quickly and easily implement in their branches (example – incorporating science concepts into storytime or offering a fun and participatory type of passive programming for teens).
- Larger programs and services that would take a certain amount of coordination/support/funding – and most of all, approval from the powers that be – to put into place.
I’m inviting ALA attendees to share their favorite ALA ideas from category 1 at future staff meetings, so that all their peers can benefit from the treasure trove of niftiness that is ALA.
For the 2nd category, I’m collecting those Big Ideas. There will probably be several that float to the top (already, I’m hearing a great deal of interest in the idea of circulating toys). I think it would be fascinating to assign to several ALA attendees the task of putting together a presentation on these topics for their fellow children’s and YA librarians, and then get into small groups to discuss each topic. What are the possible benefits to our system and our community? What are potential pitfalls? What departments and staff would need to be involved in the planning and implementation? How could this be pitched to Administration? Does it make sense to do this as a pilot program, and if so, how many and which branches should be involved?
Not only would lots of important ideas be generated, but librarians would be practicing thinking about Doing Things Differently. And if it looks like any of these ideas has enough in its favor to go forward with it, there will be some librarians – ALA attendees but also those who stayed behind – who are excited about the prospect of implementing it. What I’ve learned and am still learning as manager is that the best and most relevant ideas are generated by the folks who will actually be making them happen. ”Staff buy-in” is a lovely thing, but even better is “active staff input and collaboration.”
So yeah – I’m hoping we can keep shimmering with ALA magic for months and years
Boys read. As librarians, we know that’s a fact. Research does indicate, however, that boys typically don’t read as much or as well as girls their same age, and as a result they can fall behind. Some great male writers, beloved by all readers, gave their perspectives on why getting more boys reading is necessary and how we might accomplish that goal:
Funny Business, the first volume of stories in the “Guys Read” series edited by Jon Scieszka.
- Jon Scieszka: Start by asking boys what they want to read. Listen to what they say, and note what are your heavily circulating titles. These should be your go-to titles, regardless of what the library literature has to say.
- Michael Grant: Escapism has value in encouraging reading. Is the book one the reader is willing to spend time with?
- Andrew Smith: There are a few dirty words when it comes to encouraging reading: “appropriate,” which casts judgment; and “for,” which excludes potential readers (e.g., books FOR boys, books FOR teens).
- Daniel Handler: Speaking of dirty words, teen boys in particular like their books to have violent and dirty bits. These parts reflect their own thoughts and conversations with friends. To the young male reader, these parts are just one contributing factor to the overall enjoyment of the book, but censorship-happy adults view even short instances of language and sex as rendering the whole book objectionable.
Some boys don’t read, but there are plenty of clandestine male readers, too. The prevalence of readers who hide their enjoyment of reading suggests there’s something fundamentally wrong with our reading culture–why do boys want to keep their reading secret? The answer to this question could shed light on the whole issue of boys and reading.
How do you engage young male readers at your library?
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I am the Children’s Librarian at the Corporate Parkway Branch of the St. Charles City-County Library District in Missouri. I am active in ALSC, and I blog as the Show Me Librarian at http://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com/.
Last week-end, many of us enjoyed beautiful weather in California while learning more about libraries, librarianship, and how to improve services to children. We also made time to visit the Exhibit Hall, network with colleagues, and celebrate quality children’s literature.
Ten bloggers volunteered to “live-blog” from the conference. Unfortunately, a serious hardware outage at our provider prevented us from from doing this. Tomorrow and Monday, some of us hope to share some of the things we learned and experienced at the ALA Annual Conference last weekend.
Feel free to add YOUR thoughts about what you learned at the Midwinter Conference in the comments below.
Thanks for your patience during the ALA blog and wiki outage! If you were following #YALSABlogInExile and #TheHubInExile you know that The Hub bloggers did another fantastic live blog of the Best Fiction for Young Adults Teen Feedback session (with video from Kate Pickett on Qik).
Don’t forget that the YALSA Twitter feed and YALSA and Books for Teens Facebook pages are always sources of up to date information about YALSA, and places where members like you can make your voices heard.
But for more apps and tweets, YALSA coverage from ALA Annual 2012, summer programming ideas and much much more, look no further than the YALSA Blog!
This episode features three interviews, each covering a different aspect of this year’s ALA Annual Convention in Anaheim, California. First up is Allison Tran from YALSA’s Local Arrangements Committee, who shares some important and fun details about Anaheim and the surrounding area of Orange County. We then hear from Gretchen Kolderup about the always popular Speed Networking Event and close with Linda Braun filling us in on her special program, Being a Social Teen Advocate.
ALA Annual 2012 Preview
If you’d like to continue the conversation, just reply to this post and let us know what you’re looking forward to at this year’s convention.
If you prefer, you may visit the YALSA podcast site directly and download this episode to your computer or MP3 player of your choice. Missed an episode? Consider following the YALSA Podcast Feed by adding the link to Itunes, Google Listen or any other RSS Reader that can handle audio.
For more info on the ALA Conference and Anaheim, CA be sure to check out these helpful links:
For all things YALSA, there’s the always helpful YALSA’s Conference Wiki.
For hotels, bus routes and meetings beyond YALSA drop by ALA’s Conference Page.
For getting around Anaheim and Orange County visit the Orange County Transportation Authority.
For official info on things to do while in Anaheim the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau offers a wealth of resources.
And last but not least, look back at all the great posts YALSA’s Local Arrangements Committee has put together to make your stay in Anaheim a little bit easier and lot more fun.
See you in Anaheim!
The ALSC Notable Children’s Books committee is charged with identifying the best of the best in children’s books. According to the Notables Criteria, “notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.
If you’re like me, you have been eagerly anticipating the list of titles to be discussed at the Annual Conference. Here it is!
FICTION (INCLUDING FICTION GRAPHIC NOVELS AND FICTION VERSE NOVELS)
Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. Illus. by Patricia Castelao. HarperCollins Children’s Books
Bell, Juliet. Kepler’s Dream. G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Clifton, Lutricia. Freaky Fast Frankie Joe. Holiday House
Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Mighty Miss Malone. Wendy Lamb Books
DiCamillo, Kate and Alison McGhee. Bink and Gollie: Two For One. Illus. by Tony Fucile. Candlewick Press
Fitzmaurice, Kathryn. A Diamond in the Desert. Viking Children’s Books
Horvath, Polly. Mr. and Mrs. Bunny– detectives extraordinaire! Illus. by Sophie Blackall. Schwartz & Wade Books
Ibbotson, Eva. One Dog and his Boy. Scholastic Press
Levine, Kristin. The Lions of Little Rock. G. P. Putnam’s Sons
MacLachlan, Patricia. Kindred Souls. Katherine Tegen Books
Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux. No Crystal Stair: a documentary novel of the life of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller. Illus. by R. Gregory Christie. Carolrhoda Lab
Palacio, R.J. Wonder. Alfred A. Knopf
Rose, Caroline Starr. May B. Schwartz & Wade Books
Turnage, Sheila. Three Times Lucky. Dial Books for Young Readers
Wright, Barbara. Crow. Random House
PICTURE BOOKS
Barnett, Mac. Extra Yarn. Illus. by Jon Klassen. Balzer & Bray
Bingham, Kelly. Z is for Moose. Greenwillow
Buzzeo, Toni. One Cool Friend. Illus. by David Small. Dial Books for Young Readers
Davies, Nicola. Just Ducks. Illus. by Salvatore Rubbino. Candlewick Press
Evans, Shane W. We March. Roaring Brook Press
Did you know that you can get a free resume review at the ALA conference? True fact.
During every annual & midwinter conference the New Member’s Round Table Resume Review Service Committee provides resume reviews to conference attendees for FREE. In Anaheim, you can find the booth in the ALA Job Placement Center, Hall A of the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm. You can drop in or sign up for a review spot ahead of time here. (Deadline June 15.)
Resume reviewers and booth volunteers are needed in order to run this free service. If you have an hour free, please consider signing up to be a reviewer or greeter. The committee is also in need of public librarians to serve as year-round email resume reviewers for NMRT members. It is an easy way to mentor new professionals. If you are interested please email the committee.
What to know more about the NMRT RRS Committee? Visit the website here.
Calling ALSC Members,
The ALSC Membership Committee is looking for booth volunteers! The ALA Annual Conference is the world’s largest library conference, with over 900 exhibitors. ALSC will have a booth in the ALA Member Pavilion on the exhibit floor (booth #1939). At the booth you can also get your questions about ALSC answered and pick up some free ALSC swag, including member ribbons for your conference badge.
To sign up, please visit the ALSC @ ALA Annual Conference wiki:
http://wikis.ala.org/alsc/index.php/Exhibits
Please click ‘edit’ at the top of the page and login with your username and password, or create a username and password if you have not already. Please enter your full name at your preferred ‘Start Time’. A time slot will be considered full when two people have signed up for that particular time slot. If you have any problems signing up, or need a copy of the booth guidelines, please feel free to contact Sam Bloom or Dan Rude.
Get ready– ALA Annual in Anaheim is just around the corner! Be sure to take advantage of Division Member advance rates – $230 for the entire conference by June 14th for YALSA members. Once you’ve registered, plan out your conference activities with the ALA Conference Scheduler. YALSA’s list of events at ALA Annual will give you plenty of options for your schedule!
After a long day of meetings, programs and ARCs, a new question arises: Where can you get a drink and some nibbles? We’re wrapping up our series on Orange County restaurants with one last recommendation:
If you’re willing to venture a mere five miles away from the Conference Center (right down the street from Bruxie’s, as a matter of fact) you’ll find a lovely specialty shop featuring beer and cheese.
Photo by Mark Walker
The Bruery Provisions is the satellite tasting room of The Bruery, a relatively (2008) new Southern California brewery, which is very, very good.
At the Bruery Provisions, you can (of course) get Bruery beer, either in full pints, or half pint flights. Full pints run $5-6, with bottles priced at a similar range, but flights are the way to go.
Photo by Mark Walker
A flight of five beers, at around half a pint each, runs just $10. Cheese and meat plates run between $9-11, with cheeses and meats that change regularly, but are always amazing.
Photo by Mark Walker
The cheese and meat plates also come with a good amount of food, enough to share as an appetizer or as a meal all on your own. There’s also olives, spanish nuts, and a recently added grilled cheese.
One of the best things about Bruery Provisions is that it is not just a restaurant/tasting room: Bruery Provisions sells things. Specifically, it sells Bruery beer, other specialty beer, and cheese. So if you really like the kumquat flavored, low-alcohol content of the Bruery Nottenroth, why not take that and the fabulous blue back to your hotel?
See you in Anaheim!
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Monthly President’s Report – April 2012
April was a very interesting month for me on the YALSA front. I’m just back from a week in Washington, D.C. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of last week, YALSA Executive Director Beth Yoke and I, along with several hundred other library supporters, attended National Library Legislative Day. Beth and I had eight separate meetings over two days, with legislators’ staff members, and with representatives from other organizations that have similar interests to YALSA, such as the Afterschool Alliance, the Center for Excellent Education, and the International Reading Association. We talked about how we could support one another’s missions.
Then on Friday and Saturday of the same week, I staffed the YALSA booth at the USA Science and Engineering Festival at the Washington Convention Center. Along with DC-area YALSA members, I handed out bookmarks and flyers, showed the demo of the YALSA Teen Book Finder App (available in May—we hope—from Apple’s App Store), chatted with teens, parents, teachers, and librarians, and did some on-the-fly readers’ advisory. We encouraged teens to participate in this year’s Teens’ Top Ten, and there was a lot of interest and enthusiasm.
Below is a summary of activities that I have completed or am working on.
Committees
- Committee Chairs:
- I had phone conversations with several YALSA committee chairs about the work of their committees.
- Committee/Jury/Taskforce Appointments:
- I appointed members to fill vacancies on several committees.
- I continued appointing members to fill new task forces created by Board action at Midwinter
Board Activities
- I participated, with other Board members, in an online chat about recruiting and engaging members.
- I worked with Board members on their self-assessments.
- I worked with Executive Committee members to create an agenda for the Spring Executive Conference Call, to be held on Thursday, May 3.
- Board members, for National Volunteer Week, wrote thank-you notes to YALSA committee members.
Partnerships.
- Mary Fellows, ALSC President, and I, along with our Presidents’ Program co-chairs, have been making final arrangements for our combined Presidents’ Program at ALA Annual. I hope many of you will be able to join us bright and early Monday morning to hear Dr. Michelle Poris of SmartyPants and Stephen Abram of GaleCengage share their insights on the Digital Lives of Tweens and Young Teens.
- I continue to participate in the School Libraries Task Force with members of other ALA divisions.
Writing.
Media & Outreach.
- Spoke with Jeff Rivera, for Entertainment Weekly, about trends in YA literature.
- Spoke with Carlie Geisinger, of the Gilroy (CA) Dispatch about teen spaces and the value of having teen rooms in libraries. The occasion of the article was the opening of a new library building in a community that had never had a separate teen room.
- For National Volunteer Week,
Joining ALSC at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim?
When you’re not riding the roller coasters at Disneyland, come join us for a few programs. We’ve got a nice selection of events for members, non-members and everyone in-between. Here are some great activities that you should check out:
ALSC 101
4-6 pm, Saturday, June 23
Anaheim Marriott Grand Salon A-C
If you’re new to ALSC or if this is your first Annual Conference as a children’s librarian, then this program is for you! We’ll provide you with information about the perks of ALSC membership, tips on how to get involved, and tricks of the trade for navigating Annual Conference. We’ll also be raffling off a Nook and a Book and tickets to the Newbery-Caldecott Banquet to lucky ALSC members courtesy of the Friends of ALSC! The first half of the program will be an introduction to ALSC, the second half an opportunity to socialize. Stick around and meet new colleagues!
Newbery-Caldecott Banquet
6-11 pm, Sunday, June 24
Anaheim Marriott Marquis Ballroom
Join us for this gala to celebrate the Newbery and Caldecott Medalists and Honorees, authors and illustrators of the year’s most distinguished books for children. For more on this amazing event, see ALSC’s banquet FAQ.
Joint ALSC/YALSA President’s Program: The Digital Lives of Tweens and Young Teens
8-10 am, Monday, June 25
Anaheim Convention Center 304AB
This year ALSC and YALSA will offer a joint presidents’ program focusing on the digital lives of tweens and young teens, populations that both groups of members serve. This collaborative event will feature two dynamic speakers, Stephen Abram, MLS and Michelle Poris, Ph.D., followed by a video presentation.
Awards Presentation and Membership Meeting
10:30 am-1:30 pm, Monday, June 25
Anaheim Convention Center ACC-304AB
Join your colleagues for the annual presentation for the Batchelder, Carnegie, Geisel, and Sibert Awards. The ALSC Membership Meeting will immediately follow where Mary Fellows, ALSC President, will recognize the 2013 professional award winners and share the past year’s accomplishments and new initiatives.
We hope that you’ll join us in sunny Anaheim, June 21-26! Visit www.alaannual.org for general information about the conference, and use the Conference Scheduler to plan your time, create your calendar, and find out about many other highlights as they’re added—speakers, events, networking opportunities, and more. Get the best discount with Early Bird Registration, open until midnight, Sunday, May 13, 2012.
For a complete list of ALSC education programs and events, please see the ALSC at Annual Conference website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/confevents/alscannual/schedule
The countdown is on: only two months until the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim!
Have you registered yet? Remember to take advantage of Early Bird registration – just $215 for YALSA members until May 13th. Check out all of YALSA’s can’t-miss Conference sessions and start putting together your schedule now.
In our ongoing series of posts, YALSA’s Conference Marketing and Local Arrangements Committee has shared practical tips on how to make the most of your ALA experience and many reasons to come to Anaheim. Now that the big event is approaching, here is a refresher.
1. Plan ahead
Make lists and really prioritize what to see at conference, especially if there is a time or distance limitation. There always seems to be one program that conflicts with another great program or one that is located far away from the conference. Your schedule can be really tight when you have commitments, such as a committee obligation or presenting a program.
To ensure that you see what you came to see, take the time to create a basic schedule before you come to Anaheim. Keep in mind the purpose behind your conference attendance. Maybe your library wants you to learn about new systems, or to meet with a certain database vendor. Perhaps you are there to plan/purchase the furniture for your new teen area. There are always those high priority items that must be addressed first, even if you plan more than you can get to.
Highlighting or putting tape flags on the conference program is a great idea to organize your schedule. Following a “track” is a good way to minimize conflicts. Some days you will feel overwhelmed by all the programs and exhibits and may need to take a break and relax, so plan some time for that too!
2. Map it out
Anaheim is not necessarily a pedestrian friendly area. So, fellow YALSA peeps, pace yourselves and check the shuttle bus/hotel map to save your feet, and take a look at our “Getting Around Anaheim” guide on the YALSA wiki.
3. Pack light
We like to pack light and leave lots of room in our luggage to bring stuff home. Layers are a must, as well as non-wrinkle clothes that can be rolled up into a small carry-on. If you are driving, then you don’t have to worry as much about the weight. Remember, wheeled carts are not allowed on the exhibit hall floor, and your shoulders will not be happy with you lugging all those bags around. As we have advised previously, if you load up on swag, be selective. Find a bag check to store things. If you are staying nearby, there may be a shuttle bus for you to take things back to your suitcase. It is often convenient (and cheaper than airline baggage fees) to ship items directly from the convention center, depending on how long the line is. So, enjoy, but don’t get bogged down by too much weight.
4. Bring some CASH
Stash some hidden cash about your person so you don’t have to pay those heavy-duty tourist ATM fees. That said, always be aware of your surroundings any time you travel. Think twice about bringing expensive jewelry or precious items.
5. Bring snacks
Load up on non-perishable snacks so that you don’t have to pay for them at the convention center. Don’t forget your reusable water bottle, either. We all know it’s expensive to eat at a conference, or you will have to walk far to find more choices. Hit all the free receptions for more sustenance including ones on the exhibit floor. If you have food allergies or other dietary restrictions, you already know the importance of bringing your own safe snacks.
6. Disneyland
If you want
If you’re going to Annual Conference, put this on your schedule now: The Digital Live of Tweens and Young Teens, Monday, 6/25, 8 – 10 a.m.
This program, a collaborative ALSC/YALSA presidents program, has two speakers who offer unusual perspectives. Michelle Poris’s job title alone – Quant Savant – tells you that she is not your average presenter! Michelle spends her time researching the habits of tweens and young teens for the firm Smarty Pants (love that name too!). She has worked with top companies (like Disney) to help them target their products and services to this age group – and now she brings her expertise to us.
Stephen Abram has another interesting identifier – Futurist. Stephen was listed by Library Journal as one of the top 50 people influencing the future of libraries. Stephen’s ideas are always springboards for innovation. I’m very eager to get a boost on how libraries serve tweens and young teens.
You can be a part of this program, not just a listener, but as a creator. We’re looking for short videos submitted from librarians in the field to highlight effective programming and innovations for working with tweens and young teens – not just technology-related, but anything! There’s a good prize, too. Details are in the March 28 post below or here.
Hope to see you there, either in person or on the big screen with your tweens!
