Well, here we are, a week later and none the worse for wear. I met a lot of people whose names I promptly forgot, stocked up on advanced reader copies, and did more blogging in a weekend than I sometimes do in a month.

A few nagging thoughts have been, well, nagging me since I left Anaheim, and I wasn’t sure how to string them together coherently. (I suppose the jury will still be out after this post…) Nonetheless, I thought it might be helpful for other folks thinking of going to their first big conference if I shared some tips that might have made Anaheim run a little more smoothly for me. (more…)

While attending the ALA conference I had the wonderful opportunity of hearing first-hand the successes of a very active teen advisory group located at the Oakland Public Library. Active teen leaders shared stories about reaching out into the community to represent the library to their peers and elders. Here is a summary of what teens at Oakland Public Library are doing to connect the community with library resources:

• Teens participate in library legislative day by traveling to the state capital and meeting with senators to advocate for libraries.
• They represent the library and youth library council at public speaking and community events.
• Teens present concerns and issues to the library board.
• The teen panelists explained how being YLC members has provided them with opportunities to develop skills in public speaking, organization, and reaching out to others. (more…)

  

After one of the most miserable travel experiences to date (and I swear, I had a zen-like calm about me through the thunderstorm that soaked all of my clothing, the sardine-like gate area at Logan, and even the ground stop in Baltimore that left us sipping half-cups of warm VitaminWater on the tarmac; it was that two hour drive from LAX to my hotel that pushed me over the edge) I’ve finally made it to Anaheim and the grandeur that is ALA. And by “grandeur,” I mean “gigantic sea of orange tote bags.”

(Earlier the Sig Fig asked, “Are there a lot of glasses? And buns?” She’s allowed to ask this question because she’s an archivist. Sadly, I reported, there are very few buns.) (more…)

Authors are everywhere at ALA. Some are signing books, promoting an upcoming one, or speaking at programs on a variety of topics. Orson Scott Card is one of the authors here who spoke at a luncheon for the Margaret A. Edwards Award. He won this award for his lifetime contribution to young adult literature, and part of  the process is to invite the winner to a luncheon to speak.

Since that luncheon I’ve heard many people say how great a speaker he is. The one thing many have taken is a that he didn’t write Ender’s Game or any of his books for children, but that they found it on their own.

I’ve heard other authors say this as well, including Stephanie Meyers and Scott Westerfeld. What so you think it is that makes a book YA or Teen?

I came out to CA two days early, to teach a full day gaming workshop for the Black Gold Library System at the Santa Barbara Public Library. I’ve just landed in Anaheim, but can’t check into my hotel yet, so I’m taking advantage of the free WiFi and A/C at the Euclid branch of the Anaheim Public Library.

Here’s some of the stuff I’m looking forward to this year. I’m really excited that there are a number of gaming events - almost enough for a whole track! There are a couple vendor-sponsored events that I’m throwing in for informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be taken as an endorsement of product.
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I arrived in Anaheim yesterday morning.  The hotel was not quite ready for the onslaught of librarians who came early, so many of us checked our bags and went out to wander around the neighborhood.  Nice neighborhood–Disney across the street and all.  My first commitment is tomorrow with one of the YALSA preconferences (Got Tweens?). I hope to see some of you there.

I hope to blog from various meetings and receptions. For those of you unable to be with us, stay tuned. For those who have gathered, enjoy the city and the sights and the fantastic program YALSA folks have assembled.

Posted by Teri Lesesne

June is finally in full swing, and with Pride out of the way (in Boston, at least) it’s time for me to gear up for my other big event this month: Anaheim! The cat-sitter has been arranged, my discount park-hoppers are (hopefully) in the mail, and I’m now painfully aware of Travelocity’s double-billing policy for debit cards.

But with all my preparations, I don’t really have much of an idea of what to expect from the actual conference. (more…)