Like many of you, I suspect, I have been watching the Olympics into the wee small hours of the morning. Each time, I find myself sucked into the competitions and the people who are competing. In some ways, this is like going to ALA. Now, stick with me here. Twice each year, we gather to renew friendships, to talk about books and reading and teens. The competition? Our predictions about which books will receive the medals this time around. There always seems to be an air of excitement. That air is heightened by the “celebrity” spotting. In our case, the celebs are the authors and illustrators who create these world class books we have come to love.
So, won’t you join us this year? In just a couple of weeks, registration opens for Midwinter. Once again, we also have the chance to bundle registration. I saved some $$$ by doing this last year. Of course, I spent the $$$ I saved on books, but that is a good thing, right?
On another note, I spent these last few weeks talking to teachers and librarians as they prepare for another school year. There seems to be a whole new buzz in the air about books and what they can offer our teens. Help spread the word about these great new books (and the oldies but goodies). Share your reading adventures with others. And register for YALSA meetings at midwinter. You can get started by going to this page on the ALA web site.
ALA’s Midwinter Meeting is Jan. 23-28, 2009 in Denver. Bundled registration is only open from Sept. 2 thru 30. For registration details, tips on finding funding to attend, or to learn about what YALSA is doing at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, visit YALSA’s wiki at http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/YALSA_at_the_2009_ALA_Midwinter_Meeting