Posted by Linda W. Braun

At every midwinter on Monday night one of the youth divisions sponsors a reception for members of all three youth divisions (AASL, ALSC, and YALSA) Last night was YALSA’s turn to host. There was a good turnout of YALSA members at the event.

The reception is always a great place to catch up with people you didn’t get to see any other time at conference and start to relax after having spent several days in meetings. When I got to the reception Pam Spencer Holley was greeting people at the door which I thought was a really nice thing to do. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a division president do that before.

Well, the sun sets (at least I think it did behind the clouds) on the ALA conference. The day began with rain but the weather did not dampen the spirits of the thousands in attendance. More than 30 people joined in the conversation this morning for the Teaching YA Literature Discussion Group chaired by Shannon Sword. The discussion centered around several issues such as how to manage classes that are online versus ones that are hybrid and/or FTF. Following the meeting, I hurtled myself through exhibits quickly to scoop up some ARCs and then headed off to the second Quick Picks Committee meeting.

Tomorrow dawns early with the Press Conference set for 7:55. Stay tuned to see if your favorites win any awards.

Teri Lesesne

I drove in from Houston yesterday afternoon witht the sun shining and the temps hovering near 80. Last night my roommate and I made the rounds of some of the publisher receptions. It was a relaxing way to meet and greet colleagues from across the country. The Riverwalk was ablaze with lights and alive with ALA members strolling, asking for directions, laughing, and flat out enjoying our balmy weather.

YALSA meetings begin in a few hours, so I thought I would take a couple of minutes to go online before heading out the door. Next stop is YALSA All Committee meeting.