AASL 13th Natl. Conference - The Future Begins @ Your Library

AASL produced a wonderful conference in Reno. I saw at least a dozen folks from Washington, so our state was well represented. The Reno Sparks Convention Center was really nice, a lot of freebies for my library from the vendors (the exhibit floor was huge, photo #2).

SESSIONS

All of the sessions I attended were great (except for one). I learned about books for boys, government websites for kids, and collaboration tips. To have a "greener" conference, session handouts were online. The conference folks suggested that attendees print out the handouts prior to the session, but this was hard because I usually had 4-5 topics to choose from each session. I usually didn't decide exactly where I'd go until just before. Attending without a handout was ok, but not ideal. I took a lot of notes and downloaded the handouts when I got back home. The one session that was not so good was presented by a college professor and the session seemed more like a lecture and didn't offer practical advice. The session on govt. websites for kids was also presented by a college professor (a gov-doc. person), but unlike the boring session, this was fast-paced and practical.

EVENTS

The Friday night banquest at the Silver Legacy Hotel/Casino had Wendelin Van Draanen as the main speaker (see 3rd photo). I sat with folks from Ohio and Southern California. The table discussion was lively, but Van Draanen was amazing. She talked about her life and the events which created in her the ability to do anything. She has developed a program "Exercise the Right to Read" which brings fitness and reading together. Her blog is at http://etrtr.blogspot.com/ , she even has a post "Reno 9-1-1" about her experience at AASL, and a $900 cab ride!

I also attended the closing session which has Omar Wasow as the guest speaker. He spoke about the need to transform libraries to bring them to the users of the 21st century. It was very thought provoking.

The closing night gala at the National Automobile Museum was a hit (see 1st photo). I got to talk with many people, including a lady from and American school in Hong Kong. AASL members got to have some food and stroll among the cars in the collection.

The next AASL National Conference will be in Charlotte, NC in 2009.

WLMA Conference 2007 - Be The Link

What a great conference in Yakima! I went to some wonderful sessions. There's something about driving over the mountains that clears your mind and relaxes your body. It allows me to be open to new ideas and possibilities.

Pre-conference

At the Pre-conference I heard a truck-load of ideas for new books from Peggy Sharp and learned many ways to advocate for school libraries - we had to set a goal for advocacy. My goal is to write monthly for the school newsletter. It seems simple, but we'll see.

Meals
I attended the lunches and Friday's banquet. Friday's business lunch was fun. My WCCPBA (Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award) Co-chair, Karen Huebschman won the elementary Teacher-Librarian of the Year award. I happened to visit Karen a few weeks ago at her library in Vancouver, WA. It was an incredibly warm place. She is well-deserving of the award. During Friday's banquet, Luis Rodriquez was an incredible speaker, he shared his experiences. It was inspiring to hear about his hopes and fears. A memorable evening. Judy Schachner was the speaker at Saturday's Luncheon. She was wonderful, definitely an "abstract random." What a neat sense of humor. She shared her home life as well as the experiences which allowed her to be creative. At the close of the luncheon the new officers were introduced and I began my first moments as WLMA President-Elect. First official duty...a photo (photo #2)!

Sessions / Key Note
I went to many of the sessions. I attended a great session by author Betty Birney. She wrote the "According to Humphrey" books, which my students love. She had a great sense of humor and shared how her writing career has developed. Nadean Meyer and Joanna Freeman's session on Web 2.0 (interactive elements of the web) got me inspired to start this blog! Friday's keynote speaker was Eric Liu. He was very inspiring, speaking about mentoring and being mentored. We really have the ability to touch so many people. I also enjoyed the small group discussion of the conference book "The Book Thief." I read this incredible book over the summer. It was fun to talk about the book with others.

Social Life & Autographs
Other fun things I attended was social hours sponsored by the University of Washington, WLMA Small Districts & Private Schools, and Mel (men of WLMA). Some of the librarians from the Edmonds School District also got together Thursday evening to discuss the pre-conference and what sessions we'd attend. I got to meet librarians from all over Washington throughout the conference standing in line for meals, sitting at sessions, and moving between the convention center and the hotel. I also enjoyed getting Judy Schachner's autograph on a "Skippyjon Jones" book that I'll either give to a student or put in my school's collection. I was the last person in the autograph line (she signed for a long time - at least 45 minutes after her scheduled time). One of the conference organizers was trying to get her ready for her luncheon, so I promised I wouldn't talk to her....she promised the same. A silent autographing (photo #1). What a great sense of humor!

I can't wait for Conference 2008 in Portland, Oregon!

Welcome

I was inspired at the 2007 Fall WLMA Conference to start a blog. So, here it is! Nadean & Joanna had a concurrent session on Web 2.0. which explained its' various facets, including blogging, rss feeds, and wikis. I learned how all of these tools can be used to increase the communication between individuals. My goal for this blog is to share my experience in the library world as I begin my term as WLMA (Washington Library Media Association) President-Elect. I hope to share information about meetings/conferences I attend, thoughts about topics concerning school librarians, and other observations. As this is my first try at blogging, please be patient.