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.
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