Tips for ALA?
This will be my first year atttending the national ALA - or the American Library Association conference. The conference will be in Anaheim this year, and I'm going so I can attend the APALA awards ceremony to accept the Asian Pacific-American Library Association children's literature honor book. Wendy Shang, my friend, will also be attending - she won the award, and she will also there to accept her award.
I'm super-excited that I will get to be ALA. Ever since I knew Vanished was going to be published, it's been my dream to attend an ALA conference. There are two every year -- the smaller one is in the winter, and it's when they announce the children's awards, including the Newbery, Caledcott, Printz, etc. The larger one meets in the summer, and that's when these awards are presented. But awards aside, both conferences are a chance for librarians to converge together to discuss books, attend workshops, and learn what's coming around the bend. For authors, it's a chance to meet other authors and librarians and bloggers and readers of all persuasions. Because I've never attended, I don't really know what to expect. I know it will be crowded, overwhelming, but full of people I want to meet.
Couple of things. If you are going to be at ALA, please stop by to see me. I will be signing at the Disney-Hyperion booth on Sunday, June 24 4 -4:30. I would love to see a familiar face or anyone I might have met online.
And even if you're not, but if you have in the past, please share with me -- what did you enjoy about ALA? What made it memorable? Any tips on how to make the most of it? I am ALL EARS here. :-) I'll be there for the weekend before I head back home.
Thanks a lot! Hope you all had a marvelous Memorial Day holiday weekend.