Tips for ALA?

[sheela_chari]

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

Comments

No advice, but I'm also going...

[ext_1085518]

...and I'd also love to see what wisdom people have to share. I'll try to stop by the Disney-Hyperion booth during your hour, Sheela!

Re: No advice, but I'm also going...

[sheela_chari]

Yes, I'm really hoping to hear what others have to say. Please stop by if you can -- I would love to meet you!! And if there's some other place to meet you, let me know and I will try to stop by as well!

[lisa_schroeder]

Oh my gosh, I get to meet you!!! Sheela, I'm SOOOO excited! I will be there on Sunday only, as we are going to Disney as a family and I timed it so I could attend ALA for one day. I have a couple of authorly things I'm doing that day, but I have written down to come to the Disney booth at 4:00, so I will do everything I can to make that happen

[sheela_chari]

Lisa! This is terrific news! I can't believe I'll finally see you after all these years! I do hope you will be able to make it to my booth. Do you know yet what you'll be doing? Please let me know, and I'd love to make it to one of your authorly things, too.

Thank you about the line tips. I was wondering where there might be a chance to talk to people. I didn't think about the lines. That is a great idea. I'm thinking I'll have my rolling suitcase with me. I'm packing lightly, so hopefully there will be room for books.

You are so smart to plan your trip around Disneyland. My family and I went to Disneyworld in April. Had I had a little foresight, we could have done something similar. Since I am basically being put up in Disneyland! :)

Can't wait to meet you, Lisa!

[lisa_schroeder]

I'm doing a YALSA librarian speed-dating thing in the morning, and then I'm signing FALLING FOR YOU ARCS at 1:00 in the S&S booth. At least the schedule says I'll be signing ARCs, I will believe it when I see it since they've never done a bunch of ARCs for me before.

OH, by the way, here is the schedule of some of the authors signing on Sunday:

http://www.alaannual.org/authors/2012-06-24

You aren't on there, so it's obviously not complete, but you can maybe start to plan which authors you'd like to see.

[sheela_chari]

That was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks so much for that link. It will help me plan out my day. There are several authors on Sunday I have an eye on. And yay - I see you are at 1 pm, so I should have no problem coming to your booth!

You're right that I'm not on there. It was kind of last minute, the whole thing, because I took a long deciding whether I would be going or not, and then I finally went ahead, but I guess I missed that list. It makes me think that there are probably other authors not on that list either, who will be signing as well.

[tessagratton]

Find the water cooler!

I was so thirsty ALL THE TIME when I was at the conference center.

Have fun!

[sheela_chari]

Heh heh -- you are always the voice of reason. :) Funny -- someone else mentioned the water cooler, too!

[annemariepace]

ALA is fun! Take time before you get there to go over the schedule so that you can be sure to hit the signings you want to.

Contrary to myth, not all books are free-free-free! But many are priced at $5 or $10. Bring plenty of cash just in case you see something you really want by a favorite author. Know that lines will be very, very long for big authors but manageable for mid-list authors. And some books and ARCs are free. And there's often swag. Just remember that it's supposed to be for librarians but you can have some.

As far as meeting people, you'll be amazed at how huge it is, and how easy it is to chat up librarians, fellow authors, etc. But if you are shy, and I believe you have said you are, it might be overwhelming. Be prepared to be overwhelmed; then it won't seem so bad. :)

(If you see VAMPIRINA BALLERINA at the Hyperion booth in any way, will you take some pictures for me?)

[sheela_chari]

Oh, I will definitely take pictures of Vampirina Ballerina! How neat!! I'm glad I will get a chance to see it before the general public does!

Btw, when you say cash, do you mean actual cash? That is, we can't use credit cards? This is a good thing to know.

I hope I'm able to bring back everything I want. I don't want to check in baggage!!

[annemariepace]

Yup. Actual cash.

You don't have to schlep everything home. There will be a mailroom where you can box and ship your boxes.

[lisa_schroeder]

Yes, Sheela, that is what you'll want to do - hit the mailroom (also in the exhibit hall) and mail everything home. They have boxes, tape and everything, so it's relatively painless.

[robinellen]

You'll love it :) Of course, I attend simply for the ARCs (I'm not able to go this year, sadly). So I bring a rolling backpack and store it in the luggage area -- then I gather the books and take them to my backpack when my arms start aching...I've met friends there too (other writers), but I'd definitely suggest finding places outside the exhibit halls to have those meetings. Have a wonderful time!

[sheela_chari]

Do you think it's hard to meet people inside the convention hall? There are a bunch of Elevensies I want to meet - but we will have to figure out where and when.

I am planning to bring a rolling suitcase, too!

[robinellen]

I've only ever gone to the exhibits, but I think that trying to meet within a large group might be challenging -- it tends to be loud and filled with energy. :) When a group of us met (about 10 or so?) a couple years ago, we chose a restaurant and had dinner, and that was much easier than when I tried to meet up with just a couple of people in the exhibits.

[sheela_chari]

I think you are right about planning something outside ALA...I wish you were coming this year!