ALSC President, Andrew Medlar welcomed attendees to #alamw16 and the Bill Morris Seminar, “summer camp, minus the poison ivy,” and encouraged us to take it all in, and enjoy the day.
Like summer camp, I met new people, learned new things, was placed outside my comfort zone, left with some new tools in my bag, and the desire to do it all over again.
The day opened with KT Horning and Thom Barthelmess covering the basics of book evaluation and getting the most out of books. Some key take-aways:
- Always look for the good, expect it
- Every book is a clean slate
- Know yourself, but question yourself
- LISTEN, actively when in discussion about books
- EVERY book has flaws
- In the end, it’s just you and the book
From here, small groups discussed a variety of award winners from the previous year. These groups were like heading back to your cabin at the end of full day of camp activities, and knowing the excitement is just beginning.
Discussion started strained, but very quickly each “camper” opened up and as one noted, it was like our ideas were piling up on the table and we were learning more and more about each and every title. This process was amazing, but was extremely rushed as we tried to get it all in before “lights out.” Back to the large group for sharing opportunities, lunch, networking and finishing off with a panel discussion from past ALSC Awards Committee chairs. Throughout the day, “campers” were eager to learn more tips and tricks of the trade and to hopefully prepare for a future that includes sitting on an awards committee.
Before I knew it, camp was over. An amazing day to say the least…apply, you won’t be sorry!