I have enjoyed and learned from many of the sessions I’ve attended at the ALA Conference. Some of the sessions which come immediately to mind are:
- the initial keynote address by Misty Copeland which was such an intimate and thoughtful conversation between the first African American female principal “dancer” in the American Ballet Theatre’s long history and the incoming chair of the
- the video visit with featured speaker Matthew Cordell as he spoke so lovingly about Mister Rogers, the subject of his newest picture book biography
- the timely panel discussion titled Are the Kids Okay? How Librarians Can Help Kids Navigate Socioemotional Stress or — as Kelly Jensen, the moderator, so eloquently stated — “All the different ways that a story can impact somebody, particularly when it comes to their mental health.”
- the session I found so VERY informative titled “Trouble in Paradise: Are You Violating Copyright by Using Social Media Read Alouds?”
- the closing session featuring Natalie Portman who was so energetically interviewed by Betsy Bird
However, I also realize that no ALA Conference would be complete without a visit to the Exhibit Hall. At this virtual conference, there were a lot of exhibitors! Maybe not as many as at an “in-person” conference, still – at more than 600 exhibitors, it was important to carefully select which ones I was able to spend time exploring. And yes, there was swag – e-galleys, tote bags, and other giveaways were so easily located on the virtual exhibit floor that it had its own name: “Swag-a-palooza.”