What’s your biggest fear about coming to ALA Mid-Winter? Do you imagine yourself walking into a room and not knowing anyone? What comes after that?
I walked into that place last night and before I could even really step into the room two librarians turned to me and started talking. They turned out to be from Texas..one was Sharon Lawler who I think you would say “chairs” the Texas Bluebonnet list..I learned that’s a three year job and she works with a great group who vets books for grades 3-6.
Her partner in crime was Dana Hutchins ..also from Texas..she chairs a YA Lit Roundtable ..I know I am messing that title up..but the important thing is she loves working with middle schoolers and books.
As I moved into the room I had the chance to have R. Gregory Christie (FREEDOM IN CONGO SQUARE) introduce me to MOUSETROPOLIS..his city mouse/country mouse book. Is there anything more fun than having an author/illustrator tell you, “This is where it got really hard,” while they show you some amazing illustration they created?
A few more steps into the room and I saw Grace Maccarone. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know about your library but Grace has some serious inches of space in my library’s easy reader section. It was wonderful to put the face to the name.
Grace was standing with another author, Connie Schofield-Morrison. Connie is the author of I GOT THE RHYTHM… turns out she has raised five children and supported her husband over the years and she has arrived at the place where now she is figuring out who she is and what she has to share with the world. We talked about taking risks and giving yourself permission to do that thing you want to do. Dreams. Dreams that come true.
I headed to dinner and sat down with some amazing people. Cindy Loh is the publisher for Bloomsbury…don’t you ever wonder how they build their lists? I asked.
Ellen Ruffin is the keeper of the De Grummond Collection at Southern Mississippi I believe..she is a riot… and she has deep roots on the ALSC culture. There is an ALSC culture at this conference … no doubt about it…there are people who have been part of the fabric and people who want to be part of the fabric. We’re talking some rich fabric.
The guy across the table from me was Christopher Brown who curates a children’s literature collection in Philadelphia. Told a funny story about how he got into the children’s library world after graduating… isn’t it interesting how we get here?
Walked back to the hotel with Marianne Martens who is writing about and thinking about how young readers interact with the world of books and social media.
You begin to get the spectrum of this thing we do called be a librarian? That’s day one and the passion and knowledge and the …..hmmmmm…..trying to find the word here….
I guess the word is the “classiness” of this group gives me heart and hope.
Wonder what day two holds?