I’m excited to be attending my second ALA Annual Conference and adding something new this year by blogging. Even though sessions don’t really kick off until tomorrow, I’m fortunate to work for a library that lets me travel the day ahead of conference to make sure that I’m here in time for my meetings. If you can travel a day ahead, I recommend it. Here are some tips as you get started at conference this year:
Celebrate everything you love about libraries with ribbons.
The first few state conferences I went to, I didn’t really understand the whole ribbon stacking thing. Last year, I created my first ribbon stack, which now hangs at my cubicle as a reminder of all the great connections I made at conference. You can find ribbons near registration, and often with vendors or at other meetings. They are a fun way to show people a little about you and make a great conversation starter when you’re getting to know people at sessions.
Take some time to get to know the convention center.
Conference can be overwhelming, especially if you’re not sure where you’re going. After you register, take some time to get to know the convention center – where food can be found, restrooms, and how rooms are laid out. If you have an idea of the flow of the convention center, it’s easier to focus on the fun of conference without worrying about getting lost. I like to spend some time just walking around, getting used to the room numbering and finding various stairs and elevators between floors.
Download your handouts outside of the sessions.
Conference Wi-Fi can be notoriously spotty. If you like to have handouts available during the sessions, check the conference scheduler and download them in advance, before sessions start. If handouts are shared during the session, make a note of the URL or save the link from the QR code and access it later. This lets you focus on the great learning, instead of worrying about downloads freezing. Another tip: Favorite sessions that you’re not sure you’ll attend. This makes it easy to go back and see if they have handouts that you can review, even if you aren’t in the session.
Find space to recharge.
If you’re like me, constantly being “on” at conference is a lot. ALA has a Community of Care Quiet Room, located on the fourth floor of the convention center. This can be a great space to find some calm in the midst of everything going on. You can also look for out of the way spaces to recharge away from session rooms. Did you know there’s even a rooftop garden at the convention center? (You’ll need to take the elevators near the ballrooms on level 3 to get there.)
Make space for something fun.
Whether it’s sitting in a session that’s purely entertaining for you, getting a signed copy from your favorite author, or exploring the sights of the city, make space for something fun as part of your conference experience. This can help you combat information overload, but more importantly, it also builds those fun memories from conference.
What questions do you have about attending conference? Whether you’re visiting Chicago with me or staying at home, I’d love to connect and share more information with you. Looking forward to a great conference!
Today’s guest contributor is Jaime Eastman (she/her/hers). Jaime is a senior Public Services Librarian and Family Place Coordinator at the Harrington Library, one of the Plano (Texas) Public Library locations. She’s currently serving as a member of the ALSC Board of Directors. This will be her second Annual Conference. She is looking forward to many things, including finalizing the strategic plan with the rest of the Board, seeing great educational sessions sponsored by ALSC, and connecting with members both in person and through the blog. Jaime is currently working on at least two ambitious cross stitch projects, dreaming of future travel plans, and reading far too many books at once. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be an author. Writing for the blog and publishing with Children and Libraries feel like a good start, and she regrets nothing about her adult decision to be a librarian doing storytimes who didn’t have to grow up too much.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.