Arrival
I stepped off the train in Philadelphia and, within minutes, I saw you. Bespectacled, rocking colorful hair, carrying a tote bag, or wearing comfortable shoes, I saw you. Librarians. My people. As I waited to check in to my hotel, the conference attendee ahead of me recalled a feeling of belonging having arrived early to registration with dozens of other excited,, very punctual people. His people. Then there was the collective cheer as the doors to the Exhibit Hall opened the Library Marketplace at exactly 5:30 pm. We are all each other’s people.
The Library Marketplace
This is my first time attending ALA Annual. I arrived too late in the day to attend any sessions, but got my steps in walking–eyes peeled–up and down the aisles of the Exhibit Hall. The Library Marketplace features exhibitors and vendors, live stages, and book signings. I walked by (and recognized, thanks to her January visit to the Worcester Public Library to support author Rhonda Roumani’s children’s program in celebration of Muslim Heritage Month) author Winsome Bingham and illustrator E.B. Lewis as the scheduled signing for their picture book, The Walk, was about to begin. Starstruck, I went right up to the pair to ask one whether she remembered me (she did!) and tell–er, gush to–the other how much I admired his stunning watercolor illustrations in this book and, particularly, those he illustrated for Jacqueline Woodson. Then I realized I had to get in line, be handed a ticket and then a copy of the book, and wait to talk to these superstars. Oops! Did anyone care? No. My people.
The Printz Awards
I ended the day seated next to a colleague in the cool Montgomery Auditorium of Philly’s Parkway Central Library, the two of us captivated by the acceptance speeches of the 2025 Printz Award winners and honor book authors. While winners Samuel Teer and Mar Julia, along with honor book authors Safia Elhillo, Rex Ogle, Molly Knox Ostertag, and Andrew Joseph White, created and wrote their own distinct stories, the themes of both their titles and their speeches were the same: community, acceptance, and belonging. We are all each other’s people.
Alicia Rogers (she/her/hers) is the Tween Services Librarian at Worcester Public Library–the library’s first! She hosts programs and builds collections for children ages eight to twelve in the children’s center and provides reference and reader’s advisory service in the library’s teen room to ease patrons’ transition between the spaces. Through her work, she strives to build community among the tween patrons who are craving some independence. Alicia is a member of ALSC and the Notable Children’s Book Committee and reviews for Booklist, The Horn Book, Library Journal, and School Library Journal. She loves books of all kinds (can you tell?), so is most looking forward to meeting and hearing from authors at the conference.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.
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