Category: ALA Annual 2010

Don’t miss any of these great ALSC events happening in DC! More information is available on the ALSC website. A printable version of ALSC programs happening at Conference is also available on the ALSC website. Friday, June 25 ALSC 101 3:00 – 4:00 p.m., EMB-Capital A If you’re new to ALSC or if this is your first conference as a children’s librarian, then this program is for you! We’ll provide you with information about the perks of ALSC membership, tips on how to get involved in the organization, and tricks of the trade for navigating Annual Conference. ALSC Happy Hour 6 – 8 p.m., Gordon Biersch, 900 F Street NW Stop by and grab a drink with friends old and new! Drinks are not sponsored by ALSC, but we’d love to see you there to mix and mingle with other members. Saturday, June 26 Tech Petting Zoo 2:30 – 4:30…

We’re in the home stretch — less than a week and a half before thousands of librarians and library staff from all over descend on Our Nation’s Capital.  And just in time for everyone’s arrival, Washington’s Metro transit system will be implementing round one of its FY ’11 fare hikes.  Not unlike many libraries around the country, Metro has been struggling to keep its budget balanced amidst declining revenue.  Thus, to keep a long story short, fares on Metrorail and Metrobuses will be increasing on Sunday, June 27 (pending final approval from the Metro Board on June 24), right during the Annual Conference.  Metro’s Trip Planner has already incorporated the new fares, so check it out to determine the price of your trip. Here’s a quick rundown of the changes in Metrorail fares: Regular Fare (Weekdays before 9:30am & 3-7pm, after 2am on Weekends) $1.75 minimum, $4.60 maximum (before June 27)        …

Less than 3 weeks to go, Conference fans! Attendees to the Annual Conference this year will have the good fortune of visiting Washington during the Smithsonian‘s annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall (June 24-28 & July 1-5).  Each year, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival spotlights some of the many cultures that make our country and our world so special.  This year’s festival celebrates the cultures of  Asian Pacific Americans and Mexico.  There will also be a tribute to Haiti as well as a special area dedicated to the Smithsonian itself – Smithsonian Inside Out, which serves as a kick-off to the Institution’s bold new vision for the future.  Enjoy each culture’s arts, crafts, music, food, and more! Be sure to visit our wiki page for more tips and information at  http://wikis.ala.org/alsc/index.php/ALSC_%40_ALA_2010_Annual_Conference_in_the_Nation%27s_Capital for much more on D.C. and the Annual Conference. – Chris    

If you need a few quiet moments away from it all, we recommend taking time to visit and reflect at the Pentagon Memorial.                 Perhaps few events in our lifetimes have had as large an effect on us as the tragedies that struck our country on September 11, 2001.  In September 2008, the nation’s first permanent national memorial to those we lost that day was opened on the west side of the Pentagon (the same side that was severely damaged that fateful day).  Each of the 184 memorial units (benches and lighted pools of water) commemorates the lives of the 59 passengers and crew of Flight 77 and the 125 Pentagon personnel who were taken from us that day.  The memorials are arranged along a timeline from the youngest victim to the oldest and are in alignment with the path of airliner that crashed into the building.  Additionally, each of the…

Hop On the Bus to Storyville! Take advantage of your stay in Washington, D.C., as part of the ALA conference, to see Baltimore County Public Library’s newest Storyville at the Woodlawn Branch.  Storyville is an interactive learning center for children birth to five with their parents and caregivers to promote school readiness.  A bus will leave the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G Street NW) on Friday, June 25 at noon and will return to the library at 4:00 pm the same day.  Reserve your space by emailing Cecily Pilzer, a member of the ALSC Local Arrangements Committee at cecilypilzer@earthlink.net.  To confirm the trip, thirty-five participants must send payment of $21.50 made out to the Baltimore County Public Library by June 11.  Send payment in the form of a check to Maralita Freeny, Chair, ALSC Local Arrangements Committee, MLK Jr. Memorial Library, 4th Floor, 901 G Street NW,…

Please volunteer your time and expertise by hosting the ALSC booth at ALA Annual in Washington D.C.  Two-hour slots are available starting Friday, June 25th through Monday June 28th. Exhibits will be held in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Halls A, B and C. The ALSC booth will be located in the Membership Pavilion, booth #2525.  Friday, June 25 (Opening Celebration) 5:30-7:30 pm   Saturday, June 26 9:00 — 11:00 am 11:00 am — 1:00 pm 1:00 — 3:00 pm 3:00 — 5:00 pm  Sunday, June 27 9:00 — 11:00 am 11:00 am — 1:00 pm 1:00 — 3:00 pm 3:00 — 5:00 pm Monday, June 28 9:00 — 11:00 am 11:00 am — 1:00 pm 1:00 — 3:00 pm 3:00 — 4:00 pm* (1 hour slot) Please send me an email by Friday, June 4th if you are interested in this wonderful opportunity. Please include your preferred time slots….

Nearly 6 more weeks to go! Washington, D.C. was first laid out by Pierre Charles L’Enfant in 1791.  L’Enfant’s plan was never fully recognized after an argument broke out between him and Andrew Ellicott, who had been conducting the survey of the District’s boundaries along with Benjamin Banneker.  Ellicott’s revised version of L’Enfant’s plan is the basis for how Washington is presently laid out.  When traveling around town, it will be hard to get lost if you keep these few things in mind: 1) The Lettered Streets (A-W) run east/west (parallel to the Mall).  A Street is closest to the Mall with the letters following alphabetically as you work north or south of the Mall. a) B Street is now Constitution Avenue north of the Mall and Independence Avenue south of the Mall b) There is no J Street c) I Street is sometimes referred to as Eye Street to avoid confusion with…