Below the engaging sessions and awards celebrations of #ALAAC22, the exhibit hall (officially called The Library Marketplace and literally underground), has had a joyful atmosphere the whole conference. On Friday, opening night of the exhibit hall, publishers and vendors actually cheered as librarians and other conference goers descended the escalator. Everyone was so excited to be back!
Category: ALA Annual 2022
ALSC Interest Meet Up at #ALAAC22
My Sunday morning at #alaac22 started with the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Interest Meet Up facilitated by incoming ALSC President Amy Koester. Always a good sign when you note for next year to have more chairs.
Magical Tea with #libcomix
Saturday was a “magical” day at #ALAAC2022. The Graphic Novel and and Comics Round Table (GNCRT) hosted a tea. But, this was not just any tea party. Attendees (it was a ticketed event) got to meet publishers and creators in a speed dating format. There were some festive costumes including a GNCRT member dressed as Alice in Wonderland.
Early Learning Activities to Support New Parents
And just like that, my time at #ALAAC22 is off to a fantastic start. Yesterday morning I attended the program ”Supporting New Parents in Diverse Communities with Creativity and Compassion” led by Dr. Tess Pendergrast and Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen (the creator of Mother Goose on the Loose). They provided many excellent strategies and fun new songs to use in outreach or programs with new parents and babies. I’ll list a few that stood out to me below.
The Art of Children’s Books #ALAAC22
Saturday morning at #alaac22 with pastries and three distinguished illustrators? Hands down, YES! This session was a wonderful blend of literacy, artistry, and storytelling. Daniel Bernstrom, Dan Yaccarino, and Ricardo “Liniers” Siri shared their own stories of creating picture books.
Taking Advantage of Schedule Changes at #alaac22
The last time I was at an in-person conference was ALA Midwinter January 2020 in Philadelphia, PA. I am excited to return to an in-person conference but feeling a bit of trepidation. My itinerary for this conference is a bit over enthusiastic. My intensive DC conference planning is packed full reconnecting with mentors, mentees, friends, committee members, translators, publishers, and of course authors, while trying to go to programming and go to the ALSC Awards on Monday morning to see the presentation of my favorite award – The Mildred L. Batchelder.
Happy 100th Birthday, Newbery Medal
Everyone loves a party! Especially librarians at #ALAAC2022! This year, the #Newbery100 Medal celebrated its 100th year, so #ALSC threw a birthday bash. The festivities included cupcakes, decorations, and party games.
Toward Inclusion and Equity for Young Children in Public Library Programs
A Pivot to Crowdsourced Wisdom and Resource Sharing #alaac22 After all the pandemic-related shifts to programming and policy, most folks are weary of the word “pivot,” but there is no better word for what a room full of librarians did at #alaac22 when the presentation they were looking forward to fell through. The topic: accessibility and inclusion for children with disabilities and their caregivers. The room was prepared well for such an event, with ASL interpreters and on-the-fly closed captioning (which was excellent, by the way) simultaneously available. Upon realizing the presenters would not be arriving, a few intrepid leaders took the mic and suggested we use the time anyway, offering to tap into the collective wisdom in the room. What followed was an inspiring and truly remarkable session, full of ideas, insights, and an amazing sense of community and solidarity. As we all began to realize what a gift…