Life as a student has kept me really busy, and likely will continue to keep me really busy through the end of April. Posting may be sporadic until then.
For now, I’ve been meaning to post conference-going tips from my ALA Midwinter experience. Here’s what I came away with:
ask! If you’re not sure what you’re doing, where you’re going, or you just want further information, ask! Librarians are generally a pretty friendly and helpful group. Reference librarians are in the field because they like helping people answer their question. You’ll find that same spirit at the conference. Getting to know others in the field is one of the greatest parts about attending conferences.
make your schedule early Once you’re there, your time will fill up. Use the online scheduler through the ALA conference site, or make a list of events from announcements on discussion lists and blogs. The less planning you need to do once you’re there, the better.
bring snacks As I was saying, your time will fill up. Particularly if you’re new to ALA conferences, you may want to go to events that conflict with lunch. Take a snack bar and bottle of water so that you won’t feel like you have to miss anything that comes up. (& vegans may have a hard time finding food depending on the location. I lived on luna bars while I was in San Antonio.)
at most, take a laptop & book Silly me, I took homework. Again, you’ll be busy the entire time. At most, I’d take one book (for the trip there) and a laptop (if you want to blog sessions or check email). If you need another book for the ride home, you’ll probably get enough to keep you busy at the conference. I left with three I hadn’t planned on buying!
That’s what I came away with, at least. If you’re new to ALA conferences and want to get in touch with someone who has been in a similar situation, just let me know! I can let you know some of the details of what I picked up along the way.
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