What I Learned At My First ALA Conference

Me and my book haul :) 

1.) When people tell you to wear comfortable shoes, they are deadly serious.  You will walk miles just getting from one event to another in the convention center. Miles, people.


2.) Publishers actually give away FREE books before they are published.  Really.  FREE BOOKS.  You will want all of them.


3.) Therefore--you should perhaps pack an extra duffle bag in your luggage to use as a checked bag. Or plan to mail at least one to two boxes of books.


4.) IF you do need to mail books to yourself (or your parents' house where there is still some empty space left!), do it before 1pm on Monday.  Do NOT go into the Exhibit Hall Post Office at 1pm on Monday--that way lies madness and chaos.


5.)  Bring your own sturdy tote bags.


6.) Pack granola bars or other snacks because sometimes waiting in line for exciting advanced readers copies (ARCs) is much more important than lunch.  Or dinner.


7.) ARCs and galleys are the same thing: free copies of awesome books you can read before they get officially published.


8.)  The Exhibit Hall is a shiny land of great temptation.  This is where the free books dwell.


9.) There is this amazing invention called Hair Glimmer or Tinsel.  If you tie it in your hair, you look like a metallic fairy.  Thank you, Lauren Myracle, for introducing me to this wonder.


10.) YA authors really are as cool as you always suspected. And even nicer.


11.) Plan ahead but be flexible! If you spot a wonderful program that you missed in your pre-conference plotting, go to it! You can free yourself from your Excel spreadsheet.  


12.) I am so proud to call myself a librarian.