AASL2019 - Part Four - Saturday Doings

Okay. I am officially running out of steam; but if I don't get this post written right now, I will never get back to it. My flight leaves tomorrow at 6AM, which means I need to be at the airport at 4, which means I'm rising between 3 and 3:30AM. 

I have bagged the closing session because I am on overload right now. AASL2019 was not the most memorable or successful one for me - partly my fault but also AASL's.

Three cancelled programs with no signage on the rooms to let folks know. Really? Was it that hard?

I ended with a totally incoherent session, which might color the tone of the rest of this post. I turned to a row-mate and asked, "Is it me or is this totally incoherent?" She agreed it was. Folks were leaving throughout. I was too darn tired to leave and, like the 26 disc disaster I am reading with my ears at present, I kept hoping that I could walk away with something to take back. Reader, I did not.

Exhibits seemed pretty small compared to other years. Perhaps the proximity in date to NCTE? I didn't grab as many arcs as in the past either. That's fine, my tbr pile is enormous. Just noticing. 

The morning kicked off beautifully with Jarrett Krosoczka's keynote. He's funny. He's humble and he writes and illustrates books that are damn good.

My first session was "Inclusive LGBTQIA+ Education: why it's important and how to be an advocate." Interesting. Lots of preaching to the choir. I took pictures of all her slides and will review them. I am happy that I have always tried to be inclusive in my collection. I am happy that I am now backed up by state law in NJ to have an inclusive collection and that LGBTQIA+ history and existence should be taught across the curriculum. Lots of notes, but one that pops out as a mantra: be prepared, not scared. 

I chose to attend "Best Websites for Teaching and Learning" even though I had the sneaking suspicion that I attended it at ALA Annual in DC. Once it got underway, I realized that I did. No matter. School was already out and I didn't review my conference notes once school started. My bad. Lots here to share with my colleagues. Good reminder.

The next session was another NO SHOW! 

So I jumped into another session, which I will not name because... see above. Incoherent. 

I suppose I should've done my due diligence and attended the closing session. I assume that's where feedback was requested, but I am conferenced-out and didn't want to finish in the dark for the third day in a row. 

All-in-all, glad I came. The next conference is in Salt Lake City in 2021. It's in October next time. Perhaps I will go once more. I do realize that an incredible amount of volunteer work goes into these conferences, but they are incredibly expensive. My district does not pay. I get the days as PD but use personal days if I have more than two conferences to attend in a school year. (And I always do!) I used to be able to deduct them, but no longer. So I guess I'm becoming a bit more demanding and less forgiving.

AASL2019 - Part Three

Yesterday (Friday) was the first full conference day. I woke early as usual, read in my room and lost track of the time. Scrambled to grab breakfast before the Morning Keynote. I went to the hotel restaurant and had so-o many delicious options, I had trouble choosing. Ended up with shrimp and grits and my, it was heavenly! And filling!

I had no idea what to expect from Dr. Adolph Brown but boy did he stir things up. After listening to a lengthy, adulatory introduction, a young man dressed in black received the mic. He barely said hello before music began blasting and he donned a sparkly jacket and danced his heart out.

Then another young man with dreads, an oversized hoodie and baggie pants and a backpack joined him. Turns out the man in black was Dr. Brown's godson. Dr. Brown turned up as his younger, needy self. 

He spoke about arriving at a superintendent's conference to speak dressed the way he was and the police were called within minutes. He commented that upon arrival at our conference, he received welcoming smiles. Yay librarians!

We all have implicit bias. We cannot deny this. Brown urged the audience to "Stop believing everything you think." This leads to confirmation bias, as the events at the super's conference confirm. Confirmation bias leads to micro-aggressions. 

He attended a Title I school, where he received a good education. "Title I describes how I eat, not how I learn." He had a school library with a librarian who helped him choose books. His favorite from childhood was John Henry.

He spoke for a long, long time. Yes, he was inspiring and provocative as well as entertaining as hell, but he did go overtime. Were it not for the spicy breakfast dish working on my insides, I probably wouldn't have minded. And, yes, he also had potty jokes in his presentation.

Exclusive Exhibit Hall time was next and I hopped on the line to receive Cassie Beasley's newest, Bootstrap Magician, a sequel to her beautiful debut, Circus Mirandus. 

Then, it was session time! My first session time started out with a bit of a dud. There were three sessions that I was interested in. The room was empty for one. No signage saying that it was cancelled or moved. I lost a bit of time finding the second room and missed the beginning of the session. It was interesting, not fascinating. But I did find a few new ideas to take away. 

There were seven sessions that I checked off for the second session. The one I ended up choosing was interesting but not something I would be able to implement at my library. 

Lunch was included but not a drink. Luckily, I only drink water and carry my own refillable water bottle, so I was fine, but there were quite a few grumbling about $4 sodas. Yikes! I strolled the exhibit aisles and sat and blogged. 

I had three things checked off for the post-lunch session but lost track of time and ended up arriving in the area late. ALL THE ROOMS WERE FULL TO CAPACITY! Gah! So I headed back to the exhibit hall. 

I checked off four possible sessions for the second afternoon slot and ended up choosing one called "Using Literature as a Spark for Social Justice." It was an author panel. I didn't notice the little red book logo next to the entry. The authors were all interesting. I had one of the books in my library already and noted the other titles to look up later. But, I was expecting a nitty-gritty, how-to session with ideas. Instead, it was a thoughtful conversation, which I appreciated and I took plenty of notes, but not what I was shopping for.

The afternoon session ended just in time to return to my hotel and attend SLJ's Evening of Dialog. That consisted of three panels: Graphically Speaking with Meg Cabot and Ridley Pearson: 

Tween Time: Must-Have Middle Grade Reads with Cassie Beasley, Rob Harrell and Jasmine Warga: 

Informed & Empowered: Notable Nonfiction with Chris Barton Holly Brochmann, Rafael Lopez and Jennifer Swanson:

Of course there was a signing afterward. I was glad I got Beasley's book at a morning signing because her line was long. I really wanted Chris Barton's newest picture book, All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing. So I got on that line first. Then, I picked up Ridley Pearson's Super Sons: the Foxglove Mission and Meg Cabot's Black Canary: ignite. I was glad that I asked for Rob Harrell's book Wink at the booth because he ran out of books. 

All in all a fine day. Just as I was ready to curl up with the arc I'm reading to review in SLJ, I heard fireworks. I was only on the fourth floor, but I was able to catch the higher reaching fire works and the waning gibbous moon. I have no idea what the occasion was. Those girders are on the roof of the convention center. 

AASL2019 Continued

Well. my last post didn't include anything about the actual conference now, did it? Of course there were pre-conference workshops to attend for extra $$, but the conference itself began unofficially at 1PM with an idea lab in one of the ballrooms. Twenty or thirty tables were arrayed around the perimeter with a variety of displays. It was a lot to take in, but I was most taken with a portable, iPad-based studio. Our tricaster is a monster, difficult to learn and getting buggy, so it's good to know there are some more portable, user-friendly options out there for broadcasting.

The opening keynote was delivered by Ellen Oh, author, and one of the founders of WNDB - We Need Diverse Books. I have heard her speak before and never tire of listening to her patiently explain why everyone needs to see themselves in literature. She encouraged librarians to use their role as gatekeepers not to keep books out but to let them flow in. I have always been bothered by the term gatekeeper. It seemed negative to me. I like the idea of letting books flow in.

The exhibit hall opened at 5 and vendors were swarmed by school librarians eager for arcs, totes, food and other swag. I picked up a few arcs and said hi to a few reps I know. Then returned to my hotel to put my feet up and read. 

AASL2019 - Louisville, Kentucky

I only started attending AASL conferences in 2015. I would've in 2013, when it was in Connecticut, but I was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. Though I managed to work full-time and only miss a half day for my treatments, my energy level was definitely low and wouldn't have been able to support going to a conference. So 2015 in Columbus was my first. It happened to coincide with NJ's Teacher Convention weekend, which made going easier. It is VERY hard to get PD time in November in NJ! I went to 2017 in Phoenix as well thanks to the timing. When the dates came out last May with early bird registration, I didn't look at the calendar carefully enough. It didn't coincide with Teacher's Convention. That was last week. Oops. I thankfully got the days to attend and, here I am!

I flew in on Wednesday evening. I kind of white-knuckled it because I chose to book a 6PM flight as opposed to an 8PM flight. I thought I would leave school early as the last period is my prep; only I forgot the kids had a half day for parent-teacher conferences! Yikes!

The 8PM flight would've gotten me in a bit after ten if there were no delays. By the time I got a ride to the hotel and checked in, who knows what time it would be? So I opted for the earlier flight. As it was, I got to the airport with time to spare and then, my flight was delayed - in fifteen minute increments until we left over an hour late. Sigh. It was also a small plane with very little room for carry-on bags. I didn't bring any for this leg because I packed it inside of my checked bag. I have taken to doing that for these larger conferences to save on shipping boxes home. The cost of checking a bag is the same or less than shipping books home and I don't have to wait for the book mail. I just have to lug the bag. 

Thank goodness for rolling luggage!

I may not be able to stow my carry-on bag even though I paid extra to bring it on. The gate agent explained that I will be able to check it at the gate and pick it up at the gate in Newark.

Oh! I nearly forgot. I chose to drive myself and parked in the Economy Lot. I had a bit of anxiety about this since it wasn't on the monorail and I had to take a shuttle bus. I just missed one as I found a space. Luckily, there was another in ten minutes. While I waited, I noticed this:

That red is my coat reflecting off the metal. I picked up the receiver but there was no dial tone. So, there's that. Funnily enough, I spied another pay phone, this one a booth at the restaurant where I ate breakfast on Thursday.

 

Hilarious!

Flying in Wednesday saved me from waking extra early for a flight out on Thursday and allowed me to take in a few Louisville sights before the conference began in the afternoon. 

I visited the Muhammad Ali Center, the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum and then took the Evan Williams Bourbon Tour, which was very interesting and informative. Louisville has a fascinating history!

Conference Time!

Image: SLJ

This is my third SLJ Leadership Summit and I am so hooked on this PD! I took a personal day today in order to have a stress-free, leisurely drive down after the morning rush hour instead of smack dab in the evening one! Plus, driving at night and me? Not so fun!

I took a walk around the neighborhood and found Edgar Allan Poe's grave. No self-respecting librarian would visit Baltimore and not stop here! It was such an interesting place! I took tons of pictures of all manner of interment, from headstone to obelisk to mausoleum and I think I spied some catacombs through an opaque window. 

I will post pix later. I took my school computer and can't remember my FB password to get the pix downloaded!

I used to have such a great sense of direction. The cemetery was a short walk from the hotel and I managed to get lost returning. The day was gorgeous but I was tired and need to finish reading a book to review, so I sat in the lounge, had a beer and read. I adore this book!

This evening's activities include an opening reception and a dinner with a vendor. I am looking forward to an excellent weekend. 

SLJ Day of Dialog - 2019

I attended my third DoD on Wednesday. My first two were downtown at NYU, which was an easy commute - bus to the Port Authority, then a trot downstairs to catch the A train to the W4th station, followed by a short walk. The venue itself was not without its challenges though - only one elevator and the need to move between many floors. This year's venue at Fifth Ave and 103rd added a wrinkle to my commute. I was ready to take a bus as early as 6:30 having awakened at 4:15 but chose not to. That was a mistake as the line for the Metro Card machines was long, long, long. Then, I had to walk, walk, walk to take the Shuttle to Grand Central Station. Once there, I had a longish hike to the #6 train platform. Got to 103rd street, got turned around and walked in the wrong direction. Phew!

Arrived too late for a bite to eat but in time to listen to the announcements of the Horn Book/ Boston Globe Awards. Nice bunch of books these. 

The opening keynote speech was given by the venerable Jerry Pinkney.

He spoke eloquently about the highs and lows of illustrating A Place to Land, written by Barry Wittenstein.

Next up was a Middle Grade Author Panel featuring Rob Buyea, Nicole Melleby, Celia Pérez, Tim Tingle and Ibi Zoboi. They all have books coming out and discussed things like whether they develop plot or characters first and why middle grade. 

In between sessions, groups of publishers got on the stage to deliver rapid fire book talks of five or so upcoming titles. I always try to be selective grabbing arcs but when the publishers book talk, they all sound so good! Of course, there's also time to browse the tables, where other titles are displayed. This graphic novel adaptation of I Dissent by Debbie Levy was happy-making! I use the picture book as a mentor text in my sixth grade picture book biography unit. 

SLJ editor Mahnaz Dar moderated the graphic novel panel where Jerry Craft, Faith Erin Hicks, Kyo Maclear, Emma Steinkellner and Jen Wang spoke about their recent and upcoming graphic novels. 

At some point, I began noticing the beautiful details of this auditorium. 

After a second publisher pitch, we settled in for a pre-lunch keynote delivered by Sharon Robinson, who spoke about her upcoming memoir, Child of a Dream.

Lunch was picked up across the street at the Museum of the City of New York, where we had passes to view the exhibits as well. Unfortunately, lunch was brief and there was no time. I texted one of my sons, who is a rabid fan of baseball and its history and who also lives in the city. We will meet there one day soon. Lunch was delicious, by the way.

A third round of Publisher Pitches kicked off the afternoon, followed by a YA Panel in which Sharon Attia, Alison Gervais, Thanhha Lai, Kim Liggett and Tochi Anyebuchi discussed their upcoming books. Thanhha Lai is so funny!

The Editor's Panel was a fascinating mix of powerhouses who discussed their "vision" sometimes irreverently.

I thought Kwame Alexander was tall! Christopher Myers is huge!

The DoD ended with an author signing. I got a sampler of A Place to Land signed by Jerry Pinkney and Barry Wittenstein. I whispered to Mr. Wittenstein that I recently reviewed Sonny's Bridge on the blog. 

I got a copy of New Kid signed by Jerry Craft. This is being sent to e. E. Charlton-Trujillo's non-profit, Never Counted Out. I told Jerry that his book has already been hidden by a student in the library. I couldn't find it one day and marked it lost. Several weeks later, I was cleaning up a corner and straightening books and I found it hidden. At least it wasn't outright stolen! I also got the arc of Just Because by Mac Barnett signed for my husbands nephews and niece. 

My day was not yet over. I needed to hoof it to the subway and downtown to the Princeton Club for a publisher dinner. I thought my rolling backpack was waterproof:-/ I had a waterproof rain jacket on but the hood kept blowing off. And there were mammoth puddles that were unavoidable so my sneaks got very squishy wet. I arrived late looking like a drowned rat. My packed books were slightly damp to wet. Sigh.

Dinner was tasty and so was the chardonnay. I met some new librarian friends so dinner conversation was interesting. Then we all quieted down to listen to five authors talk about their upcoming titles. I can't wait to read each one! Deborah Heiligman spoke passionately about her research for Torpedoed! and ran out of time. Tim Tingle told a story as he often does and scared the bejeezus out of us. His upcoming book is called Doc and the Detective. Morgan Parker got personal about her debut, Who Put This Song On? David Yoon's debut had some personal roots as well. I can't wait to read Frankly in Love. And finally, Julie Murphy kept us laughing and thinking as she spoke of her middle grade debut, Sweet Pea.

Thankfully, the rain had stopped by the time I left so it was a dry trot to the Port Authority, where I was third in line for the bus which arrived within ten minutes. I got a seat near the front, plugged in to listen to Internment on my phone and settle back, exhausted but happy, for the trip home. 

#ALAAnnual: New Orleans!

I arrived in the Crescent City late yesterday afternoon for the conference proper, which starts this afternoon. My flight actually landed in NOLA early but is was a long haul before I got to my hotel. This was partly due to traffic and mostly due to the fact that I opted for a shuttle instead of a cab. Anytime I've ever taken a shuttle, I'm invariably the last to be dropped off and the first to be picked up on the return trip. Then the line to check in was long. My very cheery hotel clerk tried to get me to upgrade my check-in explaining that I would be getting over a hundred dollars worth of perks for just sixty extra dollars per night. My travel-addled mind could not compute. I almost said yes until I realized that I rarely eat hotel breakfasts and I never use the health facilities. This tickled me though:

I adored Interrupting Chicken and enjoyed reading it to my classes back when I was a K - 8 librarian. I am looking forward to revisiting her. (It's my room key, btw)

After settling in to my room, I set out into the steamy, mostly cloudy evening to walk the neighborhood. I did a lazy loop that included part of the French Quarter and headed back via the riverwalk, which offered no breezes. I would've walked longer but realized that I was starving and hadn't eaten much. The very entertaining shuttle bus driver and my seat-mate spoke about barbecued oysters so that was on my mind. 

They were delicious. I also ordered fish and chips, which were tasty but I got full quickly and they went to waste. I did not ask for a doggy bag because I couldn't be sure that there was a fridge in my room. There was. Oh well. Fish is best eaten hot, I think.

I had a great night's sleep and am ready to set out to pick up my registration materials, grab a beignet and wait for a shuttle to pick me up. I'm joining some friends for a tour of the Whitney Plantation. It was suggested in the backmatter of a book I read a few months ago. A conference friend organized the shuttle and I was in! I will post about the experience later. 

AASL17 is a wrap

Well, the conference is over. There was a fairly large exodus of librarians from Phoenix yesterday. Seeing them tugging their luggage behind them as they squeezed in their last sessions before heading to the airport kind of made me regret staying the extra day in Phoenix. 

The pros: I get a day of sightseeing. I mean what's the point of traveling to a city I've never been to if not to take in some of the sights. I suppose I could skip sessions to do so, but then, what's the point of attending conference?

The cons: I don't get a day of rest before heading back to school. I pay for an extra night for the hotel. Plus, I miss my husband and my dogs.

I had a horrible night's sleep, waking every 45 minutes and then rising at 4:15 when I realized that sleep was hopeless. This does not bode well for a day of activity before leaving. Here it's nearly 6:30 and I'm ready to go back to sleep. But, I always sleep poorly the night before travel. Not that I'm the best sleeper in the best of times.

I think I'll spend the morning at the zoo. It's going to be a beautiful day and since climbing Camelback isn't in the cards (not recommended on weekends due to crowds), it's a way to be out in nature of sorts. 

If there's time before heading to the airport, I will walk the downtown area though there is absolutely no room in my suitcase for any purchases.

I still need time to process all that I experienced but feel good about the conference and happy to return to work to try out some ideas that have germinated.

AASL17 Day 3

My final day of conference was wonderful! I got a decent night of rest and woke up refreshed instead of headachey. The day started with Scholastic's Breakfast with Mr. Schu. I've heard John Schu speak many times and each time am amazed at his energy, stamina and message of positivity. I love my job, truly, but I always walk a little lighter after hearing John speak.

 

I dashed out of that a bit early to attend Jason Reynold's keynote. Another person I admire greatly. Jason is articulate, humble and slightly provocative. Some quotes I illegibly scrawled in my conference notebook were:

"At the end of the day, I'm sifting through the digital web and figuring out which threads I want to tug on..."

"I get to come to schools, make a mess of things, then vanish."

"Secret space of a book," said while reminding us that we never know where our students are coming from, what they are dealing with.

"My books are thank you notes."

"The elevator (in Long Way Down) is nothing but a metaphor for trauma - it's cold, small and hanging by a thread."

 

Next up was a signing by Jack Gantos. The line was long and moved slowly because this gracious gentleman takes his time! His autographs are works of art and he likes to engage. Totally worth the wait even if I arrived at my session a bit late.

Mirror, Mirror panel moderated by Carole Boston Weatherford, who asked great questions of Bill Konigsberg, Irene Latham, Charles Waters, Ellen Oh and Icy Smith.

Brown Bookshelf hosted a distinguished panel. I have their blog in my feed and always appreciate their special spotlight each February for African-American History Month.

Had to sneak out of that panel a tad early to attend a luncheon hosted by Ebsco, where I learned of some new features coming our way.

Took an hour to drop my books off at my hotel, grabbed my audiobook and plugged in and sat in the sun in the garden courtyard. (I am returning home tomorrow to 17 degrees. Need to soak up this warmth and sun!)

I totally forgot that I had bookmarked a session on Mindfulness in the school library. Sigh. Missed it.

My last session was quite thought-provoking and challenging and dovetailed nicely with Jason Reynolds' keynote. Addressing White Privilege and Unconscious Bias in the Classroom: Becoming an Ally.

After that, I got on a lo-ng-g-g-g line for a "Meet the Author" book signing. We got six tickets and got to choose to get on lines for books by a variety of authors - from picture books to YA. I am a tad worried about packing my suitcase. I check a half-packed large bag figuring the $25 checked bag fee is close to the amount I'd pay to ship the books home. Besides, my carry-on nearly always ends up getting checked because folks hog the overhead bins. By the time my cheap-ass boarding group gets on, there's no room.

So, now I am waiting for my appetite to bounce back because I have a reservation for one at the roof top restaurant here at the Hyatt. Yeah, I know. Lame.

Tomorrow, I have an afternoon flight, which leaves the morning for some Phoenix exploring. What to do? Walk the neighborhoods? Trek to the Zoo? Can't go to the mountain to climb because it'll probably be too crowded on the weekend. Next time. That and a Grand Canyon helicopter tour.

AASL17: Day 2

Day two meant an early start for me after a sort of late night on Thursday. Overdrive hosted a breakfast and I wanted to learn more about the company/ product since my principal is interested in adding digital audiobooks to our collection since so few of our students own cd players and most of the school's computers have no disc players.

I am sorry to admit that the sessions I chose to attend were not as informative as I would've liked. When I attend conference, I like to be able to bring one thing home to do in my library. The ironic thing was, the one session I bailed on because fatigue caught up with me and I had to nap or not get through the evening activity, was wonderful according to the new friend I met on the bus! Sigh.

It's not the sessions were delivered poorly; it's just that I have been to similar sessions and learned nothing new. For someone new to the topic, they were fine. 

Also, I struck out on the author signing lines, always joining just as the publisher ran out of books! Sigh.

The evening activity was a visit to the Corona Ranch for a buffet, dancing (I don't dance) and a rodeo. I always feel guilty whenever I am entertained by trained animals and I'm not sure how I feel about bucking broncos. I enjoyed the show. This place is a small, family-run business and the emcee really did his research because his jokes about librarians were hysterical. Speaking of hysterical, he also chose several from the audience to participate in a couple of events such as putting a giant pair of underwear on a calf and milking a goat. 

Can't wait for the Saturday sessions to start. Jason Reynolds is delivering the morning keynote! 

I am Off to #AASL17

Phoenix here I come! I will be dashing right out of school today to catch a flight to Phoenix this evening for the semi-annual American Association of School Librarians Conference. My first was two years ago when it was in Columbus, Ohio. I had a grand old time there and vowed to do it again. 

I am hoping to continue my picture book month highlights. My reading always suffers on these busy conference and travel days. Perhaps I will review picture books I read earlier in the year but did not review. 

I can't tell you how excited I am about this trip. I anticipate getting to see fellow librarian friends I've made at conferences and online, meet and make some more new bffs and listen to author panels, see publishers and attend some keynotes. As usual, I've prepared very little and will probably miss something. Here's to four days of blissful madness!

SLJ Summit - Day 3

So-o tired this morning! I worked on yesterday's blog post and munched on my leftover filet mignon. Then we went to breakfast, where I did not expect this:

It was delicious. 

The breakfast keynote was Tamika Brown, School Librarian of the Year with her interesting career. But it was the panel with two superintendents that I found fairly energizing. "At the end of the day, I am a teacher first." Thomas S. Tucker, 2016 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. Earlier, he stated, "there should be sacred time devoted to independent reading every day."

Dr. Bill Chapman, superintendent from Texas: "My librarians push me every day. My librarians make reading fun."

The breakout session was with Alvin Irby who challenged me in so many ways. He was a teacher before starting a non-profit initiative to get books into the hands of black boys, called The Barbershop ...

We had a Town Hall meeting that provided me with more food for thought and some ideas to pursue. 

The closing keynote was Alvin Irby again.

Before we left, we took a trip to the Parthenon. 

 

We were going to have lunch before my roomies dropped me at the airport but none of us were hungry, so I decided to just get to the airport really early and work. 

I've been so used to TSA-Pre that I totally failed at the security line! Now our flight is delayed an hour with no reason given.

Sigh. Oh well. Small price to pay for a spectacular weekend of professional development.