AASL Conference

I ended the week at the American Association of School Librarian’s (AASL) conference in Charlotte, NC. While there, I networked with librarians across the country, picked up free ARC’s (Advanced Reading Copies) and free/discounted books. I went to several author breakfasts and luncheons, meeting such authors as Laurie Halse Anderson (“Chains,” “Speak,”) Charles R. Smith, Jr., (“Chameleon,” “Rimshots”), Barry Lyga (“Hero type,” “Wolverine,”) James Patterson, (“Maximum Ride” and “Daniel X” series), Linda Sue Park (“When my name was Keoko,” “A single shard”), Richard Peck (“A year down yonder,” “River between us”) and many, many more authors. All of the authors posed for photos, which will be displayed in the Media Center, with other author photos, alongside of their books.

Going to the AASL conference (held every two years) involves a whirlwind of activity, but getting to learn about the latest and greatest in the school library field is totally worth the trip. I also had a chance to connect with important vendors like Baker & Taylor and ABC-CLIO. These are vendors which are part of the Pollard Library, and it was important for me to discuss ways in which their products could be put to better use in the library.

With all the meetings, I never had a chance to stray further than the hotels and convention center meetings. Thus, I hope to return to Charlotte in the future to be a true tourist. Despite all the hard work, it was a successful conference and a wonderful opportunity to bring home great ideas and free “stuff” for the Pollard Library.

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