ALA 2010 Midwinter Meeting Tips: Part 1

The American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting is coming up quickly. This year’s conference takes place in Boston from January 15 to 19. The meeting mostly involves association business — committee meetings, discussion groups, institutes, and other meetings related to the nitty-gritty work of the association. I’ve never attended the midwinter meeting, but I’ve attended a couple Annual Conferences. I thought I’d share some general conference tips for first-timers and those looking for new ways to enjoy and benefit from conference attendance.

General Tips

• Wear comfortable, ice-friendly shoes! Conferences always involve a lot of walking and a wintry Boston will provide additional obstacles.
• Dress presentably and in layers. You will be networking with colleagues, so look professional, but the combination of cold weather and unpredictable meeting room temperatures require some flexibility.
• Have business cards on hand with at least your name and e-mail address. Also include your Twitter name, website, or any other social networking contact info to expand your online network. VistaPrint offers 250 free cards with a preset template or more flexible options starting at $20.
• Travel light. You will accumulate lots of freebies, handouts, and other documents, so start the day with minimum accoutrements, especially if you don’t plan on returning to your hotel room during the day.
• Don’t try to do everything. It’s tempting to attend every meeting, speaker series, and social event, but you will get tired eventually! Take a leisurely lunch or plan an afternoon to see some Boston sights for a break from the conference.
• Strike up conversations with people you don’t know. Making connections and sharing ideas are the most valuable aspects of a conference, so introduce yourself to exhibitors, people you see at mixers, and those sitting next to you on the shuttle buses.
• Step outside your librarian comfort zone. Just because you’re a public librarian or a school librarian doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mingle with academic librarians. Attend events that sound interesting, even if they don’t directly apply to you or your current job. You never know what you might learn!

Exhibit Hall Tips

All fully-registered attendees can enter the exhibit hall, as well as anyone who purchases an Exhibits Only registration. The hall will be packed with booths from lots of library-related vendors including publishers, book wholesalers, software companies, library supply companies, furniture vendors, and more. Plus, the various divisions of ALA will have displays and people on hand to discuss what they do and offer for members. If you’re not in the market for anything in particular, I recommend browsing the aisles one by one to see what’s out there. For the most part, exhibitors are there to sell stuff to librarians, so they’re open to conversation if you have questions about their products. Some booths will definitely be more eye-catching than others and many will offer freebies ranging from pens and buttons to bags and books. You don’t need to engage with every booth you pass by — that would take forever — but it can be nice to make conversation with exhibitors of products you’re currently interested in, or might be in the future. Your exhibits card allows the exhibitors to swipe the magnetic strip and load up their database with your contact information. They often require this to enter into a contest (no more dropping off your business card) or to sign up for a mailing list. It’s really easy and there will be lots of fun giveaways, but be prepared for some e-mail marketing after the conference.

A big draw in the exhibit hall, especially for newbies, are the publishers’ booths. This is where you’ll find the Advance Reader’s Copies (ARCs) and the author signings. Many publishers will also have books available for sale at a discount and copies of their catalogs for perusal. They are also a great place to make connections with the sales teams and hear about upcoming books. ARCs will usually be piled in stacks around the publisher’s booth. These are free for the taking! Obviously don’t grab 10 copies of your favorite author’s new book, but if something catches your eye, it’s yours. Publishers often stagger the ARCs they put out, so you can find something different on Sunday than on Saturday, or they may have certain ARCs by request only. Really popular titles, like last year’s Catching Fire, might have an advertised release time that people will line up for. Others may only be available when the author is signing. If there’s something specific you’re looking for, inquire with the publisher, otherwise just pick up what’s available and maybe you’ll find your favorite book of 2010. Remember that wheeled carts aren’t allowed, so come prepared with a sturdy bag or plan to grab a freebie bag. ALA even has an onsite post office to mail back the books and other giveaways you accumulate. Located in the Exhibit Hall at the back of the 2500 Aisle, the post office is open Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Monday 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Attendees receive one mailing envelope or tube, compliments of ALA. Additional ALA envelopes or tubes are $1.

To map out your exhibit hall visit in advance, take a look at the 2010 Midwinter Meeting Cognotes Preview. It includes an alphabetical listing of exhibitors and a map.

Open Committee Meetings

A lot of committees have closed meetings, but there are enough with open sessions to keep conference goers occupied. Fully-registered attendees are welcome to stop by the meetings for as long as they want and the committee chair will often ask for short comments from the audience. Read more for a schedule of open meetings.

YALSA Committees

Amazing Audiobooks
Boston Park Plaza: Gloucester Room
Friday 7 to 10 p.m.
Saturday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. to noon

Best Books for Young Adults
Convention Center: Room 259 A/B
Friday 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday 8 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Monday 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Fairmont Copley Plaza: Back Bay Room
Saturday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Monday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m. to noon

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
Westin Copley Place: Courier Room
Saturday 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Monday 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Westin Copley Place: Defender Room
Saturday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Monday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

All Committee meeting
Boston Park Plaza: Imperial Ballroom
Saturday 10 a.m. to noon.
Individuals who are not serving on a member group, but who want to learn about them are welcome to choose a member group and sit in on their meeting. A continental breakfast will be served from 10:00 to 10:30.

Board of Directors Meetings
Saturday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Room 161
Sunday 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Room 160B
Monday 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Room 160B
Anyone interested in viewing the agenda for the Board meeting, as well as the documents that accompany the agenda items, may view or download them from the For Members Only section of the YALSA web site. Click on the link called “Board Documents” then log in with your ALA username and password to view or download the documents.

ALSC Committees

Great Interactive Software for Kids Committee
Hilton Boston Financial District: India
Saturday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Notable Children’s Books Committee
Convention Center: Room 257B
Friday 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Monday 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m. to noon

Notable Children’s Videos Committee
Sheraton Boston: Dalton
Friday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Saturday 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 8 to 10 p.m.

Notable Children’s Recordings Committee
Intercontinental Boston: Eleanor
Friday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 1:30 to 9 p.m.

All Committee Meeting I
Westin Copley Place: Essex South
Early Childhood Programs & Services, Intellectual Freedom, Legislation, Library Service to Special Population Children & Their Caregivers, Oral History, Public Awareness, Scholarships, School-Age Programs and Services, Local Arrangements, Charlemae Rollins President’s Program 2010
Sunday 8 a.m. to noon

All Committee Meeting II
Westin Copley Place: America Center/South
Children and Libraries Editorial Advisory, Children & Technology, Education, Great Web Sites for Kids, Liaison with National Organizations, Managing Children’s Services, Membership, Organization & Bylaws, Program Coordinating, Institute 2010 Planning Task Force, Friends Task Force, Belpre Questions Task Force
Sunday 8 a.m. to noon

Joint Committees

AASL/ALSC/YALSA Joint Intellectual Freedom Committees
Convention Center: Room 258C
Saturday 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

AASL/ALSC/YALSA School/Public Library Cooperation
Convention Center: Room 255
Sunday 8 a.m. to noon

AASL/ALSC/YALSA Joint Youth Legislation Meeting
Convention Center: Room 254 A/B
Sunday 4 to 5:30 p.m.

January 5th, 2010  ♥  Conferences, Libraries  ♥  1 Comment »