ALA

Tomorrow I head to San Diego with the many other thousands attending the ALA Midwinter meeting.  Say hi if you see me (clue: I’ll be walking slowly. Hurt my back. Fate is on my side with a mercifully short flight and warm weather). Ask me about becoming an ALSC member if you’re not one….and if you’re really curious, stop at a Board meeting, or wander the Sunday morning All Committee meeting to check out possibilities for getting active.

Some other things to check out:

Get up early on Monday to show up at the Youth Media Awards Press Conference.  The spectator sport is checking out the expressions on the editors and publishers and trying to see through any poker faces.

Though award committee meetings are all closed, the Notable Children’s Book committee welcomes an audience, and last year’s Newbery chair, Katie O’Dell, is this year’s Notables chair. They meet daily Friday-Monday from 1:30-4:30, and on Tuesday morning, in the Convention Center (Room 03).  A table in the back will have all the books under discussion on display for your perusal.  The discussion list is at the ALSC Blog (thanks, Miriam, for the link!).

At the ALA Store, you’ll find, hot of the press, In the Words of the Winners: The Newbery and Caldecott  Medals, 2001-2010, published by ALSC and The Horn Book. A complete set of a decade’s acceptance speeches are accompanied by reviews and biographical sketches, as well as articles by Roger Sutton, Joanna Rudge Long, and myself.

And though you won’t find it at the store this time round, keep an eye out for ALSC’s forthcoming revised edition of the Mock Newbery/Caldecott Election Kit (by Steven Engelfried).  It should be ready in time for any of you who want to plan for the next award season.

As Jonathan and I will both be traveling from here through the announcements, reception may be spotty, but you’ll hear from us daily as we wind up Mock election reporting, last minute predictions, and conference updates!

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