At some point, everyone passes through the rotunda.
January 18th, 2005 by Beth Gallaway
Librarians? Vendors? My camera phone photo is too blurry to tell…
It’s always a good idea to hit the exhibit halls for a second walk-through on the last day. The vendors are packing up and give away stuff they don’t want to bring back home, and the book discounts are the steepest. After my last scavenging effort, I hung on the round bench in the rotunda at the Hynes, eavesdropping and watching the world come and go.
First was a steady stream of librarians laden with bags of posters and advance reading copies, then vendors, lugging battered cardboard boxes and cases on wheels. I ran Owen Ellard, Director of the Mt. Holyoke College Library, who, as a recent transplant from Texas, had some great coping mechanisms for New England winters to share (get a house with a fireplace and a garage, and drink copiously -’ just kidding,’ he said… someone else recommended ‘popcorn helps too’). I overheard librarians comparing their loot - seems the items in highest demand were insulated travel mugs and clocks that came WITH batteries.
The rotunda also appears to be cell phone central - hardly MY first choice, given the echo-y quality - and the meet-up place of choice for academic librarians from Massachusetts colleges who got bussed in together.
Just outside, I ran into fellow Simmons grad Jenn Koerber (BPL, Allston branch) who told me that SF convention Arisia was coming to the Plaza next weekend. Apparently, Arisia is traditionally MLK Jr. weekend, and the hotel overbooked this year. ALA won, and Arisia had to move to next weekend. Talk about information being a conversation!
I had a lovely early dinner at OSushi while I read an ARC of Shelf Life by Robert Corbert. Then I lounged in the Westin until the joint AASL/ALSC/YALSA reception began. Cash bar, but free veggies with two kinds of dip. Audra Caplan, YALSA past president, presented a gift on behalf of the YALSA board, to Julie Walker, outgoing YALSA /AASL executive director, for her exemplary years of service.
I also got the scoop on the morning’s YALSA board meeting. I had been told there was no need to attend, but apparently my recommendation that YALSA investigate a video game selection list became quite controversial, and I thank Linda Braun and Ellen Snoeyenbos for speaking up on my behalf. Watch for more news on this topic - if gaming is a concern or interest of yours too, I’d love to hear from you.
Tags: ALAMidwinter2005, conferences
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