TLA '14 Top Ten (But Could be WAY More!)

The clothes are unpacked and the goodies are sorted, but I've discovered that is the easy part. Processing and implementing ideas learned from a conference is much more difficult. To implant these ideas into my brain, and to remember all there is to remember from this fabulous conference, I thought I would create a Top 10 List recap. It could easily be Top 20 or even higher, but to make sure it gets done, I think I'll start with the Top 10 Fabulous Things About #txla14.

10. Seeing the latest and greatest in the exhibit hall. I was able to put my hands on books, see new library furnishings, and meet the people behind Wandoo Planet, MackinVia and other resources I use in the library! Wandoo Planet will be at our school on Monday, so it was fun to talk to them face to face before then!

9. Hearing fabulous authors speak! James Patterson's keynote, highlighting his passion for getting kids to read, was inspiring! Him reminding us it is a parent's responsibility to encourage reading was refreshing, and seeing what all he does to promote reading as a life skill was awesome! 

Lemony Snicket, at the TASL Author breakfast, was beyond entertaining! I sent a text to my oldest daughter, who loved reading A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS books, during the breakfast! She would have also loved to hear him speak! 

8. Meeting members of my PLN face to face. Thanks to Twitter, I am surrounded by an incredible resource: inspired and inspiring people! Whether they are librarians, authors, teachers, technology resources, or administrators, I count on the people in my PLN to motivate me to be the best librarian I can be and they do not disappoint! So to be able to meet them face to face is always so much fun!

7. Fellowship with my district colleagues! We don't often have the opportunity to all be in the same place, so it was nice to have dinner with them, and spend time brainstorming and sharing ideas on the trip there and back.

6. Receiving a MVP Award from TASL. I was one of three top vote getters for the Media & Virtual Presence Award, having been nominated by my friend, Nancy Jo. It was a wonderful honor, made even sweeter by my friends who chose to come support me. The bonus: we all got a beautiful pop-up book created by Robert Sabuda!

5. New Books! No surprise, I LOVE books! So getting books, both signed and unsigned, new or soon to be available, is a special part of TLA or any conference for that matter! I received signed books at the Abrams' dinner, which will be given to students or teachers. Books were given to attendees of the Texas Bluebonnet Award Luncheon, and then there were books sometimes given away on the floor of the exhibit hall. I made a conscious decision this year not to get more books than I could carry and give away. 

4. Making new author friends! This is such a fun part of a library conference! I was invited by my #TLBFF Nancy Jo Lambert to Abrams' dinner with authors & librarians and it was fabulous! The dinner was a small event, almost one to one author to librarian, and it was a fun night of conversation & planning future visits, both virtually and in person! I can't wait for my students to meet some of my new author friends, like Julie Sternberg (author of LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE, LIKE BUG JUICE ON A BURGER, and her new book, LIKE CARROT JUICE ON A CUPCAKE.) Julie was so kind, someone you instantly feel at ease with, and she is excited about the possibility of doing a Google Hangout with our school and several others that were there that night. 

I also got to meet Natalie Lloyd, who wrote A SNICKER OF MAGIC, which is being read by my 5th grade Lunch Bunch Book Club! They are going to be so excited when they hear I met her and that she agreed to Skype with them when they finish the book! 

3. Being inspired by Jennifer Lagarde! Loved the reminder of what is important! Jennifer reminded us that we "are not the IRS!" and that we should be way more than worrying about fines & lost books! Jennifer challenged us to "shift" our thinking and redefine what we are about. We looked at why we share library stats and what they really should be showing! She encouraged us to provide opportunities for students to create & make in the library! Jennifer is a dynamic speaker and certainly helped me "shift" my thinking for the end of the school year! Her fabulous presentation, as well as others from TXLA14, can be found HERE! A bonus to this session: being able to see my friends, Shannon Miller & Andy Plemmons, who I usually just get to see online! 

2. Attending the Nerdy Book Club session! WOW! A panel of some of my favorites in the book world! Kirby Larson...I loved reading about Hattie! Jenni Holm....Babymouse & Turtle...some of my favorite characters! Linda Urban...Tom Angleberger... Colby Sharp....John Schumacher (Mr. Schu Reads!) all wrapped up in a neat package, presented and presided over by Cynthia Alaniz! Oh my! What a session! I loved hearing their stories and getting to know them as readers (& writers for some) a little better! Seeing, in person, how passionate they are about books & stories, was so awesome! And being reminded to "pay it forward" by John was a great takeaway! I will find a perfect home for each book I brought home from TLA & think of Mr. Schu when I give that book! 

And the #1 Best Thing about TLA is....

1. Meeting my #TLBFF's in person! I found a group of ladies on Twitter that have been a continuous source of inspiration and encouragement for me. Cynthia Alaniz I found first, even before she became a librarian, drawn to her because of her love of books and her generosity in sharing about the books she was reading. Then early last fall, I found Nancy Jo Lambert and Tina Berumen. Each one of these ladies has strengths different from mine, which in turn makes me stronger! We put together a poster session (poster by Cynthia! ;) and I met them in person at the convention center for the first time. It was so fun, and it was like we had known each other for years! I look forward to many more collaborations with these three fabulous ladies! 

What a conference! Conferences remind us of what is important, help us to make connections with others, and inspire us to be better! Can't wait until TXLA15 in Austin!