It’s almost Time!!

I haven’t been to an in-person ALA since Before Times and until the stress of June set in, I was more than a little excited about going. Last week, I actually opened the Scheduler, created a Word Doc and built me a schedule. I’ve never done that before! While my plan was for minimizing by travel wardrobe, the reality of the events I’ll be attending is starting to settle in, and now I’m thinking about clothes. And shoes. ALA pushes me out of my comfort zone because I don’t care about clothes, and shoes, and I don’t make schedules, and I rarely get excited about things to come. I cannot imagine how excited first time conference goers are. A friend who is new to the event asked questions, and I realized this could make a good blog post.

ALA Annual has traditionally been so large that it can only be held in ten cities in the US. Attendance has dropped post Covid. I don’t think people are as worried about exposure at this point as much as the cost. It’s A LOT. After years of being able to save a little, it was not an easy decision to pay that huge registration fee, hotel fees, and transportation fees. Like many who attend, I’m completely out of pocket for these expenses. This year, I’ve decided to drive up. It’s so much more convenient that taking the train. I’ll take two suitcases, placing one inside the other, so I can easily transport books to my car. There will be a lot to carry, and a lot of walking so take the comfortable shoes, and a water bottle.

I’ll have a roommate and that will minimize the lodging expenses. Now, I’m that person who would rather suffer the bill than the roommate. But, years ago, my ALA Roomie and I began rooming together and somehow, it works for me. I’m typically that introvert who wants to come back to my room and decompress. Alone. Maybe Annual puts me in learner mode, positioning me for new experiences, like having a roommate. We gather our nutrition bars, teas, avocados and fruit to minimize our breakfast expenses, share goodies from the exhibit hall, and dish all things ALA. Get a roommate so you can save some money and experience things you might otherwise miss.

Do use the Scheduler. So many events are happening at the same time that planning ahead will help you prioritize. Not everything is in the same hotel, either. It’s huge. There are busses to get you from one hotel to the other and they are always confusing. They have limited hours, so be aware of when they’re running. There are usually a lot of people, but somehow, you’ll manage to run into most of the people you know. If you want to connect with Twitter or IG friends, set up drinks or meals before you go, before everyone has made all their plans. It gets busy! Don’t be afraid to go to events alone, you will not be the only person doing so. Most of the caucuses and divisions have their own events during the conference so, attend the ones that relate to your interest. The APALA Banquet is on Thursday (ticketed), CSK Breakfast on Sunday morning (ticketed), REFORMA’s Pura Belpré Award Celebración is Sunday afternoon (free) and the Printz Award Celebration is Friday evening (ticketed).

Self-care means saying ‘no’ when you’ve had enough. There’s usually plenty of space for sitting and relaxing, and there are many, many other things to see and do in Chicago. Find what works for you! I had a colleague who spent one of the conferences simply attending all the speaker events, and she had a wonderful conference. I know people who take the day off to visit local museums and to shop. ALA is such a big event, that you will find something you can enjoy. It might be the publisher’s events in the Exhibit Hall, the poster sessions, or gaining knowledge from the presentations. Always know where to find the exits, water, and bathrooms.

Relax and know you’ll make it to what you make it to. Honestly, for me it feels like a really intense work assignment. Yet, I want to take joy, kindness, grace, and love into this event that will be filled with people trying to make the world a little more literate.

I hope this helps someone have a really great time in CHI!