Two weeks on the coast, part III

 This was the 12th time that the ALA Annual Conference has been in San Francisco (the first was 1891). It was my fifth SF Annual (87, 92, 97, 01, 15).   Though it's a popular city for attendees, it's a very expensive convention site.

My conference schedule reflected my retiree status: other than two committee obligations, I didn't have to go to any programs to get the library's money's worth.  I am the United for Libraries liaison to the Freedom to Read Foundation. That group met from 9-noon and 1-3 on Thursday.  I continue to serve on the University Press Books for High School and Public Libraries Committee and was on the panel for the Best of the Best booktalk on Sunday. (Here is a photo of the books I got this year. This is the brief version of the book I reviewed for the program, Gasa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp.) 

Getting read for the exhibits (Thursday).





The Executive Board Survivors had a group dinner on Thursday. The Retired Members Round Table took a sunset dinner cruise on SF Bay on Friday.

On the cruise boat:  June and I have been friends since we were psychology lab partners at Mizzou (fall semester, 1970). She retired from UMC libraries last year.

It was too overcast to see the sunset.  As someone joked, I had to take a picture of this bridge because it hasn't been photographed enough.










I spent a shift as a vendor -- a volunteer at the Road Scholar booth.  RS staffer Claire and RS volunteer Ann were convince I knew half the people who walked by.






On Sunday June and I went to the 9 a.m. service at Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. What radical hospitality! Glide is an historic church known for its social activism. It was right across the street from my hotel.

We had to negotiate the Pride Parade (1 million spectators). Despite the crowds, it was perfectly safe to walk to and from the convention center.













Sunday evening: Newbery-Caldecott banquet. My roommate Pat and I were joined by Karina. This was her first ALA and I was delighted that she cold be my guest at the banquet.









View from the 46th floor (pre-banquet reception).




My church's United Methodist Women help support the Mary Elizabeth Inn  founded by Lizzie Glide (as in Glide Memorial UMC). I visited this century-old women's shelter. The facilities manager graciously provided a complete tour.



A trip to SF would not be complete without a trip to  Britex . I still have a piece of Italian linen I bought there in 1987.  They don't have much quilting fabric, but I got 2 yards of typeface prints for my growing collection.




The conference ended on Tuesday with the inaugural brunch.  Pat and I headed from there to the de Young museum to see the J. M. W. Turner exhibit.
I saw the movie ("Mr. Turner") in December. The catalog for this exhibit was one of my University Press books. Seeing the paintings in person was the perfect finishing touch.











Pat and I had dinner in Chinatown on our last night. Here's my fortune. I was grateful that it did not affect my travel plans the next day.

Conference swag!  I shipped two boxes (24 and 32 lbs) via FedEx.  I got home Wednesday. The boxes came on Friday.

Next post: an ALA quilting update.