#alaac24 in San Diego, part 1

 

The American Library Association held its 148th Annual Conference in San Diego.  13,523 people attended. That is fewer than the two post-pandemic years (Chicago 2023: 15,842; DC 2022: 13,900) and many fewer than pre-pandemic (Chicago 2017: 22,701).    ALA is streamlining operations.  Librarians and library workers are accessing continuing education differently (online) and it's often difficult to get travel funding.  Still, the in-person gathering has such energy and enthusiasm!  

I joined the Legacy Society in 2004

The first annual conference I attended was in 1984. Since then I've missed two (1991: no funding; 2016: Orlando in June? no, thanks).  The 2020 conference was cancelled. The 2021 conference was virtual.  That means I've been to 38 out of 40 conferences in 41 years. 

Yes, I'm retired -- but from the job, not the profession!  I go to the conference for the friendships, the sightseeing, and for the books and authors.  

I signed up for a preconference about the Asian heritage in San Diego. 

 As an add-on to the preconferece,  Thursday afternoon there was a docent-led walking tour of the historic Chinese neighborhood. It started from the SD Chinese Historical Museum.  

Thursday evening the Executive Board Survivors met for dinner.  I was on the ALA Exec Board from 2004-2007 and was one of the three EBers who began the Survivors group.  

The preconference was 8:30-3:30 Friday. Rather than Asian heritage (as advertised) it was about Mexican settlement in southern California and Mexican genealogy.  The speakers were experts and their presentations were interesting, though not of direct use to me right now.  

Friday afternoon:  Trevor Noah was the guest speaker at the opening general session.   He was interviewed by ALA president Emily Drabinski.  He was great, as you would expect.

Friday evening:  the ALA Retired Members Round Table met for dinner.  This famous statue was on the way to the restaurant.  

I met Mr. Mychal!  Here is more about this true library hero.  

(I posted the photo on FB and got many likes and comments from nonlibrarians and librarians.  I saw him later in the day and told him. He smiled that beautiful smile and said he was happy to know that.)

Saturday morning:  RMRT field trip to the Geisel Library at UC San Diego (actually in La Jolla).  The library holds the Geisel/Dr. Seuss archive with most of his original artwork.  

We (=my RMRT friends Shelley, Ann Marie, Nancy, Lisa) took an Uber back to the convention center. I was in time to go to the Penguin Random House author lunch.  

I am halfway through Bad Liar, the first book by Tami Hoag that I've read. It's a thriller set in Louisiana and it's good!  (It will be published in October.)  

The RMRT business meeting was later in the afternoon. I moderated the RMRT Book Club discussion that followed.  Our prompt was California Dreaming -- any book related to California.  Quite a variety, from John McPhee to John Steinbeck to Gwen Bristow.

The Andrew Carnegie Medal goes to the best adult fiction and nonfiction of the year.  I went to the awards reception Saturday evening at the San Diego Central Library.  

Cuban-American poet Richard Blanco gave a reading before the winning authors gave their speeches. 

I read The Berry Pickers earlier this year but I haven't read the nonfiction winner, We Were Once a Family. 

Sunday began with Literary Luminaries, another book-and-author panel.  

The RMRT President's Program was at 11:00:  The San Diego Zoo's global conservation collaboration and the Zoo's library.  Both presentations were very interesting. 

The lower photo show the Red Books. The journals are at every enclosure for the keepers to record observations on every shift. The Red Books go back decades. They are being digitized.  

I spent more time in the exhibits and got more books. (And pens. And post-it pads. And little notebooks. And bookmarks.)

There's a USPS substation set up in the exhibits to ship stuff, but I was not there at the right time.  Instead I spent a small fortune for the convenience of FedEx.  Four boxes are going to arrive next Monday.  Some people just get another suitcase.  Someone else suggested getting an Uber and going to a regular post office.  

I sat in the Big Chair and read a passage from A Wrinkle in Time (when Meg realizes it is her love for her family and theirs for her that is stronger than the hate that IT is). 

Dinner on Sunday:  we five (Shelley (my roommate), Nancy, Lisa, Ann Marie, and me) took the ferry across the bay to Coronado. We had dinner at a waterside restaurant.  

Lower left and right photos taken on the Convention Center steps after we got back. Left: a statue in the sunset. Lower right: San Diego Symphony in concert on the bay.  (Had we known we'd have gotten tickets.) 

Monday:   hotel checkout for both Shelley and me.  I had another (!) author breakfast.  
That handsome guy is Jim O'Heir from Parks and Recreation.  (I have not watched the show. Now I'm going to!)  

I sat in on the closing of ALA Council III.  I served on Council for 13 years (chapter councilor, councilor-at-large, and exec board).  

The Gala Author Tea was the final event.  Yes, more books and more authors -- and delicious refreshments. 

My return flight was a 10:30 red-eye, due to arrive at O'Hare at 4:40 a.m.  I  shared a cab ride with another RMRT friend and had plenty of time for dinner.    I was at the gate at 9:00 -- we were informed that the flight was cancelled due to mechanical trouble.  (The incoming aircraft hadn't even arrived.)  United sent a text automatically rebooking me and providing a hotel voucher.  What could I do but take it?   The Porto Vista Hotel is a quirky place in Little Italy with original art on the walls and in a vending machine.   I checked in at 10:15 p.m. and checked out at 4:00 a.m.  Did you know that the ticketing agents and TSA come on duty at 4:30 a.m.?  And there is already a line by the time they open up.   My SAN-SFO flight left at 6:15. The SFO-ORD flight left at 10:00.   I had first-class seats on both (I could get used to that....).     Arrived 15 minutes early, the limo driver was prompt, and I was HOME at 4:30.  

Back home:  Stevens and the caregiver got along very well.   Hooray!   He was happy to see me.  

Next post:  the quilts!