Friday start . . . and finish

I made a contribution to the Freedom to Read Foundation for its 50th anniversary celebration at ALA Annual this June.  This morning I got a reminder that I needed to submit the copy for a quarter-page ad.

I thought about clever sayings ("My library has something to offend everyone" is one of my favorites) but I turned to fabric.  I began this at 8:30 a.m. and finished it at 12:30 p.m. (Well, I have to stitch down the hanging sleeve and make the label.)

This was my first project using letters by Lynne Tyler (Patchery Menagerie). 
The background is light lime/off white. The letters are made from two Australian prints.
It's 42 x 12.

To Atlanta and back

Even though I'm retired I still attend ALA conferences.  The Midwinter Meeting used to be strictly business for the association and its units (divisions and round tables).  Now there are more program meetings, such as this year's Symposium on the Future of Libraries that spread across three days.  Major awards are announced -- the Newbery and Caldecott Medals and other children's awards as well as the Carnegie Medals for adult books.

View from hotel restaurant, Friday breakfast

ALAMW17 was held in Atlanta. I hadn't been there since ALAAC (annual conference) in 2002. I didn't get to see much of the city due to my schedule and my still-recovering foot.  My friend Pat was my roommate.  We had the same flights both ways which was convenient and companionable. Our hotel was adjacent to the convention center though it was a long (albeit indoor) walk from one to the other.

I'm a division representative to the Freedom to Read Foundation board of trustees. FTRF met all day Friday. I'm secretary of the Retired Members Round Table and convenor of its book club. Both met on Saturday morning. I had a couple of other short committee meetings, too.

There were social events -- a dinner with former fellow members of the ALA Executive Board, a dinner with RMRT, and the Monday Dinner Group (longtime friends). Each was at a different restaurant.

W. W. Norton (publisher) and Focus Films provided shuttle buses to a movie complex for an exclusive pre-release showing of The Zookeeper's Wife.  It is a true story of a Antonina and Jan Zabinska, proprietors of a zoo in Warsaw, who saved more than 300 Jews during the Holocaust.   The movie was followed by a Q&A with the author, Diane Ackerman. They provided bus transportation to a cinema multiplex.  The movie is very true to the book and I recommend it highly!  (General release is March 31.)  As a friend said, this was one of the coolest things we've ever done at an ALA conference.

I had a window of free time on Tuesday and toured the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum. He was the first president elected in my independent adulthood. I remember the campaign and the issues--the energy crisis, the Camp David accord, the U.S. hostages in Tehran.  The museum recounts his life from his boyhood in Plains to the Naval Academy to politics.  The current president could learn a lot about being a president of and for the people from both Carters. And their post-presidential years have been filled with exemplary humanitarian outreach.

Jimmy got an award for reading more books than anyone else in his class.

Replica of the Oval Office.

A quilt made by a well-wisher.













I couldn't participate in the historic women's march on January 21, though many librarians did.  (My foot, again.)  A publisher had these feminist t-shirts and an accompanying book. (Cut off in the photoe.)  I'm also wearing my P.E.O. badge because January 21 is Founders' Day.







I said I wouldn't take too many books.  But it was too tempting -- hearing the authors speak (at an afternoon session, at a breakfast, and at a tea) and seeing so many forthcoming books on display in the exhibit hall.  There's a post office set up in the hall that makes it easy to send boxes back.

 Here's cookbook writer Raghavan Iyer.  His latest is about potatoes.

 Kathy Hogan Trocheck (aka Mary Kay Andrews).

In all I shipped nine boxes -- 104 pounds, 110 books.  Four boxes were waiting when I got home Tuesday evening. More boxes came Wednesday and the last one on Thursday. Most are ARCs (advance reader copies) but some are finished (already-published).  Lots of good reading ahead!

Throwback Thursday (delayed)

(I was sure I'd remember to post this on time, but when I checked my old Day-Timers calendars (yes, I save them) I found out I remembered a week late.) 

Twenty-five years ago last week: the second White House Conference on Library and Information Services was held in Washington, DC, from July 9-13. I was one of the "library professional" delegates. It was event-filled, exciting, and energizing. It was an introduction (for me) to federal bureaucracy and politics, as well as the power of advocacy. I was elected (or did I volunteer?) to the WHCLIS Taskforce which provided a wealth of experience and many friends. 

(Note the logo: going from books to floppy discs) 

The delegates' totebags had the same logo as the button. I have the totebag, too. I was the co-chair of the 1992 WHCLIST (=taskforce) conference  and later edited the WHCLIST quarterly newsletter.  Annual conferences were held until about 2001. I went to many (Washington, DC three times; Indianapolis; Santa Clara, CA; Charleston; Little Rock.)   I gave the filebox with planning and program documents as well as the 1991 delegate binder to the ALA Archives at the University of Illinois. 

Midwinter report: friends, quilts, books

 The ALA Midwinter Meeting used to be a meetings-only conference.  The ALA Council (the governing body) and dozens of division committees met to conduct business.  Vendors of books, supplies, and equipment showed their wares.  Nowadays the meetings are still held, though a lot of discussion occurs online beforehand, and some committee members attend virtually.  The trade show is huge.  There are programs (geared toward ALA initiatives, rather than the great-ideas-at-my-library panels at the annual conference). There are book and media awards -- the Newbery and Caldecott Medals most famously, as well as awards for adult books.

I left a day beforehand to allow a visit with my Magpie friend Celia who lives just north of Boston. She picked me up at the airport. After lunch we went to the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell.  An exhibit from Quilts Japan opened that very day.  Here are photos of a few of the exquisite selections.   

We had our picture taken in the NEQM library.  The museum has an ongoing book and pattern sale. Both Celia and I indulged. I bought a sashiko kit in the gift shop to stitch on during the conference.

On Thursday morning we went to the Museum of Fine Arts. Class Distinctions: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer was a superb exhibit.





That afternoon Celia took me to my hotel (the Westin, adjacent to the Boston Convention & Expo Center).  I refocused my attention to library matters, though quilts did come up a few times.  



A couple of years ago I redecorated a badge holder. The BiblioQuilter ribbon is sewn on. The others are stuck on and change from conference to conference.









All my committee meetings went well (Freedom to Read Foundation, Retired Members Round Table and its first-ever book discussion, University Press Books for Public and Secondary School Libraries). I heard inspiring and interesting authors (some celebrities, some not).

This is Sen. Cory Booker.

The exhibits in full swing.
Conference attendance this year: 10,805.

Skip works for Penguin/Random House. I saw the edge of the handkerchief in his coat pocket. "Is that Tammis Keefe?" I asked. Indeed!













The conference was a great time to catch up with friends.
Liz, Jim, and I all grew up in the same town. We all became librarians. We all served on the ALA Executive Board. (Now she lives in Colorado, he lives in Virginia, and I'm back in Illinois.) [Photo taken at the Executive Board Survivors Dinner.]









Celia was my guest at the United for Libraries Gala Author Tea on Monday. Pat is my roommate. Peggy and Lila are part of our Monday evening dinner group.

This is the console table on our hotel floor, our last morning. Not only did librarians leave books they'd gotten at the exhibits, but someone also made a nice display.  The housekeepers had begun their shift. One of them said that a stack of books was left in one of the rooms with a note inviting the staff to help themselves. True librarians:  getting books to people everywhere!












Pat's last meeting ended at 10:30 Tuesday. Shortly after noon Joan picked us up (more accurately, she'd hired a driver) and we went to her house in Providence, RI.  We had a lovely day and a half there -- catching up on sleep and dining very, very well.  Wednesday evening's dinner included another long-time friend, Rose Ellen. It was so good to see her again!

 Pat and I were on the same flight from PVD-ORD. Clear skies, on-time. The limo got me home at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.  Four of the five boxes of books and conference swag arrived before I did. The fifth was delivered Friday morning.

(Winter reading with chocolate on top. The Hershey-filled silver can was a guessing-game prize.)

 Totebags, notebooks, pens . . . and an iPhone amplifier that really works, a box of matches (handy!), a flashlight/screwdriver/level, lip balm, and a car-lighter USB port.

My favorite souvenir -- a magnet from the MFA gift shop.

ALA Candidacy

Nann Blaine Hilyard Candidate for SECRETARY, Retired Members Round Table  Statement of Professional Concerns/Aspirations if Elected: In thirty years of ALA involvement I have found great satisfaction not only in committee and division work but also in the many friendships I have made with colleagues.  RMRT provides long-time librarians continuing fellowship and the opportunity to contribute to the work of ALA and the library profession.  I look forward to helping to develop RMRT's programs and services as we welcome new retirees to our group. I have held the office of secretary in several organizations and I am an experienced minutes-taker.  Current Position: Retired, Winthrop Harbor, Illinois Previous Position: Director, Zion-Benton Public Library, 2003-2014 Director, Lake Villa District Library, 1998-2002 Director, Fargo Public Library, 1994-1998 Degrees and Certificates: University of Missouri, AM - Library Science, 1974; University of Missouri, AB-Library Science, 1973. Division Affiliation:  UNITED and RUSA To which Round Tables do you belong?  Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) and Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) ALA and/or ALA-APA Activities: ALA: Maine Chapter Councilor, 87-90; Councilor-at-Large, 98-04 and 11-13; Exec Bd 04-07. Committees: Chp Relations, 91-94; Library Advocacy Now, 92-96; Resolutions 01-03; COO 01; Public Programs 09-11. PLA: Sm & Med Libraries Sec Pres 97-98, Lib Dev Cluster 99-02 and Chm 01-02; Rep to ALTAFF 07-09; Leg Comm 93-95; Univ Press Books 90-94, 08-10, chm 11-13; Public Libraries Advisory, 03-05; IFC 99-02; Columnist 98-12. United:  PLA Program Committee, 15; Liaison to FTRF 14-16; Legislation 15-16. RUSA: Univ Press Books Chm 13-14, member 15-16 ALA Biblioquilters (unofficial):  convenor, 1998-present. Offices held in state/regional library associations, and other associations:  Maine LA: Treasurer, 1984-87, VP 1988-90, Pres 1990-92; Maine Lib Commission, 1984-94, Chair 1991-93. North Dakota LA: Pub Lib Sec pres, 1996-97. Illinois LA: PL Forum chair, 99-00; Intellectual Freedom, 03-05; Membership 08-09. White House Conf. Taskforce: Transition Team, 91-92; Vice Chm, 92-96; Newsletter ed. 96-00. Reaching Across Illinois Library System: board member, 13- 16.   AAUW, 1975-present: branch president (ME, ND, IL); state president (ND); state finance, newsletter, vice president (IL), Association public policy cmte (97-01) P.E.O. Sisterhood, 1985-present; local chapter offices and state committee chair (13-16). Northern Lake Co Quilters Guild: president, 12-16. Coalition for Healthy Communities: 03-08; secretary 08-15. Chamber of Commerce: 11-15; secretary 14-15. Rotary: 2003-present; club president 07-08; bulletin editor, 08-present Honors and Awards: White House Conf. Taskforce Achievement Award, 1996. Major Accomplishments: * Co-founded ALA Biblioquilters in 1998. The group collaborates to make quilts for the silent auction at ALA Annual Conference. Since 2000 more than $10,000 has been raised for the ERT Hoy Scholarship Fund. * Active book reviewer, giving presentations to community groups each year. * Audiobook reviewer since 1988. Audies competition judge since 2000. Publication: Contributing columnist, "Perspectives," Public Libraries: PLA Journal, 1998-2012. Contributing columnist, Zion-Benton News, 2011-present.

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.