One of the best things about the librarian conference (Public Library Association Conference - also known to those of us in the know as "PLA") was the free stuff. You guys, there was a giant exhibit hall full of people trying to sell libraries things like furniture and books and software. Being the second-lowest ranking person possible to be approved from my library to attend aforementioned conference, I was absolutely not the audience for most of these things. However, because I was chatty and charming and wearing my pinstripey librarian pants and had my most I'm-totally-influential-smile on, I got things like stress balls from an open-source library management system (which, to be fair, my library does have) and tote bags. From. Everyone. Observe:
Seriously. Posters. Tote bags. Bookmarks. Pens. Nail files (weirdest campaign ever, particularly since I was offered a nail file and the male friend I was with was not - take note, ALA officer candidates. Guys want nail files, too. Or maybe they don't. Joe wasn't clear, but we agreed it was definitely weird). Pin-buttons with cats on them (CATS). I also met several authors, who were there on behalf of their publishers for the most part, but all were really delightful and great. Gene Luen Yang, Rainbow Rowell, and John Green, were (predictably) very, very awesome.
Gene Luen Yang also wrote and illustrated American Born Chinese, which is really, really great. You should read it.
This is the line waiting for the John Green lunch. YA Librarians LOVE John Green.
He was awesome, and said so many very nice things about my profession. I am so very not worthy, John Green.
This book comes out in two weeks - I am so excited, I seriously contemplated standing at the Little, Brown booth and just reading it for two days. I did not, but I did open to one page that said (SPOILER ALERT)... "18 Hours Later..."
I hope I didn't ruin it for you.
PLA was held in Indianapolis this year. Having never been there, it was pretty neat to visit! Lots of art-deco architecture, and I did a Shamrock Run around this awesome monument. Also, the Big Ten tournament was in Indianapolis that weekend, so it was difficult to find a place not stuffed to the gills with Hawkeyes fans or Badger fans or Buckeye fans. But I eventually did find myself a nice cozy little corner pub to find a local Indy IPA (Flat 12 Brewery, which we also visited on the way out of town - they are awesome! They have a beer named for a Spinal Tap quote, which I'll let you go sniff out if you are so inclined).
Librarians are nerds. The Detroit Public Library has a 3D printer and made a Dalek. Which I could identify because I am definitely not also a nerd.
They also have a TARDIS, which is really very awesome, but whatever.
In related news, it was a big week in Indianapolis. Not only was PLA happening alongside the Big Ten tournament, but so was INDIANA COMIC CON.
You may or may not be aware that I. Love. Comic. Conventions. If I had known this was going on, I would have packed very different clothing, in many ways. I didn't even go inside Indiana Comic Con (because I am a professional who does not take advantage of geographical coincidences), but I still got to meet The Doctor. He gave me a Jelly Baby. It was much less creepy than it sounds.
I also saw sexy Pyramid Head. I can not even fathom how much time this took to put together. I'm very impressed (and also slightly perplexed about the sexy angle, but hey - awesome).
And some Men In Black!
And Bane. I would like his coat.
Indiana Comic Con people, I can't tell you how much I wish it hadn't been $25 for the remaining two hours of that Friday. I would've been all over that. Maybe someone in there had some back issues of Cassandra Cain Batgirl comics that I'm missing, and I'm going to go ahead and not kick myself for paying the entry fee and going in there to check.
That was my week at PLA, it was really fantastic. I met a lot of awesome other teen librarians who had amazing ideas for stuff to do at libraries. I also met a lot of people dressed up like fictional characters, which, seriously. That same day I met John Green (he did not have time to take pictures with anybody, because librarians love him SO MUCH and the line of us was miles long). It was one of my favorite days. Indianapolis - I wish I hadn't been staying out at the airport. You were fun.
...and I had a total nervous breakdown about the wedding... things are happening.
Things involving ampersands. And there are so many other things that I need to do, and I have no idea how to do them.
Also, we got Beorn one year ago yesterday.
What a happy, good puppy. We made a family with my fiance and I and a puppy.
