#txla17: Reflections A Few Weeks Later!

This conference was over two weeks ago. But life has been really busy lately!

I thought I would post a few of my thoughts here-- both as a way of recording them for myself and as much needed writing practice.

What I realized after TLA was that it is GOOD to be with other librarians. We don't have to explain ourselves, or even really know each other. We can talk to just about anyone at any of the sessions in any of the venues and talk about just about any book. (Do you know how awesome that is??) We can all pretty much know that we do the same type of work -- but in different ways -- and the person next to us probably has something to teach us.

We can see people we have learned from online- members of our PLN. We can ask questions, compare notes, and use our knowledge to better ourselves and improve our libraries. The opportunities to do this are everywhere -- in the elevator, waiting in line, before and after sessions, and of course, during the sessions, too. And the learning happens on the way to events, too! In fact, I am amazed at how many times I ran into the very people I needed to talk to!! Serendipity!

I also love the opportunity we have to hear from thought leaders! The Future Ready Librarians session with Mark Ray and Sara Trettin was on my must-do list, and I am SO glad that I was able to attend. It absolutely reinforced and fortified my plans and current work to make my library #futureready.

Of course, the very best parts of TLA for me comes from the books! Meeting authors and hearing them talk about their work? There is nothing else that brings me as much joy as this at TLA! I hang on their every word. I love listening to them tell their stories ABOUT their stories. And I am always so thankful for their kindness and willingness to share -- even though they have probably shared these stories a million times! The children's literature panels and author sessions equip me for reader's advisory and give me many titles for my reading lists!

I wish I could mention every session I went to, and every person I met -- but that would be impossible and lengthy. Instead, I hope I left you with an impression of just how much attending TLA means to me as a librarian, as a reader, and as a learner.

Until next year! See you in Dallas! #txla18