This time last year I was returning from Chicago having met Dr. Carla Hayden, meeting the power committee for YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels who I would get to know and love over the course of the year, and lugging a heavy suitcase full of books.

Well, this year, I’m returning from New Orleans having met award-winning authors, meeting the power committee for the William C. Morris Award Committee who I will get to know and love over the course of the year, and lugging a heavy suitcase full of books.

Any librarian will tell you it’s invigorating and exhausting. My takeaways this year:

1. Being on a committee is a positive way to give back and learn more deeply about yourself professionally.
2. The energy of a national conference is energizing.
3. Always taste the local food and see the sights (I will forever remember my visit to Lafayette Cemetery #1 and those shrimp and grits).
4. If you want to meet colleagues from across the country that you’ve connected with, you have to schedule a time to meet them. Hoping to run into them in the exhibit hall or at a session is generally impossible. Schedule it!
5. Give yourself at least a day prior to any scheduled event for travel because something could likely go wrong (learn from my past two experiences!)
6. Work the room and have a smile on your face. And a pretty dress doesn’t hurt. My packing consists of dresses, dresses, and more dresses, so that’s easy.
7. Don’t be afraid to go alone. I regularly attend events and activities solo. Again be sure to have a smile on your face and usually a drink (of any kind) in your hand then spark a conversation by asking questions.
8. Have a plan for how you want to spend each day ahead of time, then plan backups B through Z if time speeds up or slows down.
   • This includes picking sessions and activities that are new to you, indulge in your interests and passions, and connect you with a wider group of professionals.
9. Comfortable shoes.
10. Take handwritten notes. Devices are distracting both for your own attention span and for those around you, plus research is showing that the art of note-taking by hand leads to deeper understanding and better recall later.

I had a half day to decompress and now, I’m ready for Seattle in 2019!