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Category Archives: Events

My TLA experience

MyTLAExperienceHeader

I can see why my North North Texan colleague from Castleton Elementary School in New York, Stacey Rattner, loves Texas librarians and their conference. With less than twelve hours left before I head to the airport, I’m glowing with love for my profession from colleagues a time zone away.

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The Texas Library Association does it right. They bring everyone together for a positively enriching three-day experience. The learning, my God, the learning! Each session was like choosing a favorite child– it just could not be done. I even wished to attend a few sessions when I was presenting myself. There was certainly some fierce competition but I appreciate the Texas Association of School Librarians for accepting my proposal to present about print and web resources for research. Those in attendance walked away with a booklist of awesome books to kick-start an inquiry-based project, information about encouraging students to question, and mini-lessons to offer as librarians to create a comprehensive research plan in collaboration with teachers. You can check out the materials from my presentation on my website.

When I was not sharing, I was listening in sessions about graphic novels (Texas– I hope you do a cosplay fashion show again! I know I was inspired to add it to our Free Comic Book Day celebration in just a few short weeks), writing historically, GSuite add-ons and apps, and hacking my school library.

Then there was the food. How much better can you get than to have recommendations by Texans? I was not disappointed. I even had a lovely intimate dinner with a publisher and favorite author of mine, Cat Winters, whose new book The Raven’s Tale about a young Edgar Allan Poe was just released.

With so much to see, do, and experience, I know I only scratched the surface. I appreciate the experience and hope to return. Which begs the question, what librarians conference are you attending soon? Haven’t been to one, consider ALA Annual in Washington, D.C. in June or start researching a conference that you’d like to attend. We can’t attend them all and be everywhere, but we can be strategic about our sharing and learning. Yet the first step is always the hardest. My first step was several years ago and my school is better for having me attend conferences because of the networking and ideas that come back with me.

My sincerest hope is that you take the opportunities to ASK to attend, even when you haven’t before, because librarians know how to put on a conference. And certainly I’ve learned that Texas specifically wows.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on April 18, 2019 in Events

Getting involved is NOT overrated

30 Jan

gettinginvolvedisnot

On my way back from the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference in Seattle yesterday, I was thinking about what my theme would be for the post-conference post. I wasn’t quite sure which is why it’s about 24 hours later. But on my way home from work today, I realized it had to be about getting involved. Honestly, it was kind of my theme for the conference itself.

Why was it my theme? Here’s what I did differently this time around.

I volunteered at the YALSA booth for the first time. I told myself this year I would do it. Former committee members of mine had done it before and I thought I couldn’t do it because I didn’t know enough, but they set good examples of being involved. So I got involved. And it was delightful to chat up the organization and meet others volunteering as well.
I made sure to connect with colleagues who I knew were attending from across the country because I realized at Annual last year, that if you didn’t make it a point, it wouldn’t happen serendipitously. So I reached out ahead of the conference and got involved in asking my colleagues what they were up to and when we could meet.
I was on an award committee. Yeah, I know! It was a goal and I made it and it felt awesome and I’ll definitely do it again. In the meantime, I’m on selection committees to fill my need to read and share good books with the world.
I book-talked at a publisher breakfast (and at 7:30am used taboo words but it was for the cause) to share my love for an upcoming book. Who better to hear from than colleagues (and kids when we can) about good books to read? Nevermind that yogurt squirt forth from the cup onto my dress a mere half hour before. My tip? Eat after you do your booktalk. So I got involved in sharing my love of books that publishers want us to love.
I talked and smiled more. There were several people I met at activities then saw over and over again the rest of the conference. How nice to get out of our libraries and meet others and hear their opinions and perspectives and ask questions. So I got involved simply by being more open (but I still liked curling up in the hotel bed with cheesy TV at night).

If you haven’t been to a national conference, get to one soon. While none of this is groundbreaking, it does remind us all to use our talents and strengths and then share, share, share them with others.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on January 30, 2019 in Events, Young Adult

A night at the library: 5 things

01 Dec

ANightAtTheLibrary5Things

Last night, my colleague and I hosted 92 high school students for our third annual library lock-in that we’ve re-branded Falcon Library After Dark. Our activities included pizza, three movie screens, computers, tabletop games, video games, double Dutch, corn hole, Legos, and an all-night activity if they chose to undertake it– a BINGO-like challenge that got them talking, investigating, and thinking. This was followed by a short dance party before running our nonfiction gauntlet and collecting their Blow Pop.

Students get to hang out and be themselves with their friends and make new friends. They enjoy the camaraderie and excitement and an opportunity to relax for an evening before heading into the weekend at home. And it got me thinking- what would I do if I were in the library all night? Here are five things:

Sit down and just be. Our library is nothing if not active. If we have to close for a period or after school, which doesn’t happen often, it’s nearly impossible for anyone– students and staff alike– to believe it as they rattle the doors and stare in. Therefore, sitting down and just being in the library is a luxury. While most library’s aren’t shush zones, there is something beautiful about a silent library… sometimes.
Make myself a cup of tea. I joke that I’d be opening up Pandora’s box if I started drinking tea at work because I drink enough outside of work, but on the rare days where I need to warm up, there is a stash in the office.
Wander the shelves. I take pride in our collection. I turned into a nonfiction reader about a decade ago and haven’t looked back. I often read nonfiction during my lunch. I’m also just as obsessed with graphic novels and fiction, so no matter where you are in the library, there’s something fantastic to read at your fingertips. It would be lovely just to feel with my fingertips and scan with my eyes.
Ignore my desk. Wouldn’t it be tempting if I were locked in the library all night to sit down and work? Of course, but this is not that kind of fantasy.
Read. What did you think number five would be? After wandering the shelves, it would be nearly impossible not to have pulled some off the shelves and snuggle in for the rest of the night to read– in the comfy chairs, at the table, in between the stacks.

What would you do if you were in a library all night?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on December 1, 2018 in Events, Miscellaneous

8 ways to prepare for a readathon

29 Jul

8WaystoPrepare

If you look back at some of my posts like Fin or #RiotGrams Challenge Complete and even the recent Sandwiches!, I like the feeling of setting a goal and completing it.

Enter the readathon.

This 24-hour readathon site and initiative was established in 2007. Why I’ve only heard about this in 2018, I’m not sure, but I’m penciled in for the foreseeable future.

And since I was going all in, I set a stopwatch to track how much time I was actively reading. I knew I’d need to stop, but it wasn’t going to be for sleep if I could help it. In total, I read for 17 hours and 30 minutes, stopping for one 45 minute nap at 2am (quickly followed by tea to wake me back up) and another 20 minute nap at 2pm. The rest of stoppage time was for social media check-ins and family needs.

Here’s a list of how to prepare for your first (or fiftieth):

Buy something special like a set of pajamas to make the occasion special (I did!) and either stay in them for 24 hours, but if that’s impossible at least rock a bookish tshirt. Or, maybe it’s your favorite snack, a new throw, the most recent book by your favorite author.
Organize your book pile (or sync up your audio and e-books) with a variety of options to suit your mood and the time of day. There’s something to be said for mixing it up and keeping it interesting throughout the time.
Pick your poison. Like your book pile, what will sustain you? Regular meals, themed snacks, what are you going to drink? I bought my favorite candy for a late night snacks, drank a few pots of tea, but then ate meals with my family, celebrating with a bowl of ice cream in the last half an hour.
Make it a team effort or a group sport. The cheering section was loud on social media through the readathon outlets, but I also included my family. My two boys read with me for the first hour, randomly throughout the day, and the last half hour it was a full family affair. Meanwhile, the dog spent most of his time trying to figure out what I was doing, but he was the most faithful cheerleader.
Change your scenery. 24-hours is a long time and the sun sets and rises again, so mix up where you’re reading. I read outside, inside, on the couch, in the tub.
Cheer on others! This was my favorite part of checking in. I even created a public Instagram a few days prior so that I could share throughout the readathon and use it for new challenges and some amateur bookstagramming.
Set a realistic goal. I wanted to make my first one epic, so I knew I was going to try to read as much as possible and sleep as little as possible. But for some that’s improbable because of work, home, or life in between. So know your limits and have fun in between with whatever you contribute.
Read! Isn’t that the whole point? Of all of the books I read during that time, I was immersed in Holly Black’s faerie world in The Cruel Prince. Then there were some duds too, but that’s all in a 24-hour day’s work.

And as the readathon came to a close and thank yous were messaged and final page counts tallied, they announced the next one. October 20th. Who’s in?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on July 29, 2018 in Cover Love, Events, Miscellaneous, Style

Doing it backwards: My first readathon is a reverse readathon

27 Jul

DoingItBackwards After beginning on the William C. Morris Award Committee this past winter, I became a follower of my fellow committee members on social media. Sarah, who blogs here at Sarah Reads Too Much on WordPress blogged recently about various readathons and activities she does with her reading and one of the recent posts intrigued me about a readathon. I’ve never participated in one and it’s summer time, so why the heck not!?

ReadathonButton I got on the Dewey Twitter page and their website and discovered that their traditional readathons start in the morning and ends the next morning but they threw in a summer REVERSE marathon that will begin at night and end the next night both because it is friendly to folks on the other side of the world, and why not?!

And I never go half in to anything I do (Sandwiches! here’s looking at you), so I am going to try to read for as much of the 24 hours as I can. I know I have one obligation that will take me out of commission for an hour and a half tomorrow afternoon and aside from a family meal, I want to get as close to 24 hours as I can. I’m actually going to run a stopwatch of reading time to let you know in a follow up post how much time I dedicated because why not?!

Part of being a member of this community where you sign up is to also connect with fellow bookworms, checking in on your social media outlets. I’ll update on Twitter and Instagram. Be on the lookout for updates to what I’m reading, a cute pajama outfit I bought for the occasion, my snacks, day reading attire, and more. Yes, I did buy a pajama outfit for this. Tell me why wouldn’t you?!

So follow me on my bookish adventure with the hashtags #reversereathon and #readathon, see what I’m reading, where I’m reading, what I’m wearing, what I’m eating. Why not?!

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on July 27, 2018 in Events, Miscellaneous

Return reflection

27 Jun

Return Reflection

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:

Being on a committee is a positive way to give back and learn more deeply about yourself professionally.
The energy of a national conference is energizing.
Always taste the local food and see the sights (I will forever remember my visit to Lafayette Cemetery #1 and those shrimp and grits).
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!
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!)
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.
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.
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.
Comfortable shoes.
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!

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on June 27, 2018 in Events, Miscellaneous

Failing forward

07 Jun

FailingForward

Today is Thursday. Today would have been day two of three days of adulting classes at the library run during our four lunch shifts. But yesterday afternoon I cancelled day two and three because of the failure of day one.

Day one was about healthy body and mind and featured our teaching assistant in the library whose physical and mental fitness is attributed to a very solid routine that he’s developed over his lifetime that stretches him and invigorates him. Then it included the public library who constantly run programs, activities, and provide countless materials to build our capacity for knowledge much like the school library. But in the big, bad world of adulthood, school libraries are replaced with public libraries after graduation. It would have been followed by finances on day two and transportation on day three where community organizations and businesses would have a few representatives to impart wisdom and knowledge. But I made the call after less than a handful of students came for each period on day one. I envisioned a few classes and/or a packed corner of seniors oohing and ahhing over the new knowledge they have going forward.

That did not happen and it is okay. I drowned my sorrows with a blow pop at lunch when the seniors (who were still here and using the school library) said they were either here to work on final projects and therefore not coming or were completely not interested.

Upon reflection, it was likely not the best timing with literally several days left in the school year. Combine that with a later-than-usual prom date of this coming Saturday and they’re more distracted with signing yearbooks and those last projects than learning some new things or reinforcing the knowledge that they have resources to use when they leave the sanctuary of their high school.

success and failure I will always use these opportunities (after a little bit of sadness) to improve for the next time. This was the library’s first attempt at adulting classes. And I failed. But my favorite image and line is to “fail forward”. This won’t mean I’ll give up on library programming. Actually, completely the opposite, I’ll use Maya Angelou’s “when you know better, do better” and come at it again from a different angle, some more student input, and better planning for when to share the resources we’ve amassed.

Has anyone else had this happen to them? What are your best tips and tricks for when things don’t go as planned?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on June 7, 2018 in Events

#PresentationMode

18 May

PresentationMode

Yesterday was a good day. An early morning run, then a walk with the dog. A new dress for a presentation with a group of fabulous ladies: two school library system directors, one reading specialist and professor, and two school librarians (me included). It was a day designed to discuss books and empowering our readers at every level.

With a keynote that shared how our varying perspectives of how we interpret what we read and what we seek out is usually a very conscious decision. We bring an experience to any book we read that is different from the person sitting next to us and we should be conscious of that and respect the reader. And the message of her keynote led perfectly into my presentation that went next about young adult books since I chose to focus on names: who we are as individuals and striking up a conversation simply by getting to know someone by asking their name.

I covered names of my author crushes (James L. Swanson, Caitlin Doughty, Rae Carson to name a few), fabulous names for books (The Hate U Give, Dumplin’, Puddin’), moms (Allegedly, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter), dads (The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, My Brother’s Husband), girls (The Nowhere Girls, What Girls Are Made Of), boys (The Prince and the Dressmaker, Words on Bathroom Walls), and a whole lot of series, niche student readers, and popular titles with my students. Could I have talked the whole day away? Of course, but there were wonderful conversations interspersed in my my presentation about topics and challenges presented in books, getting books in the hands of readers using their subtopics as a way to diversify their options, and why series books are magic. You can find my presentation and the booklist here.

And once I was finished, the day was just warming up because then it moved on to middle grade titles and then elementary titles. But I’m at the high school, why would I need to hear about middle grade and elementary titles? Librarians should always know what’s new, popular, and discuss-able at every level in part because librarianship means finding the right book for the right reader or the reader’s needs. It might be a teenager wanting a book to read with their cousin, it could be a teacher wanting to use a picture book in their middle school classroom, and any host of possibilities in between.

It’s no secret that readers advisory is my favorite part of librarianship so a day like yesterday was just as good as spending the day booktalking. The next opportunity to share about books to professionals will be with the effervescent Stacey Rattner, my partner-in-crime aka The Leaping Librarian, in July and our theme is #getbooked.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on May 18, 2018 in Authors, Childrens, Events, Fiction, Graphic novels, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Poetry, Short Story, Verse, Young Adult

Booktopia in Hudson

05 May

Booktopia

I couldn’t have asked for a more sun-filled day to spend with my kids at the Hudson Children’s Book Festival in Hudson, New York. And so close to home! I really can’t believe in its 10-year history this was my first time but it was the perfect time with my nine year old boys.

Two weeks ago when I asked whether they’d be interested in attending, I don’t even think there was a two-second pause before they answered yes. So off we went, making quick work of the drive and getting to park right at the school, though barely.

I had a few assignments, namely to meet a few authors for my librarian friend Stacey Rattner, reacquaint with authors who have visited our school (I see you Jason Reynolds, Eric Devine, and Jack Gantos), and have my kids scan the books and chat with the superstars of the printed and illustrated world– they even sat for a story time with Hudson Talbott who wrote Wolf to Woof: The Story of Dogs.

So what did we purchase? Two books by Nancy Castaldo: Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction and Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (And Their Noses) Save the World. Then, Writing Radar and Jack On The Tracks by Jack Gantos. Plus, a picture book for their cousin for her upcoming birthday (but shhh, we can’t spoil the gift). Could I have walked out of the Festival without the money needed to put flooring in our new addition to the house? Yes, but I’m a responsible book nerd. The impulse was there, but we kept it in check.

HCBF2018 It was an inspiring event with all levels of amazing authors. The vibe is absolutely incredible and filled with book love. But I wasn’t done yet. I have never spent time in Hudson so I couldn’t not stop at The Spotty Dog Books & Ale and have a beer at the bar while we perused books and book paraphernalia.

I was not disappointed.

I ordered myself a porter while my kids explored the art supplies. Both felt it necessary to purchase a fountain pen exactly like Jack Gantos’ one. While Gantos’ was purchased in Japan and was red, the boys found their own “waterfall” version. Could I have purchased a few book t-shirts and socks, enamel pins, and totes? Absolutely. Give me all the things. But I indulged instead in the ambiance. And it was magical.

A day well spent.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on May 5, 2018 in Authors, Childrens, Events

Speaking volumes

02 May

SpeakingVolumes

I love a good quote. When I come across one on Pinterest or Instagram, I usually save them to reflect on and in this case write about as I’ve done in past posts.

Rick Holland, poet, shared this gem with the world that was then made beautiful when superimposed on the world touched with gold.

WorldBelongstoThoseWhoRead

How else could I learn about a war I wasn’t alive for or empathize with someone from a different culture? Learning from books is equally as important as being transported by them be it in fantasy and science fiction. So why did this quote strike a chord with me?

Probably because I understand the significance and weight of why reading is integral to our development as human beings and why I chose a profession that values continual learning. I’ve spent the last decade (and will continue) to demonstrate to teenagers the power of reading for their own learning and understanding. It can be an escape when life is difficult, it can be an instructional manual for how someone rose above a particularly trying life event, it can be entertainment of the most basic kind. I know I get screen exhaustion and reading a book with the paper in your hand can cure that. (It might also be why puzzles and card games have made a comeback in a big way in our library).

And I’m also seeing it in my own kids. As third graders, my boys are obsessive– and possessive– of their books. We make trips to our library at least once a week, they read daily, and I’ve caught them plenty of times with a book and a flashlight past bedtime. I want there to be plenty of opportunities to engage with others who have the same feelings too. And while I’ve been involved in planning book festivals and author visits, I’ve never visited the Hudson Children’s Book Festival, so I’ll be making the drive with my kids there this Saturday to bask in the excitement of the printed book. I’ll post a followup after Saturday to share how it all went.

But be reminded, as Holland’s quote speaks to me, that the world truly does belong to readers. It’s evident in our vocabulary. It’s a cheap vacation when there isn’t money to go on a physical one. Food and beverage feels more indulgent with one in front of you. It is the aha moment when you learn something new. It’s the mirror, the window, or the sliding glass door. So if it’s been a while since you picked up a book, try again. Make it a priority. If it already is, you’re in good company.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on May 2, 2018 in Childrens, Events, Miscellaneous