A Double Life at ALA

摘要

I am one of those librarians who, when they go to conferences, run around frantically trying to attend every workshop of interest as well as spend several hours in the exhibit hall. I always miss a few programs because, even under the best of circumstances, some of the sessions I am most interested in are in the same time slot. By the conclusion of the convention, I am usually suffering from serious conference fatigue. Now that I attend wearing two hats-writer and librarian-I am even busier. I try to arrange my book signings at the Sisters in Crime (SIC) booth for slots when there are few or no workshops, and I succeeded for the most part at this summer's ALA conference in Las Vegas. Still, I had to attend the opening general session which featured as the keynote speaker game designer Jane McGonigal. Since I am a passionate gamer I was very much interested in what McGonigal had to say about the positive effects and collaborative possibilities of video gaming. Then I struggled through the crowds of my colleagues outside the exhibit hall so I could reach my booth and set up before they arrived. Fortunately, I was wearing both my "Exhibitor" badge and my "Librarian" badge. I doubt I would have been let through with just the latter. The next day at lunchtime I also took a turn covering the SIC booth as a "sister," so the other volunteers could go for a bite to eat. Then I had to run to reach my session. I was late, of course.