ALA Annual - Washington DC - June 2019

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ALA Annual - Washington DC - June 2019

1norabelle414
Modifié : Juin 20, 2019, 8:58 am

**LibraryThing / Litsy Meetup** at ALA Annual in Washington DC
https://2019.alaannual.org/
(see message >50 benitastrnad: and onward for more information on the conference)

When: Saturday, June 22, 6:30pm

Where: Busboys and Poets, 450 K Street NW (2 blocks east of the convention center)
https://goo.gl/maps/VEhUwe6MfgiLvBuP7

Attendance:

Yes (18):
norabelle414
soraya71
foggidawn
bell7
bernitastrnad
drneutron
nrmay
Beverly
NagainaKarait
msf59
timspalding
michigantrumpet
Chatterbox +1
hannahens (BookFreakOut on Litsy)
crystalblu (on Litsy)
kristincedar
nycke137

__________________________________________________

Possibly also a mini-meetup in the evening on Friday, June 21st.

2foggidawn
Mai 30, 2019, 3:04 pm

I'm in!

3bell7
Mai 30, 2019, 7:17 pm

Me too!

4gilroy
Mai 30, 2019, 7:35 pm

I'll need to check with the wife to see what we have planned that weekend, but we might be able to come.

5lorannen
Mai 31, 2019, 2:20 pm

>1 norabelle414: Lovely! I'm sadly going to miss out, but pretty sure either Tim or Abby (if not both) will be in attendance. Let us know how we can help!

June's State of the Thing should be going out the Tuesday before ALA (that's the 18th), so I'll be sure to include it there.

6drneutron
Mai 31, 2019, 10:16 pm

I’m in. FYI benitastrnad has been talking about setting up a meetup too. It might be worth seeing what she’s thinking.

7Tess_W
Juin 2, 2019, 11:54 am

I've never been to a meet up, but I am visiting in northern Virginia that weekend. Might I join you for dinner?

8nrmay
Juin 2, 2019, 12:06 pm

I'll be in in D.C. the last 2 weeks in June.
I've always wanted to go to a meet-up.
Count me in!

9drneutron
Modifié : Juin 2, 2019, 2:55 pm

>7 Tess_W: anyone’s welcome! Please join us!

10Tess_W
Juin 4, 2019, 8:14 pm

Sorry, my friend's plans changed, can not be there! Maybe next time.

11benitastrnad
Modifié : Juin 7, 2019, 10:41 am

Sorry to have been late to this party. I will post this link to Mark's, Joe's, and Suz's threads ASAP so that we are all in the same feedback loop. What follows is a copy of the e-mail I sent yesterday to all of the people I knew who were attending ALA in Washington. Please post here regarding your thoughts about the place to meet.

I have contacted the folks at LT regarding the free passes for the exhibit hall. As soon as I hear back from them I will let you know.

I am considering two possibilities for our meetup on Saturday, June 22, 2019. Tenative time for the meet-up is 6:00 p.m. That is after the exhibit hall closes.

1. Busboys and Poets Bookstore – here is the link to this café/restaurant/bookstore. https://www.busboysandpoets.com/locations/
2. Politics and Prose Bookstore – here is the link to this bookstore. https://www.politics-prose.com/

Jim, who lives in Washington, D. C. has confirmed that Busboys and Poets is very close to the convention center, while Politics and Prose is out in Chevy Chase/Georgtown area. It would be easy to get to Politics and Prose, but it will be farther away from the convention center. Busboys … stays open until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday night with restaurant service until 9:00 p.m. Politics and Prose stays open until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday with the kitchen closing at 8:00 p.m. I know that two of you are staying out in Georgetown, so perhaps proximity to the convention center isn’t that important for you.

I will spend some time tomorrow calling both places and see about reservations, but as I understood it from Busboys we wouldn’t need to have a reservation for the café and bookstore.

In the meantime, take a look at the web sites and think about what might work best for you.

Benita Strnad
Education Librarian
McLure Education Library
The University of Alabama

I am currently reading
“1453: The Holy War for Constantiople
and the Clash of Islam and the West”
by Roger Crowley

12benitastrnad
Juin 7, 2019, 10:51 am

I heard back from Abby Blachley and she said that she and Tim are working on the free passes. She will let us know, on this thread when she and Tim have confirmed whether they can get the free passes.

Tim and Abby are usually a part of the staff at the ProQuest booth and they have to work it out the details with ProQuest. That means that we will have to anxiously await the news from them regarding the passes.

Other news - the Exhibit hall opens at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. It closes at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. However, there is usually a crush and long lines for the conference shuttles, so I am allowing an hour for us to get to wherever we meet up. Most of us will be carrying boxes, bags, and sacks of books from the exhibits, so that is why I was looking for someplace close to meet.

If our group is large enough I will make a reservation so that the place knows how many to expect. (We had 12 in Seattle at Mid-Winter. But we only had 4 in New Orleans.) It just makes it easier for the place if they know the size of the group.

In the past we have tried to meet in some significant place - like a bookstore, (in Denver we met at Tattered Cover) and since we have beer lovers among us, brew pubs have become also served as a venue. We are fortunate that Washington, D. C. has several venerable bookstores that would be suitable. Politics and Prose, Busboys and Poets, and Kramers Books & Afterwords Cafe are examples.

Remember that if you are staying in a conference hotel, Gale (the publisher) provides free shuttles to and from the conference center. These shuttles run from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and roughly the same time on Sunday. However, the bus schedule varies due to conference activities so check the ALA web site for more information about the shuttles. here is the link to the information about the shuttles.
https://2019.alaannual.org/travel/shuttle-service

I will be back with more information as I think of things and when I have more information to add to the discussion.

13benitastrnad
Juin 7, 2019, 10:52 am

Here is the link to the ALA Annual Conference web site. Wander happily.
https://2019.alaannual.org/

14norabelle414
Juin 7, 2019, 10:52 am

>11 benitastrnad: Hi Benita! Thanks for doing so much leg work! I was thinking of Busboys and Poets as well, since it is walking distance from the Convention Center. Politics and Prose is a very nice store to visit but their cafe only has a few sandwiches, not a whole dinner menu. Though there are good restaurants next door to the bookstore if we wanted to go there. Politics and Prose is not close to the hotel area in Georgetown so it would involve a taxi/uber/lyft for almost everyone.

Busboys & Poets does not require reservations but usually I call ahead in the morning if I'm going there with a large group. There are many other restaurants within a few blocks that welcome large groups in case that doesn't work out.

I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has about DC or the area around the convention center, I'm around there pretty often.

15benitastrnad
Modifié : Juin 7, 2019, 10:54 am

There have been inquiries about doing a meetup on Friday night as well as the Saturday night meetup. What do you think? That might give us a chance to go to both bookstores. Busboys and Poets and Politics and Prose.

I got an e-mail from one of you that Politics and Prose is indeed a schlep from the nearest Metro stop. It is also a substantial distance from the nearest conference hotel - the Washington Hilton above DuPont Circle.

16norabelle414
Juin 7, 2019, 11:10 am

>15 benitastrnad: I'm not available on Friday but I think that sounds like a good idea. If you don't want to hike to Politics and Prose you could try Kramerbooks, in Dupont Circle. Very Metro-accessible and has a great restaurant. There's also a new branch of Politics and Prose at the Waterfront, just south of the National Mall, though it is very small and nowhere near as cozy as the main store.

17foggidawn
Juin 7, 2019, 11:22 am

I'm another vote for Busboys and Poets due to the proximity to the convention center. And I'm also not available on Friday night, so if a meetup happens that day, I'll have to miss out.

18benitastrnad
Modifié : Juin 7, 2019, 11:30 am

>16 norabelle414: & >17 foggidawn:
The meetup is on Saturday, June 22, 2019. Somebody contacted me and asked about a second meetup on Friday night after the exhibit opening. The exhibits opens at 5:30 and closes at 7:30 p.m. Since it is a shorter amount of time, I thought that perhaps people wouldn't have had time to collect a large number of boxes and books and that we could meetup after the exhibits closed. It would be a short meetup and a smaller group. If you can't make it Friday you can plan on the Saturday meetup.

19norabelle414
Juin 7, 2019, 11:38 am

>18 benitastrnad: I added the Friday meetup to the top post >1 norabelle414: and I'll update with details as they're posted here.

20benitastrnad
Juin 7, 2019, 12:23 pm

>1 norabelle414:
Can you add to the yes list - Beverly and NagainaKarait. Both of them confirmed to me that they are coming. (They are regular ALA attendees - and fellow librarians.)

21msf59
Modifié : Juin 7, 2019, 12:40 pm

What is up with this "Maybe" stuff? I am in. Thanks for all your hard work over here, Benita. Getting pumped.

22timspalding
Juin 7, 2019, 1:07 pm

I'd vote Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe. That's off Dupont Circle, is a good and has a cafe.

https://www.librarything.com/venue/77/Kramerbooks-Afterwords-Cafe

23timspalding
Juin 7, 2019, 1:08 pm

I also vote we pick one time. I'm going to see try to combine LT and any Litsy members who are at ALA. There were a bunch at BookExpo, and there's overlap.

24timspalding
Juin 7, 2019, 1:31 pm

25norabelle414
Juin 7, 2019, 1:36 pm

>20 benitastrnad: Added!

>21 msf59: Moved you to the "yes" pile!

>23 timspalding: The main meetup is definitely Saturday for dinner.

26SqueakyChu
Juin 7, 2019, 1:37 pm

I’m not sure. I’d love to see everyone but meeting in a noisy restaurant (although I adore B&P) won’t work for me. I have difficulty hearing in noisy restaurant environments and only get frustrated when I try to follow conversations. Should you be planning any other get-togethers in a quieter environment that day, I’d love to join you. I’ll follow this thread just to keep an eye on what’s happening. Thanks for letting me know, Nora!

27benitastrnad
Juin 7, 2019, 2:41 pm

>26 SqueakyChu:
That is my problem with Kramer's. I thought that perhaps Busboys and Poets would be quieter, since it is in a bigger space. Have you been there? Would that suit the purposes of a group trying to talk? The way the web site has it - Busboys has a coffee shop and a restaurant. Do you know if they are separate spaces?

28SqueakyChu
Modifié : Juin 7, 2019, 3:11 pm

>27 benitastrnad: I haven't been there for quite a while so I can't answer your question. Saturday nights in restaurants are generally a problem for me wherever I go. My previous DC meetup groups know my struggles. Our original meetups all happened out-of-doors and walking around DC. That doesn't jive well with the ALA convention which is all indoors, although quiet. I actually met Tim and Abbey at a previous ALA convention (but when I could hear a bit better).

Alternatively I could ignore everyone and just eat a good meal. ;)

Please don't plan your event around me. i always find ways to meet up with other LTers (...even if I have to go to Toronto to do it!).

Sometimes (but only sometimes) it helps if we have a head count and also request a quiet place in a restaurant.

29norabelle414
Juin 7, 2019, 3:10 pm

>28 SqueakyChu: They moved to a new building across the street last September, and I haven't been there yet to see what the volume is like.

30SqueakyChu
Juin 7, 2019, 3:12 pm

>28 SqueakyChu: I can't imagine a Saturday night at Busboys & Poets being the least bit quiet. LOL!

31foggidawn
Juin 7, 2019, 3:30 pm

>28 SqueakyChu: I have the same problems with restaurants and large groups of people. I spend a lot of time smiling and nodding. Should probably get my hearing checked...

32SqueakyChu
Juin 7, 2019, 4:22 pm

>31 foggidawn: I advise it. It would make your life so much easier! It sounds as if we need a meetup for hard-of-hearing LTers! LOL!

33foggidawn
Juin 8, 2019, 6:32 pm

34SqueakyChu
Juin 8, 2019, 7:51 pm

>33 foggidawn: ...in a quiet room with no echoes! :D

35benitastrnad
Juin 11, 2019, 11:41 am

I have not heard from Abby or Tim regarding the free passes. Just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten and will get the word out as soon as I know anything.

36gilroy
Juin 11, 2019, 11:51 am

Due to other obligations that have appeared for that weekend, it looks like my wife and I will miss this gathering.

37ablachly
Juin 11, 2019, 12:35 pm

Do we have a viable alternative to Busboys & Poets that might be less noisy, or non?

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it (I'll be at ALA but Saturday is the one evening I have other plans, alas!), but I think Tim is planning on being there.

And yes, I'm still working on getting a code for free exhibits-only passes. More on that as soon as I have it.

38benitastrnad
Juin 11, 2019, 1:57 pm

As soon as I can I am going to call Busboys and Poets and find out what kind of facilities they have. As I understand from the web page, there is a coffee shop, restaurant, and a bookstore all in one place. It appears that they have some rooms for parties, or something like that, but I can't tell how large of a room any of them are from the pictures and other info. I will take care of that - probably later this week. But I will get to it.

39ablachly
Juin 11, 2019, 2:33 pm

Okay - passes are here! These are good for exhibit-hall only access to ALA on Saturday, Sunday, & Monday.

https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=291&oi=IQruTjvKoFzHoIiGjo9vo...

The "code" is V134 but you shouldn't need to enter that - the URL above populates it for you in the form.

40norabelle414
Juin 11, 2019, 2:35 pm

>36 gilroy: Sorry to miss you!

>37 ablachly: Unfortunately, noisy restaurants with tall ceilings are very popular right now and I don't think we're going to be able to find anything quiet downtown near the convention center.

>38 benitastrnad: Busboys and Poets is mostly a big restaurant, and off to one side is a counter where you can order coffee, some sofas, and some shelves of books for sale. It has two private rooms, but they cost a lot of money to reserve and the smallest room seats 50 people. Probably our best bet is to ask if there's a quieter section of the restaurant that they could seat us in.

41PumitHam
Juin 11, 2019, 4:46 pm

Count me in! Would be lovely to meet a lot of you.

42timspalding
Juin 11, 2019, 6:39 pm

>41 PumitHam:

Great.

Okay, we do have a plan. I'd love to nail something down by tomorrow, so it can go into Litsy newsletter. It absolutely needs to be locked down by next Monday, so it can go into LibraryThing newsletter!

43msf59
Modifié : Juin 11, 2019, 7:11 pm

>39 ablachly: I am booked, Abby & Tim. Thank you so much. Looking forward to seeing you guys very soon.

>38 benitastrnad: And thanks, Benita, for the incredible amount of work you put into this. I will have to buy you a beer!

44drneutron
Juin 11, 2019, 7:47 pm

Got mine! Thanks Tim & Abby!

45ablachly
Juin 12, 2019, 9:46 am

>42 timspalding:

I think it's tentatively:
* Saturday June 22
* Busboys & Poets - 450 K Street: https://www.busboysandpoets.com
* Time??

46norabelle414
Juin 12, 2019, 10:25 am

>45 ablachly: Let's say 6:30pm unless anyone has any objections.

47drneutron
Modifié : Juin 12, 2019, 10:36 am

Sounds good to me!

For those of us first-timers to the exhibit area, what are the rules for backpacks, etc? I've heard that they aren't allowed - is there provision for storing books somewhere so I don't have to try to carry everything around loose?

48foggidawn
Modifié : Juin 12, 2019, 10:44 am

>47 drneutron: Wheeled carts are not allowed, but tote bags and backpacks should be fine. There's usually a coat check somewhere in the conference center where you can check your bags full of stuff if you need to, but if all you're doing is visiting the exhibits, you probably won't need to do that.

ETA: I usually start with an empty messenger bag, and end up with that being full of smaller stuff (pens, bookmarks, buttons, etc.) and I acquire a tote bag or two from various vendors, which get filled with books. There are always vendors giving away tote bags, so I think bringing a backpack is fine, but don't feel the need to bring in a lot of empty bags.

49drneutron
Juin 12, 2019, 12:00 pm

>48 foggidawn: Great! Thanks!

50benitastrnad
Juin 12, 2019, 6:27 pm

The American Library Association (ALA) has two conferences per year. One in the winter and one in the summer. The summer conference is the big one. There will be approximately 15,000 people associated with libraries who will be attending this conference so be prepared to fight crowds. (There may be even more attendees because librarians love Washington. I heard through the grapevine that there will be 20,000 attendees.) There will be another 5 to 7,000 people attending because they will be working in the exhibits. There will be about 5,000 exhibits in the exhibit halls. These booths will range from huge booths that will cost the companies tens of thousands of dollars for the four days to the small stall sized booths that don't cost as much.

The conference starts on Friday, June 21 at 4:00 p.m. and ends on Tuesday, June 28. The conference usually starts with a preliminary author talk. This is usually a panel discussion of local authors and there will be some well known authors and some newcomers on the panel. At 5:00 p.m., whether the panel discussion is done or not, the Exhibit hall will open. It will close at 8:00 p.m. that night. The exhibit hall will be open each day thereafter at 9:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m. except for Monday, when it will close at 2:00 p.m. It will not reopen.

It is important to remember that you are not eligible to attend the Friday night exhibit openings if you have an exhibits only pass.

The exhibit hall is a fascinating place to visit. Every kind of vendor who has anything to do with libraries will be there. Furniture manufacturers and big information companies will be there. Some of the biggies in the information world will have huge exhibits that will look like stalls at carnivals. The latest in techno gadgets will also be on show. Library friendly companies like 3M, IBM, Xerox, etc. will be there. Even companies who produce scheduling software and other logistical support for libraries will be on the floor. Of course, the big book publishers will be there. As will the authors whose work they are trying to promote will be there as well.

On the surface it would seem that this is a place just for librarians, but it is so much more. Join the legions of people who have their hair up and out of the way, wearing comfortable shoes and clothes, who conveniently have their eyeglasses on chains and are caring lots of bags full of swag. So wear your walking shoes and be prepared to carry home lots of "swag."

51benitastrnad
Juin 12, 2019, 6:31 pm

This is a good time to tell everybody that there are no wheeled carts allowed on the exhibit hall floors without a doctors note. That will include wheeled suitcases. This proved to be a problem in the past. Tote bags and backpacks get heavy after a couple of hours. The vendors will provide tote bags, and you can fill cardboard boxes that almost every vendor has at the exhibit booth, or you can pick up the boxes from around the recycling bins.

There is even a U. S. Post Office on the exhibit hall floor - and it is open on Sunday - so that you can mail your boxes of books using the very very cheap book rate provided by the U. S. Post Office. Do NOT use UPS or Fed Ex as shipping books through them costs a mint. Boxes for mailing books can be found at the vendors booths, but you have to be fast as these boxes are the ones the books were shipped to the vendors in, so books fit into them very nicely for shipping purposes. The U. S. Post Office will also have boxes and tubes for mailing posters. You will have to pay for them, but you don't have to carry them into the exhibit hall. Be prepared for long lines, even though the U. S. P. S. will have two or three clerks working. (I have waited in line at the Post Office for an hour or more on Sunday to mail boxes. Sunday is the big day at the Post Office.) All of this is the reason why you need to park close and make frequent trips back to the car. Hence, the need for that exhibit hall pass on a lanyard around your neck.

On average I ship 4 boxes of books back to my home after this conference.

There is also a U. S. P. S. office located inside of Union Station. For those of you staying at the hotels close to Union Station this is a godsend.

52benitastrnad
Juin 12, 2019, 6:37 pm

I am sorry to be so slow to get things posted to this thread, but I have simply been swamped at work.

1. The free passes from LT are good for the Exhibit Hall only. It is good for the entire conference. So you could attend for more than one day using your pass.

2. No wheeled carts allowed in the exhibit hall. You can bring wheeled carts and check them at the bag check counter. This will cost $2.00 per item. You can fill your tote bag and then transfer them to the wheeled carts you have stored at the bag check counter.

3. If you are handicapped and need a wheel chair or other motorized vehicle you can get a special pass for that at the ALA registration desk.

I know it sounds mean, but there is a reason for the no wheeled carts rule. This is a huge conference and as big as the exhibit hall is, trust me on this, it gets very crowded. (When those doors open first thing in the morning it can be like the after Christmas sale at Bloomingdales. There is no shopper so fierce as librarians bent on getting free stuff for their libraries.) There will be long long lines to have books autographed so it will get crowded in the book, zine, and graphic novel sections.

When my niece as in Chicago with me for the conference five years ago, she said, "Oh my God! Authors are like Rock Stars here." Very true.

4. The tech vendors ( companies like ProQuest, Springer, Elsevier, ExLibras, EBSCO, Thomson-Reuters, etc.) and supply companies (Brodart, Gaylord, etc.) often have cloth shopping bags that they will give away. Librarians then go immediately from their booths to the book aisles and fill them.

5. If there is free food, there will be a long line. It doesn't matter if it is insipid white cake from the nearest grocery store. There will be a line. Sometimes the free food is more hidden. Springer has free espresso. But you have to ask for it. Thomson-Reuters, sometimes has free coffee, but you have to go to the upper story of their booth to get it.

6. Not all books are free. I will tell you more about that later. So bring cash or a credit card. Plan on using both. Visit your ATM before you come.

7. I don't know about parking at the Convention Center. I assume there is some, but where it is - I simply don't know.

8. There is a free bus shuttle service offered by one of the big publishers, Gale/Cengage. This runs from the big conference hotels starting at 6:45 a.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m. If you have the exhibit pass you can use this shuttle. Take advantage of it.

53benitastrnad
Juin 12, 2019, 6:51 pm

What you can and can't do with the free passes.

The exhibit pass will not allow you to get in to see any of the programs. However, it allows you to be in the exhibit hall non- stop so you can get into more lines to get autographed books. Sometimes publishers will give away books for the signings and sometimes you have to pay $5.00 to $10.00 for the books. But as my niece said "Cool. I got to see Gregory Macquire. Who gets to do that?"

Pop-Top Stage and Cooking Stage

There are several stages where you can sit and rest and listen to authors talk about their books. There is a fiction stage and a cooking stage and one for poetry. Each day on the fiction stage is devoted to a different genre. I am not sure of the schedule yet, but you can check the ALA conference web site to find them. Some of the author panel discussions are great places to find out about a new author. Most of the time if an author appears at one of the stages they will be signing at that publisher's booth. Signing usually means free books, but you often have to stand in line. I generally ask if the books are free before I assume that they are free.

ARC's and Authors
ARC's are Advanced Readers Copies. These are paperback books that are printed and given out for free. They are not proof-read and are not the final copy of the book as it will be printed, distributed and sold. They are generally full of spelling and punctuation errors. ARC's are generally stacked on the floor or on tables that are clearly marked. If the books are on display racks they are NOT giveaways and don't take them. Most of the books that will be available as ARC's are going to be new authors, or second line authors. They are not going to be books by James Patterson or most best selling authors with a reputation. That is because the publishers want to promote some of the other worthy authors and their books in hopes that these authors will become best selling authors. Go into this with an open mind about collecting what is free and you will get some gems. You will also get some clunkers.

Author Signings
The aisle's will be crowded at this conference because the publishers will bring in big name authors. Especially YA and Children's authors. That is because it is at this conference that the big-time awards for Children's and YA Literature are given. Sunday night is the award ceremony for the Caldecott and Newbery awards. Monday morning is the Coretta Scott King awards breakfast. There will be other authors at the conference but these "rock stars" will be mobbed.

Graphic Novels
The Graphic Novel publishers have their own section of the exhibit hall floor and this is a great place to wander and find some of those graphic works. Some of these will be free, some will be low cost. Always ask before you grab.

54benitastrnad
Modifié : Juin 12, 2019, 6:56 pm

Books

Free - these are usually ARC's (see above message)
Low Cost - usually hardback copies are $10.00 to $12.00 - if they are for sale. paperbacks are usually $5.00 to $8.00 if they are for sale.

The publishers are at this conference to give away books and promote authors, so they know you are looking for free books. Be polite. Sometimes you can talk them out of books. You can also ask them to send you copies in the mail. Take the sales reps name and e-mail address. E-mail them after the conference and remind them that you talked to them at ALA. They will usually mail the books to you. In return, please review the books, or talk, talk, talk, about them on your threads. They want that publicity. That is why they are giving you the books.

1. Not all books are free. If you are in doubt ask. Most of the publishers love to talk about the books and authors, but they don't like to get robbed.

2. If books are on the floor they are generally ARC's and are free. If in doubt ask.

3. Books piled on the tables are usually for sale, or are being given away during an author signing. Sometimes books for author signings are also being sold. When in doubt ask the Publisher reps.

4. Books on or in the display cases are for sale. If there is more than one copy of the books you can usually buy one, but if in doubt ask.

5. Books are usually for sale for half price. However, they are often cheaper than that. Paperbacks are usually 5 to 8 dollars and hardbacks are usually priced at 10 to 12 dollars.

6. If there are lines at a booth it is because there is an author there. This is a conference at which the authors talk to the people in line so the lines often move slowly.

7. Take time to talk to the sales reps, sometimes you can talk them into giving you a copy of the books. Especially if there is more than one on display.

8. There will be lots of children's authors present. Sunday is the day, night of, the Newbery and Caldecott banquet and the award recipients will be there to give talks and to sign books. That means that there will be long lines and the aisles will be crowded. That does not mean that there won't be adult authors it just means that the place will be crowded so pay attention to what line you are standing in.

9. don't set anything down once you have paid for it as it is likely to disappear.

10. There will be lots of graphic novels there, however very few of them will be free. They will be discounted but most likely won't be free. Same is true of cookbooks, unless they are given away at the Cooking Stage and an author signing. They will be discounted, but not free.

55benitastrnad
Juin 12, 2019, 7:02 pm

How to get Registered with the Free Passes

As most of you know I am not using the free passes that LT is providing for this conference. A friend of mine who is going to attend on Sunday for sure, and maybe Saturday, told me that when she got all done with registering it told her to bring the printout to the Advance Registration desk. I am sure that the rest of you got these same directions so now is a good time to explain what that means.

When you get to the convention center look for the signs that will tell you where the registration area is located. Usually they have huge printed out signs on the floor as well as the scrolling screens hanging from the ceiling. When you get to the registration area it will be huge. There should be a line for Advanced registration.

If you have the advanced registration pass from LT go to one of the lines for Advance Registration. On Saturday there shouldn’t be much of a line but don't count on it. Get in one of these lines and when you get to the desk give them the printed out pass you have with you. You will also need a picture ID to give to them. They will give you the conference registration packet. They will also give you a lanyard and a name tag. This name tag will have a bar code on it and it is your official exhibit hall pass. You will have to have the name tag pinned on you or hanging around your neck at all times or you won’t be able to go in or out of the exhibit hall. The registration tag will be good for any or all of the days of the conference. You are not restricted to just one day. You could come for more than one day if you want to do so.

Don't try to get into the Exhibit Hall without getting the lanyard first. The security people at the entrance will not let you in. Remember that this pass is good only for the Exhibit Hall. You can't attend the programs with it.

ALA provides free wireless access during the conference so if you have smart phones or iPads, they will work in the convention center. Feel free to bring them along, but remember that they will be one more thing to carry and you will probably have a maximum load before the afternoon is over and have made multiple trips to the Coat/Baggage Check area.

56benitastrnad
Juin 12, 2019, 7:10 pm

I will be in and out of the Exhibit Hall on Saturday as I have a couple of meetings to attend. I will be in the Exhibit Hall most of the day on Sunday.

Mark, Suzanne, and Marianne are all veterans of these things, so if you can find them on the floor they can answer your questions.

The LT folks will be in the ProQuest booth, be sure to stop by and talk to them.

I will be back on this thread tomorrow with news and final arrangements for the evening meetup. Tentatively, here is what is planned.

Librarything Meetup Washington
Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
Busboys and Poets
14TH & V
2021 14th St, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009

https://www.busboysandpoets.com/

A smaller group of us will be meeting on Friday night. I am still getting those arrangements finalized. I am trying to find a smaller venue. I will post that tomorrow.

57katiekrug
Juin 12, 2019, 8:35 pm

There are two different locations of Busboys and Poets being mentioned here, FYI. The one on K Street is closer to the convention center...

58norabelle414
Juin 12, 2019, 9:33 pm

>57 katiekrug: Thanks for catching that, Katie!

>56 benitastrnad: We are meeting at
Busboys and Poets 450K
450 K St NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

59benitastrnad
Juin 13, 2019, 2:41 pm

I called the Busboys and Poets 450K this morning and they do not take reservations. They said that their tables are strictly first come - first served. She did say that they have plenty of room. So that makes it official.

Those who want to do so can meet at around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the Busboys and Poets Bookstore and Cafe 450 K (make sure to get the correct location). There should be about 10 of us. We will order off the menu dutch treat.

There is no event scheduled for that location on that date, so perhaps it will be quieter.

I look forward to seeing all of you there.

60weird_O
Juin 13, 2019, 3:13 pm

Benita, you had me scheming for a few days about driving to DC for this. I was put off a bit, thinking about the noise factor wherever the meetup was going to be, as Madeline noted >26 SqueakyChu: >28 SqueakyChu:.

But your string of posts (starting around >50 benitastrnad:) settled it for me. I attended the ABA BookExpos annually for about 20 years and got to the Frankfurt Book Fair a couple of times. I don't have the stamina for such events any more. I do appreciate your warnings.

61norabelle414
Juin 13, 2019, 3:25 pm

>59 benitastrnad: Thanks Benita! Have you heard whether Suzanne and Joe are coming to dinner? I'm keeping a headcount in the first post here so let me know if you hear of anyone else and I will add them to the list.

62timspalding
Modifié : Juin 13, 2019, 6:04 pm

Okay, set in stone:

Librarything Meetup Washington
Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
Busboys and Poets
14TH & V
2021 14th St, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009


See Update Below

Woo-hoo!

BTW: There will be Litsy people there too. And LibraryThing/Litsy people. No knife fights, okay?

63norabelle414
Juin 13, 2019, 5:47 pm

>62 timspalding: No! We're meeting at the 450K Busboys and Poets, NOT the 14th and V

64timspalding
Juin 13, 2019, 6:03 pm

Argh. Okay.

Librarything Meetup Washington
Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
Busboys and Poets 450K
450 K St NW
Washington, D.C. 20009

65benitastrnad
Juin 13, 2019, 7:30 pm

It is the 450 K location. On K Street NW. When I called this morning they told me it is the closest to the convention center. I took her word on that.

66SqueakyChu
Modifié : Juin 13, 2019, 10:08 pm

Have a great time everyone!

I decided that this meetup is not for me. It's too chaotic. I don't see well or hear well any more. So even getting back after dark would be a problem for me as I don't drive at night. I'll stick to local book festivals during the day with Bookcrossers in the meantime. I would be up for ad hoc meetups in quieter venues during the daytime in the future so keep me posted, Nora! It was quite fun getting together with Zoe and Mark recently when they came into town. Mark and I even became Pokemon GO friends at that time! Haha!

Photos of this upcoming meetup would be appreciated, though!

67michigantrumpet
Juin 14, 2019, 11:26 am

Hello All! Please Count me in!!!

I just booked the Exhibits Hall Pass and the Hotel.

Excited to see everyone!

Marianne

68drneutron
Juin 14, 2019, 12:50 pm

Yay, Marianne's coming!

69benitastrnad
Juin 14, 2019, 6:56 pm

I just got the hotel booked as well. I had a small glitch in my reservation and will have to change hotels for one night. Oh well, that happens sometimes.

For the ALA conference I will be at the ALA hotel - Grand Hyatt. I know that some of you are going to be staying out in the Georgetown area were the hotels are a little cheaper. The Metro is wonderful and easy to ride during the weekends. Looking forward to seeing all of you.

70Chatterbox
Juin 17, 2019, 3:35 am

Count me in, too. Unless I have a cat-astrophe in the meantime. (My elderly cat, Cassie, is wasting away; I'm trying to get her to a vet this week to see if it's OK to leave her for a long weekend...)

I'll be staying with my friend Harlan in VA -- I have known him since we were at the same international high school in Belgium decades ago, and he's lovely and very bookish -- quintessential nerd and gregarious and curious. (Oh, and 6' 6"...) He'll be coming along on Saturday, Sunday and poss Monday, and will join us on Saturday evening. My cousin, Nancy, who is a librarian at Stanford, will be in for ALA as well, so I'm hoping to connect with her.

Madeline, I empathize. I have lost some of my hearing in recent months, and I have arthritis not only in my ankles but also my TOES (adding insult to injury...) so I anticipate a few mobility issues. That said, the allure of free ARCs is just too enticing to miss, and I've had to pass up the last two ALA meetings.

71norabelle414
Juin 17, 2019, 9:34 am

>70 Chatterbox: Keeping my fingers crossed for your cat! I'll add you and your friend Harlan to the count.

72SqueakyChu
Modifié : Juin 17, 2019, 10:14 am

>70 Chatterbox: Suz, I'm sorry to miss you, It's been a really long time. The last time I saw you was at the DC meetup that time we went to the Miro exhibit. My husband just suffered from an acute flareup of osteoarthritis in his knees. I'm not used to HIM being incapacitated.

Fortunately I don't need any more books, Having a Little Free Library, neighbors knock on my door to give me book donations (plus I just had a (sort of) local publisher I like very much send me three unsolicited ARCs). I just need to live long enough to read all the books I've collected here at home over the years. Have a great time at the convention. Regards to everyone!

Be sure to get your hearing loss checked out. Unaided hearing loss can result in even more unintentional hearing loss.

Hope all goes as well as can be expected for your cat. That's a tough situation in which to be.

73BookFreakOut
Juin 17, 2019, 3:20 pm

Hey everybody! I'm planning on coming to the meetup! BookFreakOut on Litsy.

74benitastrnad
Juin 17, 2019, 9:44 pm

Joe Welsh is not coming to D.C. so we can take him off the list of possible attendees.

I can't believe that 16 people will be attending. I am sure that Busboys and Poets will be rockin' on Saturday. It was listed in the June issue of American Libraries as a close place of great interest - and cheap food - for librarians to dine. I plan on calling on Wednesday just to check and make sure that they have enough room for us. They don't take reservations, but they don't have any event scheduled for that location (450 K Street NW) on June 22, so we should be good to go.

75norabelle414
Juin 17, 2019, 10:20 pm

>74 benitastrnad: I've had good luck in the past with calling them about 30 minutes before I plan to go with a large group to give them a heads up and they can get a table ready. I'll plan to do that on Saturday.

76benitastrnad
Juin 18, 2019, 1:23 pm

>75 norabelle414: Sounds good to me.

77benitastrnad
Juin 18, 2019, 1:29 pm

Advice about the exhibit hall floor.

If you have them - take business cards. You can give them to publishers representatives and have ARC's mailed to you after the conference is over.

Oftentimes, the publisher will run out of copies on the exhibit hall floor. If they have more copies available they will be happy to mail them to you, but you need to either get their business card or take your own. If they give you a business card I find it useful to write the name of the book on the back of their card so I don't forget which book I was interested in. The conference ends on Tuesday, June 25, so wait till the end of the week before you e-mail them to remind them that you were interested and want a copy of the book. That gives them enough time to get back to work and get through their stacked up e-mail and job duties, but you are still fresh in their minds. I simply state that I talked to them at the ALA conference and would like to request ARC's of the following book or books. I also thank them for talking with me, and be sure to include your mailing address in the e-mail, so they know where to send it.

In return make sure that when you read the book, you send them a copy of your review, or send them the URL of the post you made here in Librarything, so they can see that their efforts weren't wasted.

78benitastrnad
Juin 18, 2019, 7:19 pm

Here is a URL for the list of Penguin Random House's authors and author signing times in the PRH booth in the exhibit hall. Even if you aren't keen on author signings there are usually free books by these authors available in the booth. The caveat - you have to wait until the signing is over to get the free books.

http://penguinrandomhouselibrary.com/2019/06/05/discover-your-next-sweet-read-at...

79lorannen
Juin 19, 2019, 11:24 am

Got another tentative yes from a Litsy member (posted on FB—I'll add their Litsy handle as soon as I have it)!

80PumitHam
Juin 19, 2019, 2:34 pm

It turns out I wont be able to attend like I planned. I'm sorry but hopefully next time I will clear my schedule in advance to go. Have fun everyone!

81kristincedar
Juin 19, 2019, 3:40 pm

I have a SLA meeting at 630, but if you guys are around past that, I'll be here. I live and work in DC. Oh my god, open invitation to anyone who wants to stop in.

82timspalding
Juin 19, 2019, 5:54 pm

Memo to self: Get some "My name is…" stickers. I think we have too many people to make do without them!

83benitastrnad
Juin 19, 2019, 6:15 pm

I am leaving bright and early in the morning, so this will be my last post before the conference. Norabelle has volunteered to contact Busboys and Poets to let them know how many people will be in our party. Please remember that this is Dutch Treat - if you order food or drinks, you pay for it. This is not a sponsored supper.

I do not have any way to post pictures to LT, but I hope that somebody will have this capability and will volunteer to take a group meetup picture.

I don't have any information about parking at the convention center, but surely they have some for those of you who are driving in?

You can find Tim and Abby in the ProQuest booth on the exhibit floor. Be sure to stop and talk to them about what you would like to have changed in LT. Since they are working on an upgrade your input is important. I will be stopping at the ProQuest booth, but whoever they have that is the RefWorks person will be who I am going to find, so Tim and Abby can warn them that I have questions and want some answers!

I am sure that those of us attending the Meetup will want to know what books you got, so be prepared to regale us with stories of the hunt!

See you all in Washington, and happy book hunting everybody.

84bell7
Juin 19, 2019, 6:44 pm

>82 timspalding: Oh yes, please, first names and usernames, perhaps? (I know I often don't remember who's who.)

I'll be heading out early tomorrow as well. Looking forward to meeting up with folks!

85theegee
Juin 19, 2019, 8:17 pm

How do you get a pass?

86timspalding
Modifié : Juin 19, 2019, 10:18 pm

You can find Tim and Abby in the ProQuest booth on the exhibit floor. Be sure to stop and talk to them about what you would like to have changed in LT. Since they are working on an upgrade your input is important. I will be stopping at the ProQuest booth, but whoever they have that is the RefWorks person will be who I am going to find, so Tim and Abby can warn them that I have questions and want some answers!

You will probably not see much of us at the booth. We have wall-to-wall meetings, and we have been told that--as ProQuest is bringing more than 100 people--we should not hang around the booth if we are not on duty. As we have no regular duty hours, we will probably be easier to spot outside the booth.

If, however, you have any interest in learning about Syndetics Unbound, the LibraryThing/ProQuest product, I can arrange a very nice little tour, by me or by someone!

87norabelle414
Juin 19, 2019, 11:15 pm

>85 theegee: Hi theegee! You can find the link to get passes in message #39 of this thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/307549#6843202

88lorannen
Juin 20, 2019, 2:30 am

Update: please add Litsy member crystalblu (mentioned in >79 lorannen:).

89nycke137
Juin 20, 2019, 7:45 am

I'll be there!

90norabelle414
Juin 20, 2019, 8:58 am

91norabelle414
Juin 20, 2019, 9:44 am

Per the twitter account of Capitol Hill Books, a delightful fire hazard of a used book store, they will be giving 15% off to all ALA attendees this weekend.

92lorannen
Juin 20, 2019, 2:09 pm

>91 norabelle414: "fire hazard of a used book store" is such a lovely, evocative phrase. I may have to borrow that.

93norabelle414
Juin 20, 2019, 2:13 pm

>92 lorannen: Don't forget the "delightful" part!!

94lorannen
Juin 20, 2019, 2:14 pm

>93 norabelle414: of course! I believe "delightful" is implied by "book store". :)

95Chatterbox
Juin 20, 2019, 9:44 pm

>91 norabelle414: LOL, that was the one that we went to during that LT Meetup several years ago, isn't it?? Near a great farmer's market??

Cassie-the-cat is still with us, and the vet has said I can leave town for four days... So my train will get to DC at 4:20 p.m. tomorrow, and I'll be at the convention center (I hope!!) in time to try to get in with a pass that technically doesn't let me in until Saturday morning. *grin*

96norabelle414
Juin 20, 2019, 9:48 pm

>95 Chatterbox: Yep! It's across the street from Eastern Market

97norabelle414
Juin 22, 2019, 11:02 am

I'm around the exhibit hall today, wearing a maroon Librarything shirt. I'll be checking in here periodically, or feel free to leave me a message!

98benitastrnad
Juin 22, 2019, 6:04 pm

I am getting ready to go to Busboys and Poets. See you there.

99norabelle414
Juin 22, 2019, 6:14 pm

We're on the list for a table, it should be ready right at 6:30. While we wait we're sitting outside.

100norabelle414
Juin 22, 2019, 6:34 pm

We're listed under "Nora" if anyone is looking for us

101timspalding
Juin 22, 2019, 11:59 pm

Okay, who's posting the pics?

102benitastrnad
Modifié : Juin 23, 2019, 6:56 am

I won't be. I don't have the pictures or the names of all who attended.

We had a great crowd last night and a great place to meet. The waitress was great and handled our group of at least 16 with aplomb. Busboys and Poets was hoppin' and we rocked the joint. They do sell books there but I will have to go back to make a purchase because the bookstore closes at 9 and the cafe closes at midnight on weekends.

Some of the group scored big time in the exhibit hall and came away with ARC's of books by Elizabeth Strout and Ann Patchett. As or me - I got a real book of Infomocracy and a reprint paperback of Pushcart War. It was first published in 1964 and I remember reading it when I was in 4th grade.

Great Meetup guys.

103drneutron
Juin 23, 2019, 11:15 am

Had a great time last night. It was great meeting new friends and old!

104drneutron
Juin 23, 2019, 4:41 pm

And here’s my haul!

105benitastrnad
Juin 24, 2019, 6:51 am

I got the Helen Tursten book as well.

106bell7
Juin 24, 2019, 8:43 am

(typing this on my phone)

I'm too lazy to post photos via phone, but have both pics and names and can do it when I get home next week 😀

107benitastrnad
Modifié : Juin 25, 2019, 4:08 pm

It was a full weekend of activity at ALA for us LT'ers. On Friday night a small group of us met for supper at the DuPont Circle bookstore/restaurant "Kramers Books and Afterwards Cafe." We a lengthy conversation about books, travel, LT, and ALA.

Saturday found everybody at the conference where Jim joined the group to score some big wins.

Saturday evening found all of us at Busboys and Poets on K-street. (See Tim's posted picture of the group up thread.) Busboys and Poets was a very hip place for ALA'ers that night. It turned out that there were three different ALA groups meeting there. Members of the other groups were directed to our group because they would tell the hostess that they were at Busboys because they were having a library thing party! (The next day at one of my meetings I ran into a woman who had this happen to her. She was at Busboys to attend the "Social Justice Round Table 40th Anniversary" party. She said it took her about a half hour to figure out she was at the wrong library thing party.). It was a really great time and I was happy in the company.

The group did well in the book collecting department, with some people scoring extremely good finds. Those who got ARC's of the new Alice Hoffman book World That We Knew will be happy to know that the June 2019 issue of Booklist gave it a starred review.

This was one of my smallest book hauls in recent years. I was not feeling well, and today I am in the hotel room taking aspirin and drinking pugh medicine. I spent a miserable night coughing and hacking with a fever. I, who am rarely sick, caught a cold. If I felt like reading it would be a good thing to spend the day in bed, but I don't. I had plans to hit the Smithsonian Art museums today and tomorrow.

For those who could see the speakers, my sister said that Sonia Sotomayor was a great speaker and sat patiently signing books long after the Secret Service people were after her to leave. George Takei (Sulu on Star Trek) and his crew of artists (his is a graphic novel biography and one to watch for in the future) apologized profusely because they were unable to bring either ARC's or finished books for signing due to the trade war with China creating havoc in the printing industry. Instead, he and his art team signed a truncated first chapter ARC for those who wanted to stand in line. The librarians appreciated the gesture.

It turned out to be a huge conference with preliminary attendance figures at 16,000 attendantee's and 5,000 exhibitors. The final numbers will be available next week.

I know that most of the LT'ers who were at ALA are still traveling so their book hauls will be posted later to their threads. Chatterbox (Suzanne) and the Chicago Warbler are still on the road, so you will have to check their threads later for their review of the books and the conference.

It was good to see everybody and I hope to see some of you - or more of you - at the Philadelphia meeting in Jaanuary 2020 for more book talking and book socializing. It may be the last Winter ALA conference, as ALA, like many big labor organizations, is facing a financial and membership crossroads, as well as competition from other book conferences.

The next Annual Summer Conference of ALA will be in Chicago in June 2020. It may be the first of many because ALA is thinking of having all future summer conferences in its home city headquarters- Chicago.

Happy reading everybody! Be sure to check out the postings for the inidivual book hauls.

108norabelle414
Juin 25, 2019, 12:15 pm

I have a few pictures from the meetup but I'm traveling for work and won't be able to post them until I get home on Saturday.

For anyone who is local to DC (or enjoyed it so much they'd like to come back!) I've made a thread for the National Book Festival: https://www.librarything.com/topic/308389
It's on August 31 in the same convention center that ALA was. And it's totally free!

109bell7
Juil 2, 2019, 9:32 pm



Starting on the left and working our way around clockwise, we have Mark (msf59), Nora (norabelle414), Hannah (BookFreakOut on LT & Litsy), Tim (timspalding), Suzanne (Chatterbox), Alice (ecclesdue), Nancy (nrmay), Justina (unsure of her user name), Benita (benitastrnad), Harlan (friend of Suzanne's), Jim (drneutron), Carol (Mark's friend), Marianne (michigantrumpet) and me. Not pictured: Misti (foggidawn) who unfortunately had to leave for another meeting before we had dinner (it was a long wait, as there were 3 different large groups all convening at the same place that night).

110foggidawn
Juil 3, 2019, 8:37 am

>109 bell7: Great picture! Thanks for posting it. I'm sorry I had to leave early, but I'll admit, I hate photos of myself, so I'm not sorry to have missed the picture-taking part. ;-)

111michigantrumpet
Juil 3, 2019, 9:08 am

>109 bell7: Thanks for posting, Mary! What a great gathering.

112SqueakyChu
Modifié : Juil 3, 2019, 11:47 am

Thanks for posting the pic, Mary. All of you look adorable! :D

I should have come just to meet Mark as I follow all of his postings about birds on jessibud2's thread. :)

113benitastrnad
Juil 4, 2019, 8:44 pm

On Monday I ran into one of the people who spent some quality time with us while thinking that they were meeting with the Social Justice Round Table group from ALA. She said it took her about a half hour to figure out that the Busboys and Poets people had shown them to the wrong "Librarything" group. She said she had told the guys at the door that they were looking for their library group and were shown our group when it was out on the patio. She remembered me when she saw me in a room full of ALA people on Monday. Gotta love LT meetups!

114msf59
Juil 4, 2019, 10:11 pm

>112 SqueakyChu: I wish you would have showed up, Madeline. No one asked me about birds. Grins...

115SqueakyChu
Juil 5, 2019, 1:44 am

>114 msf59: Meetups are always fun. Sorry I had to miss this one. I thought it was especially nice that Tim included Littens as I’ve enjoyed Litsy quite a bit this year (although I mostly chat with LTers there)!

Oh, well. I’ll have to catch up with you and your birds on Shelley’s thread, I guess! :D

116drneutron
Juil 5, 2019, 9:30 am

>115 SqueakyChu: Madeline - I'm using the same user name on Litsy, just joined up after the meetup. Look me up so I can follow you!

117SqueakyChu
Modifié : Juil 30, 2019, 7:52 am

>116 drneutron:. Okay. Will do!

I’m also SqueakyChu on Litsy.

118lisapeet
Juil 30, 2019, 6:13 am

That looks like a good time! I'm sorry I couldn't get away to meet up—ALA is always incredibly hectic for me. But maybe next one, or Midwinter... these get-togethers are always on my radar, and someday I'll make it to one.

119norabelle414
Juin 20, 2022, 11:17 am

The conference is in DC again this month, I made a topic for anyone who wants to meet up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/342452