TLA Conference=Amazing!

The Texas Libary Association Conference (TLA) was last week.  One word summary=Amazing!

There's just something magical about TLA.  The free books.  The free pens and pencils.  The free bags.  The free swag.  THE FREE STUFF!

The authors.  Oh the authors!  It's so cool to walk into a bathroom or down the hall and see an author. Like, they're real people!  :)

The sessions.  The sessions are so informative!  There are so many at the same time that are awesome that it's hard to pick which one to go to.  Sometime you have to resort to eeny, meeny, miny, moe.  It's a very scientific method for choosing a session....

The first general session was done by LeVar Burton.  Reading Rainbow y'all!  One of my favorite quotes was "Literacy is a birthright of every one of us."  So true!

Scott McClelland did the general session Wednesday afternoon.  McClelland is the President of HEB's Houston division.  I loved how he talked about needing to put free books into the homes of the underprivileged.

I started the conference off with Speed Dating the Texas Bluebonnet Books and Authors.  It's so cool to have an author/illustrator sit down with a table of librarians and book talk their own book.  I also got some great activities and ideas to do with their books for next year.

Wednesday I began with BookADay with my former library professor Teri Lesesne and my hero Donalyn Miller, author of Book Whisper and Reading in the Wild. BookADay is an exciting movement to encourage daily reading. Everyone participating can set their own rules as long as you read a book a day. Use #bookaday on any social media to log what you read and see what others are reading. 

I also went to a focus group for the new TLA standards, book talks and a session on collaborating with teachers. 

Thursday I spent my morning learning about the new books on the Texas 2x2 list.  I've read all the books on the list but it was still interesting to hear what others thought of the books and to hear one of the authors talk.  I also went to the Texas Bluebonnet Award author session where they served a delicious lunch and we got to hear author, Laban Carrick Hill and illustrator, Theodore Taylor talk about their winning book When the Beat Was Born.

And the Lip Sync battle.  Oh. My. Word.  Hilarious!  It was kid lit vs YA lit.  Authors introduced their books then had to find a song that went with their book and lip sync it.  So. Much. Fun.  I will never look at a regular old book talk the same way again!

Friday we spent the morning in the Exhibits getting last minute free books, book marks, posters pens etc.

I got to spend some time with my some of my fellow district librarians outside of work.  Which we never do.  It was fun to let our hair down and just hang out with each other.

I think this was one of the best years... although I think I say that every year.  Ha!  I have next year already marked on my calendar.