June: An Important Month for Librarians
By Ann Glass - FF/S
June is an important month for librarians! The American Library Association will hold its summer meeting in Washington, D.C., one of only two gatherings held annually by this organization.
ALA President Camila Alire will be there along with some outstanding authors: Rosemary Wells (best known for Max and Ruby), Sue Monk Kidd (Secret Life of Bees and Darlington teacher Mrs. Monk’s sister-in-law), David Small (illustrator of Caldecott Award-winning book So You Want to be President), Audrey Niffenegger (Time-Traveler’s Wife), John Grisham, Junot Diaz (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao), Mo Willems (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus), Jon Scieszka (Time Warp Trio), Eloise Greenfield (Daydreams), Lulu Delacre (Storyteller’s Candle), Will Hillenbrand (Kiss the Cow), and many more.
Also not to be missed is the famous “book cart drill” by highly trained and well-practiced librarians! One could stay busy just going from booth to booth, and many librarians will bring a rolling suitcase just for the free merchandise!
Then, there are the off-site tours of historical sites such as the Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, etc. If there is energy and will to stay until closing, the entertainment includes a performance by Natalie Merchant.
I know that all those who attend will discover new and exciting ideas that can be implemented at their respective schools.
