Librarian's Guide to the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 23-28
Get the inside scoop on session picks and pans, book buzz to follow, and meals you won't want to miss (contributed by the editors of Fodor's Travel Guides) May 31, 2011
(See our ALA Conferences site for complete event coverage from the editors of Library Journal and School Library Journal)
WHAT TO DO:
ALA 2011 | Professional Programs Aplenty, LJ's Picks & PansThere is plenty on the conference program for almost any librarian at any level at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 23–28. It may even be enough to keep you away from the many temptations of the bon temps in that city of joyous distractions. Our focus here is on the free stuff, and we’ve chosen programs we consider worthy of your time and attention. A star means we think it has the greatest potential, but if a program doesn't deliver, just leave. There's always another program, and, of course, there's always Bourbon Street.
ALA 2011 | Authors & Celebrities
Add balance to the professional programs in New Orleans, and check out this cache of fabulous and varied events on books and their creators. Including Dan Savage, Jeff Kinney, Brooke Gladstone, and Molly Shannon, among many others.
WHAT TO EAT:
ALA 2011 | Where To Eat in New Orleans, By the Editors of Fodor's
New Orleanians are obsessed with food. Over lunch, they’re likely talking about dinner. Ask where to get the best gumbo, and you’ll spark a heated debate among locals. Food unites the city. Everyone—no matter the neighborhood they’re from or what they do for a living—wants a plate of red beans and rice on Mondays, has a favorite spot for a roast beef po’boy, and holds strong opinions about the proper flavor for a shaved ice “snoball.” Find all the top restaurants near the convention center.
Also see the SLJ insider's guide to the best eats, sights, and sounds:
ALA 2011 |Sweet Home New Orleans
New Orleans's collective memory is often long and surprisingly detailed, and it can surface at unexpected moments. In the last few years, a taxi driver taking a fare to the airport has more than once fondly recalled "the librarians" or those "book people" as the first ones to hold a convention here after Hurricane Katrina devastated our city in 2005. That show of support from the American Library Association (ALA) and its friends was very economically and psychologically important to the city, and New Orleanians who were here haven't forgotten. Now the book people are coming back.
For a LJ events and promotions at ALA, including the New Landmark LIbraries reception, Live Five author interviews, and Spa Day giveaways, see what's going on at the LJ/SLJ booth, #940 on the show floor.
