BEA is Coming to Chicago and You Can See Me At the Conference or On STAGE!

Next week the entire book world will be centered on Chicago. I wanted to post here on the blog a few things about where I will be during the week for those of you who want to meet up with me, what to expect here on the blog during BEA, AND a few suggestions on RA related programs to attend.

This also gives me an excuse to finally put my schedule together. Seriously, I will be using this post to figure out where I am supposed to be as much as you will use it to find me.

First, I have had many questions about meeting up IRL. Besides the schedule I will outline below [which is very broad], the best way to reach out during the week is to DM me on Twitter @RAforAll. I have changed my DM settings so anyone, whether I follow you or not, can DM me. OR go to my About page. It has my cell number and email address.  Either is fine.  Feel free to use them.

When I am staying in one place for awhile, I will also Tweet my location. Since those Tweets run here on the blog in the side bar, anyone, Twitter person or not, can see them. If you see me, please come up to me. I do not bite [usually] and would love to meet you.

Second, here is my very broad schedule for BEA events:

Wednesday May 11th: I will be at Library Journal's Day of Dialog from 8am to 6pm. Click here for the schedule. That one is easy because we are all together.

I will then be attending the Adult Librarian's Dinner sponsored by Library Reads and the Association of American Publishers at 6:30 at the Palmer Place Hilton. I promised MC Rebecca Vnuk that I would sit up front to heckle, I mean support, her. So if you want to sit with me, you gotta sit in the front row.

Thursday May 12th: I will be at BEA proper at McCormick Place ALL DAY. But it all begins bright and early with the best event of the conference, the one that is most relevant to all of my readers, oh, and it also happens to be the one that features me:

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Libraries Transform™: ALA@BEA, Embrace the Innovative Future of Readers’ Advisory

05/12/2016, 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM

Room W183

The question heard daily – “ Do you have anything else like this?” In public libraries, reference librarians are often called on to make recommendations to readers, sometimes in genres that they don’t personally read. Learning how to frame a discussion and articulate the appeal of a book, author, or genre marks the essence of a successful readers’ advisor. This session will track the latest trends in Readers’ Advisory. Focus will be on methods for delivering personalized, immediate and mobile-friendly recommendations, including input from Booklist!

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Use this link to get all of the details including who else is on the panel with me.

When I am done, I will be staying in Room W183 to see the other two parts to the ALA @BEA Libraries Transform programming.  Click here to see all three programs on one page.

From 12-1:30 I will be in room W185 for the Library Reads and Association of American Publishers Adult Librarian's Lunch.

After lunch I'm going to see Horror writer Amy Lukavics, whose first book was awesome and who I have worked with previously. She will be signing copies of her new book, The Women in the Walls, from 1-2:30 at Booth 2240 and 2241.

I will probably stick around the exhibit hall the rest of the day. I have to meet up with a few specific horror publishers, but I'll be around. I am also not interested in getting any autographs, so if you want to wander the Hall with me I figured you should know that upfront.

Friday May 13th: Honestly, I am not sure if I will be driving in on Friday or not. If I do, I have to leave after lunch for a late afternoon appointment. But, if I am there, I will 100% be at this program:

Demystifying How Librarians Buy  

05/13/2016, 11:00 PM - 11:50 PM   Room W179a

According to Library Journal’s 2014 Budget Survey U.S. Public Libraries materials budgets total approximately $1.8 billion. In this session, hear what librarians Stephen Sposato of the Chicago Public Library, Wendy Bartlett of the Cuyahoga Public Library and Charlene Rue of BookOps, are buying and how they make decisions. Get the inside track to help better market to the library channel and understand the ins and outs of how librarians buy, what they buy and when they make their decisions.

Okay, that's the schedule.

Now, third, the blogging schedule. There will definitely be posts every day during the conference, but they may be shorter than normal. Please check back frequently though, especially if you are not on Twitter, as I will be live Tweeting quite a bit. Those run in the right gutter of the blog. 

I can't wait to see many of you next week. And whether or not you are here in person, I will have you covered with the most important RA info from BEA here on RA for All.