Top 10 Reasons to Attend Conference

You’ve seen that beautiful new edition of Texas Library Journal encouraging you to register for this year’s conference, Perfecting Your Game, in Dallas, but you haven’t opened it. Or maybe you’ve seen a few postings that include the #TxLA18 hastag, but you still can’t commit to registering.  Here’s a handy dandy guide just for you:

Top 10 Reasons Why you Should Go To Conference:

1. It’s THE BEST place to network and expand your professional Learning Network.  You will meet THOUSANDS of librarians, who are all ready and eager to talk about every detail of library world.  It’s lonely being the only person on a campus who cares and understands about circulation rates, the latest 2X2/Bluebonnet/LoneStar/TAYSHAS lists or the pros/cons of self-check out, so it’s good to meet others in the know!
2. Learn new strategies to bring back to your campus that will help improve your overall library program.  You get to attend hundreds of sessions presented by librarians currently working in successful libraries and see/hear how they have made a difference on their campus.
3. Recharge! By the time April rolls around we’re all running a little low on energy and dreaming of the late night reading sessions of summer.  This conference will help you power through the final few weeks of the school year and get you ready to go for the following year.
4. MEET SUPERSTAR AUTHORS! If you have yet to meet and hear from some of the giants in children and teen literature, then this is your best chance to do so.  The only librarian conference bigger than TLA is ALA so ALLLLL of the publishers attend and bring along their top authors.  These authors appear on panels to discuss their work or some are available for book signings in the exhibits hall. There is nothing like reading a book written by an author you’ve met and sharing some insider details with your students.  Getting them to sign a book for you or your students = PRICELESS!
5. BOOKS! Like I mentioned before TLA conference is so big and Texas librarians are so widely respected the publishers make a great effort to share newly released or soon to be released books from both debut authors and well established authors at our conference.  Many times those books are passed out FREE OF CHARGE!  It’s a great way to get a sneak peek at tomorrow’s best sellers. Look for all the big and smaller publishers in the exhibit hall - it’s like several mini-bookstores in one place!
6. Exhibit Hall - the first time I attended TLA I was not yet a librarian and could not afford the full conference registration. I purchased a daily pass for the exhibits and was absolutely blown away by what I saw.  17 years later, I’m still blown away.  You know all those catalogs you see with beautiful looking furniture or have you heard about some interesting makerspace pieces or new database features? You can put your hands on all of these things and more in the exhibit hall.  There are also little mini-sessions in some of the vendor booths so you can hear from librarians on how these products are used in their libraries. It’s such a great way to really examine items you are considering for purchase before spending those limited funds. Save several hours for a thorough examination of the exhibits.  Bonus tip - there are always pretty awesome library T-shirts for sale and who doesn't need a new shirt??;-)
7. F2F meet-up! You know all those awesome ideas you’ve seen posted on #TXLchat oe read about in #TxASLTalks blog? Chances are you might might meet some of your fellow chatters and bloggers in person!  It’s always good to finally thank someone face-to-face (F2F) for their great ideas or inspiration and develop a professional collaboration. Who knows, that conversation might lead to virtual collaborations among your schools!
8. Library Specific Technology  - sure there are technology only conferences, but this is one that is geared specifically with the librarian in mind.  Learn about the latest tech tools that will help you energize your students, teachers, and broader community.  Hear how librarians are adapting these tools to support our library standards as well as the classroom TEKS. You can also register for Tech Camp and have the ENTIRE day dedicated to library programming and technology.
9. It’s Good to Get Away - I used to work on a campus that held a yearly leadership team retreat.  We would gather at a ranch, far away from campus, telephones, and computers, and discuss our plans and priorities for the upcoming year without the distractions or interruptions that would occur if this was held on campus.  While TLA conference isn’t quite the same experience, it’s a great way to move out of our everyday routine and reflect on your library experience with new voices and perspectives.  
10. Strength in Numbers - As mentioned previously, it can sometimes be lonely to serve as the only campus librarian and you may feel all the data you share on the importance of your program is falling on deaf ears. It’s an indescribable feeling to actually see thousands of fellow librarians who truly understand your job and may share similar experiences. We are stronger together and by gathering at conference we can provide each other the encouragement to continue to promote the necessities of our programs.  TLA is a strong vibrant community and having the support of that community is something no professional librarian in Texas should do without.