Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Tough Decisions

Michael Colford, Conference Co-Chair for this week's events, with a look at tomorrow's kick-off day of the 2009 MLA Conference, "Renew, Refresh, Sustain." After an inspiring pre-conference on Advocacy, we're expecting an eager crowd, raring to go early tomorrow morning. But with the likes of David Lee King, Patricia A. McKillip, Laurie R. King, Maureen Sullivan, Thrity Umrigar, Bill Harley, Sarah Beth Durst, Lynda Barry, Bill Harley, and Elizabeth Thomsen among the many competing interests, what should you make sure you see?

Well, I can't really help you with that one. Fortunately we've got things nicely arranged in tracks, so if you're interested in Books & Reading, you'll want to catch The Publisher Round-Up and Book Buzz, Author Panel 1: Conference Co-Chair's Favorites (which I highly recommend), Author Panel 2: Different Ways of Storytelling, and Writers Live! Libraries Bringing Authors and Readers Together. Similarly, if your library is starting to think of (or in the midst of) a building project, you'll want to spend the day immersed in the Library Construction: What You Need to Know track. Of course, how can you go wrong when Massachusetts Experts (Ten of them!) Share Top Technology Trends or Becoming a Resonant Leader with Maureen Sullivan? You're just lucky this blog is here, because if you have to miss a program, some diligent blogger will be sure to report in right here with all the salient points of the program you have to miss.

Of course, if you're really lucky, you have a ticket to tomorrow night's sold out dinner at the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, and conversation with Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist Michael Cunningham. The bus leaves at 5:30 in front of the Convention Center. If you're not lucky, you can at least join the fun after dinner at the President's Reception and the Youth Services Section's Annual Gaming Night. See you tomorrow!

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