Today's post is from Laura Jewell, a YA librarian at Davis Library in Plano:

Friday morning, April 18th, join Gene Luen Yang, creator of American Born Chinese; Tuan Nguyen of Tandem Publishing Group; and Laura Jewell, a Texas teen librarian for a discussion of graphic novels for young adults. Learn why graphic novels are all the rage with your teens and how to tap into that energy. The panel will discuss graphic novel trends, selection aids, fresh program ideas, dealing with challenges, reaching your audience, and why you should love graphic novels as much as your teens do.

All the Rage: YA Graphic Novels
Friday, April 18
10-11:20am

A couple of years ago, I trekked over to Tyler for a viewing of video presentation by Andrew Sanderbeck. My expectations? I thought it was time for a little road trip and this was an opportunity to have one with a bonus of something interesting to see and hear.

Surprise! The little bonus, not the road trip, became the main feature of the day, and beyond. I went back to my library energized and fired up. Customer service was his theme and it was presented in a fresh new way that made me eager for librarianship once more.

And now I have (along with you) the opportunity to hear Andrew Sanderbeck in person and live! Check your conference program for Thursday at 10:00 AM. Come and hear Andrew talk about Emotional Customer Service. I won't miss it. Hope you won't either.

Today's post is from Connie Moss at the William T. Cozby Public Library in Coppell:

Little Brown's Maximum Ride Internet Room is the place for checking email and keeping up with conference, local and world events. Available in Hall A near the TLA Store, the 32 computers in the "Maximum Ride Internet Room" are sponsored by James Patterson's bestselling teen sci-fi adventures.

Four printers will be available to print web content at no cost to the user. Look for electronic handouts for most sessions!

Conferees needing wireless access will find it outside the Starbucks in Lobby C. Business productivity software is available in the conference Business Center.

We have the signing times! You can now plan your conference days around when your favorite authors will be in the Authors Area, located in Hall B behind the exhibits. Check out http://www.txla.org/conference/exhibits/AuthorsList2008.pdf. It is a link to the authors signing list as of Thursday, February 28th. Please note that the final/updated times and aisle number will be available onsite. Also (AA) means authors area and (#XXXX) is a 4 digit booth number.

For information about the Authors Area's process visit my previous post.

I recieved this information from Jennifer Smith at Legacy Middle School in San Antiono. She read about it in the Big Deal Book of Technology Biweekly E-letter (March 3, 2008).

Put a Poem in Your Pocket
Invite students and colleagues to choose a favorite poem and carry it in their pockets to celebrate the first national Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 17, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets. During the day, encourage readers to unfold and read their pocketed poems in celebration of the visions of poets.

Hmmm, I'm partial to Kubla Khan by Coleridge but it's a bit long so I might have to find something else. Will you participate? What will your poem be? Leave a comment to this post and let me know what your favorite poem is.
(Image courtesy of Dan Shirley at SXC)

Today's post is from Jennifer LaBoon, Coordinator - Library Technology for FWISD Library Media Services:

The 2008 TLA Conference Program Committee is excited to be sponsoring two sessions by Dr. Joyce Valenza, library information specialist at Springfield Township High School in Pennsylvania. Dr. Valenza spoke to standing room only crowds at the AASL conference in Reno last fall. Joyce will present "Web 2.0 Meets Information Fluency: Designing Projects for 21st Century Learners" on Wednesday morning at 10:15 and "Getting Them Where They Live: Designing Virtual Library Sites for 21st Century Learners" on Thursday afternoon at 2:15. Both sessions would be appropriate for those who serve millennials, and are not just for school librarians.

If you are already a Library 2.0 guru, you know this is not to be missed. If you aren't, all the more important reason to attend one of her sessions!

The awe-inspiring Springfield Township High School Library's virtual website can be viewed at http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/
Joyce's Neverending Search Blog can be read at http://schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334.html

See you in Dallas!

Just a short jaunt west into Fort Worth provides you with access to one of the best concert halls in the country, Bass Performance Hall. The Bass opened in 1998; it has 2,056 seats and is renowned for its superb acoustics.

Events to be held during TLA include Dracula (presented by the Texas Ballet Theater), and jazz/rock musicians Geoff Muldaur & Stephen Bruton: http://www.basshall.com/eventsnew.jsp?selDate=4/14/2008

You can find more information and purchase tickets online here: http://www.basshall.com/

The City of Dallas has compiled a nice list of places to visit in Dallas. Things to Do in Dallas showcases attractions, dining venues, sporting events, and more. We've featured some of these on this blog but there is so much happening in Dallas we won't be able to get to everything. I encourage you to click on the link and explore the areas you're interested in.

The Ft. Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau has compiled a list of attractions and events in Ft. Worth. This site will help you explore the western heritage of Ft. Worth as well as direct you to some nice dining and cultural opportunities.

From the Conference Overview Page:

(Image courtesy of Artem Zhushman(R-tem) at SRX)

MEAL FUNCTIONS
Tickets for all conference meal functions must be purchased in advance as part of the conference preregistration process. Tickets will not be sold onsite. Encourage friends, family, and colleagues to join you to hear a favorite author. While meal function tickets must be purchased in advance, conference registration is not required to attend these events. Ticket prices are based on the cost of menu selections, catering service charges, room set-up charges, speaker fees, and other expenses. The banquet hall doors will be open 30 minutes prior to the starting time of each meal function. Space permitting, gallery seating will be available 30 minutes after the meal function begins for attendees without meal tickets who wish to hear the speaker. For details, see the daily schedule. For Meal Function Menus see page 12 of the conference program.

The Amon Carter Museum is one of the nation's preeminent collections of American art in general, and specifically photography and "western" art. Admission to the permanent collection is always free, which is a bonus! (Call for ticket prices to special exhibitions.)

See the list of current exhibitions here: http://www.cartermuseum.org/exhibitions

Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday:
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Sunday: Noon–5 p.m.
Closed Mondays and major holidays.

Find out more information here:
http://www.cartermuseum.org/

Have you recieved your conference program guide? You'll want to bring the guide with you to conference if like having full descriptions of the programs. On-site you will recieve a pocket program with the event names, locations, and times.

Check the message center in the registration area and the daily conference newsletter, The Conference Times for last-minute announcements. We will also try to post announcements on the blog.

Today's post is from Gretchen McCord Hoffman at WongCabello:

The Doo Wop Intergalactic Round Table invites all Conference-goers to kick up their heels and kick up Conference a notch! Come dance the evening away with old and new friends to the live tunes of Kenny and the Kasuals at the hottest trend-free night spot in Dallas. Like the Kinks? The Beatles? Sinatra? The Stones? The Doors? The Kasuals have something for everyone!

(Photo courtesy of Dan Shirley at SRX)

Doo Wop Sock Hop
8:00 pm till midnight
The Pearl, the "hands-down best music venue in Dallas," corner of Pearl & Commerce
(Ponytail and poodle skirt not required.)
Pre-purchase tickets when you register for Conference.

Today's post is from Cheryl Smith, Genealogy Librarian at Haggard Library in Plano:

What materials do you buy for your genealogy collection?
What materials should be bought for any genealogy collection?
How do you decide what to buy and what to pass on?
Where do you acquire these materials?
What databases should you subscribe to and what links should you know about?
How do you begin?

(Photo courtesy of jmark at SRX)

Shirley Apley, Fort Worth Public Library Senior Librarian; Dreanna Belden, University of North Texas Libraries; and Cheryl Smith, Plano Public Library system will discuss how to plan for acquiring genealogy materials; key genealogy reference materials will be suggested to purchase or add to your collection, and genealogical databases and Internet links that you need to know will be discussed. We hope to fill your head with many ideas to take back to your library, as we want to make sure you know where to begin and where to go for help if you need it. We are excited to bring you this program so feel free to come join us at TLA!

Collecting the Best of the Past: Genealogy Reference
Wednesday, April 16 10:15-11:50 am

Did everyone get the voting and conference email from TLA? You might want to look at it if you haven't had a chance yet. You can email me, jennifers@plano.gov, if you didn't get it and I'll be happy to forward it to you.

One thing I hope you noticed and followed up on is the session preference form for conference:

If you haven't already, please submit a session preference form in the next few days indicating the programs that you will attend. These forms are critical for assigning appropriate-sized meeting rooms in the convention center. You may find the session preference form on the TLA website.

Wondering where you can eat at conference? You have several options:
*Bring your lunch.
*Attend one of the meal functions-Opening Author Session (lunch), Black Caucus Author Session with Darren Coleman and Rose Rock (breakfast), A Memoir-able Evening with the Authors (dinner), Texas Bluebonnet Award Author Session (lunch), TASL Author Session with Christopher Paul Curtis (breakfast), and Closing Author Session with Kathy Patrick (lunch).
*Visit Davidson Title Cafe behind the exhibits between Exhibit Halls B and C. They will have lunch and snack options.
*Visit one of the local restaurants we've reviewed. We don't recommend this option because it will take you away from the action at the conference. Save the restaurants for dinner or the extra days at the beginning and end of conference.

(Image courtesy of Pontus Edenberg at SRX)

Alumni Reception information is tucked away on page 82 of the Conference Program Guide. Except for UT alums (Woo hoo! Hook 'em Horns!) the reception tickets must be purchased by March 25th.

The Univerity of Texas at Austin
Thursday, April 17th
6:00-8:00pm
The Magnolia Hotel
1401 Commerce Street
(Non-ticketed event but please RSVP by April 10 to Luke Dunlap, luked@mail.utexas.edu, or 512.471.8421)

Texas Woman's University
Thursday, April 17th
6:30-9:30pm
Hyatt Regency
300 Reunion Boulevard

Sam Houston State University
Thursday, April 17th
6:30-8:00pm
The Magnolia Hotel
1401 Commerce Street

University of North Texas
Thursday, April 17th
6:00-8:30pm
City Club
6900 Bank of America Plaza
(or send check by April 11, see comments for details)

University of Houston
Thursday, April 17th
6:00-8:30pm
Iron Cactus Restaurant
1520 Main Street #101

Today's post is from Brent Bloechle at Parr Library in Plano:

Fair Park, located just 2 miles from downtown Dallas, is a beautiful collection of restored 1930’s Art Deco buildings. This is the largest collection of 1930’s-era buildings, murals, statutes, and bas-relief sculptures in the United States. The buildings were originally constructed for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and are now a National Historic Landmark. The buildings alone are a great reason to wander the 277 acres of Fair Park. But there is more…

The African American Museum, the Museum of the American Railroad, the Museum of Nature & Science and the Women’s Museum are set among the buildings used annually for the Texas State Fair. These world class museums have permanent displays and exhibits for everyone’s taste and interest. My personal favorite is the 20,000 year old Trinity River Mammoth at the Museum of Nature & Science. During TLA, you can also take in Roving Mars, showing at 3:40 in the afternoon at the IMAX Theater. If this isn’t enough, there is more…

The Fair Park area is a great place to spend a few hours taking a nice walk and enjoying the well landscaped grounds of the Texas Discovery Garden. You can enjoy the flowers, butterflies and beautiful fountain in this urban oasis. If the out of doors isn’t quit your cup of tea, you can visit the Dallas Aquarium and enjoy observing some of the 6000 aquatic animals on display. If you would prefer that cup of tea or coffee, the Old Mill Inn is open for lunch between 11:00 am and 2:30 pm each day.

If you have only visited Fair Park during the Texas State Fair, I urge you to plan a visit when the beauty and architecture isn’t hidden behind the people and trappings of that annual event.

The Exhibits Only passes are available for $20/day and can be purchased on-site in the Registration Area of Exhibit Hall A. These passes are available to anyone in the community, not just those working with libraries.

If you are a non-professional you can volunteer for 4 hours and receive a complimentary Exhibits Only pass for that day. This option is available on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

(Image courtesy of Michael W at SRX)

We need a few good volunteers in the Transportation Area. Transportation is a bit of a misnomer. You don't have to drive anyone anywhere. The volunteers for Transportation will greet the people coming off the bus and direct them to the correct areas. Because the Dallas Convention Center is laid out so well this is not very complicated; and, mostly, you will be directing people to the escalators right inside the doors. Volunteers will also insure the safety of people getting on and off the buses. (No pushing please!) We really need volunteers for Wednesday morning when the majority of buses will arrive. We might need a few volunteers to ride some buses and perform quality control. And we might need a few others to greet the buses at the Welcome Party at the Nasher and at the President's Party at Eddie Deen's. These volunteers will direct people inside and make sure that exiting people find their buses.

The shuttle buses run from conference hotels during these hours:
Tuesday, April 15 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Thursday, April 17 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Friday, April 18 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you are interested please fill out the volunteer form and check Transportation as your top choice. Dean Washington from Ft. Worth Public Library (871.782.9853) will get in touch with you and he'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

(Image courtesy of Christian Benacer at SRX)

Today is a big day. Most conference deadlines are today. Be sure to check out the TLA Conference page and send in any registration forms and checks for events you want to attend.

Preregistration postmark deadline is MARCH 25, 2008.

All tickets (except tickets for the Doo-Wop Sock Hop) must be purchased by March 25th. No preconference or event tickets will be sold onsite.

Most Alumni dinner tickets must be purchased by today.

Book Cart Drill Team applications and music need to be sent today.

At conference, both the Hall A Café and the Starbucks beside it will serve breakfast food as well as your morning cuppa.

(Image courtesy of claudio alagia at SRX)

Check out my post on eating at conference for more information on where to find food at conference.

It takes a lot of volunteers to put on a convention this big and we really appreciate your willingness to help. We have over 350 volunteers so far but we are still looking for more:

Placement Center
Tuesday, April 15h - Need 2 volunteers: 1 - 5pm
Wednesday, April 16th - Need 2 volunteers: 12 - 2pm and 3 volunteers: 2 - 5pm
Thursday, April 17th - Need 2 volunteers for four hour shifts: 9am - 4pm
Friday, April 18th - Need 2 volunteers: 9am - 12:30pm

TLA Store
Tuesday, April 15th - Need 2 volunteers: 1 - 5pm
Wednesday, April 16th - Need 1 volunteer: 12 - 3pm and 1 volunteer: 2 - 5pm
Thursday, April 17th - Need 2 volunteers: 12 - 3pm and 1 volunteer: 3 - 5pm
Friday, April 18th - Need 2 volunteers: 8am - Noon

Transportation
All times for any length of time.

If you are interested, please fill out the Volunteer Form and indicate the area you would like to work in and the times you are available.

Do we have some parties planned for you!

Start the conference off right by attending the Welcome Party at the Nasher on Tuesday. Harpists and a string quartet will serenade you while you stroll the grounds and view the art in the building and on the lawn. Nasher Representatives [wearing Nasher badges] will be available in the Indoor Galleries to answer questions from 6:30 to 8:30pm. And be sure to pick up some of the amazing food from Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant that will be served on the outside patio where you can enjoy the cool evening breeze. Drinks will be available from a cash bar.

All-Conference Welcome Party
Tuesday, April 15th, 6:30-8:30pm
Nasher Sculpture Center
(Shuttle buses will be provided from the convention center)
2001 Flora St.
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 242-5100
This event is sponsored by Ingram Library Services Inc.

And then, for something completely different on Wednesday, get down at the President’s All-Conference Party sponsored by Baker and Taylor at the legendary Eddie Deen's Ranch.

EBSCO and Encyclopedia Brittanica will be providing appetizers as well as alcoholic beverages fortifying enough to loosen you up for the complimentary Butt Sketch Artist! (Does the “complimentary” part mean the final sketch will be attractive, no matter what?) Live music will be provided by Brave Combo. This promises to be a true slice of down-home Texas—big, rowdy, and lots of fun—so don’t miss it.

President’s All-Conference Party
Wednesday, April 16th, 8:00-10:30pm
Eddie Deen’s Ranch
(Shuttle buses will be provided from the convention center)
944 South Lamar
Dallas, TX 75202
888-535-DEEN
214-741-4211

(Thank you, Annie Frank for help with the wording of this post!)

Everyone seems to be going green these days and in honor of Earth Hour tomorrow, I thought I'd tell you about 2 items we'll have in the TLA store to help you go green too.

We have a lovely blue TLA water bottle. Having water on hand is a great way to stay refreshed all during conference.

We also have the READ lunch bag. These lunch bags compress to almost flat when not in use and open up to a size that will fit most plastic lunch containers.

The TLA store is sponsored by Sentry Technology Corporation & Library Design Systems.

Today's post is from Carol Brey-Casiano, director of El Paso Public Library:

Looking to improve your advocacy skills? Want to meet fellow library supporters from across the state? Get the tools to become an effective library advocate at the Advocacy Institute. Attendees will leave with an action plan that they can implement in their communities or campuses.

We will hear from TLA's own Gloria Meraz, as well as ALA's new Director of the Office for Library Advocacy, Marci Merola.

It’s not too late to sign up for the ALA Advocacy Institute—the deadline has been extended through Monday, March 31!

Hope to see you there!

The Advocacy Institute
Tuesday - April 15, 2008
1:00 to 4:30

Go to www.txla.org to register now!

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered! Most of you have been contacted and others are being contacted this week. If we've contacted you and asked for you to reply please do so that we can make sure our volunteer slots are filled.

(Photo courtesy Dan Shirley at SRX)

If you are new to volunteering for conference this is how it all works:

Volunteer Only: Please go to the Volunteer Booth and check in. You will be given your ribbon and directed to your assignment. Exhibits Only passes will be given to non-professionals who are volunteering for 4 or more hours on Exhibit days. You will also receive a small token of our appreciation for your efforts.

Conferees: Register as you would normally. At some point be sure to stop by the Volunteer Booth for a small token of our appreciation. Volunteer ribbons will be available for those who did not receive them at registration. You can also verify your volunteer assignment if you've forgotten.