The ALA Playbook
Right now, as I type this post up, TLT co-blogger Stephanie Wilkes is already at ALA in Anaheim. Tomorrow, it is my turn. And I am getting excited. But more importantly, like any good librarian, I am getting organized! I have several goals for my time in ALA.
1. The ARCs
I have, of course, a list of ARCs I am desperately interested in and am making a list and checking it twice. Making sure I have publishing houses noted AND their booth numbers. In my mind, I visualize it as a football playbook with all those Xs and Os and lines and stuff.
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My list includes:
Unwholly by Neal Shusterman (Simon & Schuster)
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater (Scholastic)
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter (Harlequin Teen)
Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick (EgmontUSA)
The Future We Left Behind by Michael A. Lancaster (EgmontUSA)
Feedback by Robison Wells (Harper Teen)
Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry
Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
Crewel by Gennifer Albin
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Ask the Passengers by A. S. King (Little, Brown)
Liary & Spy by Rebecca Stead (Random House)
Every Day by David Levithan
As you can see, I’m still looking up the publishers and booth numbers.
2. The Authors
I am dying to meet A. S. King (Ask the Passengers is an amazing book that forever changed me, for the good) and Daniel Kraus (who is just wicked cool). Tons of authors will be there and to be honest, I don’t know all who yet – but the sad part is I will only be there on Friday and Saturday. A lot of the signings are Sunday and Monday. But I am stalking a couple of them down. Erm, I mean, I am hoping that I accidentally run into them and that I don’t embarrass myself when I get to meet them.
3. The Postcards
As you know, TLT is teaming up with The Library as Incubator Project, The Real Fauxtographer, and EgmontUSA with authors Ilsa J. Bick and Myra McEntire (nominated for the Teens Top 10) and authors Gennifer Albin (Crewel), Bethany Griffin (Masque of the Red Death), Beth Revis (Across the Universe) and Veronica Roth (Divergent) for an epic TRW Art Contest called It Came from a Book. It launches tomorrow, June 21st, with complete information at The Library as Incubator Project website. Anyhow, I designed and purchased 3,000 postcards to help promote this contest so you need to stop by either The Library as Incubator Project or EgmontUSA booths to pick some up. Or find Stephanie and I walking around because we’d love to meet you and talk books, teen services, and just generally fangirl over authors.
In case you were wondering, this is what 3,000 postcards looks like
Please come pick one (or more) up and help spread the word about the contest to your teens because – well, I am taking 3,000 postcards to ALA and I can’t bring them back with me because I need the space in my luggage to bring home the ARCs I mentioned above. Hopefully.
Okay, technically I am bringing 2,997 postcards because both of my kids were so proud they wanted one (the tween has decided to use hers as a bookmark) and I put one up on my refrigerator.
This is what they look like. You can save it and share it electronically.
We have some posts scheduled for while we are gone, but technology is a tricky thing and we’ll just keep our fingers crossed. Stephanie and I will both be Tweeting updates (@tlt16, @stephaniewilkes) and sharing on our Facebook wall. There will be much fangirl squeeing and book geekery.
Are you going to ALA? What ARCs are you looking for? What sessions will you be attending? And what authors are you dying to meet?
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About Karen Jensen, MLS
Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).
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My ARC list looks almost identical to yours. I put mine in a spreadsheet and sort it by booth number so all the books from the se publisher are together.
I can't wait to meet Daniel Kraus. I'm going to the Odyssey Award ceremony Monday night (I think) to hear him speak.
I'm not going to ALA (cry) but if I was, Crewel and Gennifer Albin would be the ARC and author I'd be most interested in. That and finding your postcard 😛
So then you could probably just e-mail me your spreadsheet, right? LOL
I am super jealous you get to stay and see Daniel Kraus speak. That should be very interesting.
I, too, am excited about Crewel!
And I can send you a postcard in the mail if you would like.
I'm still so jealous you're going! One of my friends has a rather extensive ARC 'want' list that I'm a little in awe of. Can tell you, most likely they won't have Flesh & Bone ARCs because when I asked at TLA, they said they usually don't do ARCs for the last book. But you never know! Little Brown said the same thing to me about Eternally Yours and they totally LIED because there are some out there.
Good luck! And I hope you don't get an elbow to the face (which did happen last year, apparently).
I'm glad that you're at least going, since I can't!! I see that you included a few of my ARCs that I asked you to scout out for on that nice little list of yours. =) I hope you have a lot of fun, and get some fantabulous ARCs!!!
-Aneeqah @ My Not So Real Life
Ouch! Also, sad face if there is no Flesh and Bone.
I got your list girl. And I'll Tweet when I can. How was Lauren Kate? So sad I had to miss it – and seeing you.