Friday June 27th: Last day of the Institute

At breakfast, we listened to Camila Alire, ALA president elect, give her top 10 list of what to see, do and be as future leaders in the library profession. She was very entertaining, as well as gracious and inspiring. She remembered me from our meeting last year in DC, and we shared laughs and hugs. I told her we Scholars were invited to crash the party Jim Rettig, incoming ALA president, was giving her and she laughed at the thought and said I could join her in dancing in the hallway as there would be tons of people there.

We sat together for part of the next program, and spent a little time talking. She is a very humble and generous hearted person, and really liked my new business card, which looks like several $100 bills and proclaims that I need a school library job in MA and that I have school loans along with experience and my MLS. BTW, yesterday, on the spot, I was offered a job as a children's librarian in Salinas, CA by its Public Library Director. Ann Martin of AASL also offered me a job as a librarian in Virginia where she works. However, since I recently married and relocated to MA, that is where my home now is, so I'm holding out hope there, which is what I told the bearers of these gracious offers.

The next session was called "RadRef & beyond: Calling out injustice in the library and in the streets." Various librarians on this panel talked about their interest in social issues and how the field of librarianship lends itself to being radical with our knowledge and the issues we defend. The RadRef site disseminates information on social issues, including information from independent journalists and activists.

The Institute will end with a session titled "Keeping the Spectrum legacy alive." At that time, various scholars will talk about what Spectrum has meant to them and ways the current cohort can continue to stay involved in the Spectrum program. After last year's ending session was when I was inspired to volunteer myself to help plan the next Institute - and here I am!

Following the Institute, I will check out of this hotel and check into another closer to the convention center. ALA - here I come!!