Summer Semester begins on Monday

It was great while it lasted: I actually had three weeks to read fiction of my own choosing.

But classes begin on Monday, and I am taking a children's lit class and a digital permissions class and I have lots of non-fiction and tons of K-12 fiction to devour in the next four to six weeks.

Actually, I'm excited about my new classes. Both are topics near and dear to my heart, and I can't wait to get started. I love learning new things, and I love adding those new things to the accumulated knowledge that is the sum total of my consciousness.

I'm also excited about attending my first ALA conference. Believe it or not, I've never been to an annual ALA (not even a mid-winter). I've been to ILA conferences numerous times, and I've even been a guest at the ILA Author's Luncheon. But ALA is different.

ILA is like being in middle school. ALA is like being in high school.

Golly, gee-whiz! I feel all growed up all of a sudden!

I couldn't afford not to take advantage of the student registration fees for ALA. Though Rockford Public Library has no money in this year's budget to send staff to ALA, I can afford the student fees from my own pocket and Chicago is only 90 miles away (about 2 hours driving time each way).