It’s not truly a librarian conference until there are strong words about the nuances that differentiate the Borg Collective and the Q Continuum.  (Let us not speak of librarian pon farr.)  That’s just what happened at the benignly named Beyond Literacy: Are reading and writing doomed?  Learning French from a pill? Sacre bleu!  Post-literacy is a blessing… from aliens!?! Nanu nanu!  Better telepathy through technology?  It’s like he’s reading my mind!  This guy needs to put on his own conference.  I’m crafting my tin foil hat already.

The highlight of the day was of course Sherman Alexie.  We laughed, we cried, we passed in the hall at least twice.  I am a big fan of Sherman Alexie’s books, and of course Smoke Signals  (Would that I could get away with a Fry Bread Power t-shirt.) but I was unaware of his television work, such as laying a smackdown on Stephen Colbert and doing an interview with Oprah in a flu induced haze.  (Before the interview the vomited up a melon ball which he had not previously eaten.  That’s the reality warping power of Oprah!)  He was a great speaker and I highly recommend going to see him if you ever get the chance.  Just be aware that he really… really… really likes librarians.  (Wear an oatmeal sweater at your own risk.)

As day one of the conference unfolded, I had two thoughts: First, there is so much going on — I can’t imagine the complexities that went into planning this event. Bravo to the organizers! Second, while there is a lot to take in, the conference is small enough and focused enough to not be completely overwhelming.

I was very glad that I made it to the First-Time Attendee Orientation. It was enlightening to find out some ways to participate beyond just committees (e.g. writing, blogging, teaching.) The virtual aspect of the conference was highlighted, and I am looking forward to continuing some of the conversations with both the virtual and in-person attendees after the conference is over. I am also cautiously optimistic about the announcement of a soon-to-be-released ALA social networking app that has the potential to break down some of the barriers and make the organization more flexible and participatory.

It was disappointing to learn that Naomi Klein would not be doing the keynote, but with the virtual conference being active for the next year, maybe when she’s feeling better, she would be willing to record her talk and post the audio there?

Since this is also my first time visiting Seattle, I did a city tour and spent lunch exploring Pike’s Place Market on this beautiful, sunny day. I had the chowder and crab roll combo at Pike Place Chowder, and all I can say is YUM! It was the best food served in a paper boat I’ve had in a while.

Session Description:
Sherman Alexie is a prolific novelist, poet and screenplay writer and has been hailed as one of the best young writers of his generation. In his lectures, he tells autobiographical tales of contemporary American Indian life laced with razor-sharp humor and bits of history, pop culture and social commentary. Alexie’s best known works include The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Smoke Signals, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Presenters:
Sherman Alexie, Screenplay Writer, Chicago, IL, United States,

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Session Description:
This closing keynote will offer a behind the scenes view of Ira Glass’s nationally broadcast public radio show, and his HBO series. Using the show’s guiding principles as bullet points along the way, he’ll describe what makes a compelling story and how to take raw material (monologues, interviews, recorded events) and with careful editing and added music how to create newer & more compelling narratives. The guiding principles include: “What we’re all used to,” “How we structure a story,” “What people want,” “Stroke of luck,” “Surprises,” “The 45-second rule,” and “Another way to tell a story.” Ira offers a more personal story in talking about the show, its origins and its model, by including a description of his early years at synagogue and his rabbi in Baltimore (where he grew up) who held the attention of the younger Ira by his beautifully crafted sermons. One day, as an adult visiting home and thinking about those earlier sermons, Ira realized that this was one of the original points of departure for him and for his fascination with telling stories. From the rabbi’s early sermons to Ira’s public radio tales, they were each about telling a story well, a good story.

Presenter: Ira Glass, This American Life, Chicago, IL, United States,