1. People. New people. Reunions. Business cards. Networking. In some cases, we’ve been working virtually with colleagues around the state for months or years and never had the opportunity to meet. #NJLA18 provides the space to start making new connections and reinforcing old ones. Drop by Conference Kick-Off, Ice Cream Break in the Exhibit Hall, the Pool Party, or any of the other formal or informal networking mixers.
2. The undecideds. With so many sessions to choose from, there will always be those of us (read: me) who plan first and second and third options before they go. Will we walk into a selected session and sit confidently in a seat or hover on an aisle so we can scoot to the second session on our list and maximize all possible options? Yes.
3. Library professionals giving back. Whether as volunteers at the conference, ambassadors for their NJLA sections and individual libraries, or through the Donation Drive for Covenant House Teen Shelter, #NJLA18 has New Jersey and surrounding information professionals giving back. Please consider bringing a donation for the drive if you can.
4. All attendees playing the conference wifi game with their devices. Conference wifi in the venue space just isn’t the same as in the rooms. We are going to have to talk IRL.
5. All the swag collectors. Roaming the Exhibit Hall is worth it any day, but the free swag and the ability to sit in all the cushy furniture like Queen of the Library makes this the best downtime hangout. Some of our collective favorite database, media, and book vendors will be represented at #NJLA18 as well as providers that could be your next partnership.
6. Board Games for Everyone and a Unifying Drum Circle. These alternatives to the traditional networking mixers allow for developing relationships and communicating in different kinds of environments that allow for either more structure or community contribution.
7. Lots of book talking. In addition to overhearing probably 20+ introductory conversations of “Which Hogwarts House are you?” followed by either new best friend wand waving or tense argument, there will be talk of books. From the Best Graphic Novels of 2017 to Genre Bending and the Book Club and Brown Bag Lunch plus the 2018 Garden State Teen Book Awards Luncheon, #NJLA18 is the place to be for all the books discussion.
8. Me legit missing sessions because I am deciding between four pairs of book socks in the NJLA Store. Stop judging me, this is an important decision.
9. SNACKS! Obviously, food is important. So there will be snacks. And you can find some each day of conference. Conference Kick-Off, Exhibits Grand Opening & Coffee, and Snack Break with the Exhibits are all sanctioned snack locations. But keep an eye on the schedule (and at booths) for more snacks! Everyone needs snacks.
10. The happy faces when a community occupies a space together. It’s a special feeling when a community gets together in numbers. When the things you need to explain to family and friends are things that are appreciated in the #NJLA18 space because they are our common experiences and values. As much as our individual libraries and jobs differ, as much as we agree and disagree, the NJLA Conference is a place for us all to Speak Freely. And when we get together - we learn, we laugh, we grow. And that energy follows us back home. We are better professionals because we come together.
Kristen Crepezzi is a recent Rutgers MI graduate and Youth Services/Young Adult Services Librarian at the Long Beach Island Branch of the Ocean County Library. She currently serves as intern for the NJLA Conference Committee through the CIP Program and is a proud SlytherClaw. Last year at NJLA she purchased a tote that says “Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading Meow” at the NJLA Store. It took 45 minutes to select.