The Public Library Association Conference will be in Portland March 23-26, 2010. Here are the Readers’ Advisory Programs we’ve found so far. Please let us know if we missed some. This conference has more RA programs than any in recent memory…and unlike other in the past, they’re not all offered at the same time. Way to go, Portland!
Tuesday 8:30 – 5:30 – Preconference – “Librarians Get Graphic”
Tuesday 8:30 – noon – Preconference – “Readers’ Advisory 2.0, the Next Dimension”
Tuesday 2:00 – 5:30 – Preconference – “Opening Doors, Opening Books: Providing Effective Readers’ Advisory Service” – Nancy Pearl
Wednesday 8:30 – noon – Preconference – Booktalking Boot Camp
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:30am – noon
Nancy Pearl Presents “Book Buzz”
Join PLA favorite Nancy Pearl and assorted friends from the world of publishing as they talk about some of the best upcoming books. This program is open to all registered conference attendees. Pearl recommends books regularly on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” as well as local public radio stations in Milwaukee, Seattle, and Tulsa. Her books include Book Crush: For Kids and Teens: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Interest and Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason, all published by Sasquatch Books. Nancy’s talks are always a crowd favorite, so be sure to arrive early for prime seating!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Nicholas D. Kristof to Keynote PLA Conference Opening Session
For over twenty years, New York Times journalist Nicholas D. Kristof has been at the forefront of world issues, from his coverage of the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square to his recent reportage of the genocide in Darfur. His recent book (which he co-wrote with wife Sheryl WuDunn) Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide charts the oppression of women in developing countries and serves a s a call to action to combat these issues. Please join us for what is sure to be an inspiring and moving Opening Session! More information about Kristof can be found at his blog, YouTube channel, and the Half the Sky Movement website.
Thursday 8:30 – “Merchandising Ease: Tracking Displays & Merchandising with an MDD”
Thursday 8:30 – “Readers’ Advisory Tool Kit IV: Multimedia Readers’ Advisory”
Thursday 10:30 – “What’s New in Fantasy, Paranormal, and Science Fiction for Teens and
Adults”
Thursday, March 25, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Thursday’s Adult Author Luncheon to feature Scott Turow
Scott Turow made a huge splash in the book world with his debut novel Presumed Innocent and has continued his streak of acclaimed best-selling books ever since. He has won a number of literary awards, including the Heartland Prize in 2003 for Reversible Errors and Time Magazine’s Best Work of Fiction 1999 for Personal Injuries. His latest novel, Innocent, will be published in Mary 2010. This event will require an additional fee.
Thursday, March 25, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Thursday’s Young Adult Author Luncheon to feature Virginia Euwer Wolff
Acclaimed author Virginia Euwer Wolff has made an indelible impression on the YA landscape over the past twenty years, all the more notable considering she spent the first half of her career as an English teacher. Her books include the Make Lemonade trilogy, Bat 6, Probably Still Nick Swansen, and The Mozart Season. Each of her books has been named either an ALA Notable Book or ALA Best Book, and she received the National Book Award for True Believer. This event will require an additional fee.
Thursday 2:00 – “Crossover Advisory: Adult Books for Teens and Teen Books for Adults”
Thursday 4:00 – “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”
Thursday 4:00 – “Author Events Made Easy”
Thursday 4:00 – “You’re Invited: A Feast of New Literature for Teens”
Thursday, March 25th, 2010 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Audio Publisher’s Dinner
Join us for what is sure to be an entertaining evening, as we celebrate some of the best mystery authors writing today. This year’s speakers include Chelsea Cain, who has gained prominence with her taut Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series; Sue Grafton, author of the Kinsey Milhone mysteries; Tony Award-winning actress Judy Kaye, who voices Kinsey Milhone on the audiobooks; and Marcia Muller, recently named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. This event will require an additional fee.
Friday 8:30 – “Thrilling Tales and Selected Shorts: An Adult Storytime @ your library”
Friday 8:30 – “Two-Minute Reviews of Recent Works by Northwest Authors”
Friday 10:30 – “Reader’s Advisory for Dummies: Yes,You CAN Judge a Book by Its Cover!”
Friday 10:30 – “The Top 5 of the Top 5″
Friday 10:30 – “What Teens Are Really Reading: Quick and Popular Titles to Entice Teens”
Friday, March 26, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Friday’s Adult Author Luncheon to feature Luis Urrea
Author, poet, and essayist Luis Alberto Urrea was a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist and was recently inducted into the Latino Literature Hall of Fame. Powerful and evocative, Urrea’s writing has concentrated largely on the Tijuana border culture and sheds light on a too-often forgotten people. He has written eleven books including The Devil’s Highway, The Hummingbird’s Daughter (based on the life of his great-aunt Teresita, often labeled “The Mexican Joan of Arc”), and, most recently, Into the Beautiful North. This event will require an additional fee.
Friday, March 26, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Children’s Author Luncheon to feature Kadir Nelson
Kadir Nelson began his career as an award-winning illustrator of many children’s books, including Thunder Rose and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. His authorial debut, We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, was a New York Times bestseller and won the Silbert Medal among many other awards. He has recently created a book called Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit about the historic election of Barack Obama. This event will require an additional fee.
Friday 4:00 – “More than Martinis and Manolos: Chick Lit and Women’s Fiction”
Saturday 8:30 – 11:30 – “Dewey or Don’t We?”
Saturday 10:15 – “Nonfiction Readers’ Advisory: Titles, Tips, and Techniques”
Saturday, March 27, 2010 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sarah Vowell to Keynote Closing Session
Sarah Vowell is the acclaimed author of four bestselling books and has been a contributing editor for public radio’s “This American Life” since 1996. Vowell’s Assassination Vacation is a hilarious and haunting road trip to tourist sites devoted to the murders of presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Her latest book, The Wordy Shipmates, a history of American Puritans, was published in 2008 and she is currently at work on a history of 19th century Hawaii. Vowell’s candor and cutting wit will be the perfect way to conclude another successful PLA Conference. Don’t miss it!
Check the Preliminary Program for more information. Hope to see you in Portland.
