YLG/SLA/SLG joint conference. 8th-10th
June 2012. Old Windsor.
I was extremely lucky and won the CILIP YLG funding to
attend this conference. As soon as I saw the programme I started getting
excited! The 3 days would be crammed with interesting workshops, author talks
and presentations. I immediately highlighted the workshops I wanted to attend
and then ordered all my books to be signed.
As soon as I pulled up to the grandiose hotel, I knew we
were going to be spoilt. I wasn’t wrong; the rooms were amazing, as was the
food. The hotel staff couldn’t do enough for us and were always on hand for any
queries. They were very patient when I asked for directions yet again – it was
a huge building!
We dived straight in on Friday and my first burst of
excitement was when Korky Paul did his author talk. The giant Winnie the Witch
he created was amazing and drawn so quickly. It was a good job that someone
claimed the picture before a Librarian fight broke out! Korky was a pleasure to
meet and happily signed all of my books, even adding extra sketches for me. I
may have gushed slightly at him, but he was lovely and not at all scared!
The talk on technology by Jonathan Douglas (NLT), Dave
Coplin (Microsoft) and Bev Humphrey (Independent trainer), made me consider my
own use of technology. It was really useful to hear a talk that made me
question my own way of working. They rightly concluded that technology is key
for engaging the younger generations and it was the nudge I needed to find out
more about what is on offer. Since then
I have started using Twitter more productively and I am trying to post on this
Blog on a frequent basis.
Meeting other professionals from both public and school
libraries was fascinating. Some preconceptions existed and I really hope this
conference was an education for both sides. I know I definitely learnt some new
ways of working with schools and made some excellent school contacts (who I can
now pick the brains of!). Nikki Heath’s workshop helped to add to this
knowledge and it was useful to view things from a school library perspective.
The practical use of Book Idol also made this workshop stand out for me and I
will be using that in the future.
The Breakfast Sessions were an added bonus and waking up
with Jeanne Willis and Ros Asquith made me smile for the whole day. Other
author highlights were meeting Angie Sage, who I fawned over and declared my
love for Septimus; hearing Morris Gleitzman’s after dinner speech and reading
of ‘After’; and listening to the lovely Maggie Stiefvater, who had come all the
way from America.
The publishers and stallholders were extremely patient with
us and I am grateful for all of the freebies. I can’t wait to start reading
through the proof copies. It was an absolute pleasure being able to attend. To
be with so many like-minded people and have such interesting discussions was
incredible. I am just starting to cascade the information I gathered to library
staff and I can’t wait to apply some of the tips to my job.
I’m already excited about next year; I will definitely be
there again. So bring on September 2013!
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