Attending Florida Library Association Conference 2018

So I will be at the conference, focusing on getting the word out some more for our state's Outcomes and Standards.

But it's also the big weekend for the Orlando MegaCon. With Kaylee!

Busy busy busy.

Documenting FLA Conference 2016

As part of my professional duties, I attended this year's Florida Library Association conference. This year, due to ALA's Annual taking over Orlando in June, the state group held this conference earlier (March) and in Daytona Beach.

The same week as the bikers rolled in on their Hogs for Biker Week. Well, technically they start this weekend, but you know bikers, they show up early so they can cruise A1A.

So, with all the roar and thunder, we librarians did our best to survive... And thus did I document the atrocities...

The Plaza Resort made a swan on my bed! 

The street side view of Daytona Beach. Down below
is A1A and a steady parade of motorcycle enthusiasts...

Getting ready for the opening session event

Opening Session speakers

Bartow Library's donation to the Silent Auction.
Sad to say, we had only two bidders on the basket of books.
Apparently, librarians prefer bidding on wine and chocolates.

Host county Volusia has a library system that employs
a mobile mini-library for outdoor events. A keen idea,
considering the scenery and amounts of outdoor events
at a major tourist destination...

I was told I have the best Florida tie at the conference!

At the Local Authors presentation on how libraries can
support local writers and boost local readership.

Foolish me, I forgot to bring beachwear this trip.

At the Mystery Writer's Breakfast. Sad to say, having the morning sun
come through the window darkened too much of the room. This needs editing.

Standing with Debbie and Susan for the Standards Committee meeting.
Susan is departing Chair, Debbie incoming Chair, and I'm Vice Chair.

The bandshell area near the Boardwalk.

As noted, I'm with the state's Standards committee, and we've completed a revision of Standards and Outcomes (PDF document) that we hope to deploy at volunteer "pilot" libraries to test-run those standards for real-world effectiveness. By next year, we're hoping to pass along the results to the FLA Board and begin applying these standards across the state. With hope, we can use these guidelines to convince the state legislature to improve library funding...

At the 2016 Florida Library Association Conference

hashtag FLACON2016

Although my Nook Samsung Tablet keeps wanting to autocorrect that to Falcon 2016.

I'm here for some professional development, some socializing, a lot of work with the Standards Committee to follow through on the revisions we made in 2015, and auctioning off book donations from Mystery & Horror LLC for library fund-raising! Thank you, Sarah and Gwen!

Pictures to follow.

Librarian Plans for 2016

There's always the Florida Library Association conference, although this year it's in early March because the AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION is meeting in Orlando this summer.

So, yeah, I got choices.

I kinda need to go to both.

Florida Writers Conference 2015: Towards the end of the day

As mentioned in the earlier article, I am at the Florida Writers Association conference for the day, and I learned a few things:

1) the comma is dead, unfortunately.  ...I should also include ellipses, sad but true.

2) I was the only one to show up with a comic book character's logo on a t-shirt.

3) there's a lot of things I can do to improve the odds of getting published.

I sat in on the discussions involving the importance of networking, from there a session discussing the many literary magazines out there and the tips on successfully getting published with MAYBE one of them.  Maybe.

I participated on a pitch-fest where I made my first effort to pitch a story idea to a rough, heavily-armed group of agents and publishers just waiting for the blood sacrifice, mwha.  I intentionally flubbed it because I promised the fellow writer who went ahead of me I would: she was so nervous she was going to get "gonged" - yes, there was a gong and it was used often - that in order to settle her nerves I did so.  I wanted to show her it was just a practice pitch - not a real one to worry over - and that you NEEDED to relax and let loose and unclench.  Do it without the stress, you know?

I wowed them with the first line anyway: "Aliens." hehe.

...what, you all never watched that bit with the pigeons from Disney's Bolt?

(Update: Yeah. Like that. Snap,)

Past that there was lunch, and a session on how to tell the difference between novella and novel (hint: it's NOT entirely based on word count, but on the focus/complexity of the work).

I sat in on the "Ask An Agent" session to see what the agents themselves suggest about looking for one and how to succeed.  For myself, I'm kinda in the self-publishing stage for now.  Once I get novels done - FINALLY done - I will do the legwork to get an agent to do the real legwork for a small-to-big market publisher.

The day is finishing up now with a session on how to submit to the FWA-based writing contests and publications, and thence to the dinner hall.

I documented the atrocities with photos.

I tweeted all over the place with #FWA2015 by the by

Talking about getting published to literary magazines

From the Lakeland Writers meetup group, here's Alison Nissen!

Agents of SHIE... no wait...

Florida Libraries: Standards and Outcomes

I've been on the Standards Committee for the past year for the Florida Library Association, and what we worked on was a revision of existing standards - something in need of updates - to try and establish something that had outcomes that could be useful in getting libraries better funding and public support.

The Standards are up on a blog provided by the Orange County (Orlando) Library System at this link, and you can see for yourself how we're setting up what libraries are doing and can do to where the outcomes are clear and where our needs and support have to focus.