Dine Arounds: Are you arriving in time for CE offerings or other meetings on Friday? Looking for someone to have dinner with? Then you’ll want to participate in Dine Arounds. Meet new people, have great conversation, and share dinner in one of Seattle’s unique and classic restaurants! Dine Arounds will be held on Thursday and Friday evenings. Watch for more information about how to sign up.
Opening Reception: Ah, there’s nothing quite like the first pass through the exhibit hall on your way to find nibbles and beverages, greeting friends and colleagues. For those who may be new to MLA annual meetings, don’t miss this Saturday evening kickoff event. Not only is there food and drink, but It’s your chance to see what vendors are exhibiting and what products are being featured. Find out about learning opportunities vendors have scheduled. For those of us who’ve been around the exhibit hall a few times, it’s our chance to take newer colleagues in hand and introduce them to friends and associates. You might want to tell them, too, that the food at the front isn’t the only food in the exhibit hall.
Plenaries, Presentations, Posters: CE offerings are classic opportunities for learning. But learning opportunities are all around you at Dream Dare Do. Each speaker, every paper presentation, and each poster provides information useful in your professional life. It can be overwhelming. Remember that program information will be available before the meeting. You can make a plan and put together a schedule so you don’t miss the things that are important to you. And remember, too, that people move freely during sessions from one topic to another – you can factor that into your plan.
Make time for people: Network. Schmooze. This is your opportunity to spend time with people in the profession. Maybe you’ve read an article in JMLA that inspired you and the authors are going to be in Seattle. Maybe you’ve been tasked with a project and people who have done similar things are going to be in Seattle. Maybe you follow someone on Twitter that you find interesting. You can meet up with them, share a beverage, and talk. Maybe you want to have coffee or dinner with a friend. Make time to introduce yourself to new people and network. You’ll be surrounded by people at Dream Dare Do – people who share your professional values, people who speak your language, people who understand what you do. People who might hire you some day. People you might hire some day. Now’s the time to make time for people. (Oh, and bring your business cards.)
Dream Dare Do is your opportunity to find out what’s new in health sciences libraries, to engage with others in the profession, to learn about new products and technologies, and to recharge yourself. We look forward to seeing you there!
