i am really a librarian: in which i attend my first ola, and get paid for it, too

For the next three days, I'll be attending the Ontario Library Association's annual Superconference, always referred to simply as "OLA". As the name implies, this is a gigantic conference covering issues related to all three types of libraries - public, academic, and special. You can see a program here.

In library school, we were strongly encouraged to attend OLA. Students can volunteer to help run conference sessions in exchange for free attendance. I never did (honestly, I never even considered it), so now I attend my very first OLA, already a professional, and in place of three working days. Fun!

Here are the sessions I am hoping to attend:

- Creating an Accessible and Inclusive Library

- Young Adult Readers' Advisory: Create best practices today

- The Community-Led Library Model and How to Get Started

- The Tween Scene: A year of programming for ages 10-14

- Booktalking 3.0: Engaging and inspiring readers online

- Sub-Urban Beats: Hip-hop programming in the library (presented by two managers from Mississauga Library System, including the acting manager of my department)

- Maker Culture in Action

- Battle of the Books: It begins with co-operation and ends with competition

 - Plus a "gala luncheon" with special guest speaker Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut who lived on the International Space Station for five months and tweeted from space to more than one million followers.

I'm really looking forward to all the ideas I'll be exposed to, and being part of the Ontario library community. At the same time, events like these can be challenging for me, socially and in terms of physical energy. But I'm confident it will be more fun than not.