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27 LLNE News: Newsl. L. Librarians New Eng. 1 (2007-2008)

handle is hein.lbr/llnews0027 and id is 1 raw text is: ews Newsletter of the Law Librarians of New England Volume 27, Issue 1, 2007-2008 I Didn't Realize I Needed a Nametag: And Other Confessions of a First Time AALL Annual Meeting Attendee by Jessica Randall University of Connecticut School of Law Library Pens? Check. Paper? Check. Cell phone off? Check. Thinking I was good, off I went to CONELL, my first day at my first AALL Annual Meeting in New Orleans. I was excited and naturally wanted to make a good impression, however, I quickly realized that I'd already made a tactical error; I was one of maybe two people without a nametag. After a moment of panic, I thought about safety pinning my business card to my shirt but realized that might make me look really green. I'd just be known as that girl without the nametag. It sounded like a distinctive title. And so I blundered my way through my first na- tional library conference. Along the way I managed to unwittingly have a conversation with the incom- ing AALL president, spill way too much coffee on myself and get thoroughly confused by the multitude of acronyms. More importantly, I also had an amaz- ing time meeting other librarians, volunteering for Habitat for the Humanity, and learning more about law librarianship than an article or listerv could ever teach me. Even without a nametag, CONELL was very infor- mative and welcoming. Attendees were introduced to AALL as an organization, taught how to 'confer- ence' as well as get involved. I found the advice valuable - attempt to meet five people a day, walkout of the exhibit center with a full bag, collect ribbons, attend a session outside your expertise, and do some- thing outside the meeting. When originally planning my trip, I figured if I was going to go, I was going to do everything. Which I soon realized is entirely unrealistic. I started the conference with a strict game plan and a third of the way through the first day wandered off my plan. I made it a priority to attend as much as possible and followed the advice of seasoned attendees; dabble in everything, figuring out what piques your interest. I've only worked in academic libraries, so through- out the conference I was particularly interested in meeting law librarians who work outside of aca- demia, learning more about their work and the chal- lenges they face on a day-to-day basis. Everyone I met was warm, inviting and very informative. Law librarians are nice people, willing to lend a hand and smile as a newbie trips over herself What struck me most about the conference was the energy. As one walked through the conference center they could hear and watch the sharing of ideas and different perspectives. When I naively walked into the conference hall on my first day I was expect- ing to see something out of YouTube's March of the Librarians video, however, much to my surprise, I was terribly wrong. (Available at http://www.vou- tube. com/watch?v=Td92210NoDQ.) I was able to attend the meeting through the invalu- able assistance of a LLNE Annual Meeting Scholar- ship. Thanks to LLNE's support, I've come to realize the importance and value of library organizations and left New Orleans energized with new ideas and connections. LLNE News, Volume 27, Issue 1, 2007-08 1

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