This morning I find myself in the airport in New Orleans, awaiting departure back to Seattle. I have been in NOLA since last Thursday, attending the 2011 annual conference of the American Library Association. Last year, I was selected as a Spectrum Scholar, and part of that amazing honor was a trip to New Orleans to attend the 2011 Spectrum Leadership Institute. The Spectrum program is an initiative to recruit a diverse workforce into the library profession. As a Spectrum Scholar, I attended three days’ worth of sessions on professional development, diversity, personal branding, networking and professional options, and more. I met so many amazing people and learned so much about our profession. I also had the opportunity to meet several other students who are attending the same online graduate program as me, which I really appreciated, since opportunities to meet face-to-face are rare for those of us who go to school online.
I stayed at the wonderful Royal Sonesta Hotel, right on Bourbon Street. Bourbon Street was insane! Luckily, my room looked out over the pool, so I did not have too much noise filtering up from the rowdy crowds. The trip was definitely an adventure. I ate some great food, did a little bit of sight-seeing (I hope to visit again in the future and see more of the Big Easy), and got to know some wonderful people. I am truly grateful to ALA and the Spectrum program for providing me with this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Mina
Sarah
Glad it was such a wonderful experience!