Tips for newbies to Supercon

I was looking back at my old files (occasionally I get the urge to weed something other than my school library collection) and saw that I have been attending the OLA Superconference since 2000. I didn't think it's been that many years! Anyhoo, a new TL in my board asked if I had any advice for someone new to the OLA Superconference. This is word-for-word what I wrote to her (I can vow it's word-for-word since I just copied and pasted it from my e-mail in-box!)

Wear comfortable shoes. Bring your P-card if you have one. Attend the sessions you signed up for and collect the handouts, so you can show your admin all that you learned from the conference. Don't lose your badge that you get on the first day - it has free drink tickets for various events in the early evening. Bring your list of what sessions you signed up for so you don't forget. Oh, and you can bring your admin for free on one of the days you attend.

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I'd also add, try not to walk out mid-way through a session or be a "session hopper" (yeah, you folks know who you are ;>). I've been tempted to do this in the past because there are *so* many good sessions going on, often at the same time. Some people decide to go to three simultaneous sessions. Modus operandi: they sneak in, sit at the back, grab the handouts and then run to the next session and do the same. Trust me, it's not worth it. You miss the flow of the workshop and the handout scam often means that the presenters run out of handouts for the poor souls that have stayed for the whole show. Don't come between a librarian and their free handouts, especially when they've put in the time!

Okay. Getting. Off. Soapbox.