ALA as a family affair

Although I've roomed at almost every American Library Association conference with my mama (one of the many benefits of being a second-generation librarian), I've very seldom brought the rest of my family. Only twice have other family members experienced the wonders of ALA.

In July 1993, my husband and older daughter (at that time, my only daughter) came with me to New Orleans, where my daughter was alarmed by the horns on the river boats but seemed to enjoy the sultry air. There she is, aged 2, wearing her obligatory freebie pins snagged from the exhibits.
In July 2007, I brought my younger daughter, then 12 years old, to Washington DC so that she could share in the joy of Susan Patron's speech at the Caldecott/Newbery banquet (my daughter being an early and strong fan of The Higher Power of Lucky). She liked the banquet and some baby ducks we saw near the Capitol, but the museums left her cold, while the muggy weather left her much too warm.
In a few days, I'm flying with my husband to Washington DC, his first ALA since 1993. I'll be busy most of every day, so I sure hope he's in the mood for museum-hopping. Luckily, my evenings will be free - I'm thinking a mint julep at dusk and a night-time stroll to the Lincoln Memorial sounds romantic indeed.