11:00 AM: Met coworker in lobby to get lunch and head to our 1:00 PM pre-conference session.
12:00 PM: Done with lunch, we decide to check out Houston Public Library's Central location. Their teen and children's sections are on the fourth floor. The teen librarians were eager to give us a tour. The section is for teens ages 13 to 18, and parents and siblings are only allowed to drop off or pick up teens. Other adults can come to browse the shelves, but they can't stay to hang out. The section is equipped with several computers with internet access, along with PlayStation 3s, Wiis, and Xbox 360s. The teens choose which games they'd like to play and the staff check out a controller to them. The staff member puts the game into the system, which is in a locked container. It's clear that the section is well looked after by the teen room staff. Great job, guys!
The children's section has quite a few programs that would be fun to try, such as a school-age LEGO program and Baby Yoga.
1:00 PM: Genealogy and Local History Primer: Databases, Websites, and Finding Aids. We heard about using Heritage Quest and Ancestry Library Edition, the efforts FamilySearch.org has taken to preserve family history and provide access to families around the world, the 1940s census, and genealogy apps for smartphones.
6:30 PM: Walked over to the convention center for the opening dinner and to walk around the exhibits. We grabbed armloads of galleys, posters, and other odds and ends, and thankfully some free bags. Can't wait to see the looks on the kids' faces when they see what books I have for summer reading prizes!
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