Thanks and Farewell from Local Arrangements

The Local Arrangements Co-Chairs, Phil Dudas and Jennifer Dietrich would like to thank everyone for reading these past couple of months.  We'd also like to thank our subcommittee for contributing to this blog and to Dinner with Colleagues:  Lyndi Finifrock, Beth Gallinger, Rebecca Ganzel, Katie Polley, Sarah Weeks, Sara Ring, Amy Boese, Marcus Lowry, and Mary Wagner.  Hope you enjoyed the conference and enjoyed St. Paul!  For those of you who live in the Twin Cities, don't forget to check out the St. Paul Art Crawl which starts next weekend.  It is the 20th anniversary this year, over 300 lofts and studios in Lowertown and throughout St. Paul:

http://www.stpaulartcrawl.org/

The Finish Line

The Twin Cities Marathon is set for this Sunday, October 7th. Over 28,000 runners will take part this weekend's array of events and distances, a few librarians among them! One of the top 10 marathons in the nation, this destination event is not to be missed, and during one of our most beautiful times of the year.

It's Friday afternoon, and the conference has officially come to a close. What a fantastic week! So many networking opportunities, new resources discovered, apps added, and friends made (some for the first time in person after meeting through sites like Twitter and blogging!)

We came, we learned, we crafted, we logged on, and we are ready to return to our workplaces full of creative new ideas and pertinent information for each of our informational specialties.

This conference would not be possible without the support of our members, sponsors, speakers, volunteers, attendees and the organizational prowess of our leaders, Carla Urban, 2012 MLA President, Kathleen James, Conference Planning Committee Chair, and Robin Ewing, Program Committee Chair.

Conference After Hours: Park Square Theatre

Playing tonight and tomorrow night at the Park Square Theatre is Red, a play about Russian-American painter Mark Rothko.

Synopsis

Winner of the 2010 Tony Award for Best Play, Red took Broadway by storm with its provocative and searing portrait of an artist's ambition and vulnerability. Having just landed the biggest commission in modern art history, abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko works feverishly in his studio with his brash, young assistant, Ken. As Rothko nears completion of what he hopes will be his crowning achievement, he faces the possibility that it could also become his undoing.

Rush tickets are only $22, cash only. Available 10 minutes before performance; subject to availability.

Showtime is 7:30pm, more information here.  This intimate, 15 row theatre is a only short walk from RiverCentre and nearby hotels.

Rise and Shine for Day 2!

Just getting home from Killer Cocktails?  Well you had better get some beauty sleep because MLA is back at it bright and early with these two events starting at 7am Thursday morning:

Appy Hour/Continental Breakfast

Droid, iPhone, iPad… Whatever device you use, there’s an app for that on the Thursday, October 4 breakfast menu.  Grab something to eat and get a quick glance at the slide show, talk apps at the breakfast table, and consult with one of our app ambassadors for an opportunity to test recommended apps for yourself. The app ambassadors have selected a wide variety of apps for all devices to ensure that there’s something for everyone.

 
Past Presidents' Breakfast
For those esteemed few of you lucky enough to call yourself an MLA Past President, the Past Presidents' breakfast will be held at the Downtowner Woodfire Grill just a short walk from RiverCentre.



Road construction updates R us!

Construction worries? We've got your back!

A road sign this summer in Eagan.

You know the jokes about the two Minnesota seasons, winter and road-repair?  Well, we're at the furious tail end of road-repair season right now, and it ain't pretty.  Downtown Saint Paul has the added glory of putting the final touches on a new light-rail line that's scheduled to open in 2014.  Plus you might well be driving to our fair city along a highway, or over a bridge, that's being, er, enhanced.

Here are some places to go for up-to-date information on construction:

• For light-rail construction detours, go to Metro Transit or the Metropolitan Council
• For citywide road closures, go to the City of St. Paul (where you can also sign up for e-mail updates)
• For construction updates in and around St. Paul, go to Ramsey County
• For statewide highway construction projects (including a searchable list by highway number), go to the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation
• For regular informative tweets on highway congestion, follow @mndotnews on Twitter

And wherever you go, take a map and a large dose of Zen.  You'll get there, eventually!

Tomorrow is the last day to RSVP for Dinner with Colleagues!

 

Forepaugh's

A great way to network, enjoy conversations outside library walls, and eat some delish local food!

Dinner with Colleagues is where you can attend a theme-based dinner with other conference attendees at 6:30pm on Thursday, October 4. You will pay for your own dinner, and prices range anywhere from $10-$50/person depending upon which dinner you choose.

The dinner themes include: Downton Abbey, Foodies, Hunger Games, Linked Data, MILE & Friends, MN Library Futurists, MonstrosiTEEN, and Trivia Night.

Register here:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084DA9A92BA20-minnesota

For the Kid in All of Us : Minnesota Children's Museum

For more than 30 years, the Minnesota Children's Museum has been welcoming kids of all ages, and their caregivers, into their world of creative play and interactive learning environments.

For a nominal fee, this is the ultimate place to take your child of almost any age to wear them out and have them learn all at the same time! Learning and having fun are the key elements at this hands on museum where kids explore their world by climbing, touching, splashing, pulling and pressing exhibits and displays.

In relation to local library systems, the St Paul Public Libraries offer a 'Passport to Play' program, which is a well established collaboration between SPPL and MCM.

Even if you only have an hour or two to spare, this is a worth while stop to get ideas towards engaging play areas for children's libraries and learning centers.