Midwinter Friday: Orientation

After an early (6am) flight, my morning has been spent getting oriented. This is my first Midwinter and things seem manageable, although they may look different once the full mass of people gets here and the events get into swing. ALA is sharing the convention center with the International Sportsman’s Exhibition. No word yet on how much overlap in registration there is, but it looks like that show gets started later in the day and runs later into the evening than Midwinter—so it’s conceivable that some hunting librarians might attend both. One of the first things I saw at the convention center is a giant blue bear sculpture outside the front windows, peering in. I originally figured it might be part of the sportsman’s expo, but it is actually part of the convention center’s branding. (You can, if you so choose, purchase smaller replicas.) Also of note are the convention center staff, who have thus far been extremely friendly. Several are stationed at the convention center’s main entrance, and they’ve been tremendously outgoing in greeting and offering assistance to people as they come in.