ALA Midwinter in Seattle

I went to the American Library Association's Midwinter Conference in Seattle this morning. Some highlights:

• The Washington State Convention Center is built on top of the freeway. And I was there. How cool is that?
• The reason I paid to go: I got to be there at the Youth Awards press conference where they announce the Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz winners. Most significantly, American Born Chinese, a graphic novel, won the Printz. Very cool.
• I was happy to learn that Allison Bechdel's Fun Home won the nonfiction Stonewall award.
• Lots and lots of vendors in the massive exhibition hall. They all wanted to sell me stuff. "Yes, ma'am, I'm quite impressed by your automated checkout system, but I'm afraid I don't need it for my home library."
• Free books. Nothing great, but they were free--today's the last day of exhibitions and nobody wants to haul them home, so they were giving them away for free or selling them at half-price. I picked up a couple free books, plus a free Transformers comic.
• There were cinnamon rolls, but, as per Foxy J's and my New Years goals making today a No Treat Day, I abstained.
• I finally got myself a Nancy Pearl Librarian action figure, and it only cost me six dollars. They were selling it for fifteen in the ALA store, but the Library of Congress booth had it cheaper in the first place, then half off.
• I got to observe the Best Books for Young Adults committee debating about which nominees to include on this year's list, then did obseved the Great Graphic Novels for Teens committee do the same.
• I spent the morning in downtown Seattle, which is just a cool place. I haven't spent a lot of time there since moving here, and whenever I have been downtown I've had little people in tow, which meant I couldn't spend a lot of time wandering around and enjoying the sights.