I am exhausted.

It’s Friday night here in Portland, Oregon, host city of the Public Library Association Conference, and it’s been a busy few days. I’ve enjoyed networking, listening to keynote speakers, such as Amy Scheider and hottie Kal Penn, and educational sessions about topics such as diversity audits, book challenges, intellectual freedom, removing bias from the catalog, book buzzes, eliminating late fees (and even more than late fees!), and more.

I’m excited to bring back what I’ve learned to the library. There are things that are within my power to change immediately, such as removing bias from the catalog, and things that I’ll need to pass on to others to implement change, such as eliminating late fees. I’ve learned a lot that will help me with my Brodart work, including what’s hot with upcoming comics and how to remove barriers in comics classification.

I’ve explored the city as much as I can, visiting the Central Library to get my library card for my collection, having nights out with friends, and getting delicious Voodoo Donuts with colleagues. I even got to meet an author friend that I’ve been communicating with for awhile. All in all, it’s been a wonderful trip. And it ain’t over yet. I’ve still got one more day and night to explore before returning to Cleveland!