Summer Semester and SLA

Posted June 6, 2016 by Amy Wilson

I’ve had a short break since my spring term, and now I’m getting ready for my online summer class, ‘Competitive Intelligence.’ In the last few weeks I have been busy with work, but I did fit in a quick vacation to Puerto Rico!

 Enjoying a coconut on the beach

 Zip-lining in the rainforest with kittens

Based on what I’ve seen of the syllabus, Competitive Intelligence going to be intense. There’s a lot of reading, plus we will have weekly virtual meetings on Monday nights. On those evenings, I plan to stay at work late and call in from my office, since I won’t make it home for our 6pm start time. 

This week, I’m getting ready for another trip, to the Special Libraries Association’s Summer 2016 Conference in Philadelphia! We are lucky enough to have family in the area, so we will stay with them. Our plan (for Rob and me) is to drive down Friday after work; he is driving home Sunday, and I will fly home Tuesday. The conference is only from Sunday to Tuesday, so we get to enjoy our visit with Rob’s cousins too. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote an essay and was awarded a stipend for attending the conference from the SLA legal division. The money can be used for travel and hotel expenses, so I’m planning to put it toward my flight and a rental car to get in and out of Philly each day. 

This week, to prepare for the conference, I’m going to check out the list of events and plan which ones I want to attend. The SLA website has a neat tool that lets you plan your schedule so you don’t have to carry the whole long list around. I’m also hoping to attend a Simmons event on Sunday night, which a few of our professors are attending. 

I also want to read through the “Tips for First Time Attendees,” since this is my first multi-day conference and I know that big events like this can be overwhelming. I will try to take in as much as I can, and write again next week about my experience!