Collecting and Connecting: Or, Why You Should Sign Up – And Then Show Up

Connect and Collect

Recently, AASL’s Member Engagement Committee began what is hoped to be an ongoing series of virtual professional development events. Called “Connect and Collect,” these events are meant to help bring together school librarians and lovers of books from all over so they can share titles to improve their school library collections and better serve their students. This is where the “collect” part of the event title comes in. 

Even more importantly, to my mind, is how the “connect” portion of these events plays out. A Connect and Collect can only be successful if people show up to share a title. When people do show up, they are affirming their connections to others – other book lovers, other school librarians. 

Expanding Our Connection Opportunities

These events are not limited to AASL members – all are welcome to come and share their favorite titles. 

Personally, I think these Connect and Collect events have been some of my favorite engagement opportunities I’ve had this past year. They are purely about the joy of having a great title that might benefit others. 

AASL’s Member Engagement Committee is hoping to not only continue this virtual series next year, but is also hoping to bring it to AASL 2025 as a hybrid session. AASL 2025 attendees will be invited to meet in person to share ideas with each other, and there is a tentative plan to also offer the session live-via-Zoom for those who are not able to be in St. Louis in October. 

Expanding Our Collection Opportunities

I love to talk about books. Long before I ever thought about being a librarian, I was a bibliophile of the first order. So this type of opportunity to connect with colleagues from all over in a purely book-sharing capacity is pretty much my idea of heaven. 

The first Connect and Collect happened April 10th. Its theme was Great Graphic Novels. The second Connect and Collect, with the theme Nonfiction Gems, was on May 15th. 

At each event, attendees were split into breakout rooms by grade band, so everyone came away with titles they could use. Everyone was encouraged to not only share verbally during the session, but also to add titles to a shared Padlet. These recordings and Padlets are going to be available to AASL members to review. 

Re-defining “Success”

Over 100 people signed up for each event. But fewer than 30 people actually attended the events. I found this quite disappointing. 

While I understand that the end of the school year can be busy, and that people have multiple commitments and demands on their time, an attendee-focused event like the Connect and Collect really only works if people show up and take part. The Connect and Collects have not been the only events I’ve seen with high sign-ups and low turn-outs. 

This seems to be a trend across organizations – whether national, state, county, or local. Organizers I’ve spoken with at all levels have noted that if they get fifteen percent of sign-ups to actually attend, they figure that’s a success. 

“RSVP” Does Not Stand for “Rude Sucker, Very Perjurious” 

To my mind, that’s the opposite of success. When people are going to the effort of refining ideas, assembling the back-end logistics, putting their time into making an event come together, that’s a lot of work. 

When those event organizers see that 100 people have signed up, that’s a real spur to put on a great event, to invest even more of their time, effort, and attention into making the event something worthwhile for attendees. 

When the prospective attendees don’t actually show up, that’s a sucker-punch to the folks who expended so much energy into the set-up of the event. This is multiple times more true when the event is predicated on the engagement and involvement of the attendees. 

In short, it strikes me as incredibly rude to say, “Yes, I’m going to attend this event,” and then to not show. Imagine if you were planning your birthday party, and 100 people tell you they’re going to be there. You get set for a real blow-out; then the day of, 13 people show up. 

Collecting Connections

Look, I get it. I’ve been guilty of it myself. In this age of recordings and multiple demands on our time, it’s easy to sign up for things. And sometimes you overschedule. But no worries – after all, there’ll be a recording to watch later, right? 

But there is a vast difference between watching a recording and taking part in an event. 

The biggest difference, in my mind, is that there is almost no ability to connect with others via a recording. 

At a time when we could all use more connections, I hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. And I sincerely and truly hope you’ll utilize the memberships you pay for to engage with your associations and forge connections with colleagues. Because that’s how we make good friends. 

And who couldn’t stand to expand their collection of friends these days?