Ning on Why CONELL is Her Absolute Favorite AALL Memory
Ning Han, LLB, LLM, MLIS is an Associate Professor and Technical Services Librarian with the George R. White Law Library, Concordia University School of Law in Boise, Idaho.
Why did you join AALL?
I joined AALL around 2009 as a student member. The MLIS program I attended didn’t offer a specialized law librarianship track. So I was hoping that joining AALL would help me to learn more about what it is like for being a law librarian.
Why do you stay a member?
In fact, my membership had gone inactive for about three years during 2010-2012 since I was holding a non-law library position. I reactivated my membership in 2012 and stay connected with AALL since then. AALL feels like home for law librarians and I consider AALL as a law librarian “must-have”. It offers everything I need to stay connected with new ideas, new resources, and, most importantly, old and new friends.
What one membership benefit is most valuable to you?
I want to say networking initially but do feel that AALL programs are too awesome to not mention. There are just too many great sessions every year and I often find myself having to make hard choices among concurrent sessions. I enjoy the variety of topics covered and the different formats utilized. I personally like the Deep Dive sessions a lot. I also enjoy the library tours offered with every year’s program.
What is your favorite memory associated with AALL?
CONELL is my absolute favorite. It just cannot get better than having a whole day dedicated to meeting peer librarians and sightseeing at the same time. I enjoyed my bus tour taking us to places in Seattle, including Chittenden Salmon Locks, Kerry Park in Queen Ann, and downtown Seattle. There are many other great AALL memories. Working with my AALLc peeps and setting up displays are fun. Hanging out at the famous Fastcase Suite was memorable. Karaoke with Ken was beyond awesome. And those hand-holding moments at the glass deck of Sears Tower will be hard to forget as well.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love spending time with my 1-year old, playing with him, reading to him, and showing him the world. He keeps me busy 7 days a week. Whenever possible, I love to have some alone time so that I can catch up with sleep, go shopping, or just work out. I enjoy cooking and getting lost in home décor stores.
What book(s) are you currently reading?
I don’t read fiction, especially sci-fi or romance fictions. Call me weird, please. But I do enjoy reading books offering me new ideas and knowledge in areas that I would like to explore. Currently, I have the following books on my to-read list: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, Free by Chris Anderson, who also wrote The Long Tail. I also recently started reading What The Best Law Teachers Do by Schwartz, Hess, and Sparrow and hope to gain insights on how to be more helpful to my students.
What’s your favorite travel/vacation destination?
This is a hard one. I love traveling and I am a totally conflicted person. I guess probably because I am Gemini for horoscope. One side of me loves visiting cities and going to places that only locals would know. The other side of me enjoys opportunities to explore natural beauty. I enjoyed my trip to Alaska. I was able to see aurora and sea kayak out to see and touch the icebergs of the Columbia Glacier. I am hoping to make my way to Antarctica at some point.