I have not been to the annual ALA conference in about 10 years, so this was a wonderful experience. I was able to meet some extraordinary librarians and pick their brains in regards to planning programs, marketing the library, and trying different methods of data gathering. We had some impressive speakers (Sarah Jessica Parker and Hillary R. Clinton) who reinforced our beliefs that librarians are “guardians of the First Amendment” and that we do great work to support and nurture our communities. It is always a whirlwind of a conference, but the workshops, discussion sessions, and exhibit hall just remind me why I am in this profession, which is so often at risk of losing essential funding. Public libraries exist to help people find information, discover new worlds through stories, provide a meeting place for the community, support educators and students, and so much more. Whether I am helping someone edit their resume or recommending new movies or novels, I love this job. I hope to always be able to attend conferences and other continuing education opportunities that give me new ways of seeing the challenges faced in this profession and rediscovering the joys.