The conference is here — now let's eat!

For those of you attending the ALA annual conference, let's meet up Saturday night. We'll find some dinner and you will have the opportunity to meet other students and make plans for the rest of the evening.
So, the plan:

Who: Drexel SCALA, Drexel library science students and selected awesome alumni
What: Dinner and then fun, including, but not limited to, walking to the National Mall and seeing some of the monuments at night
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Meet at Four Points Sheraton, 1201 K St NW
Why: Because we need at least one opportunity this weekend to talk about Drexel — and also have some fun!

For the rest of your meals, check back here later today for some suggestions for affordable eats.

Where to eat during ALA

ALA Annual is upon us, and if you're like me, you're in DC (or will be soon) and trying to plan the next few days, including where you'll be eating. As SCALA's resident DC expert (sort of), I thought I'd offer up some restaurant ideas for the conference. What follows is by no means a complete list, but they're all places near the convention center that I've either been to or had recommended to me. Keep in mind that DC prices are far more expensive than those in Philly (or most of the rest of the country, for that matter), so you'll spend more for a comparable meal.

For quick lunch or dinner:

• Five Guys (808 H St. NW) - Five Guys does great burgers and fries. It's fast food, but it's better quality than something like McDonald's. Everything's fried in peanut oil and they serve peanuts in the restaurant though, so if you're allergic, avoid going here.
• Chop't (730 7th St. NW) - Chop't is all salads, all the time. They have a bunch of signature dishes, or you can create your own.
• California Tortilla (728 7th St. NW) - Burritos, tacos, salads, etc.
• Potbelly (726 7th St. NW) - Sandwiches and salads.

For a sit down meal:

• Capitol City Brewing Company (1100 New York Ave NW)
• Matchbox (713 H St. NW)
• Ella's Pizza (9th St. NW between F and G) - Really good pizza, plus fantastic happy hour specials from 4-7 Monday through Friday
  
• Gordon Biersch (900 F St. NW)
• Chinatown Express (746 6th St. NW) - Great Chinese food, and inexpensive by DC standards.
• Full Kee (509 H St. NW)
• Ping Pong Dim Sum (900 7th St. NW) - Really good food, and since it's dim sum, you can try lots of different options and share for a slightly less expensive meal.

Do you have a favorite place in the convention center/Chinatown/Penn Quarter area of DC? Comment and let other conference-goers know!

Sign up for our Longwood Gardens Trip

Fountains at Longwood Gardens
Image Credit: anne.oeldorfhirsch

The date has been set for our Longwood Gardens trip - Friday, July 16th.

Longwood Gardens is a premiere horticultural garden, with innovative landscaping displays and a focus on community engagement through the environment and the arts. Our trip will include a tour of their library and archives of 31,000 items, including a rare book collection.

We will be leaving at 1PM on Friday, July 16th from campus (Rush Building) and will carpool to the Gardens. If you would like to sign up for this trip, please email us at DrexelSCALA@gmail.com. Spots are limited!

Longwood Gardens Trip coming soon

SCALA will be hosting a trip to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA sometime this summer. This will include a tour of their library and archives which offers materials in horticulture, botany and the allied arts and sciences.

Are you interested in joining us?   Email to let us know!

More details to come...