The ALA Conference was the premiere event for librarians; a chance to sit in on lectures, meet authors, and make connections with publishers. Connections that could mean better deals on books, or even donations. Since funding was the bane of every librarian’s existence, that meant that forging connections at events like this were the equivalent of pitched battle for the bespectacled protectors of the stacks.
That’s why, even though she knew there was no reason she couldn’t just put her phone on silent, Nicolette turned her phone off entirely. She even considered leaving it at her hotel room to keep from being tempted, though she eventually slid it into her purse with the rest of her essentials. Her hotel might be adjoining the convention center that the conference was being held at, but
