Advance planning:

If you will be buying my airline ticket, you should know the following:

• Although I live in Santa Fe, NM, I fly out of Albuquerque, the closest major airport.
• My ticket needs to be under my married name, Diane Vennema, since that is what is on my ID.
• When possible, I prefer to travel on Continental / Northwest. My Frequent Flyer number is: FM918790.

If you would like me to arrange the airline ticket myself (to be reimbursed later), I need to know the following:

• What is your nearest airport?
• What is the earliest flight I could reasonably catch for my return home. (In other words, please calculate the expected end of the school visit on the last day and the amount of time it takes to get to the airport from that school). I will then choose a flight that leaves no earlier than an hour after I arrive at the airport.

• I give a maximum of three presentations per day.
• For kindergarten and first grade, my talk lasts about thirty minutes. For second grade and up, allow 45 minutes to an hour, including time for questions.

On the Day of my visit:

I like to get to the school in time to get the equipment set up, at least half an hour before the first group of kids is due to arrive. Anything you can do in advance will make the process smoother (rounding up the AV cart the day before, having an extension cord ready, making sure your sound system works and the bulb in the projector isn’t blown, that sort of thing). Last-minute crises, while not the end of the world, do make for a tense beginning to the day.

Equipment I will need:

I do a PowerPoint “slide” presentation. I will bring my own laptop and a wireless presenter with a remote control for changing the slides. You will need to provide:

• A data (digital) projector. (If the school doesn’t have one, let me know and I can bring my own.)
• A screen.
• An AV cart or something to put the equipment on.
• An extension cord, most likely, to plug the AV cart in.
• A microphone, any kind (unless the room in extremely small).

Signing books:

Some schools want the children to bring their books to me personally, so they can watch as I sign them. I am happy to do this, though it is generally less chaotic and more efficient to have the books waiting in the library where I can work on signing them as time permits during the day, then deliver them to the classrooms later.

It is best, when sending out order forms for the books, to ask the parents “who should the book be inscribed to,” rather than asking “how do you want the book signed.” The latter wording sometimes makes parents think they need to come up with an inscription, and unfortunately these are often quite long and sometimes inappropriate (such as “to my darling daughter” which should come from mom and not from me). I would rather choose my own inscriptions, unless there is something obviously special such as “Happy 6 th Birthday” or “Happy Hanukah.” Usually I just write the first names unless they particularly want the last name also.

It helps to avoid mistakes if the child’s name is on a sticky note on the front of the book or highlighted on the form, tucked inside.

Autographs/Bookmarks:

I do not sign pieces of paper. However, I know that children who are not able to purchase books may feel left out. To solve this dilemma, I have created a page of bookmarks (4 bookmarks on an 8 ½” X 11” page) with a little drawing of Goldie and my signature on it. If your school chooses to do so, you can Xerox them onto colored paper or cardstock, laminate them if you wish, and give one to each child as a memento of the day. To download this bookmark, click here.

Before I leave, I will need the following information:

• The name and phone number of the hotel where I will be staying. (Non-smoking room, please.) If the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, please be sure that there is someplace I can get dinner within easy walking distance of the hotel, or choose a hotel that has a shuttle that can take me to some place to eat at night. It is best to register me at the hotel as Diane Stanley to avoid confusing other librarians or volunteer drivers who might ask for Diane Stanley at the desk and be told I’m not registered there.
• Details on my transportation from the airport to the hotel. Will someone be picking me up? If so, who, and where shall we meet? (If the person meeting me has a cell phone, that number might be handy for me to have, in case we miss our connection). If I am not being met, will I be picked up by a car service or should I take a cab or shuttle?
• Details on my transportation to the school in the morning. Who will be picking me up and at what time?
• The schedule for the day at your school. To help you plan your schedule, you should know the following:

Form 1099:

It is important that your school or organization send me a form 1099 for tax purposes. Please arrange to have the form ready for me to fill out and sign at the time of my visit. I have been audited by the state of New Mexico for taxes on income earned out of state because some schools failed to send me the proper form. Thanks you so much.