I can't even put into words how excited I was for this day to begin. The first day of the Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute. I even arrived early to the Madison Building which is rare. Unfortunately, the building didn't open for visitors until 8:30. So, I stood outside in the beautiful morning air and reflected on . . . who am I kidding? I was having a debate in my head with the security guard that wouldn't let me in. I mean didn't she know who I was? But I digress and she was doing her job to protect the employees of the LOC. Kudos to you security guard! I really did feel like I was a kid going to kindergarten. We jumped right in and kept busy the entire day. It was the best day of professional development EVER. I know that the rest of the week will prove even more impressive. One of the best parts of the day was getting my LOC Reader Card. Okay, maybe the very best part was the personal tour of the library. But still, I have an LOC Reader Card. How cool is that? (see the picture below) At the end of the day, I went to the basement of the LOC to find the Surplus Book Room. I am fortunate to be able to participate in their Surplus Book grant program. I will be able to bring back to my high school library about six boxes of books. This is a great program. If you are going to be in DC, you should definitely check it out. After all that work, I needed a little sustenance. We found a great Mexican restaurant and were lucky because it was free queso Monday. Score! It was an amazing day. Tomorrow will be even better because we have a behind the scenes tour of the Main Reading Room. Stay tuned!