NASIG at Spokane, WA

This year, NASIG (North America Serials Interest Group) held its 39th annual conference at Grand Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington, from June 3 to 7. The conference coincided with the two months' local celebration of the 50th anniversary of 1974 World Expo, beginning from May 4 until July 4.

Expo '74 50th Celebration 

The city of Spokane, a county seat of Spokane County, is the second largest city after Seattle with a population of 539,339 according to the 2020 U.S. census. The tribe of Spokane, or "children of the sun," or "sun people," were the first human settlers in as early as 12,000 years ago. The native tribe lived on hunting bison and antelope, rooting forests, picking berries and nuts, and harvesting salmon. 

David Thompson (1770-1857) was the first European explorer to set up the fur-trading post called the Spokane House, with the native people on the Spokane River in Washington, operating from 1810 to 1820. Spokane County was established in January 29, 1858, annexed by Stevens County in 1864, but reestablished in October 1879. 

Spokane is a place where the past meets with the present. The Spokane Airport Davenport is compact, small but complete, which reminds one of a small Norwegian airport, as Paul has pointed out, even though a modernization project called Concourse C Expansion Project is to be unfolded soon. 

Upcoming Concourse C Expansion Project

The downtown is a mixture of old clock towers, church steeples, red bricked buildings and modern hotels and convention centers. Local residents seem happy and leisurely, although we do witness the homeless, and drug activities in the street and along the Riverfront. 

Spokane Waterfront

The local population consists largely of white and traditional, often with many youngsters in tow. At the local Costco, we saw many families having at least two to three kids. One family had seven kids, like a row of Russian dolls, all quiet and well-behaved sitting at the food court table. Their father was hardly older than 30 years old. The mother appeared a bit older, probably tired from her seemingly yearly child bearing. 

This is my third attendance of NASIG, with the first one in Fort Worth, Texas in 2014, and then in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2019. Unlike my usual disarrayed self, I was better the third time around.