by Keith Kato
Are you excited about Worldcon? We certainly are. Here are The Heinlein Society’s official confirmed events:

• Wednesday, August 15: Field trip to the Heinleins’ Bonny Doon house and the Heinlein exhibit at UC Santa Cruz, plus Mission and Vision gathering for Society members. Remember to reserve your spot at both events! Details in the link. And don’t forget the Retro Hugo awards!
• Thursday, August 16: Worldcon begins! Drop by our table in the Fan Area and say hello, pick up some swag, or get the low-down on our (renowned) Con party.
• Friday, August 17: THS party at the Fairmont Hotel from 6pm-midnight, open to all Society members and special guests.

Wednesday, August 15 (one day before Worldcon opens). Join use for a field trip to Santa Cruz, CA, for a photo drive-by of the Heinlein house on Bonny Doon Road, then on to the Special Collections Library at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where a portion of the Heinlein physical Archives will be on display. We’ll meet at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center (the central site for the Worldcon), and leave no later than 11:00 AM. The drive from the Convention Center to the Bonny Doon house is around 53 minutes. We’ll stop for photos, but won’t tour the property. The trip from Bonny Doon to UC Santa Cruz is about 22 minutes, so we’ll reach campus about 12:30 PM. 30 minutes for lunch at the Special Collections commissary, and then our visit begins!

If you’d like to view more from the Archives, or any of the Special Collections massive comic book collection, but click here for further details on how to register to access all the materials in Special Collections. The return trip to the Convention Center is around 38 minutes, so departure is planned for 3:00 PM, in plenty of time to pick up Worldcon registration packets.

We are planning to rent SUVs for transportation, and request a $20/person person non-refundable deposit. Email Keith Kato at to get on the passenger list and for payment details.
Wednesday, August 15, part deux. A “Mission & Vision” gathering for THS members is planned for the early evening of August 15 at 7:00 PM, location TBD. Our July Newsletter will have final details. We want to hear from you! If you’d like to attend, reserve a space by emailing Keith Kato at . Reservations are essential so we can have a headcount for refreshments.

Thursday, August 16. Worldcon programming begins! THS will have its information table set up by noon in the Fan Table area. Come by to chat, pick up badge ribbons, and get the lowdown on THS’s (famous) post-con party. The Retro-Hugo Awards will be presented that evening. Four Heinlein stories in three categories have been nominated, so we have reason to attend (and hopefully celebrate afterward!).

Friday August 17. The Society will host a (semi-private) Reception on Friday at the Fairmont Hotel for bona fide Society members and special guests. Come to the Society’s Fan Table for the location and to pick up the special invitation ribbon to pass our Door Dragon. The party will go from 6:00 PM to midnight, so that people can go to dinner after or get some sleep. We aren’t the party animal kids we used to be!
Saturday, August 18. Masquerade.
Sunday, August 19. Hugo Awards.
Monday, August 20. Last day of Worldcon. Our fan table will be open until mid-afternoon. Dead Dog parties are the norm that evening.

About the exhibit:
The exhibit will primarily feature materials drawn from Heinlein’s archive as well as some related materials, including selections from the Library’s comic book collection.

The exhibit will be in the Library’s Third Floor Gallery and open for visitors whenever the McHenry Library building as a whole is open. On Aug. 15th, the McHenry Library building hours will be 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Your group can see the Heinlein exhibit anytime during these hours. Once you know for certain when you will arrive, however, please let Keith Kato () know so he can greet you when you arrive.

Regarding seeing materials beyond the exhibit:
NOTE in the Library’s instructions below, that there is a July 15 deadline to request access to specific items in Special Collections. None of the materials in Special Collections and Archives can be browsed on one’s own, but if your party wish to see any materials from the Heinlein Archives or the comic book collections (or anything else in Special Collections & Archives, for that matter), they are welcome to do so as researchers on an individual basis while they are there. Here’s how:
One month in advance (by July 15th), any person wishing to individually consult any materials should register as a reader for Special Collections and Archives (via ; we will consolidate and forward these requests) and place their requests for the specific materials they wish to consult. Advance notice is required because some collections, including those of the Heinlein Archive, are stored at an offsite storage facility and advance notice will allow the library to ensure that requested materials are ready and waiting.
Here are links to the finding aids for the collections, which you can study to identify specific material requests:
Heinlein Archive
James Gunderson and Peter Coha Comic Book Collection
Please note that hours for the Special Collections and Archives Reading Room that day will be 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm only that day; they are NOT the same hours as those of the McHenry Library.