Education and Meetings

ALA, the oldest and largest library association in the world, holds its Annual Conference & Exhibition each summer. As the world's biggest library event, it brings together up to 25,000 librarians and library staff, educators, authors, publishers, friends of libraries, trustees, special guests, and exhibitors to engage and participate in the ongoing transformation of libraries, and to network. With around 2,500 scheduled events, of which more than 500 are programs, sessions, and in-depth facilitated and informative conversations, attendees can engage in a wide range of library- and professional development-related topics at our newly designed, compact campus that offers an efficient and well-organized layout!

The Conference brings together bestselling authors, experts, political luminaries, thought leaders and influencers in the library field and all over the world. News is made at these events, important announcements are made, updates are shared, relevant legislation and policy are addressed, and discussions take place that have a major impact on libraries, their roles, and their ongoing transformation. Annual Conference events trend nationally on Twitter (#alaac19) and are extensively covered in the media.

Here are just a few educational sessions being offered.

IGNITE Sessions and Conversation Starters

Special informal opportunities to hear the latest from your library colleagues on what's working in their libraries and beyond. Conversation Starter talks are fast-paced 45-minute sessions intended to jumpstart conversations and highlight emerging topics and trends. Ignite speakers present for exactly five minutes on what they're most passionate about in the library world, and inspire the audience to join them. Each five minute Ignite talk is accompanied by 20 slides, each displayed for 15 seconds,with slides advancing automatically.

NOW SHOWING @ ALA Film Program

Back by popular demand, the "Now Showing @ ALA Film Program" offers a variety of films and documentaries throughout the day from Saturday through Monday. Many will offer a chance to meet the film's writer, director, or subjects. Stop by, snack, and view a film sure to intrigue.

Discussion Groups

The Annual Conference features more than 200 Discussion Groups—loosely organized sessions on broad and timely topics, each sponsored by an ALA division, round table, or office. These generally highly interactive sessions may, or may not have a speaker and are more open discussions than informational.

Committee Meetings

Committee meetings are held during the Annual Conference to secure the business of the association. Some meetings will be listed "Closed" when they are discussing private information, but most are open to any attendee, and are often a good way to learn about the business of ALA, and its divisions.

THINK FIT @ ALA

Sustainability and ‘green’ efforts are increasing throughout the events and hospitality industry. ‘Thinking Fit’ by minimizing our negative impact on the environment, ALA encourages you to keep an eye out for our environmentally friendly activities, as well as those of our vendors and other partners.