The American Library Association's (ALA) Annual Conference & Exhibition will convene in Washington, D.C., June 23-28, 2022. Attendees will be informed and updated on trends, policies, best practices; motivated by celebrity speakers and thought-leaders; and entertained by top authors.
In the ALA Opening General Session, ALA President Patricia ‘Patty’ Wong will host a conversation with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on policymaking and insights into current issues central to the core values of libraries, from net neutrality to challenges and solutions to close the digital divide.
In a special message to library professionals, Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden will discuss the role of libraries and librarians in the misinformation age. Dr. Hayden is the first woman and first African American to lead the national library. She was nominated to the position by President Barack Obama.
In the ALA Closing General Session, author Luvvie Ajayi Jones will be in conversation with Dr. Nicole A. Cooke, Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina.
In the ALA Leadership Reading and Panel Session: Defending the Fifth Freedom: Protecting the Right to Read for Incarcerated Individuals, panelists will discuss book and digital access for those who have been incarcerated.
Other speakers include actors Tiffany Haddish and John Cho, journalist Maria Hinojosa, and authors Celeste Ng, Kevin Eastman, and R.L. Stine.
The health and safety of conference attendees and vendors are our priority. ALA is tracking the latest health and safety guidance for large group gatherings from the CDC, the DC Department of Health, and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, which is working with suppliers in environmental services, health, and safety technology upgrades, food, and beverage and other services. See the American Library Association Annual Conference 2022 Health Protocols page that will be regularly updated should changes occur.
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