June brings a burst of anticipation to the American Library Association (ALA). Colleagues and members put the finishing touches on our most important event of the year, our Annual Conference and Exhibition, which will be held June 25–29 in Chicago. I’m eager to meet many of you and make the most of those exciting, jam-packed days.
While this is my first Annual as executive director, I attended the conference last summer in Philadelphia. There, I was blown away by the sheer number of participants, the depth of quality programming, and the infectious enthusiasm and energy from morning to night.
This year, we expect approximately 15,000 conference attendees. As in previous years, we anticipate that about 20% of our membership will attend, devoting several days of their summer to advancing their profession and connecting with peers from around the country.
That’s an impressive participation rate that other organizations would envy. I see this as members expressing their solidarity and belief in the importance of ALA and their role in it, especially in today’s culture and climate.
At any given moment during the conference, there will be opportunities to hear from notable authors and speakers, attend panel discussions that tackle tough issues, celebrate accomplishments that demonstrate our impact, and meet or reconnect with colleagues who share our passion for equitable access to information. The Annual Conference resembles the library itself—and both give you the world.
I’m happy that my first official Annual will be held in my hometown. There’s nothing better than early summer in Chicago, as we shake off the tough winter. I encourage attendees to make the most of our beautiful city—the dining guide is a great place to start. Chicago is a city of neighborhoods with fantastic food everywhere, not just downtown.
In addition to the conference, June is Pride Month, always a significant and memorable celebration in Chicago. There’s also the grand opening of one very famous library just a few miles down the road from our gathering space. I’m, of course, referring to the Obama Presidential Center, which will be home to a new Chicago Public Library branch, opening on Juneteenth. We were thrilled to work with the center to include it in a tour of several Chicago libraries (which sold out quickly!).
It is truly an honor to lead ALA. As a former English teacher and a father of three, I am a lifelong patron and lover of libraries—especially in summertime. Libraries fulfill an essential role during these months when kids are out of school. I know public libraries are seeing increased traffic, and I salute you for your creativity and hard work in designing summer reading programs that limit learning loss, enhance skills, and bring the fun, all while instilling a lifelong love of books.
I have my own fond family memories of taking my young kids to a beautiful old building on St. Joseph Island, Ontario, the Richards Landing Children’s Library. I cherish the memory of reading books together in the warm, wood-paneled room, the kids curled up or doing crafts.
I know you, too, have stories of libraries and their impact on your life. It seems everyone does, and that’s one reason I am so energized by this role.
There have been many changes and hard decisions in ALA’s recent past, but our vision of ensuring libraries can thrive is clear as ever, especially as we celebrate the monumental achievement of 150 years of impact. I am honored to partner with you as we work to unite and strengthen ALA and our nation’s libraries.
