The American Library Association (ALA) announced on December 30 that Jill Biden will serve as the Closing Session speaker at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual on Monday, January 25, from 11:15 a.m.–noon Central. The full statement follows.
The American Library Association announced today that the next First Lady, Jill Biden, EdD, will participate in ALA’s Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual on Monday, January 25, from 11:15 a.m.–noon Central. Dr. Biden will join a conversation with ALA President Julius C. Jefferson Jr., which will serve as the event’s closing session.
A community college professor and author, Dr. Biden served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009–2017. She will return to the White House alongside her husband, President-Elect Joe Biden on January 20.
Dr. Biden has spent more than three decades teaching in community colleges, high schools, and a psychiatric hospital for adolescents. She has two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education.
As Dr. Biden often says, being a teacher isn’t just what she does—it’s who she is. She has worked to underscore the critical role of community colleges in ensuring that Americans have the skills they need to succeed in a 21st-century economy. Today, she continues to teach at a community college in northern Virginia, a position she held throughout her time in the White House.
“We are honored that Dr. Biden will be joining us at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting. Librarians are among her most ardent supporters, and I know that I speak for many when I say this conversation will be something they cherish for a long time,” said ALA President Julius C. Jefferson Jr. “Dr. Biden’s profound commitment to education and her efforts to create pathways to enrichment are more important than ever. As our nation’s students struggle with distance learning, maneuvering digital jungles, and grappling with digital literacy, we believe librarians and library workers have a critical role to play in supporting the needs of learners. From homework help to assisting adults with job searches, our nation’s library professionals will also take an active role in our nation’s COVID-19 recovery. We are grateful for Dr. Biden’s support and advocacy as we move forward in supporting and transforming lives through education and lifelong learning.”
Dr. Biden is author of several books, including The New York Times–bestselling Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, which was released in May 2019, as well as two children’s books, Don’t Forget, God Bless our Troops, which was released in June 2012, and JOEY: The Story of Joe Biden, which was released in June 2020.
ALA’s Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits is one of the nation’s largest professional events for the library information industry, offering meetings, programs, discussion groups, events, in-depth conversations, and exhibits.
Media interested in registering for the event or arranging interviews with library leaders are encouraged to contact Macey Morales, deputy director of the ALA Communications and Marketing Office, at (312) 280-4393 or mmorales@ala.org, or Steve Zalusky, communications specialist of the ALA Communications and Marketing Office, at (312) 280-1546 or szalusky@ala.org.
For additional information regarding ALA’s Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual, please visit 2021.alamidwinter.org.
