AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE BOASTS BIG NAMES

Bestselling Author and Presidential Poet Amanda Gorman and Illustrator, Author, and Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree Christian Robinson will be the closing speakers for the 2023 Annual Conference & Exhibition. Photo provided by ALA.
Bestselling Author and Presidential Poet Amanda Gorman and Illustrator, Author, and Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree Christian Robinson will be the closing speakers for the 2023 Annual Conference & Exhibition. Photo provided by ALA.

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE BOASTS BIG NAMES

BY TIA CAROL JONES

At a time when librarians are facing threats and books are being challenged, the American Library Association believes now is an important time to gather and try to figure out a path forward.

The American Library Association will host its 2023
Annual Conference & Exhibition from June 22nd through
the 27th in Chicago at McCormick Place.

The event is being billed as the world’s largest and most
comprehensive library event, set to bring together librarians,
library workers, educators, authors, publishers and library lovers. The hope is that during the five-day event, people will inspire and discover each other.

The event will focus on digital equity, freedom of speech, literacy, diversity, library fundraising, as well as prison libraries and small and rural libraries. Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, President of the American Library Association, said the topics were chosen because
the organization listened to its members to inform what
should be discussed. Those issues, along with health and
wellness, intellectual freedom, leadership and innovation
and trauma, are things library workers are experiencing.

Intellectual freedom is a number one topic, because as
Pelayo-Lozado pointed out, libraries are facing the highest
number of book challenges ever recorded. When it comes
to book challenges, books with portrayals of LGBTQIA +
people, Black people and People of Color are consistently on
the list. The American Library Association released its Top
13 Most Challenged Books of 2022.

“They are often challenged for being sexually explicit,
which is a very vague term. Some are just straight up challenged for LGBTQIA + content, as well as EDI content and to promote specific social agendas. But, we really know it is a silencing of these voices and histories,” Pelayo-Lozado said.

Because of the way libraries had to operate during
COVID-19, the American Library Association is trying to
figure out how to keep accessibility moving forward. The
organization also is trying to figure out how to support the
library workers who went through trauma because of the
pandemic.

For speakers at the event, Pelayo-Lozado wanted to
have a heavy focus on intellectual freedom and speakers
who could discuss that. Speakers at the event include Judy
Blume, who has had her books censored and challenged. She will share some of her ideas and wisdom with attendees, as well as how she deals with fans and her staunch critics.

Nikki Grimes, Virginia A Hamilton Lifetime Achievement
Award recipient, and Brian Pinkney, son of Jerry Pinkney, will
discuss their book “A Walk in the Woods.” Bestselling Author and Presidential Poet Amanda Gorman and Christian Robinson, Illustrator, Author, and Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree, will discuss their upcoming children’s picture book, “Something, Someday.”

Gorman’s Presidential Inauguration Poem, “The Hill We Climb,” was recently restricted in a Florida school after a mother complained that it was not educational and indirectly contained hate messages. “In-person, we’re going to have over 200 education programs focused on libraries, literacy
and the love of coming together as a community,” Pelayo-
Lozado said.

In addition to the in-person conference, people also can attend the event virtually. For more information about the event, visit https://2023.alaannual.org.

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