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Calling all librarians, authors, publishers, business professionals, educators and students. Scratch that - calling anyone who is passionate about books, libraries, and eager to jump in and shape the future of the industry. ALA Annual 2017 is right around the corner.
The ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition 2017 is headed to Chicago this year, bringing more than 25,000 people together from June 22 - 27 in the name of librarianship. What exactly makes this annual gathering of librarians and their adoring fans (ahem, us) so worthy of your attention? Here are just a few highlights of what’s in store at this year’s conference.
What you’ll learn at ALA 2017.
One of the best features of ALA’s annual conference is the abundance of options in speakers, presenters, exhibitors, and meetings. It’s the ultimate Choose Your Own Adventure for the world of librarians - pick the topics that will add the most value to your organization and dive in.
Committed to developing your skills as a leader? Join ACRL President Irene Herold and PLA President Felton Thomas, Jr. for a joint session on how to build your leadership responsibilities. Want to increase the diversity of identities represented in your library’s YA collections? Don’t miss featured speaker Gene Luen Yang to learn about his graphic novels and “Reading Without Walls” campaign. Oh, and former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton is the closing session speaker.
With more than 900 exhibiting organizations, multiple pavilions, and stages featuring popular authors, the exhibit floor is another way for attendees to explore awesome new library products, solutions, books, and technology.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, ALA has a great solution. Check out the handy ALA conference scheduler, allowing you to build and customize your schedule before you go. There’s also an ALA conference app to keep you organized while you’re at the conference and on the go.
The fun you’ll have at ALA 2017.
It’s a given that you’re going to learn a lot at ALA. If you’re someone who likes to play as hard as they work, allow us to introduce you to The Park @ ALA. The Park is basically a creative haven for attendees to take a break, recharge, and channel your inner child.
Located in the center of the exhibit hall right below the food court (+10 points for proximity to snacks), this playground area features exciting new technology and hands-on demos, like virtual and augmented reality, drone piloting, 3D printing, robotics and more. There’s even a Little Free Library construction area, where you can spend your lunch break building an awesome new free resource for your community.
But wait, there’s more. A lot more. Beyond the incredible offerings of the conference presenters and speakers, there’s a world of creative exploration for librarians serving communities of every age, creed, and niche interest. Check out special stages in the ALA exhibit hall showcasing ‘zines, gaming, graphic novels, and more. Creativity abound.
Find Mango at ALA 2017.
We’ve been attending ALA since the beginning of (our) time. We love it, we call it our Superbowl, and we make a point to bring our A-game every year. 2017 is no exception: this year, stop by booth #1434 to indulge in the world of language and culture learning, Mango style.
Long-term Mango customers and prospective recruits alike are invited to come hang out at our booth and explore the new happenings from Mango, and learn about all the courses we’ve released since last ALA Annual. Of course, we’re also bringing you our famous Mango smoothies and the best in Mango swag. Curious what we have this year? Stop by and find out for yourself. We promise it’ll look great on you.
If you’re not packing your bags for the 2017 conference, be sure you’re following along from home. You can keep up with the conference by following ALA on Twitter (search #alaac17!), Facebook, and other social media channels. You can also catch nuggets of wisdom, fun photos, and more on Mango Languages’ social media, especially Twitter.
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