ALA Annual Starts Today

I will be attending ALA Annual in Chicago this year. There will be recap posts with what I saw and learned but I don't have a firm schedule for that.
My appearances will be at Friday's Library Insight Summit and at a Huddle in the ALA Connect Zone on Sunday at 11 am. 

I have been looking at events in the ALA Annual app and marking which ones I have even some interest in. There is no way to see everything so I try to make the schedule more manageable by  marking anything that I might find interesting. While I sometimes end up with more than one panel or presentation selected, choosing between two or three panels is easier for me than a long list. 

Include time to look at the exhibit hall which is huge and will definitely take more than one visit to see what you are interested in. 

If you happen to run into me there, come up and say hello! 

ALA Annual Conference 2026 - Huddle With RA For All and Me as We Discuss Book Displays!

The event that I am most looking forward to at ALA Annual is my huddle with Becky Spratford / RA For All. The topic is book displays! Becky posted about the huddle on her blog. Here are the details: 

Connect Lounge Huddle: To facilitate discovery and circulation, how can libraries make their reading collection displays more engaging?

Sunday, June 28, 2026

11:00 AM - 11:20 AM CDT

Location: McCormick Place, ALA Connect Lounge, Hall F2 Lobby

The humble book display is often not used to its fullest as the discovery tool it can be. And we often forget how much it can drive increased circulation. But in a world where patrons use the library as both a physical and digital space, and with an understanding that patrons crave interactive experiences, discussion leaders Becky Spratford and Lila Denning will share their decades of experience as librarians and trainers to help huddle participants break down how to create displays that spark conversation, bring patrons of all ages into the library, and have them leave not only with a few good books to read but also a plan to return soon to get some more.

Moderated by Becky Spratford and Lila Denning

Library workers from any kind of library are invited to come and discuss book displays and share ideas about how to make them pop while also helping your patrons find their next great read. To get started thinking about displays, check out this post with Five Book Display Basics.  

ALA Annual 2026 in Chicago - Library Insights Summit 2026 - Connecting Publishers & Librarians

 On June 26, I will be participating in the Library Insights Summit, presented by Foreword with IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association), BISG (Book Industry Study Group), and NISO (National Information Standards Organization). It is a day-long conference with breakout sessions targeted at publishers, author-publishers, and librarians as well as sessions for the entire group. The registration price does include breakfast, lunch and an exhibits only badge to attend ALA Annual which follows. 

I am a participant on a panel called Smarter Marketing for Maximum Library Impact, moderated by Becky Spratford. Kaycie Hoffman Blaylock, Library & Resource Coordinator, Alexandria City Public Schools, and Rebecca Vnuk, Executive Director, LibraryReads, are also panelists. The description, from the website: 

As library supply chains and discovery systems evolve, publishers are facing new challenges in getting their titles seen and ordered. At the same time, librarians are navigating a fragmented marketplace to find trustworthy, complete information on forthcoming books. This session brings together marketing and distribution experts to show how publishers can sharpen their strategies, stretch their budgets, and strengthen relationships with this vital audience. Learn how to optimize metadata for library visibility, coordinate publicity with wholesale and discovery platforms, and build long-term awareness among collection development professionals.

I hope you will consider joining us. After Baker & Taylor's implosion, it is vital that libraries understand the publishing industry and update policies so that they can purchase directly from publishers when needed. Many of my local library systems are still dealing with shockwaves from B&T's closure, including adding in-house processing. With social media platforms, like TikTok, driving book sales, there is more of a need than ever to include small press and independently published books in our collections. 

For more insight, check out Becky's blog post about the event: Join Me and Others at the Library Insights Panel in Chicago on June 26th

I hope to run into you at ALA Annual as well as the LIS preconference!