At the end of June, three Countway librarians joined 14,000 others at the annual American Library Association (ALA) conference in Philadelphia! In a time full of both challenges and exciting innovations, people from across the library world came together to learn, connect, and celebrate all that libraries do. Here are some highlights from our staff’s experiences at the conference.
Scott Lapinski, MS, ALM
Open Access, digital repositories, scholarly communication, data services, publishing workflows, bibliometrics, etc. etc.... For me, these have been the focal points of the panels/committees I routinely attend at ALA. (Perhaps too routinely during my 25 years of ALA membership.) At ALA this year I made a deliberate effort to not attend those "familiar" sessions and instead take a "path less traveled". Rather than seek out my "usual panel topics", I made an effort to attend sessions that had a more indirect intersection with the areas I support here at Countway. As a result, I think I found some of the most impactful sessions (and new networking opportunities) than I otherwise might have during that 4 day conference in Philly.
At first, the panel-topics I attended might not sound related to the primary areas our Publishing & Data Service team supports here at Countway, but in each case, after hearing from the speakers, it was quite clear how very connected their work links back to the open science, scholarly publishing, digital projects, and data sharing initiatives we support. Major highlights for me included sessions and conversations with children's book illustrators, understanding more about library programs for kids with severe disabilities, seeing examples of innovative solutions to meet ADA/digital accessibility requirements, and exposing political/information (in)justices within the HBCU community and both censorship and defunding specifically targeted at Black-centered libraries, archives and museums. All of which prompted highly engaging conversations and an opportunity to grapple with important issues impacting our profession on a much larger scale.
Tré Quarles, MLIS
This was my third time attending the ALA Annual Conference, and it was the most fulfilling experience I’ve had so far. I attended as part of an ALA fellowship that focuses on leadership development and ALA governance. Through this opportunity, I gained a deeper understanding of how the organization functions behind the scenes, especially the work of the Executive Board and Council. It was interesting to see how such a large and complex organization manages its priorities and decision-making processes.
I also learned more about ALA’s current and future areas of focus, including efforts to support some of the most vulnerable libraries in the United States, such as rural and small public libraries that often face limited funding and increasing challenges.
I expected to spend most of my time in meetings during the conference, and that was largely true. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how many meaningful connections I made. Compared to previous years, this experience felt much more engaging and connected. I left feeling inspired, better informed, and more optimistic about the future of library leadership and my own role in it.
Matthew Noe, MSLS
Matthew is currently away attending several conferences this month, including representing Countway’s Graphic Medicine Collection at San Diego Comic-Con (Comic-Con International), so his reflections will be coming soon!