Katy Mathuews, Vice President/President Elect

I am excited to share planning updates for our 2019 Annual Conference, Libraries Speak Up! Advocate. Collaborate. Educate. The conference will take place on October 18, 2019 at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio with a pre-conference at the same location on October 17, 2019. New items to report are:

• We are currently reviewing conference proposals and will have the program set by early July. For those who submitted proposals, you should be contacted about the results by the end of June.
• Registration will open on June 17, 2019.
• In an effort to make meaningful steps toward equity, diversity, and inclusion, we are very excited to announce a free active allyship training on October 17, 6-8 p.m. at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center. Workshop facilitators are Petey Peterson and Dr. Nicole Carter from Wright State University. The workshop, Active Allyship: An Exploration of Systematic Racism and Allyship in U.S. Libraries, will explore the history of racism in libraries in the United States by providing opportunities to understand white supremacy and privilege, systematic racism, individual acts of racial bias, such as microaggressions, while also providing skills needed to proactively create diverse and inclusive spaces through active allyship. Though the event is free, registration is required. For more information, please see the conference website at https://www.alaoweb.org/conferences/2019/ally.