Fall is fast approaching, and with it the New England Library Association Annual Conference on October 14 – 16 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, Massachusetts. It’s three days of excellent educational sessions, informative exhibitor displays and many networking opportunities.
The theme, “Librarians’ New Dawn”, will be addressed by keynote speaker T. Scott Plutchak in his Sunday program opening the conference. A prominent librarian and former editor of a library journal, Plutchak considers the changes librarians need to make to create the “golden age” of librarianship now.
ALA President Maureen Sullivan will attend all three days and is participating in many programs.
Featured meal speakers include the Sunday banquet speaker author Andre Dubus, whose most recent work is Townie, a memoir of growing up poor in a depressed Massachusetts mill town. On Monday children’s author Sara Pennypacker, speaks at the New England Round Table of Teen and Children’s Librarians (NERTCL) luncheon. She is best known for the Clementine series, with the most recent title Summer of the Gypsy Moths. Best-selling author Dennis Lehane completes the roster at the Tuesday luncheon. Three of his books have been turned into movies, including the well-known Mystic River.
Well-known library consultants Maureen Sullivan and Nancy Davis will each present two sessions, with topics of general interest that are particularly relevant to library managers.<
Vermont’s own Martha Reid, Vermont State Librarian, Kat Redniss, Young Adult Librarian at Brownell Library, and Louise Murphy, Director of South Burlington Community Library are also among the featured workshop presenters.
The full program schedule and registration information are available on the web site, http://www.nelib.org/ . Be sure to submit your registration by October 5 to take advantage of the substantial discounts for Early Registration.