The American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, held June 27–July 2 in San Diego, CA, was big and busy, with more than 8,400 attendees and 5,000 exhibitors, authors, illustrators, members of the press, and staff. And while those numbers didn’t top last year’s Annual in Chicago, which saw more than 15,000 guests, it felt busier—possibly because of the slightly smaller venue, and definitely because of the sense of engagement and enthusiasm throughout. The great weather may have kicked the mood up a few notches as well.

Conferencegoers eager to hear Trevor Noah at the opening session Photo by Lisa Peet

Many of the sessions were standing-room-only, with speakers and awards ceremonies also well-attended. Conversations centered around freedom to read conflicts in public and K–12 libraries, as well as freedom of information issues in academic libraries—colored, this year, by worries about the upcoming presidential election and its aftermath. Concerns about the impacts of AI, the ever-present need for more equitable services and workplaces, and the consequences of climate change for libraries and their communities were also at the forefront.

At the same time, the tone was generally upbeat; people welcomed the chance to share their thoughts and exchange information. Outgoing ALA President Emily Drabinski gave a warm welcome to incoming President Cindy Hohl. Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger stated that ALA would fill the position permanently in September. ALA Council unanimously passed an unsurprising—but welcome—resolution reaffirming the association’s commitment to intellectual freedom, which included a call to action for supporters to petition their elected officials to protect the First Amendment and the right to read freely.

PRESIDENTIAL WORK

Outgoing ALA President Emily Drabinski Photo by EPNAC/ALA

For her final President’s Program, “The Heart of Our Story: A Celebration of Library Workers,” Drabinski welcomed Christina Gavin, librarian at Midwood High School, Brooklyn; Gerald Moore, branch manager at Dorchester Road Branch Library, N. Charleston, SC; Kathleen Nubel, adult Services librarian at Des Moines Public Library, IA; and Angela Watkins, director of the single-branch Aztec Public Library, NM.

The four represented not only a cross-section of American librarians but showcased their reach: Gavin is an elected union delegate at her school and a librarian member of the United Federation of Teachers contract negotiations committee. Moore, a member of the Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA), helped install community fridges across the library’s service area. Nubel created and maintains the system’s Library of Things, sourced by asking community members what they needed (such as a 3-D printer, telescope, radon detector, ice cream maker) and makerspace. Watkins is a certified cultural heritage technician and has served on the boards of several local cultural institutions; she partnered with private donors to purchase groceries for elderly residents, and her library offers water education and waste management resources.

And all had words of wisdom for their colleagues. Get out from behind your desks, urged Watkins, and get to know the people in your community—build relationships that will matter when they go to the polls. Build the support of other library workers into your work, said Nubel. Solidarity is a verb, said Gavin; whoever your people are, don’t be afraid to find them and ask for help. And though Moore had a quote prepared, he decided to use his own words: We are here to ensure that people have space to learn, develop ideas, and think on their own—a credo that he incorporates into his day-to-day work.

On the conference’s last day, Hohl was inaugurated as 2024–25 ALA president. She presented plans for the coming year, including four summits on intellectual freedom, literacy, learning and leadership; a “We All Belong” virtual and in-person tour of libraries across the country highlighting the work of library staff; a series of webinars with Spectrum Scholar Alumni covering Indigenous knowledge, leadership, literacy and lifelong learning, and belonging; a Read to Lead Book Club facilitated by ALA leaders; and an All Nations libguide focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and antiracism practices in libraries. Hohl also plans to lead the creation of an informational toolkit to address missing and murdered Indigenous women and people in the United States using data, health information, and a practical guide to help communities conduct searches or to share information.

REVISED STANDARDS FOR THE INCARCERATED OR DETAINED

A panel of contributors made up of Jeanie Austin, Jail and Re-Entry Services librarian at San Francisco Public Library (SFPL); Erin Boyington, adult institutions senior consultant at Colorado State Library, retired researcher Eldon R. James; Bee Okelo, administrative & GIS analyst, SFPL Jail and Reentry Services; Victoria Van Hyning, assistant professor of library innovation at the University of Maryland College of Information; and Rachel Kinnon, SFPL Jail and Reentry Services manager, celebrated the official launch of ALA’s Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained. The new document, which will be available in September, marks the first update of the standards since 1992.

Much of the work—some 35 meetings, plus additional writing, research, and editing time—was done with former ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall, who helped the working group collaborate with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. “So much of the work was building an infrastructure of trust so collaborators could come into the room and talk about what their needs are,” said Austin. Most of the framing was done during the peak of COVID-19; the Black Lives Matter movement and calls for judicial reform were very much on the minds of the working group, said Van Hyning. “We wanted to create a standard that would serve anyone in a carceral or detention facility regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual identity or orientation, religion or none, language(s) spoken, dis/ability, or security level.” the group stated.

There are two versions of the new standards, a concise bullet list of each section and subsection designed for Department of Corrections administrators and a full version, with detailed guidance on implementation, examples of where items have been implemented and worked, reflection prompts, tools for advocating with administrators, and worksheets for continuous assessment. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) recently completed and is promoting an international version. But even though they’re proud of the about-to-be-released standards, panelists emphasized that it’s still a living document, and they welcome input to help shape the next version. “We’re not going to wait another 30 years,” said James.

For information and updates, see the ALA Editions document at alaeditions.org/standards.

UNDERSTANDING NEEDS FOR LIBRARY FACILITIES

In a standing-room-only session on Saturday morning, Gavin Baker, deputy director of Public Policy & Government Relations for ALA, led a two-part panel comprised of researchers from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). They discussed two upcoming studies on the physical condition of library facilities nationwide.

Both the GAO study, which is slated for completion in August 2025 ahead of IMLS reauthorization, and the IMLS research, which is expected to be published in spring 2025, share similar goals, albeit stemming from separate requests from Congress. The research seeks to understand the current facility conditions of America’s libraries and museums and to identify estimated costs and funding opportunities available to bring the facilities to a state of good repair. Both projects will emphasize facility conditions in economically disadvantaged areas and those buildings impacted by extreme weather and natural disasters.

The audience expressed enthusiasm for a federal effort that could lead to capital investment in American libraries. They also articulated a need for each survey to address modern uses for library buildings, pointing out that today’s library visitors need amenities such as electrical outlets to power their mobile devices and updated bathrooms to accommodate families. The studies will each employ a mix of survey and interview feedback as well as site visits to inform the research.

DIGITAL CONTENT AND LIBRARIES: REVOLUTION OR DEVOLUTION?

At the Distinguished Lecture of ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Jonathan Band, a DC lawyer and long-time counsel to ALA, shared his perspective on the state of digital content access for libraries and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Band’s extensive work on copyright policy and public interest informed his comments on the progress libraries have made leveraging the first sale and fair use doctrines in legal cases related to digital content. He posited that, although libraries have pursued copyright-based solutions to digital content challenges, the path forward may need to focus instead on platform regulation. Band also noted that the state-by-state legislative efforts to regulate ebook pricing through consumer protection and unfair trade practice theories (like the Maryland law that was ultimately struck down) are time- and resource-intensive and have not yet produced the broad relief libraries seek in ebook pricing and terms.

One suggestion Band presented was for public libraries to “rethink this entire digital lending enterprise” as he questioned whether libraries might consider limitations on their own digital collections to refocus on physical collections.

Alan Inouye, ALA Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, followed Band’s remarks, citing the decade-plus effort ALA has devoted to ebook and digital content advocacy. “We will be looking at the issue over the next year, giving it serious reconsideration and possibly going in a different direction,” he stated.

VOTING MATTERS

Rally for the Right to Read materials Photo by Lisa Peet

The upcoming November election and its impact on libraries were prominent topics of conversation at the conference (for more on this topic, check out LJ's “2024 Election Roundtable: Libraries Defending Democracy, Fighting for Funding, and Educating the Electorate”). In addition to the presidential election, citizens will be voting for 34 Senate seats, 435 Representative voting seats, 11 governors, 10 attorney generals, numerous state representatives, and more.

The “Ready. Set. VOTE: 2024 Elections and What’s at Stake for Libraries” session featured panelists Deborah A. Doyle, ALA United for Libraries president; Kevin Maher, deputy director of ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy office; Lisa Varga, Virginia Library Association executive director (and LJ Librarian of the Year); Becky Calzada, Leander, TX, ISD district library coordinator and 2024–25 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) president; and Qiana M. Johnson, associate dean of libraries, collections, and content strategies for Dartmouth Libraries.

Intellectual freedom, library funding, net neutrality, and public service loan forgiveness will all be impacted by the election results, the panelists said. They spoke about the importance of local and state elections, from school boards to local and state legislators, noting that the decisions by those in office can directly impact library programming, collection development, and staff professional development. All stressed the value not only in communicating directly with representatives about library-related issues, but also in having conversations with library allies and community members. Just reminding students and patrons that an election is coming up, how to register, and when early voting begins are important, they said, adding that these nonpartisan actions should not violate any school or public library policies. Resources shared in the session included ALA’s “Reader. Voter. Ready.” campaign, ALA & Vote 411, ALA Ecosystem Initiative, and the Unite Against Book Bans toolkit.

“Combating Voter Suppression in Your Library,” sponsored by ALA’s Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT), offered a range of resources that libraries can use as November approaches. Panelist Aaron M. Wilson, government documents coordinator at the University of Maryland, College Park, also serves as the Education Committee chair for ALA’s Government Documents Roundtable (GODORT), and was active in creating the GODORT Voter and Elections Toolkits. These libguides, organized by state and federal district, provide relevant voter information such as important dates and deadlines, the voter registration process, absentee voting information, voter ID regulations (if applicable in a given area), and voter accessibility rules and regulations. This reliable and vetted information is particularly helpful for first-time voters who may not know how to navigate the system, he noted, as well as voters who are relocating to different jurisdictions or college students.

Frieda Afary, director-at-large of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table, spoke about the critical need for libraries to not only encourage patrons to vote but to educate them about the various types of mis- and disinformation they may encounter. Topics that library staff should be able to speak about knowledgably include the state of the U.S. economy, the global migration crisis, crime rates, the Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine wars. SRRT has prepared a series of pathfinders about these and other current events and encourages staff to share them with patrons and to use them as a basis for organizing current events discussions at libraries.

Nancy Kranich, teaching professor at Rutgers University School of Communication and Information, NJ, first published Smart Voting Starts @ Your Library tools as ALA president in 2000–1; ALA updated them in 2020. In addition to the resources mentioned above, Kranich pointed to the Rutgers Libraries voter information guides for 2020 and 2022, American University Libraries’ absentee ballot toolkit, and the National Issues Forum on Elections’ guidelines for facilitating discussions, as well as WebJunction’s webinar “Promoting Voter and Civic Engagement at Your Library,” Library of Congress’s Unlocking Civic Knowledge Game Development Challenge, and ALA’s Dialogue and Deliberation Resources for Libraries. “It’s not just an informed citizenry we need,” said Kranich. “It’s an informed and engaged citizenry.”