International
ALA welcomes library professionals from around the world to the premier library event of the year!
Moving forward with a global strategy.
The 2023 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition will include opportunities to:
- Explore the possible futures for libraries, your work, and your spaces when you access more than 200 peer-driven education sessions from library professionals in various topics and formats.
- Hear from inspiring thought leaders and celebrity speakers on the main stage.
- Visit the library exhibits space with more than 550 expert exhibitors highlighting the latest products, titles, technology, and services. See more than 700 established and new authors on nine live stages; attend special exhibitor sessions; get free ARCs; and more. Visit The Library Marketplace for additional details.
- Be inspired by your colleagues and build your personal network, make new connections, and engage with the most committed and imaginative people in the field.
Here are a few sessions sponsored by the International Relations Round Table and the International Relations Committee:
- Books are A Refuge: Supporting Ukrainian Language Communities Through Library Collections
- Global Libraries as Advocates for Information Policy Change - IRRT Preconference
- Making a Difference with School Libraries in Kenya- and Opportunities for You to Volunteer
- From Pandemic to Endemic: Global Experiences and Perspectives on the OCLC New Model Library-IRRT Chair’s Program
- Innovative Asian Public Libraries Transforming Services and Communities
- International Librarians Reception
Additional benefits for International visitors include:
- Orientation — A special introduction to ALA, the conference, and the city of Chicago. ALA members will recommend programs and social activities to help you make the most of your conference experience.
- Preconference — Half-day program focusing on how U.S. libraries are managing some of the important issues that affect librarians around the world.
- International Poster Sessions — The Annual Conference & Exhibition Poster Session Committee invites everyone to share their best ideas and work with the library community by presenting a Poster Session.
- International Papers — ALA invites you to attend this year's International Projects and Paper Session.
- International Reception — A special evening reception will be held in your honor so you can meet other international guests as well as colleagues from the U.S.
- International Visitors Center (IVC) — A place where you can relax, review the conference program, or hold small meetings with new-found colleagues and friends. ALA volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and assist you. A computer with Internet access will also be provided.
No other event in the world offers a better opportunity to learn about current issues and trends in library and information science and technology.