News
The next national event will be Many Nations, Many Voices at ALA's Annual Conference in Anaheim. It will take place at the Marriott Anaheim, Marquis Northeast room from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, June 27, 2008. We are very excited that ALA President Dr. Loriene Roy is helping to plan and support this very special Many Voices promoting the presence of indigenous nations as sovereign nations.
Writers from across the land will weave a tapestry of spoken word expressing our varied ethnic, cultural, and lifestyle traditions while celebrating our fundamental unity within the global human family. If you’ve experienced a MVON, you know this is an unforgettable conference kick-off. Featured performers are Jorge Argueta, poet and bi-lingual children's writer, Pipil Nahua; Janice Gould, poet, Maidu/Konkow; Gordon Johnson, writer, Cahuilla/Cupeño; Kristy Orona-Ramirez, children's writer and poet, Taos Pueblo/Tarahumara; Arigon Starr, performer, Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma; Tim Tingle, storyteller, Oklahoma Choctaw; and Erika Wurth, poet, Apache, Chickasaw, Cherokee
Check out photos from past Many Voices, One Nation events on our Flickr page. Program information on past events can be found at the bottom of this page.
History
Many Voices, One Nation began as an initiative of past ALA President Carol Brey-Casiano. The 2005 Initiative generated a "nation's booklist" (link opens pdf file). Additionally, librarians across the nation planned local celebrations of our nation's diverse voices for the night of Monday, April 11, 2005 during National Library Week. Programs included local authors and/or dignitaries participating in read-alouds featuring selections from the Many Voices, One Nation booklist or other books representing a region's rich heritage and diverse groups reading and presenting on a relevant topic. A tip sheet, downloadable art, a sample press release and sample radio public service announcements were provided to assist libraries in their planning.
The first national Many Voices, One Nation literary event was held at the ALA 2005 Annual Conference in Chicago. The June 2006 Many Voices, One Nation: New Orleans proved to be a moving evening commemorating human resilience and courage as ALA’s Conference came to New Orleans in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricanes. The June 2007 program in Washington kept the tradition going.
ALA's Office for Diversity and Committee on Diversity continue to build on Brey-Casiano’s vision of an event highlighting diverse voices and the unifying role that libraries play in building a literate nation through these national literary events at ALA Conferences. Please join us as we stand up and speak out to promote our nation's literacy and diversity through libraries!
Get Involved
ALA members are invited to serve on the Many Voices planning committees (appointed annually). Everyone is invited to share information on potential authors and performers for inclusion in future Many Voices events. Please contact the Office for Diversity at diversity@ala.org with suggestions and inquiries.
The Many Voices event offers a unique opportunity to maximize your exposure in the library community while demonstrating your organization's committment to diversity. Consider joining us a Sponsoring Partner, and spend an evening enjoying literature, drinks and hors d’oeuvres while networking with a few hundred library professionals in celebration of our nation's many voices!
Partner Benefits:
- Promotion before the conference on Office for Diversity electronic discussion lists, web site, blog and via an email blast to membership
- Opportunities for members of the organization to network with attendees
- Display tables to exhibit promotional materials, catalogs, etc.
- Logo recognition on signage at the reception and promotional materials
- An opportunity to give a brief speech during the reception
- Announcement of partnership prior to the conference in the form of a press release
Contact Gwendolyn Prellwitz at gprellwitz@ala.org for sponsorship information.
Related Files
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