PLA Member Welcome Breakfast to feature Diana Nyad at ALA Annual

For Immediate Release
Thu, 06/09/2016

Contact:

Kara O'Keefe

Manager, Membership Marketing

PLA

kokeefe@ala.org

CHICAGO — Join the Public Library Association (PLA) on Saturday, June 25, at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando for an exclusive PLA members-only breakfast featuring Diana Nyad.

The PLA Member Welcome Breakfast will include recognition of the 13 individuals and libraries that received PLA awards this year. These award winners demonstrate the best in public library service, innovation and outreach. In addition to the awards presentation, PLA will welcome Deborah Jacobs, director of the Global Libraries initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The event will also feature a special appearance by Nyad. At the age of 64, in her fifth and final attempt, Nyad successfully fulfilled her lifelong dream of completing the 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida on September 2, 2013. Upon completing her grueling 53-hour journey, a breathless Nyad told the world, “I have three messages. One is we should never ever give up. Two is you are never too old to chase your dreams. And three is it looks like a solitary sport, but it takes a team.”

Nyad became a prominent sports broadcaster, filing compelling reports for NPR, ABC’s Wide World of Sports, Fox Sports, and The New York Times. She has written three books and speaks French and Spanish fluently. Nyad has also earned the reputation of a uniquely passionate and entertaining public speaker, earning standing ovations with a broad spectrum of audiences. Her memoir, Find a Way: One Wild and Precious Life, was released last fall. She recently debuted the one-woman show, Onward! The Diana Nyad Story, in Los Angeles and Key West. Directed and adapted by Joshua Ravetch, who helped shape Carrie Fisher’s show Wishful Drinking, Onward! has received praise among the theatre community.

The event is complimentary to PLA members, but a ticket is required for admittance. PLA members can receive a complimentary ticket by selecting the PLA Member Welcome Breakfast as a ticketed event during their initial ALA Annual Conference registration or by adding it later using the unique link found in their registration email confirmation. Additional information regarding ticketed events at ALA Annual can be found on the conference website.

The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 9,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders.

For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext.5PLA, or pla@ala.org.