Innovation and Brand Strategy Preconferences at 2016 ALA Annual Conference

Innovation and brand strategy will be the focus of two preconferences hosted by ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries and DEMCO, held at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Featuring industry experts, the preconferences provide a unique opportunity for attendees to expand their skills and develop expertise in areas of increasing importance.

“Telling Your Library’s Most Compelling Story” (Friday June 24 from 9:00am – 4:00 pm; Ticketed Event ALA4) will feature premiere brand strategist Fritz Grutzner, president of Brandgarten, in a hands-on workshop focused on the power of storytelling and the use of archetypes as tools to make your library central to the community it serves. Grutzner will help attendees align stories to the library’s larger strategy to communicate and advance goals towards the library of the future.

Innovation experts Heather Hiscox and Amelia Klawon from Moves the Needle will facilitate “Pivot or Persevere? Creating a Framework for Successful Innovation” (Friday June 24 from 9:00am – 4:00 pm; Ticketed Event ALA3). As libraries embrace innovation, there exists the perennial challenge of starting small before deploying extensive time and money on solutions that may or may not work. In their hands-on session, Hiscox and Klawon will share Moves the Needle’s methods for advancing design thinking, understanding customer needs, identifying and validating problems, and quickly developing test solutions. The methods will help libraries become more efficient and effective in developing new solutions.

Each preconference requires registration and a ticket - $199 for ALA Members or $224 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit the 2016 ALA Annual Conference website.

ALA's Center for the Future of Libraries works to identify emerging trends relevant to libraries and the communities they serve, promote futuring and innovation techniques to help library professionals shape their futures, and build connections with experts and innovative thinkers to help libraries address emerging issues. The Center is modeled on the American Alliance of Museums' Center for the Future of Museums and was made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Learn more at http://www.ala.org/libraryofthefuture.

Demco is the leading source for everything libraries - fresh ideas, inspiration and new solutions. From supplies, to innovative library spaces, Demco’s unique family of brands provides the products and services libraries need to create imaginative learning environments that are full of possibilities! Visit demco.com for supplies, furniture, design services and educational resources. Go to ideas.demco.com for essential library trends and topics.