For immediate release | January 29, 2025
American Library Association hosted its final LibLearnX, bringing together library professionals from across the country

PHOENIX – The American Library Association hosted LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience from January 24 to 27, 2025 in Phoenix.
The four-day learning experience brought together more than 1,600 attendees who participated in collaborative and engaging education, networking, and celebrations.
Festivities kicked off Friday with the ALA Gives Back community initiative where attendees volunteered at the Burton Barr Central Library assembling seed packets for the seed library. Later, the ALA Governance Institute offered leadership and professional development skills training designed to take library leaders to the next level.
Speaker Highlights
The opening session featured award-winning author and illustrator Raina Telgemeier and cartoonist and comic theorist Scott McCloud discussing their book, "The Cartoonists Club," which will be released in April. Telgemeier and McCloud also will serve as the Honorary Chairs of National Library Week.
As part of the President’s Program, ALA President Cindy Hohl spoke with Kyle Edwards, an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and writer from the Lake Manitoba First Nation in Manitoba, Winnipeg, and a member of the Ebb and Flow First Nation. His first novel, “Small Ceremonies,” is expected to be released in April.
The closing session featured Vauhini Vara, an award-winning tech journalist and editor, discussing her debut novel, "The Immortal King Rao," which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Awards
At the welcoming reception, the 2025 winners of the I Love My Librarian Awards took the stage to accept their awards in front of an enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowd.
During the Reference and User Services Association's Book and Media Awards (BMAs) event on Sunday, “James,” by Percival Everett was named the winner of the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and "A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon," by Kevin Fedarko, was named winner of the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.
On Monday at the Youth Media Awards, ALA announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards.
The American Library Association Executive Board decided in March 2024 that LibLearnX would not be held in 2026, but the popular awards ceremonies and other programs will find a new home.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.
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