ALA Press Release

NEWS

For Immediate Release

May 31, 2012

CHICAGO – For more than two decades, he was a constant guest in your living room as the anchor of CBS Evening News. On June 25, Dan Rather will share some of his experiences in bringing you the news as he joins an exciting roster of speakers at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference held June 21 – 26 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Rather will be one of 10 distinguished speakers at the conference’s Auditorium Speaker Series. The speakers are noted for their contributions as authors, journalists and national newsmakers.

On Saturday, June 23, best-selling author John Irving will speak from 8 – 9 a.m. Irving will discuss his 13th novel and latest release, “In One Person” (Simon & Schuster). After a successful career in professional wrestling, Irving’s novels have been translated into 35 different languages with nine becoming international best-sellers. In 1980, Irving won the National Book Award for “The World According to Garp,” and in 2000 he received an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for“The Cider House Rules.”

Later in the day, actor and children’s book author Chris Colfer will appear from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Best known for his starring role as Kurt Hummel in the award-winning comedy “Glee,” Colfer is now the author of his first children’s book, “The Land of Stories,” to be released June 17.

At the age of 20, Colfer was the youngest actor to ever win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series for his performance as Kurt Hummel, a fashionable yet bullied gay teen on FOX’s Glee. Colfer has also received two Emmy nominations, a SAG nomination and was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” by TIME magazine in 2011.

On Monday, June 25, award-winning journalist and author Dan Rather will appear from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. As the anchor of the CBS Evening News for more than two decades, Rather is one of America’s most decorated news journalists of all time. In his new memoir titled, “Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News,” he looks back throughout his legendary career and reviews his personal thoughts and reflections on some of the highlights and controversies.

Other speakers in the series include: behavioral economist and New York Times best-selling author Dan Ariely (“Predictably Irrational”); 2007 TED Global Fellow William Kamkwamba (“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope”); child philanthropist Talia Leman; youth activist Gaby Rodriguez (“The Pregnancy Project”); best-selling author Sapphire (“Push”); Internet philosopher and author David Weinberger (“The Cluetrain Manifesto”); and actor/author Henry Winkler with Lin Oliver (Hank Zipzer series).

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 60,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

For more information on the 2012 ALA Annual Conference, please visit the ALA Conference Web site at www.ala.org/annual, or contact ALA Media Relations Manager Macey Morales at (312) 280-4393, mmorales@ala.org, or ALA PR Coordinator Jennifer Petersen at (312) 280-5043,jpetersen@ala.org.

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CONTACT:

Jennifer Petersen

ALA Media Relations

312-280-5043