Young adult authors Angeline Boulley, Cicely Lewis, and Mariko Tamaki added to LibLearnX speakers

CHICAGO – Young adult authors Angeline Boulley, Cicely Lewis and Mariko Tamaki will be theater speakers at LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, Jan. 21-24, 2022.

Angeline Boulley is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She will discuss her debut novel and New York Times bestselling “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community. It was also selected for TIME’s “100 Best YA Books of All Time” list and is soon to be adapted as a Netflix series by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground.

Cicely Lewis is a YA author and school librarian with a passion for encouraging others to love reading. She started the Read Woke™ Books in partnership with Lerner Publishing Group in response to the shootings of young unarmed black people, the repeal of DACA and the lack of diversity in young adult literature. She will discuss her books, “Mass Incarceration, Black Men, and the Fight for Justice,” available now, about the history and causes of mass incarceration and how activists are reforming and rethinking justice — and “Resistance to Slavery: From Escape to Everyday Rebellion,” available January 2022 — about the slave uprisings and escapes on the Underground Railroad, when enslaved people resisted their mistreatment through small acts in their everyday lives.

Mariko Tamaki is a Canadian writer of comics and prose. She writes comic books for BOOM! Studios, Marvel, and DC Comics. She will discuss her latest book for young adults, “Cold: A Novel,” available February 2022, a haunting story about a shocking crime in a quiet town and four students who knew too much and said too little.

An impressive list of conference speakers will be continually announced throughout the registration period.

LibLearnX is a virtual, four-day learning conference that invites ALA members, ALA Student members and international members to contribute to the conversation in real-time learning and networking activities. Designed as an active learning experience, LibLearnX offers a variety of “session types” in assorted “topics” that support a range of instructional methods. You will explore experiential learning — “learning by doing.” From hands-on workshops to “bite-sized” informal offerings, attendees can create a schedule to match your learning style and objectives. Explore the list of education sessions, with more to be added.

The LLX Marketplace will host exhibitors, the LLX Theater with author presentations and the Ideas Xchange, which offers peer-to-peer conversations about the topics that matter most to the library community. The space is an engagement-proving ground, designed for creative collaboration and interactive learning within the exhibit space. Attendees should prepare for meaningful education and networking with exhibitors that provide the newest titles, engaging authors, leading technologies and core services for ALA Members.

Additional learning features include ShopTalks, Learning Labs and Accelerators and will support a range of instructional methods to give attendees control in setting priorities and choosing the right content, materials and methods that match their learning styles and objectives. More than 120 education sessions will be hosted in a wide variety of subject matter topics, including Books and Authors; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Career Development & Leadership; Community Outreach & Partnerships; Digital Equity; Mental Health, Technology Innovation; and more.

Get updates from the 2022 LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience website and follow the hashtag #LibLearnX and social media: ALA Twitter, ALA Facebook, and Instagram. 

Media interested in registering for the session may contact Macey Morales, deputy director, ALA Communications and Marketing Office at mmorales@ala.org.

About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for 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 ala.org.