United for Libraries at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference

Preview our ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition author events and programs.

2026 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition
Chicago  |  June 25–29, 2026

Join us for top-quality education and best practices; featured thought leaders; and special programming for library professionals looking to further develop their libraries, communities, and careers!

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Ticketed Events

All programs are listed in Central Time.

The Laugh's On Us sponsored by Data Axle Reference Solutions
Sun., June 28  |  6:00-8:00 p.m.
Ticketed Event Code: UNI2

Purchase Tickets

Laugh out loud at this wine-and-cheese event featuring headliner Paula Poundstone, along with several humor writers/comedians. A book signing will follow, with free books/advance copies for attendees (subject to availability). Purchase your ticket(s) while registering for the conference, or login to your existing registration to add ticket(s).


Gala Author Tea
Mon., June 29  |  2:00-3:30 p.m.
Ticketed Event Code: UNI1

Purchase Tickets

Enjoy tea and treats while hearing from bestselling writers about their forthcoming titles. Attendees will receive advance copies and have the opportunity to have them signed by authors (subject to availability). Purchase your ticket(s) while registering for the conference, or login to your existing registration to add ticket(s).

Included With Your Paid Conference Registration

The following author panels, discussion groups, and programs are included with your paid conference registration.

Author Panels

All programs are listed in Central Time.

Must-Read Memoirs: An Author Panel
Sat., June 27  |  11:00 am-12:00 pm

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Authors will discuss their forthcoming memoirs. Advance copies will be provided to attendees (subject to availability). A book signing will follow.

 

Nonfiction You Can't Put Down: An Author Panel
Sat., June 27  |  2:30 pm-3:30 pm

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This panel will focus on compelling stories about real-life events. Advance copies will be provided to attendees (subject to availability). A book signing will follow.


Love Stories: A Romance Author Panel
Sun., June 28  |  9:00 am-10:00 am

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Romance authors will discuss their forthcoming titles at this popular program. Advance copies will be provided to attendees (subject to availability). A book signing will follow.


Thrills & Chills: An Author Panel
Sun., June 28  |  11:00 am-12:00 pm

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Authors will discuss their forthcoming mystery or horror titles. Advance copies will be provided to attendees (subject to availability). A book signing will follow.

 

Fantasy & Romantasy: An Author Panel
Sun., June 28  |  1:00 pm-2:00 pm

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Authors will discuss their forthcoming fantasy/romantasy titles. Advance copies will be provided to attendees (subject to availability). A book signing will follow.

First Novels: An Author Panel
Sun., June 28  |  2:30 pm-3:30 pm

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Preview the season's most anticipated debut novels during this conference favorite. Advance copies will be provided to attendees (subject to availability). A book signing will follow.

Discussion Groups

All programs are listed in Central Time.

Friends/Foundations/Trustees/Boards Discussion Group
Sun., June 28  |  2:30 pm-3:30 pm

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Friends of the Library, Foundation Board Members/staff, library Trustees/Board Members, and those with them are invited to participate in idea-sharing, networking, and roundtable discussions. Learn and connect with colleagues from across the country.

 

Words have Power, a Dignity Index Discussion co-sponsored by RMRT & United for Libraries
Mon., June 29  |  10:30 am-11:30 am

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How do we treat others who disagree with us? How do we manage difficult conversations in our libraries with people who disagree with our commitment to ALA’s core values, including Intellectual Freedom? Our disagreements aren't causing the divisions we face; it's what we do when we disagree. We can treat the other side with dignity. In a discussion session co-sponsored by the Retired Members Round Table and United for Libraries, Chicago-area trainers for the award-winning Dignity Index will lead a discussion and interactive activities to explore the principles of dignity and how to apply them in our families, communities, workplaces, and the country. The Dignity Index is a powerful tool designed to help shift how we interact with one another when we disagree. Trust is the indispensable element that allows communities and societies to thrive. Treating others with dignity can lift it back up—not just for libraries but for ourselves, our friends, our families, but for our divided country, too.

Programs

All programs are listed in Central Time.

Successful Online Sales for Friends of the Library Fundraising - CANCELLED

Unfortunately, the speaker had to cancel this program due to an emergency. This program will be presented for 2026 United for Libraries Virtual on Friends of the Library Day, Thursday, July 30, 2026.

Beyond traditional book sales, some FOLs have discovered that online selling can be as, or way more, financially productive. However, many groups are reluctant to try this new way of making money for their libraries because they can't imagine where to begin. This session is designed to encourage the design and development of online selling for FOLs with guidelines for set up, running, and evaluating such fundraising endeavors in several sales formats. Find out how you can raise more money for your library from a FOL online sales team member who will share advice, information, and inspiration with step-by-step procedures and techniques to move forward into this exciting area of fundraising.

 

Collaboration, Communication, and Flexibility: Working Together to Reach Campaign Goals
Sat., June 27 | 9:00 am-10:00 am

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Learn how a Library Foundation Director and Library Leadership Team executed a successful capital campaign that raised more than $10 million by working together from idea to concept to grand opening. Presenters will share stories about working with individual and corporate donors giving smaller gifts to seven-figure gifts and grant opportunities. Hear how this Iowa public library and its foundation built a new 40,000 square foot library branch when many community members said couldn’t be done.
 

Advocacy for All: Building Inclusive Voices for Lasting Impact
Sat., June 27 | 11:00 am-12:00 pm

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Advocacy is most effective when it reflects the full range of community voices, not just library leadership. This session reframes advocacy as a shared responsibility, offering practical strategies for engaging trustees, teens, Friends groups, and everyday patrons as champions for their libraries. Drawing on examples from libraries of different types, sizes, and demographics, including large, small, rural, suburban, and urban communities, we will explore how equity-focused advocacy strengthens impact and ensures long-term sustainability. As a member of the Illinois Library Association Advocacy Committee, I will also share insights from statewide advocacy efforts and how they can be adapted at the local level. Attendees will learn how storytelling, grassroots connections, and inclusive outreach create authentic advocacy efforts that amplify underrepresented voices and make communities feel truly represented in their libraries’ futures.

Beyond the Book: How Libraries Can Fundraise with Author Events
Sat., June 27 | 4:00 pm-5:00 pm

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Author events have long been a favorite way for libraries to engage their communities—but they can also be powerful fundraising opportunities. This panel brings together a representative from a leading speakers bureau, a library professional who has successfully coordinated fundraising author programs, and an author with firsthand experience participating in such events. Together, they will demystify the process of working with speakers bureaus, highlight best practices, and share practical strategies for libraries of all sizes. From understanding the right questions to ask when booking a speaker to exploring the wide variety of event formats—from intimate conversations to large-scale galas—you’ll leave with ideas to match your library’s resources and community. Whether you have a large budget or are working within the constraints of a small to mid-size library, this discussion will provide creative, scalable approaches to making author appearances both memorable and financially impactful.

Work Wisdom Discover the art of Authentic Communication and build more trustful, collaborative work relationships
Sun., June 28 | 9:00 am-10:00 am

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Is your Library team communicating as effectively as they could be? Are conflicts managed appropriately or are they derailing an otherwise effective team? Need some Work Wisdom to develop effective communication between governance, leadership, management and front line staff? Join us to discover the art of Authentic Communication and learn how to build more trustful, collaborative work relationships. Authentic Communication is the artful practice of building productive, trustworthy and helpful exchanges through concrete practices to foster trust and enhance the performance of teams. Authentic Communication uses methods from the field of communication and psychology to help manage difficult communication issues. It gives language to explain what is happening during a communication exchange so it can be worked through. These concrete practices can be intentionally implemented to help heal organizational pain OR they are useful in avoiding the kind of destructive conflicts that ruin teams and undermine the organization’s effectiveness. Work Wisdom enhances organizational success by instilling high-performance mindsets, behaviors, habits and cultures so that you and your team can achieve your mission. Learn to apply the four dimensions of authentic communication culled from best practices in the fields of psychology, family therapy, Appreciative Inquiry, and communication and discover the artful practice of building productive, trustworthy and helpful exchanges that foster trust in the workplace and enhance the performance of teams. Join us for a transformational experience to learn the practice of authentic communication.


United for Libraries: Ask an Expert about Trustees, Friends, Foundations
Sun., June 28 | 11:00 am-12:00 pm

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Do you need assistance with your library's Board of Trustees, Friends group, or Foundation? Or would you like to know more about United for Libraries, the ALA division for library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, advocates, and those who work with them? Stop by to talk with United for Libraries member-leaders about what United has to offer, and bring your questions about fundraising, board development, advocacy, and more. 
 

United to Read Freely: How a State-Level Coalition Won Big by Sticking Together
Sun., June 28 | 1:00 pm-2:00 pm

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In a moment of rising censorship and coordinated challenges to books across the country, Rhode Island stood up—and won. This panel unpacks how a diverse coalition of librarians, authors, educators, publishers, parents, and civil liberties advocates came together to pass one of the strongest Freedom to Read bills in the nation. Learn how unlikely allies formed a movement that turned advocacy into legislative victory.

From grassroots mobilization to strategic communications, this session will offer a real-world case study in how to move the needle at the state level—and why coalitions are the key to defending intellectual freedom today. Featuring panelists from Authors Against Book Bans, the Rhode Island Library Association, and with moderation by a Penguin Random House leader—part of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Companies list—who helped drive the winning strategy behind the scenes.

This isn’t just a panel. It’s a blueprint for action.
 

Supersize Your Friends Group: Fundraising , Connections, and Fun!
Mon, June 29 | 9:00 am-10:00 am

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2024 was a banner year for the Friends, and it has continued into 2026. The Friends raised $400,000 towards the library renovation and addition project; they added a new and innovative fundraiser- a wine, beer and spirit tasting- that raised a profit of $11,000 in three hours, and the bookstore brought in over $18,000 for the year. Also, grants from private foundations, underwritten by the Friends, brought in $50,000. In addition to our other fundraising activities, the Friends raises monies through volunteer management of one of the largest Friends of the Library sponsored used books stores in the state. Membership dues raised over $4,000 for a membership of 200+. We are proud of what we have accomplished and want to tell other Friends groups about us and how we accomplished these amazing feats by working hard and smart, making community and business connections, and having fun! 

This program will discuss how the Friends in conjunction with the Library staff, stay connected to current donors and seek out new funding opportunities. The Friends are also working in conjunction with the Library Board to set up a foundation to be managed by the Friends on behalf of the Library. The Friends of the Library is a 100% volunteer organization and with monies raised, the Friends assist the library in providing a variety of cultural and educational events as well as a variety of literacy-based programing.


Making the Most of Milestones: Golden Opportunities in Library Fundraising
Mon., June 29 | 11:00 am-12:00 pm

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From groundbreakings to anniversaries, milestones provide libraries with opportunities to reflect, commemorate, and celebrate. They also can be extraordinary fundraising catalysts that build community and inspire new philanthropy. In this panel discussion, experienced fundraisers, library advocates, and supporters will discuss how to identify milestone fundraising opportunities, develop impactful milestone outreach, as well as how to successfully engage donors before, during, and after milestones. The program will begin with audience members sharing their experiences with library milestones. Then panelists from a variety of different library types will add their perspectives on how they have created donor-engaging programs, exhibits, and communications connected to anniversaries, dedications, and other commemorations. The session will continue with questions from the moderator about how to address the challenges that can come with milestone fundraising and then will conclude with questions from the audience.