American Library Association Reconvenes in New Orleans for Another Major City-wide Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2011

American Library Association Reconvenes in New Orleans for Another Major City-wide Meeting
First city-wide conference to return in 2006, continues to focus on service

WHAT: 136^th American Library Association (ALA) 2011 Annual Conference and Convention

WHERE: New Orleans Morial Convention Center (MCCNO), Halls D-J

WHEN: Thursday, June 23-Tuesday, June 28, 2011

DETAILS:
Approximately 18,000 members of the library community will return to New Orleans for the 2011 Annual ALA Conference and Convention. This is the second time since 2006 that the ALA has chosen New Orleans for this major city-wide meeting, and with nearly 700 exhibiting companies and 150,000 square foot of exhibit space, it is noted as the largest and most dynamic library tradeshow and conference in existence. ALA was the first citywide group to return to New Orleans in 2006.

On Friday June 24, ALA members will volunteer their time to revive local libraries and other community sites. The ALA will also partner with Beacon of Hope resource center, St. Bernard Project, Kingsley House and Rebuilding Together New Orleans. At their 2006 convention, the ALA’s “Libraries Build Communities Volunteer Day” brought together more than 900 volunteers to work on 22 projects around the city.

Keynote speakers are comedian Molly Shannon and “It Gets Better” co-founder Dan Savage. Shannon is an Emmy-nominated actress who recently ventured into writing children’s books. Savage, columnist and author, created “It Gets Better,” an online video support movement, after learning about a string of suicides from school bullying.

This year’s convention is set to generate $21 million in economic impact, utilizing more than 7,500 rooms at nearly 30 hotels. The ALA has already committed to bringing their annual convention back to New Orleans in 2018.

WEBSITE: http://alaannual.org

MAJOR EVENTS:

• Fri, June 24, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.: Libraries Build Communities Volunteer Day. Various locations
• Fri, June 24, 4 p.m.: Opening General Session with Columnist Dan Savage. MCCNO Auditorium B
• Sun., June 26, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.: Daniel Ellsberg, while employed by the RAND Corporation, precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of US government decision-making about the Vietnam War. MCCNO Auditorium B
• Tues, June 28, 9 a.m.: Closing General Session with Comedian Molly Shannon: MCCNO Auditorium B

EXHIBIT HALL: Halls D-J
HOURS: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

PRESS ROOM: Lobby G-H
HOURS: Thurs, June 23: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fri, June 24-Mon, June 27: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tues, June 28: 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
ALA: Macey Morales, cell: 708-769-0789, mmorales@ala.org
New Orleans CVB: Tara Letort, 504-566-5019, tletort@neworleanscvb.com; Jennifer Day, 773-909-2514, jday@neworleanscvb.com
NOMCC: Rosalie Mortillaro, 504-582-3027, rmortillaro@mccno.com

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