Events and Things To Do

  

All-Conference Social

The All-Conference Social will begin at 8:00 PM on Thursday night. There will be a cash bar with a special "libraratory" themed drink. Ryan the Balloon Guy is BACK - bring him your craziest ideas and he will dazzle you with his skills! We can't wait to see you on the dance floor!

VLA will also host a private, pre-release screening of the documentary Banned Together: The Fight Against Censorship beginning at 8:30 PM on Thursday.

Artists in the Library Show

The conference will be hosting an art show in the Libraratory MakerSpace.

Book Giveaways

Generous donations for Advance Reader Copies from publishers will be available at the 2:00 PM Friday Business Meeting in Norfolk Ballrooms 1 & 2.

Buddy Bracelets

Stop by the Libraratory at any time to make a beaded friendship bracelet to keep or share. Choose a meaning message, an inside joke, or a powerful phrase, and celebrate the bonds that connect us to each other, our profession, and the world.

Intellectual Freedom Oral History Project

During the conference, a team will be collecting oral histories about the experiences of library staff that have encountered book challenges and other types of censorship efforts across the state.This could include objections to programs and displays as well. If you have a story that you are open to sharing, we would like to schedule time to interview you. Interviews will run up to 45 minutes and be recorded in an audio format. Options for anonymizing your interview will also be made available. Sign up here

Library Card Mosaic

Bring your library’s card to the conference and help us create a one-of-a-kind mosaic. Just drop your card (regular size or keychain size, or both!) in the bin at the Registration Desk, and watch as our collaborative masterpiece comes to life on Friday morning. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to make a mark in VLA's story.

Can’t make it to the conference but still want to take part? Mail a library card to Lisa Varga at Virginia Library Association, PO Box 56312 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 before October 5.

Virtual Coloring Book

This year, the VLA Conference theme celebrates experimentation, innovation and creativity. The VLA Conference Committee has created a coloring book, generated by AI, that will be available in the Makerspace activity room at the conference. Download here, with cover art by committee chair Natasha Payne-Brunson.