In 2020, the Oregon Library Association will celebrate its eightieth anniversary! Join us in beautiful Bend, OR for a week of presentations and workshops on the important theme of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI).
General Information
Dates: April 29 – May 2, 2020
Location: Riverhouse on the Deschutes Hotel & Convention Center in Bend, OR. See Local Information to make reservations.
Poster Proposals
We are now accepting proposals for poster sessions, with a submission deadline of Friday, February 28, 2020. See the Proposals page for details.
Registration for Exhibitors, Sponsors, and Advertisers
The deadline for exhibitor registrations has been extended to March 2, 2020. See the Sponsors & Exhibitors page.
Conference Highlights
Keynote Address, Thursday, April 30th, 8:30 a.m.
Kick off the conference with our keynote presenter Sonja Ervin, Multnomah County Library’s first ever equity and inclusion manager. She leads efforts to ensure library services, programs, staffing, materials, and spaces are equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive. Her work involves leading staff in thoughtful discussions about equity and inclusion and outlining actionable steps to improve the library’s efforts both internally and for the community. She provides support and holds space for library staff who face experiences of racism and oppression. She is also the executive sponsor for the Black Cultural Library Advocate team.
Her vision for public libraries is that every person, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or their current or past experiences and circumstances, feel connected and a sense of community as they walk through the library doors.
President’s Banquet, Friday, May 1st, 6:00 p.m.
OLA President Elaine Hirsch invites everyone (ticket included with full conference registration) to celebrate OLA’s 80th anniversary with a look back over OLA’s history from the first meeting at Timberline Lodge in 1940 to today as we meet in Bend, Oregon. Special entertainment is on the menu as well. Stay tuned.
Saturday Author, Saturday, May 2nd, 12:30 p.m.
Join everyone as we wrap up the conference with author David Walker. David F. Walker is an award-winning comic book writer, filmmaker, journalist, and educator. His writing career started in the 1990s with the self-published ‘zine, BadAzz MoFo. In 1997 he produced and directed Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered, and Shafted, a feature length documentary on the history of blaxploitation films.
Walker is best known for his work in graphic novels and comics, which includes The Life of Frederick Douglass (Ten Speed Press), the Eisner Award-nominated series Bitter Root (Image Comics), and the critically acclaimed series Naomi (DC Comics). He has written for Marvel Comics (Luke Cage, Occupy Avengers, Power Man and Iron Fist, Nighthawk, Fury, Deadpool), DC Comics (Cyborg, Young Justice), Dynamite Entertainment (Shaft), and Dark Horse (Number 13). He also teaches part time at Portland State University.