LibLearnX, or the Library Learning Experience, opened registration for its first Virtual Conference taking place from January 21 to 24, 2022. This conference will be for American Library Association members.
The event is a new program designed after listening to and surveying the opinions of library professionals. The organization said in an email that they specially designed the conference so that librarians can "participate in hands-on workshops, experience 'bite-sized' learning events, and explore experiential learning—learning by doing." LibLearnX will offer over 120 live and on-demand education sessions which cover subjects of interest to librarians and library professionals.
Cicely Lewis, the founder of Read Woke, will be one of the speakers. Lewis began the Read Woke challenge in response to the needs of her students, wanting them to explore and read books that "challenge social norms, give voice to the silenced, and seek to challenge the status quo." Read more about Cecily Lewis and the Read Woke challenge online.
Angeline Boulley is also on the lineup of speakers, and she will share insights on her best-seller Fire Keepers Daughter. Another featured speaker will be Mariko Tamaki, a Canadian writer of comics and prose who has written for Marvel and DC Comics among others.
At the Virtual Conference, there will be four types of educational sessions: Accelerators, IdeasXChanges, ShopTalks, and Learning Labs.
Accelerators will be led by expert facilitators and expose librarians to "out-of-the-box thinking" that will empower them to resolve current problems. These will be two hours in length each.
IdeasXChanges will be 30-minute creative presentations shared in an informal manner between peers.
ShopTalks will be "bite-sized" presentations, approximately 15 to 20 minutes in length, focusing on specific ideas.
One hour Learning Labs will explore current issues and teach methods and approaches that library professionals can take back to their job sites. They come in three "levels of engagement." The low level is for panels and Q&A sessions, the medium level is for polls and surveys, and the highest level is for games and breakout sessions.
Examples of topics covered in Learning Labs will be "50 + Years in the Making: Claiming Social Justice as a Core Value," "A Transdisciplinary Collaboration: Developing Resources About Muhammad Ali; Inspiring Social Justice Action," and "And Your Name Is...What?: Eliminating Name-based Microagressions in a Library Environment."
More information about the LibLearnX Virtual Conference can be found online at alalliblearnx.org. ALA members who register before November 30, 2021, are eligible for a special discount.