91´«Ã½

PHILADELPHIA - The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), will host the popular Gala Author Tea at the 91´«Ã½ Midwinter Meeting in San Diego.

The Gala Author Tea will feature five best-selling authors who will speak about their life and writing. In addition, ALTAFF will host a Nuts & Bolts session for Friends and Foundations, as well as a Nuts & Bolts session for Trustees. ALTAFF and 91´«Ã½ Conference Services will jointly host the Spotlight on Adult Literature.

Five best-selling authors will speak about their writing and lives during the ALTAFF Gala Author Tea from 2 to 4 p.m. on Mon., Jan. 10 in the San Diego Convention Center, Room 29 A-D. Featured authors will be novelist Elizabeth Adler ("It All Began in Monte Carlo," St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan); Next Generation Nepal founder Conor Grennan ("Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal," William Morrow/HarperCollins); poet and novelist Paula McLain ("The Paris Wife," Ballantine Books/Random House); journalist Richard Louv ("The Nature Principle," Algonquin), and New York Times best-selling author Luanne Rice ("The Silver Boat," Pamela Dorman Books/Penguin). Attendees will enjoy tea, finger sandwiches and a variety of sweet treats. A book signing will follow, with many books given away free and others available for purchase at a generous discount. ALTAFF will recognize the winners of the 2010 National Friends of Libraries Week Awards during the program. The Gala Author Tea is generously sponsored by ReferenceUSA. Tickets cost $49 in advance ($45 ALTAFF division members), $55 onsite, while seats are available.

A Nuts & Bolts session for Friends and Foundations will be held from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 7 at the Horton Grand Hotel, Regency Ballroom. Library Friends, volunteers and staff are invited to share best practices and hear from experts on topics such as membership, board development, fundraising and strategic planning.

In addition, a Nuts & Bolts session for Trustees will be held from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 7 at the Horton Grand Hotel, Regal Ballroom. Library Trustees and staff are invited to share best practices and hear from experts on a variety of topics, including effective working relationships between Trustees and the library director.

At noon, following the speakers for each of the Nuts & Bolts sessions, the two sessions will combine for roundtable discussion and a boxed lunch. Tickets for the Nuts & Bolts sessions cost $50 in advance, $75 onsite. Those who register for Advocating in a Tough Economy: An Advocacy Institute Workshop will save $25 off Nuts & Bolts registration.

Conference attendees are invited to participate in the Spotlight on Adult Literature from 2 - 4 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 8 in the exhibits hall at the San Diego Convention Center. Participating publishers will give away copies of forthcoming books and host author signings. A flier listing all participating publishers will be distributed at the entrance to the exhibits hall. Attendees may also visit ReferenceUSA booth (2172) to register to win a prize basket. Participating publishers include Perseus, Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, Workman, Random House, W. W. Norton & Company, Penguin Group (USA), Macmillan and Hachette. The Spotlight on Adult Literature is sponsored by ALTAFF and 91´«Ã½ Conference Services.

For more information about ALTAFF events at the 91´«Ã½ Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, including registration and ticket information and event codes, visit .

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ALTAFF is a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) with approximately 3,500 Friends of the Library, Trustee, Foundation and individual members and affiliates representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters. Begun in early 2009, the new division brings together Trustees, Friends, and Foundation members into a partnership that unites the voices of citizens for libraries to create a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. For more information about ALTAFF, please visit or contact Jillian Kalonick at (312) 280-2161 or jkalonick@ala.org.