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CHICAGO — The Public Library Association (PLA) is proud to announce Columbus, Ohio, as the host city for the PLA 2024 Conference. The PLA Conference typically draws between 8,000 and 10,000 attendees, and the Columbus event will be held Apr. 3–6, 2024, at the . The City of Columbus conforms to all PLA Conference site-selection policies and meets or surpasses all hotel and exhibit space requirements.

Offered biennially, the PLA Conference is the premier event for public library professionals, drawing thousands of librarians, library support staff, trustees, friends and library vendors from across the country and around the world. This multi-day event offers more than 100 top-quality education programs, social events that include author luncheons and networking receptions, and a bustling exhibits hall featuring the latest in products and services.

Recently included on The New York Times’ list of “52 Places to Visit in 2019,” Columbus, Ohio is booming, and not just in population. Columbus’s incredible culinary scene, named on Food & Wine magazine’s 32 Places to Go (and Eat) in 2019 features top-ranked chefs, a rich farm-to-table movement, one-of-a-kind restaurants and creative artisan desserts, beers, wines and spirits. The city is also home to the highly regarded Columbus Metropolitan Library, which earned a 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and was named 2010 Library of the Year by Library Journal.

Columbus also has a proud tradition of inclusiveness, acceptance and progressive social action. The City Code prohibits discriminatory practices and protects sexual orientation; these laws include employment protections, housing non-discrimination and public accommodations non-discrimination for all persons. With one of the largest LGBTQ populations in the country, Columbus is known for being smart, open and welcoming to all. The city has received a perfect score for six years running from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion on municipal law and policy.

“We’re very excited to have the PLA 2024 Conference in The Discovery City of Columbus, Ohio,” says PLA President Ramiro S. Salazar, director of the San Antonio (Texas) Public Library. “We look forward to working with our colleagues at the Ohio Library Council, Columbus Metropolitan Library, and other libraries in Central Ohio, to make PLA 2024 a truly remarkable event.”

Registration and housing are currently open for the PLA 2020 Conference, taking place Feb. 25-29, 2020 in Nashville, Tenn. Learn more at . The PLA 2022 Conference will be held Mar. 22–26, 2022, in Portland, Ore.

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About PLA

The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 10,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA offers professional development opportunities, unique public library initiatives, and a conference that welcomes public library staff into meaningful partnership. In collaboration with its parent organization, the 91´«Ã½, PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders.

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