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CHICAGO — Today the Public Library Association (PLA) announced it is extending its member Early Bird registration rate for the PLA 2022 Conference, to be held March 23–25 in Portland, Oregon. Personal members of PLA, the Oregon Library Association (OLA), and the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA) can save hundreds of dollars by registering before Jan. 31. Advance for all others continues through Feb. 18.

The PLA 2022 Conference is the premier event for public library professionals, bringing together library staff, trustees, friends and library vendors from across the country. Attendees will be inspired by more than 100 diverse educational sessions, have the opportunity to reconnect and revitalize with colleagues, discover the latest in library technology and solutions from 100+ vendors, and be able to explore the weirdness of Portland. Those who are unable to join the live event can attend the Virtual Conference, March 23–25. Registration for the Virtual Conference will open later this month.

New York Times best-selling author, podcast host and professional troublemaker, Luvvie Ajayi Jones will kick off the conference by challenging attendees to overcome their fears and get comfortable with being uncomfortable on March 23. From White Castle to the White House, closing speaker Kal Penn will leave attendees charmed with his entertaining and refreshingly candid stories of Hollywood, politics and redefining the American Dream on March 25. Speakers for Big Ideas—PLA’s version of “TED Talks”—will be announced soon.

Other popular plenary events free to all attendees will include the exhibits opening reception March 23, all-conference reception March 24, exhibits closing reception March 25 and the How-To Stage on the exhibit floor March 23–25. The popular Audio Publishers Association event “” will also be open to all conference registrants this year and will feature a panel discussion and Q&A with favorite authors and audiobook narrators March 24 before the all-conference reception.

Registration is climbing for full and half-day that take place March 22, so secure your seats soon! The sessions provide deep learning related to Social Work-Inspired Best Practices for Supporting Library Patrons, Fostering a Stronger and More Inclusive Democracy Through Library Programming, Project Outcome: Data for Impact & Improvement and more.

PLA is continuously monitoring news and science around COVID-19 and its variants and will update plans and protocols as needed. The association is working closely with the Oregon Convention Center and following state and local protocols to provide the safest environment for our attendees. Visit the PLA 2022 page to always get the most up-to-date information about safety measures and requirements.

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 strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders. For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext.5PLA, or pla@ala.org.