MLA Annual Conference 2022

Thanks for a great conference, everyone.

See you next year!

The Maine Library Association annual conference will happen in person at the Sunday River resort in Newry, ME, on

Monday, May 23, and Tuesday, May 24. 

This year's conference theme is trusted.

Keynote speaker: Deborah Caldwell-Stone

Deborah Caldwell-Stone is the Director of ALA'S Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation. For nearly two decades she has helped libraries, librarians, and trustees address a wide range of intellectual freedom issues, including the censorship of books and other library resources, library policies, and the privacy of library users' records. She advises ALA member groups on law and policy concerns and has done presentations for lawyers, trustees, and librarians addressing First Amendment and privacy law. She is a former appellate litigator.

Keynote speaker: Bill Roorbach

Bill Roorbach is the author of Lucky Turtle, newly released by Algonquin Books.  Previous fiction includes The Girl of the Lake, the Kirkus Prize finalist The Remedy for Love, the bestselling Life Among Giants, and the Flannery O’Connor Award–winning collection Big Bend. His memoir in nature, Temple Stream, won the Maine Literary Award in nonfiction and is available in a companion edition with Into Woods from Down East Books. Roorbach has received fellowships from the Civitella Ranieri Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. He held the William H. P. Jenks Chair in Contemporary American Letters at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. His craft book, Writing Life Stories, has been in print for twenty-five years. His writing has appeared in Harper’s, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, Ploughshares, Granta, Ecotone, New York Magazine, and other publications. He lives in Farmington and Scarborough with his family.

Bill's new book, Lucky Turtle, is available for pre-order to pick up at the conference.

Maine Infonet Pre-Conference Event on Sunday, May 22, 9:30 - 4:00 

The Maine Infonet event will feature keynote speaker Kristina M.J. Powell, Executive Director of The Telling Room and also a MIN work session in the afternoon. Click the link below for details and registration.

Registration for this event is separate and a discount is available to those who are also attending the MLA conference: https://www.mainelibraries.org/event-4717050

Lodging:

The group rate for guest rooms at Sunday River Grand Summit Hotel is $139/night. You will receive a link to book at the group rate, in your registration confirmation email.

COVID Protocols:

Attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination at registration check-in. This can be your vaccination card, or a picture of it on your phone. The CDC defines fully vaccinated as "a person has received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines." We strongly recommend attendees are "up-to-date", which the CDC defines as "a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible."

• We will follow the current CDC guidelines and/or local mandates on masking, at the time of the event. MIN and MLA cannot require Sunday River staff or other guests to wear masks, if the facility is not requiring it at the time of the event. 
• In order to keep meals as safe as possible, we have opted to order continental-style breakfasts and boxed lunches (sandwiches or salads) instead of the usual buffet-style meals. Please understand that this does limit our options, particularly for those with dietary restrictions/allergies. 

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CONFERENCE GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Up to ten grants to attend the conference are available to those in financial need. The deadline to apply for grants to attend the 2022 conference April 29, 2022. Go to our grants page for details and scholarship application.

Please consider making a donation to MLA’s scholarship fund. 100% of your donation makes a direct positive impact on the Maine library profession through scholarships and conference grants. We’re all looking forward to the return of the fabulous fundraising Basket Raffle when we’re all together again! CLICK HERE TO DONATE

AWARDS

We are now accepting nominations for the Outstanding Librarian of the Year and the Outstanding Library Advocate. Please download the corresponding form, collect materials to support the nomination, and submit them to communications@mainelibraries.org by April 29, 2022.

Outstanding Librarian nomination form
Library Advocate nomination form