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2016 WALE Conference Events and Keynote Speakers

Monday, October 24, 7:00 - 8:30pm

WALE Dessert Reception
This is a great way to reward yourself after a day of Preconference workshops, and a chance to see old friends as they arrive for the Conference. Included in the cost of your registration, this event includes decadent deserts, a no-host bar, music and fun!

Tuesday, October 25, 8:00 - 9:30am

Breakfast Reception: The Pleasures and Perils of a Life of Reading with Nancy Pearl
Join us for the Opening Conference Breakfast as beloved librarian, reader and action figure, Nancy Pearl, shares with us the origins of her love of reading and libraries. Discover how the Book Lust books came to be written and what Nancy has discovered about the perils of a life of reading. Along the way, of course, she’ll suggest some great books!

About Nancy: 
The New York Times calls her “the talk of librarian circles.” Readers, libraries and bookstores can’t get enough of her recommendations. Since the release of the best-selling Book Lust in 2003 and the Librarian Action Figure modeled in her likeness, Nancy Pearl has become a rock star among readers and the tastemaker people turn to when deciding what to read next. Having worked as a librarian and bookseller in Detroit, Tulsa, and Seattle, Pearl’s knowledge of and love for books is unmatched. In 1998, she developed the program “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book,” which spread across the country. The former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book, Pearl celebrates the written word by speaking at bookstores and libraries across the country and on her monthly television program Book Lust with Nancy Pearl on the Seattle Channel. She is a regular commentator about books on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and NPR affiliate stations KUOW in Seattle and KWGS in Tulsa. In 2004, Pearl became the 50th winner of the Women’s National Book Association Award for her extraordinary contribution to the world of books. 

Tuesday, October 25, 1:00 - 2:15pm

Networking Lunch: Let Your Light Shine!
Celebrate WALE’s history and our future with a retrospective of the past 25 years! Meet some of the people who have shaped WALE over the years, hear personal stories of how WLA has impacted your colleagues from around the state, and share your own stories. We often hear there isn’t enough conference time included to simply visit with old friends, so don’t miss this fun, casual event!

Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 - 8:30pm 

(Books will be for sale and authors will be available for signing immediately following this event. ) 

Dinner Banquet: A Night of Romance!
Join us for a celebration of WALE's 25th Anniversary with "A Night of Romance!" Hosted by the Romance Writers of America's 2016 Librarian of the Year, Robin Bradford, enjoy an evening of good food, fun entertainment and romance! In a salon style, Robin will interview famous romance writers Cherry Adair, Susan Mallery and Lauren Dane. With questions taken from the audience in advance, you can expect some surprising answers, colorful stories, lots of laughs and maybe a little blushing. Festive formal wear encouraged, and bonus point for wearing red and silver.

Tuesday, October 25, 9:00 - 11:00pm

WALE Chair's Reception
Join the WALE Chairs, Conference planning committee, and esteemed guests for this informal opportunity to give a toast or two to your colleagues, libraries, and the next 25 years!

Wednesday, October 26, 8:30 - 9:45am

A WALE of a Story & Business Breakfast!

Love a good story? Come hear the tale of Brianna Hoffman, and how active participation in WALE led her to become a librarian, and eventually to be elected as the current President of the WA Library Association. Brianna began by serving on several WLA committees, including acting as a Chairperson for the 2012 WALE Conference. Following two years as a WLA Board Director, she began her Presidential term in April of this year. During her 12 years in public libraries, Brianna has worked in many frontline positions, and she received her MLS from Emporia State University in 2013. Brianna is incurably curious and a pop culture enthusiast. When she’s not doing reader’s advisory or providing research assistance at the Richland Public Library, she may be found traveling with her family to places she’s never been, or working on her crow pose in the yoga studio.