Cognotes 2017 Annual Conference Highlights - 1

COGNOTES
CHICAGO, IL

CONFERENCE
HIGHLIGHTS

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Hillary Rodham Clinton reacts to applause while taking the stage to deliver
the ALA Closing General Session.

Clinton Closes ALA Annual
Conference & Exhibition with
Admiration for Librarians
Colleen Cirocco/Wayne State University (MI)

D

elivering a speech combining uplifting support for librarians and
accounts of personal experiences,
former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and
bestselling author Hillary Rodham Clinton
closed the 2017 ALA Annual Conference &
Exhibition. Clinton covered many topics that
are at the heart of the library profession in her

Saujani:
Where are
the Girls?
Stephanie Barnaby, San Jose State University

A

LA President Julie  Todaro kicked
off the Opening General Session
on June 23, thanking the sponsors
and highlighting some of the sessions she
was most excited about. Todaro emphasized
the librarian's role in society, stating, "Ours
is a noble profession, dedicated to equity
and inclusion." Now more than ever, libraries must be safe spaces and as welcoming as
ever before.
The Opening General Session highlighted
various attractions in the Exhibits and
throughout the conference space. With over
1,800 programs and more than 2,500 events
happening in Chicago, there was something
for everyone. Todaro mentioned the selfserve kiosk where interested individuals can
sign up for the Libraries Transform campaign
for free swag and support. The Stand for
» see page 4

potent presentation. She told the audience,
"We need librarians more than ever."
Reading changes lives
Clinton reminisced about the excitement
she felt when she got her first library card,
how it served as her "passport to the world."
She reflected on the escapism reading provides, even how books helped her get past
» see page 9

From Mars to the Moon:
Author Weir Flies High
by Michelle Kowalsky, Rowan University

R

ight before the June 26 Auditorium
Speaker Series, bestselling author
Andy Weir caught a glimpse of his
first galley copy of Artemis (Crown Publishing, 2017). Weir surprised the audience by
explaining that the librarians present would
be the first people to see the new book aside
from the publishers. Weir is also the author
of The Martian, on which the Ridley Scott
film starring Matt Damon was based.
The premise of Artemis involves building
a city on the moon; it is based on scientific
fact as closely as possible to be authentic.

2017 ANNUAL EXHIBITS HIGHLIGHTS

"I had to write some code to help me calculate plausible landing trajectories," said
Weir, who was a software engineer in real
life before becoming famous for his science
fiction. "Nerds are my people!" he cajoled,
maintaining that his readers likely enjoy
identifying scientific errors and the conversations they ignite. He also admitted to
having more than a layman's knowledge of
the space industry, which helps him to craft
accessible stories which include details from
multiple scientific disciplines.
Weir's jovial and humorous banter
included onstage interactions with the sign
» see page 5
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