MAY PREVIEW ISSUE

ALACognotes

2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

May 2014 Issue

Jane McGonigal, World-renowned Game Designer and Humanitarian, Opens 2014 ALA Annual Conference

Opening General Session Friday, June 27, 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.

Jane McGonigal believes game designers are on a humanitarian mission; her #1 goal in life is to see a game developer win a Nobel Peace Prize. This world-renowned and inspiring designer of alternate reality games - games that are designed to improve real lives and solve real problems - is the featured speaker at the Opening General Session on Friday, June 27, 4:00 - 5:15 p.m., and is sure to get attendees excited from the very start of the conference about the myriad possibilities for how serious games can be integrated into a variety of library programming.

McGonigal specializes in games that challenge players to tackle real-world problems, including poverty, hunger and climate change, through planetary-scale collaboration. She's a New York Times bestselling author (Reality is Broken: Why Games Make

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Jane McGonigal (photo by Bart Nagel)

Exhibits Open Friday, Events and Stages Set

With more than 775 exhibiting organizations, multiple pavilions and stages featuring the hottest authors, and numerous related fun events, the ALA Exhibits are an integral part of your learning, professional development, and networking. The exhibit hall offers you the opportunity to explore and discuss with expert vendors the breadth and depth of new and favorite library products, services, books, online services, tools, and technologies.

Ribbon-Cutting & Exhibits Opening Reception

The ALA Exhibits opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony immediately following the Opening General Session on Friday, June 27 that features a brief welcome by ALA and local dignitaries. The Exhibits Opening Reception includes food, drink, and entertainment throughout the exhibit

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B. J. Novak Promises Entertaining Closing General Session in Las Vegas

Inaugural Brunch to Follow Closing General Sesssion on July 1

B.J. Novak adds book author to an impressive résumé that has long included actor, writer, stand-up comedian, TV and film star, executive producer, and Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America award winner. Attendees at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference will be entertained and energized by what he has to say about the power of words and the writing part of his career when he appears as featured speaker at the Closing General Session on Tuesday, July 1, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Library users of all ages are likely to be seeking out his books—in 2014, he's already published his first book for adults One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories (February 2014, Knopf), soon to be followed by his first children's book, The Book with No Pictures (September 2014, Dial Books for Young Readers).

“I wanted to write a book that would introduce the youngest of kids to the idea that words can be their allies—that the right words can be as fun, exciting, and ridiculous as

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The famous Las Vegas neon sign will welcome ALA Annual Conference attendees June 27 - July 1. CLICK HERE to learn more about Las Vegas (Photo courtesy Las Vegas News Bureau).