Evening Activities

Evening Activities

Social connection with colleagues is as important as the professional collaborations we build. Join ILA Conference attendees for fun and laughs in the evenings.

Monday, October 7

  • President’s Reception

    Join ILA President, Amy Byers, to kick off the start of the 2024 Annual Conference. The President’s Reception is open to all conference attendees and light refreshments and a cash bar will be provided.

    Pere Marquette: Cotillion Ballroom
    7:00 – 9:00 pm

Tuesday, October 8

  • Peoria Public Library

    All Conference Reception

    Join conference attendees for live music from the Patio Daddios, refreshments, a scavenger hunt, and giveaways. Visit the Library’s art gallery, local history department, and Friends of the Peoria Library bookstore. Reception is free and open to all conference attendees.

    Peoria Public Library, 107 NE Monroe Street
    (2 blocks from the Peoria Civic Center, 1 block from Pere Marquette)
    5:00 – 7:00 pm
     

  • Ms. Quiz Presents: A Trivia Night For Library Folks!

    We share a professional field blessed with brainiacs, nurtured by nerds, and swimming with smartypants… the perfect crowd for a challenging, high-energy, totally rad quiz night!

    Doors open at 6:15 pm, with trivia starting promptly at 7:00. We’ll play several rousing, multi-format rounds of both general and libraryland-oriented questions. Prizes will be awarded to the top-scoring teams and for best team names! You're welcome to bring snacks and a cash bar will be available in the room. 

    Pre-registration is appreciated but not required. To register, we’ll need to know a team captain, a team name, and how many people are on your team. Teams may be between 4-8 people. 

    If you would like to play but do not have a team, just register solo and we’ll assign you to a team that wants an extra brain! Walk-in participation on the evening of is also welcome.

    Your hostess, cheerleader, and question-setter is Rory Parilac, Children’s Services Supervisor at the Bourbonnais Public Library. Rory moonlights as Ms. Quiz at live trivia events, library programs, and on a Thursday night livestream on Twitch (@msquiztrivia). She’s thrilled to present a hand-crafted quiz just for Illinois librarylanders! 

    Pere Marquette: Cotillion Ballroom
    7:00 – 9:00 pm
     

  • ILA Knit Night

    Bring your knitting, crocheting, or other fiber art project to The Fiber Universe. The store will be open during special hours just for ILA conference attendees. Enjoy shopping, socializing, and crafting. The Fiber Universe is near several restaurants and is directly next to The Rhythm Kitchen Music Cafe. This event does not require pre-registration.

    The Fiber Universe
    305 SW Water St, Peoria, IL 61602
    7:00 – 9:00 pm

      

Wednesday, October 9

  • Tour Sculpture Walk Peoria

    Sign up for a docent-led tour on Washington St to view and learn about eight public art sculptures. Every 2 years new sculptures comprise the walk. The 2024/2025 collection includes artists from all over the world. This is a walking tour at a leisurely pace with stops at each sculpture. The total walk is about .5 miles long and the tour takes about an hour. Best of all, it is totally free. Registration required. Limited to 40 people.

    Peoria Art Guild
    203 Harrison St, Peoria, IL, 61602
    5:00 – 6:00 pm

  • Drag Bingo - Registration Closed

    Join us for an evening of bingo with Miss Flo! The evening will feature drag queen bingo, drag performances, and information about Peoria Proud, an ILA Community Partner. A panel featuring local authors, performers, and community members will discuss the importance of diversity in literature, the nuances of Drag Queen Story Hour, and needs specific to the LGBTQ+ community.

    Doors will open at 6:30. It will cost attendees $20 to participate, with a percentage of the funds being raised for Peoria Proud. You're welcome to bring snacks and a cash bar will be available in the room. Registration is required when you register for the conference. Registration is closed for Drag Bingo.

    While drag story times have been a large part of discussions in libraries over the last couple years, it’s possible that many librarians have not had personal experience with a library event, meeting a drag queen, or attending a drag show. With a partnership through Peoria Proud, we may be able to create an event that provides these opportunities to spark librarians’ imagination about what it might mean to provide similar programming in their libraries and innovate offerings to their patrons. “Lit” can mean party, and if drag is one thing, it is a party.

    Pere Marquette: Cotillion Ballroom
    7:00 – 9:00 pm

Thank you for the wonderful support of our sponsors. 

conference sponsors

Would you like to increase your visibility to thousands of library professionals and show your support for their important work? Contact Kristin Pekoll, kpekoll@ila.org to join this notable group of sponsors.

iREAD Summer Reading Programs

Since 1981, iREAD provides high quality, low-cost resources and products that enable local library staff to motivate children, young adults, and adults to read.

Visit the iREAD website »