Keynote Speaker - Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman is an award-winning actor, New York Times bestselling author, and acclaimed woodworker. Hailing from Illinois, Offerman gained fame for his portrayal of the beloved Ron Swanson in the acclaimed TV series, Parks and Recreation. Recently honored with his first Emmy at the 75th annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards, he was awarded Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in HBO's The Last of Us. Beyond the screen, Offerman showcases his versatility as an author with several notable works, including Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, and Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Likes to Walk Outside.
In September, Offerman met virtually with Amy Byers and ILA staff to answer members' prerecorded questions. ILA is delighted to present this exclusive keynote.
The Opening General Session is made possible by the generous support of Today’s Business Solutions (TBS).
President's Program Speaker - Mychal Threets
Mychal Threets is a librarian. He grew up in Fairfield, CA- right between Sacramento and San Francisco. He grew up in libraries as a homeschool kid.
Mychal loves stories! He enjoys learning something new every day, and that includes learning why people love their local library. He utilizes social media to share the stories of library kids and library grown-ups that he encounters in library land.
He got his first library card at the age of 5 and was hooked on libraries from there. He got his first library job as a library shelver at the library he grew up in and worked his way up to become Supervising Librarian of that very same library.
He got his Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Phoenix and his Master’s in Library and Information Science degree from San Jose State University. He is proud to be a 2023 recipient of the American Library Association’s “I Love My Librarian” Award!
He is very open about his mental health. He talks about it in hopes that it’ll help others in their mental health journey. He is adamant about encouraging people to believe him when he says he’s happy they are here.
When Mychal isn’t at the library or talking about libraries, he’s often with his family, friends, or troublesome cats- Machine Gun Kitty and Kissin’ Kat Barlow.
The President's Program is made possible by the generous support of Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS).
Youth Services Author Breakfast Speaker - Oge Mora
Oge Mora is a collage artist and storyteller. Her picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award recipient. Her second book, Saturday, won the 2020 Boston Globe—Horn Book Picture Book Award. Oge’s artwork has been applauded by The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe. She also recently made the Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 list in Arts & Style.
Oge grew up in Columbus, Ohio but resides in Providence, RI. She is a fan of all things colorful, patterned, or collaged, and enjoys creating warm stories that celebrate people coming together. Mora is a 2025 iREAD featured artist for the theme “Level Up at Your Library.”
Oge Mora’s appearance is presented by the Youth Services Forum and made possible by the generous support of iREAD.
DiversiTEA Closing Keynote Speaker - Imani Barbarin
Imani Barbarin is a disability rights and inclusion activist and speaker who uses her voice and social media platforms to create conversations engaging the disability community. Born with cerebral palsy, Imani often writes and uses her platform to speak from the perspective of a disabled black woman. In the last few years she has created over a dozen trending hashtags that allow disabled folk the opportunity to have their perspectives heard while forcing the world to take notice. #PatientsAreNotFaking, #ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow, #AbledsAreWeird and others each provide a window into disabled life while forming community.
Imani is from the Philadelphia area and holds a Masters in Global Communications from the American University of Paris, her published works include those in Forbes, Rewire, Healthline, BitchMedia and more. She runs the blog CrutchesAndSpice.com and a podcast of the same name.
IACRL Luncheon Speaker - Zachary Benedict
Zachary Benedict is an architect who has dedicated his career to exploring the connection between people and places. As the President of MKM architecture + design, a firm consistently recognized as one of the “Top Healthcare Firms” in the country by Modern Healthcare Magazine, he oversees the firm’s strategic operation while managing a variety of projects ranging from critical access hospitals to public libraries. With an extensive background in urban sociology, his work focuses on the socio-economic benefits of inclusive placemaking. Through these efforts, he has lectured nationally on a variety of topics – discussions whose primary focus is to reevaluate the importance of equitable design and its impact on one’s sense of belonging and purpose. In recognition of his work, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) awarded him with a national Young Architect Award. Additionally, Ball State University's College of Architecture and Planning Alumni Society honored him with the Alumni Award of Outstanding Achievement. He is the youngest individual to ever receive this award.
Workshop Speaker - Elaina Norlin
Elaina Norlin is the Professional Development Coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries. She is an accomplished teacher, technology and leadership development trainer, and writer with extensive leadership experience and a flair for public relations, organizational development, marketing and persuasion and communications. Author of three books, she has delivered over 125 workshops, training sessions, presentations, and institutes both nationally and internationally on marketing, web usability design, facilitation, strategic influence, and conflict management. Self-motivated and results oriented, she is well known for her ability to juggle many projects at once.
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