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ILA's 2024 Annual Conference ran from October 8-10 at the beautiful Peoria Civic Center in downtown Peoria, IL. This year's theme, Libraries are Lit: Sparking Innovation and Imagination, represents and celebrates the passion and creativity of library workers in Illinois.
Conference Planning Committee
The ILA President Elect, Amy Byers, chose a committee of fifteen members serving a sixteen month term. The members come from a variety of backgrounds, library types, and geographic locations.
Attendees Surveyed
After the close of conference, a survey is sent to all attendees to gather feedback that will improve future conferences. Questions included:
- Overall, how satisfied were you with the conference?
- What did you like most about this conference?
- In what ways could this conference be improved for future years?
91% of attendees were very satisfied or satisfied with the overall conference experience. One attendee commented, "I appreciated the effort at providing food options for those of us with dietary restrictions. It makes a huge difference to feel included. The talks were great and the free dedicated WiFi was a fantastic perk. The hotel was pleasant (comfortable bed, good water pressure, fantastic pool), but the downtown Peoria area was less than desirable." Another attendee said, "I have to say I got more out of these sessions than I did at PLA." An additional comment from a trustee said, "My first conference attending as a trustee. I have been a trustee for 8 years. I wish I had attended in the past. Now as President, I will encourage all our trustees to go."
Of all the events, featured speakers, evening activities, unconferences, and ways to participate, the most commonly attended were the Exhibits, Opening Session with Nick Offerman and Amy Byers, the Membership Meeting and President's Program featuring Mychal Threets, the Poster Sessions, the DiversiTEA featuring Imani Barbarin, and the Peoria Public Library All Conference Reception. 49% of attendees visited the Exhibit Hall 3-5 times.
Registered Attendees
There were a total of 1127 attendees including speakers, exhibitor representatives, trustees, and staff. 71% were registered for the full conference. Other attendees were registered for either one day or Exhibits Only. Of all of the registered attendees, 65% registered before the early bird deadline of September 16. There were 257 speakers which include session speakers, featured speakers, and poster session speakers. Representing the 72 Exhibits booths were 166 exhibitor representatives.
Distance Traveled
Using zip codes and the United States Zip Code Database, the heatmap highlights the 60 counties in Illinois where attendees traveled from. 254 attendees from Cook County; 117 from DuPage County; and 72 from Peoria County.
Sessions and Speakers
Over the three days of ILA Annual Conference,
- 78 program sessions were presented,
- 32 posters were displayed in the Exhibit Hall,
- 4 unconferences were hosted (IACRL, Youth & Young Adult Services, Resources & Technical Services, and Human Resources & Administration Form),
- 3 featured speakers were guests at separate events; Oge Mora appeared at the Youth Services Author Breakfast; Zachary Benedict spoke to academic library workers at the IACRL Luncheon; and Elaina Norlin provided a workshop "From Quiet Observation to Strategic Action: Introverted Leadership for Dynamic Libraries."
- 3 keynote speakers included Nick Offerman, Mychal Threets, and Imani Barbarin in Peoria Civic Center Exhibit Hall B.
Communication
The newsletter, ILA Conference Connection, was sent to 881 attendees.
Friday, October 4 - Opens - 71% clicks 24%
Monday, October 7 - Opens - 68%. clicks 14%
Tuesday, October 8 - Opens - 60% clicks 10%
Wednesday, October 9 - Opens - 65% clicks 22%
Thursday, October 10 - Opens 56% clicks 9%
The average open rate for the ILA Conference Connection Newsletter was 64% and the average click rate was 16%.
Conference by the Numbers
- 15 Sponsors: Conference sponsorship enables ILA to deliver high-quality professional development and networking to Illinois library workers and trustees. We are honored to work with Leadership Partners: Today's Business Solutions, Inc. (TBS), Libraries of Illinois Risk Agency (LIRA), Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS); Platinum Sponsors: iREAD, Outsource IT Solutions Group, Meristem Advisors, Virco; Gold Sponsors: Dominican University SOIS, Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, Illinois Heartland Library System; and Silver Sponsors: Baker & Taylor, Deiters & Todd Library Consulting, Ancel Glink, RA for All, and Illinois State Treasurer's Office.
- 19 Trivia Teams: ILA Annual Conference welcomed Rory Parilac, Children's Services Supervisor at the Bourbonnais Public Library as Ms. Quiz for the 2nd year to host a Trivia Night. 19 trivia teams played multi-format rounds of both general and libraryland-oriented questions. Prizes were awarded to the top-scoring teams and for best team names.
- $715 dollars raised for the Intellectual Freedom Fund: ILA Fundraising Committee gave out I Heart Intellectual Freedom badge ribbons to any attendee who donated $15 or more to the Intellectual Freedom Fund. Their efforts raised $715. An additional $200 was raised through the Dine & Donate event with Avanti's. Avanti's donated 15% of proceeds to ILA for anyone who brought in the printed flyer.
- 57 Dog Toys: In an effort to connect with local Peoria organizations and model creativity, innovation, and energy for our attendees, the 2024 ILA Conference Committee worked with the Peoria Humane Society to make tug toys for shelter pets. Monetary donation are always welcome at peoriahs.org/donate.
- $2685 Peoria Proud Contribution: This year two local Peoria organizations were chosen for partnership. Attendees were invited to attend Drag Bingo on Wednesday evening with Miss Flo with a percentage of registration funds being raised for Peoria Proud. The evening featured drag queen bingo, drag performances, and information about Peoria Proud. 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. Donations are accepted at peoriaproud.org.
- 95 Trustees: Trustee Day, October 10, includes conference programming and meals dedicated to topics of interest to trustees and library governance. It's an important day of networking and community building.
- 72 Exhibiting Booths: Conference experiences would not be possible without the support of our many vendors and partners. ILA Conference exhibits are open for two days; Wednesday and Thursday. There are specific No-Conflict Hours for attendees to visit our partners without missing valuable sessions; opening lunch, afternoon snack, morning coffee, and closing lunch.
Save the Date
ILA Annual Conference will be held October 14-16, 2025 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, in Rosemont, IL.
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