Presentations from household-name authors and professional panels for light-bulb moments are on the schedule in Dallas. As the largest state library association in the U.S., TLA provides programming for public, academic, and school libraries, as well as for nontraditional organizations. At this year’s “Library Renaissance: Our Quest for Renewal”–themed event, held Tuesday–Friday, April 1–4, in Dallas’s Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, TLA promises a dawn-to-dusk lineup of keynote speakers, annual awards, and essential information.
General Sessions
TLA’s three general sessions bring keynote authors to the Omni’s Dallas Ballroom. In the opening general session, attendees will hear from Taylor Jenkins Reid (Wednesday, 8:15–9:45 a.m.), author of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Reid’s forthcoming novel, Atmosphere (Ballantine, June), follows a woman in NASA who joins the 1980s space
shuttle program.
Newbery Medalist and National Book Award winner Louis Sachar (Thursday, 3:30–4:30 p.m.), known for Holes and the Wayside School series, keynotes the second general session. Sachar is looking ahead to his first novel for adult readers, a fairy tale titled The Magician of Tiger Castle (Ace, Aug.).
American Ballet Theater principal dancer Misty Copeland appears in TLA’s final general session (Friday, 11 a.m.–noon).
The first Black woman promoted to principal in ABT’s history, Copeland is the author of a memoir, Life in Motion; the picture books Firebird and Bunheads; and the forthcoming Bunheads, Act 2, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey (Penguin/Paulsen, Sept.).
Featured Events
At this year’s Black Caucus Round Table Author Session (Wednesday, 10 a.m.–12:15 p.m., ballroom C4), Ibram X. Kendi (Malcolm Lives!, FSG, May) will deliver a keynote talk. Kwame Alexander, Newbery-winning author of The Crossover and coauthor of J vs. K (Little, Brown, May), will receive the TLA’s annual Ashley Bryan Award, which honors a Black author for their body of work.
Other notable speakers and events at TLA 2025 include an evening with the authors dinner (Tuesday, 6–8 p.m., ballroom D3–D4) featuring Libba Bray, Julie Murphy, John Scalzi, and David Shannon on a panel moderated by James Wade. The opening awards and author session (Wednesday, 12:15–1:45, ballroom C2) spotlights Bryan Burrough, Neal Shusterman, and Adriana Trigiani. Texas Tea with the Authors (Wednesday, 10 a.m.–noon, ballroom D3–D4) features a grand total of 55 YA authors, who will table-hop to tell attendees about their new books.
At the Texas Bluebonnet Award author session (Thursday, 11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m., ballroom D1–D2), TLA will honor Glenda Armand and Kim Freeman, coauthors of Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better, illustrated by Keith Mallett. The Bluebonnet is a children’s choice award, and in 2024–2025, more than 36,000 Texas children in the third through sixth grades read five or more nominees and cast their votes for the winner.
Professional Program Picks
Artificial Intelligence in Libraries: Reinventing Educational Experiences
(Tuesday, 9–10 a.m., room D222)
How can information literacy instruction merge the human element of scholarship with the advent of new technology? Dawndrea Casey, Michelle Shea, and Kelly Williams of Texas A&M University–Central Texas will discuss productive ways to incorporate AI into assignments and research. Related sessions include “Integrating AI into Academic Library Operations” (Wednesday, 1:30–2:30 p.m., room D222) and “Unlocking AI: A Librarian-Led Training for Educators” (Thursday, 12:30–1:30 p.m., room C132).
Nuestra Misión: Bringing Monolingual and Bilingual School Librarians Together
(Wednesday, 10–11 a.m., room C151–152)
Carol Slavin of the Leander Independent School District and Crystal Doucette of the University of Texas–Austin will share programming ideas for bilingual communities, plus Spanish and bilingual book recommendations.
Welcome Neurodiverse Users with Adapted Programming and Outreach
(Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., rooms D225–226)
Emery Courtney, Laura Jewell, Brin Kieffer, and Jessica Rico of the Plano Public Library will discuss how to make public libraries accessible for users with diverse sensory needs and abilities.
De-escalation: Communicate Safely During Challenging Interactions
(Wednesday, 3–4 p.m., room C155)
Librarians may be called upon to interact with patrons who are agitated or experiencing emotional crises. Peace officer Charles Heasley, president of Blue Lion Leadership, will offer an overview of de-escalation techniques. For a related session, see “Making Public Libraries Safer Through Compassionate De-escalation” (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., room D168).
Bridging College and High School Libraries: College Readiness Collaboration
(Thursday, 8–9 a.m., room D224)
Kristi Hill and Anna Hithersay of Tarrant County College will talk about linking academic libraries with college and career readiness programs to support students at rural, suburban, and urban high schools.
Retaining Quality Staff in the Library
(Friday, 8–9 a.m., ballroom C4)
Low morale, quiet quitting, and burnout in libraries are a major
concern in the postpandemic workplace. Coby Condrey and Yvonne Dooley of the University of North Texas will share research on current trends and suggest ways to improve morale and engagement. For a related session, see “Getting to the Stay: Retaining Academic Library Faculty and Staff” (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., D223).
Around the Exhibit Hall
TLA’s exhibit hall opens on Tuesday (2–5 p.m.) and remains open on Wednesday (10 a.m.–5 p.m.), and Thursday (9 a.m.–3 p.m.). The annual conference brings in more than 220 exhibitors, and 200-plus authors will be on site to sign their latest books.
Between networking opportunities, attendees can power up devices at the H-E-B Read 3 Recharge Lounge (exhibit hall D), meet cute cats at the Orangeboy Kitten Lounge (booth 2610), or decompress at the Quest for Renewal Lounge (booth 2425). Library Interiors of Texas will furnish the Lawn, a seating space near the registration area.
