Dear 2025 PaLA Conference Presenter:
We appreciate your participation as a presenter at the Pennsylvania Library Association Conference and your willingness to share your time and expertise with our conference attendees. This page will provide you with information regarding deadlines, registration requirements, presentation tips, handouts and more!
Important Dates & Deadlines
| Friday, June 20 | Hotel Reservation Link released to presenters |
| Week of June 23 | Conference Registration is Scheduled to Open |
| Monday, September 1, 2025 | Session Set-up & AV Needs Due |
| Week of October 6 | Mobile App released to Attendees |
| Thursday, October 16, 2025 | Suggested deadline for handouts |
| Sunday, October 19 - Wednesday, October 22 | Conference Dates |
| Friday, October 31, 2025 | Session Evaluation Deadline |
| December 2025 | Evaluation feedback provided to presenters |
Fees & Reimbursements
Speaker fees and reimbursements must be negotiated in advance and approved by the programming committee. At this time, any fees to be paid to a presenter have been outlined in the session confirmation form sent to the primary contact person for the session.
It is PaLA policy that individuals working in Pennsylvania libraries should support the state organization and the profession by voluntarily sharing their time and expertise in exchange for professional acknowledgement and opportunities that presenting at a state conference can afford. The annual conference is one of the primary revenue sources which enables the association to advocate for libraries and librarianship at the state level and provide educational and leadership development opportunities for library personnel throughout the year. For these reasons, complimentary registration, speaking fees or travel reimbursements will not be paid to Pennsylvania librarians presenting at the conference unless the presentation is funded by an outside source.
Presenter Registration Policies
Library Professionals/Staff Presenters
- PaLA believes that all library workers can benefit from the educational and social opportunities taking place during the conference, and for this reason, presenters who are library professionals, working or residing in Pennsylvania, are asked to register for the conference, at a minimum, for the day of the scheduled presentation.
- All presenters, regardless of PaLA membership affiliation, are invited to register at the member rate. Non-member presenters should contact Kim Snyder Wise for a promo code.
Out-of-State Library Professionals/Staff or Non-Librarian Presenters
- Unless access to other conference programming or activities is desired, the registration requirement DOES NOT apply to non-librarians, nor to librarians working/living out of state.
Registration
Attendee registration is OPEN!
Early Bird rates available through August 31.
Hotel Information
We have reserved blocks of rooms at both the Courtyard by Marriott and Sheraton Erie Bayfront at the conference rate of $150/night plus applicable occupancy taxes.(Currently,13%) Both hotels are attached to the convention center and offer stunning views of Presque Isle Bay.
- If lodging was included in your session confirmation, PaLA will make your hotel reservation on your behalf.
- For all other presenters requiring lodging, we encourage you to make your reservation ASAP, as the hotel block tends to fill quickly.
General Tips for a High-Quality Presentation
- This summer, we will send an inquiry regarding your preferred room setup and presentation equipment needs. Our Technical Arrangements Committee is able to supply standard equipment such as a laptop, projector and flip chart. We will utilize the hotel's screens and sound system.
- If possible, stand during your presentation for better voice projection.
- Smile! It really warms up the group and will be engaging for the audience. 😊
Tips for Creating an Inclusive Presentation
- Make Your PowerPoint Presentation Accessible - Some articles and tips from Microsoft for making PowerPoint presentations inclusive for all. View Resource
- Use text that is high-contrast and in a large, legible font, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Avoid italics and specialty or decorative fonts. Use an online color contrast checker.
- Describe all images used in the slide presentation and read the relevant text from the screen for people who have difficulty reading or seeing text and visual images. Avoid adding too much text and unnecessary images to slides.
- Balance the need to verbalize visual information with the need to keep the text concise.
- You can present with real-time, automatic captions or subtitles in PowerPoint! Requires Windows 10, and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 version 16.0 or higher.
- Learn more on this feature from Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/present-with-real-time-automatic-captions-or-subtitles-in-powerpoint-68d20e49-aec3-456a-939d-34a79e8ddd5f
Promote Yourself & Your Session!
Presenting at a state conference is a big deal, so get the word out about your accomplishment! We encourage you to promote your session, as well as the conference as a whole - through your social media channels, email and word of mouth - and be sure to tag the Pennsylvania Library Association in your posts!
Conference Logo for use in your promotions.
Conference Information Page (include in your post to promote registration)
Handouts
Speakers will be provided with access to their unique speaker portal in the conference mobile app which will enable them to upload handouts for their sessions.
We suggest naming the handout with an abbreviation of the session and a description of the handout content. (i.e. Library Program Study Results, Library Program Resources, etc.)
While there is no firm deadline to upload handouts, attendees prefer to have them in advance of the session, so we recommend uploading no later than October 16.
Session Moderators
Each conference session will have an assigned moderator who will meet with you 10 minutes before the session to introduce him/herself. The moderator will announce the session and introduce the presenters who will briefly provide their own bio information. The moderator will also assist with the Q&A process, distribute CE vouchers and remind attendees to complete session evaluations.