Dear 2026 PaLA Conference Presenter:
We appreciate and are excited about your willingness to share your time and expertise with our conference attendees.
Important Dates & Deadlines
| Mid June | Hotel Reservation Link released to presenters |
| Mid June | Conference Registration is Scheduled to Open |
| Saturday, August 1, 2026 | Session Set-up & AV Needs Due |
| Saturday, August 15, 2026 | Early Bird Registration Deadline |
| Week of September 21 | Mobile App released to Attendees |
| Thursday, October 1, 2026 | Suggested deadline for handouts |
| Sunday, October 4 - Wednesday, October 7 | Conference Dates |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Session Evaluation Deadline |
| December 2026 | 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 teresa@palibraries.org 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 will be open Mid June
Early Bird rates available through August 15.
Hotel Information
Located just blocks from the State Capitol Complex and the State Library, the Hilton Harrisburg offers comfort and ease of access to the heart of downtown Harrisburg. We have reserved a block of rooms for conference participants at the reduced rate of $164/night to include parking in the attached Walnut Street Garage.
The lodging block will be available through Saturday, September 12, 2026 or until sold out.
- If lodging was included in your session confirmation, PaLA will make your hotel reservation on your behalf.
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
- Microphone will be provided in all session rooms. We require that presenters use the microphone(s) provided to accommodate our attendees with hearing needs.
- 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 1.
Session Monitor
Each conference session will have an assigned volunteer who will meet with you 10 minutes before the session to introduce him/herself. This individual will announce the session title, and then turn it over to the presenters. Presenters should provide their own bio information as part of the session content. The monitor will also assist with the Q&A process, distribute ACT 48 vouchers and remind attendees to complete session evaluations.