Author and literacy champion David Baldacci, Auditorium Speaker at ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits

CHICAGO — David Baldacci is passionate about literacy and reading, believing that “the ability to read is the foundation for everyday life.” One of the world’s bestselling authors, he has more than 110 million copies of his novels in print in more than 45 languages and 80 countries. He and his wife Michelle also created a foundation to combat illiteracy in the US — they believe that “virtually none of the major issues we face as a nation today can be successfully overcome until we eradicate illiteracy.” ALA Midwinter Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to hear him speak about the range of his work when he joins us as an Auditorium Speaker from 10 - 11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26.

Baldacci left a well-established law practice in Washington, D.C. for his writing career. His first novel, “Absolute Power,” was made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman. His “King & Maxwell” series was made into a TV series and premiered on the TNT Network in June 2013. His most recent book for young readers, “Day of Doom” (2013, Scholastic) was the final book in the bestselling multi-platform “The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers” story arc. In March 2014, Scholastic will publish “The Finisher,” a fantasy novel for children that follows the adventures of a determined young heroine named Vega Jane, who lives in an ordinary world with extraordinary secrets.

Although he is involved with several philanthropic organizations, Baldacci’s greatest efforts are dedicated to his family’s Wish You Well Foundation® that supports family and adult literacy in the US by fostering and promoting the development and expansion of new and existing literacy and educational programs. You can visit Baldacci at his website.

Baldacci’s appearance is sponsored by Scholastic.

ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. The conversation starts here …

Registration and housing for ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits are open at http://www.alamidwinter.org.

Stay in touch and get updates at the Midwinter website, by tracking the tag-- #alamw14, by joining the Facebook Event, or on Tumblr and Pinterest.

Make your case for attending!

View the original article here

Harry Potter Alliance’s Andrew Slack in President’s Program at ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits

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For Immediate Release
Tue, 10/22/2013

CHICAGO — High-demand speaker and energetic activist Andrew Slack offers ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits attendees an outstanding opportunity to learn more about his work and how he sees it relating to libraries and their role in the community.  Co-founder and executive director of the Harry Potter Alliance, Slack is currently developing the Imagine Better Network - "an unprecedented movement that goes beyond Harry Potter to all fandoms so that fantasy is no longer an escape from our world, but an invitation to change it for the better." Slack will be welcomed by Barbara K. Stripling at the ALA President’s Program from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26.

Under Slack’s leadership, the Harry Potter Alliance has created more than 170 chapters in schools and communities (and soon libraries) across the U.S. and world. These chapters and hundreds of thousands of members have built libraries, sent five cargo planes to Haiti and made great strides in both human rights and equality-based advocacy. As a Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellow for his innovation in social justice work, Slack is spending one year in New York City developing the Imagine Better Network. He has been profiled in Fast Company, NPR, NYT and the front cover of Forbes.com and written for both the LA Times and CNN. He’s given two TEDx talk and served as a keynote speaker at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

The Harry Potter Alliance is a coalition of fandom leaders and members who feel passionate about the power of story to inspire and affect social change. Just as Harry and his friends fought the Dark Arts in J.K. Rowling’s fictional universe, they “strive to destroy real-world horcruxes like inequality, illiteracy, and human rights violations.” Look for the Harry Potter Alliance booth in the Exhibit Hall (details available closer to January).

ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. The conversation starts here …

Registration and housing for ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits are open at http://www.alamidwinter.org.

Stay in touch and get updates at the Midwinter website, by tracking the tag-- #alamw14, by joining the Facebook Event, or on Tumblr and Pinterest.

Make your case for attending!

View the original article here