LAFCON 2024 Wrap-Up: A Conference Built for Flexibility and Impact

The 2024 Library Advocacy and Funding Conference (LAFCON), held virtually from July 24-26, 2024, featured 115 on-demand sessions and attracted over 450 attendees from public, school, and academic libraries across the U.S. and beyond.

This year marks the third biennial LAFCON, a training and networking conference first launched in 2020 during the COVID shutdown to support and train library staff in real-time. The conference returned in 2022 as American library professionals faced the early stages of the rise in book bans and critical questions about the future of libraries. In 2024, LAFCON continues to build on that legacy, with pre-recorded sessions available on-demand from day one, offering flexibility to attendees. Additionally, participants enjoyed complimentary access to content from the years’ conferences, adding even more value to their experience.

A Range of New Tracks and Sessions in 2024

LAFCON 2024 is sponsored by the EveryLibrary Institute, a 501c3 public policy, tax policy, and education policy think tank for libraries, and EveryLibrary, the nation’s political action committee for libraries. This year’s conference was informed by the work of both organizations and introduced a wide range of tracks and sessions that tackled some of the most pressing issues in library advocacy today. Highlights from this year’s sessions included:

• The Politics of Reviewing in An Age of Book Banning with Maureen Corrigan
  This session offered a historical perspective on book banning in America and examined how current trends are making book reviewing more complicated—and more crucial—than ever.
• Reading for Justice: Literature as a Tool for Antiracism with Lorena and Roberto Germán
  A transformative session where attendees explored how literature can serve as a powerful tool for promoting antiracism. Lorena and Roberto Germán led an engaging discussion on the role of books in fostering social justice.
• The Backlash Was Inevitable, But It Means We’re Winning with Andrew Aydin
  In this session, National Book Award-winning author Andrew Aydin discussed how historical activism is guiding modern movements and how current backlash against libraries and free speech is a sign that progress is being made.
• Book Bans and Bad Legislation: Exploring the rapidly increasing legislative efforts to ban books in libraries, this session provided tools to help advocates fight back against censorship in schools and public libraries.
• Organizing Principles and Rules for Radicals in 2025: Attendees learned about the organizing principles that have proven effective in library advocacy, with a forward-looking discussion on how to adapt Saul Alinsky’s "Rules for Radicals" for modern-day activism.
• Lawsuits—First Amendment and Civil Rights in Schools: This session focused on the legal strategies available to defend intellectual freedom and civil rights in schools, helping attendees prepare for litigation if advocacy efforts fall short.
• School Librarian Advocacy: With school librarians facing an unprecedented number of challenges, this session emphasized the importance of organizing for advocacy within schools and the broader community.
• FOIA and Public Records: A vital session on using the Freedom of Information Act to uncover book challenges and how librarians can protect themselves from being targeted by public records requests.
• Campaigns and Elections: From school board to library board elections, this track provided attendees with everything they need to know about running effective campaigns, including polling, voter files, ballot initiatives, and election administration.
• Digital Advocacy and Social Media: This series covered the best practices for using digital tools—such as petitions, pledges, and social media—to drive advocacy, fundraising, and public engagement in library campaigns.
• Coalition Building: One of the most crucial topics, this track emphasized the importance of building coalitions across education, population, and issue-based groups to strengthen the library advocacy movement.
  
  

LAFCON 2024 Sponsors

We are excited to connect our 2024 LAFCON sponsors with our engaged and active conference attendees. This year’s sponsors played a vital role in supporting the conference and its mission to equip library advocates with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.

• Gold Sponsors: Bibliotheca, Clarivate, Follett Learning
• Silver Sponsors: Brainfuse, Rethinking Libraries
• Bronze Sponsors: Better World Books, Niche Academy
• Non-Profit Partner: Urban Librarians Unite
  
  

Connecting with Leaders in the Library World

In 2024, over 450 leaders and decision-makers from public libraries, academic libraries, and school libraries connected with our sponsors, who understand how critical it is that librarians and boards receive the training and resources they need to make informed, funding-focused decisions. If your company is interested in being part of future events, we encourage you to connect with us and support the future of school and public libraries.

Available for All: A Key Focus

In line with our commitment to inclusivity, all sessions were pre-recorded and included closed captioning in multiple languages. This ensured that everyone—whether hearing-impaired or non-native English speakers—could fully engage with the material. By offering on-demand access to the sessions, attendees across various time zones could participate without worrying about scheduling conflicts. LAFCON 2024 made it easier for library advocates from around the world to attend at their convenience, removing the barriers of time zones and technical disruptions.

The WHOVA platform provided a user-friendly and technically seamless environment for the conference. Pre-recording all sessions meant that attendees didn’t have to worry about technical glitches or missed content due to connectivity issues. This format allowed participants to focus solely on the content, while interacting live with speakers and other attendees during the scheduled discussion periods. Attendees appreciated the smooth, well-organized format, which made for a stress-free conference experience.

Expanding the Advocacy Toolkit

From practical sessions on Grant Writing and Philanthropic Funding to cutting-edge discussions on Big Data and Digital Political Tools, LAFCON 2024 provided an expanded toolkit for advocates working to secure funding and support for libraries. Sessions on Lobbyist 101 and New Modes of Legislative Advocacy offered key strategies for working with policymakers, while Earned Media and Paid Media sessions focused on maximizing public exposure for advocacy efforts. The conference also featured critical discussions on Union Partnerships, Volunteer Management, and Consensus Building, ensuring that attendees were left with a robust understanding of how to manage teams, engage communities, and advocate effectively within the sector.

The Road Ahead

LAFCON 2024 delivered a wealth of actionable knowledge, empowering attendees to build on their advocacy work. As we look forward to future trainings and convenings, we are excited to continue this journey, equipping library advocates with the tools they need to navigate the challenges ahead.