News and Information
Get the latest news and information about the world's largest virtual library conference dedicated to building support for library funding.
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.
The Backlash was Inevitable, But it Means We’re Winning
We're excited to announce three more sessions for the Library Advocacy and Funding Conference, with discussions from Maureen Corrigan, Lorena and Roberto Germán, and Andrew Aydin.
Camonghne Felix and the Mychal Threets Effect
We're excited about a lot of the sessions at the Library Advocacy and Funding Conference, but we're extra excited about these sessions;
Access Over 100 Sessions on Funding and Fighting for Libraries
Did you know that you can access over 100 unique trainings at the virtual Library Advocacy and Funding Conference?
Not only will you have the opportunity to see over 40 new sessions from some of the world's leading advocacy professionals and organizations, but you can also access all of the sessions from our conferences in 2020 and 2022!
Enjoy an Incredibly Flexible Conference Experience!
All of the Library Advocacy and Funding Conference (LAFCON) sessions are pre-recorded and there are a number of great reasons we’re doing this. We want this conference to be easy to attend for people anywhere in the United States or around the world. With all conference sessions available concurrently during the three days of the conference you can watch any session at any time on your own schedule. If you prefer to watch the conference sessions at noon or at midnight, that’s up to you!
Attacks on Libraries are Serious.
If you're as concerned about the political and partisan attacks on libraries and the freedom of expression as I am, then this conference is for you.
Libraries Should Be Neutral?
That's a hard argument to make!
Libraries are absolutely non-partisan and that's what many people mean when they say that libraries should be neutral.
But, libraries are political when they take a stand to support issues such as first amendment rights, information access, the freedom to read and so much more.
It’s also true that 98% of library funding is driven by the will of voters and legislators.
That means that if we want to see libraries funded and supported into the future then we need to understand how to navigate this world of politics.
Six Exciting Sessions Announced Today!
We're excited about these six sessions at the Library Advocacy and Funding Conference. Register today and you'll have the opportunity to hear from Mike Hixenbaugh, Amanda Jones (That Librarian), and more!
My MLIS Didn't Teach Me Any of This!
I graduated library school the year before the Great Recession and my first job was coordinating the opening of a brand new library in California.
Unfortunately, just a few months after we opened our doors to the public, the recession forced us to cut our hours, slash our programming, lay off staff, and take a fifteen percent furlough.
Save the Date for LAFCON '24!
The library industry continues to suffer from a number of major crises simultaneously during these uncertain times, particularly the loss of financial and voter support. The COVID-19 crisis has decimated the fundamental municipal tax base that funds school and public libraries. We're also seeing one of the largest coordinated attacks on libraries from extremist organizations, individuals, and scam PACs who are seeking to raise money and move their anti-American agendas forward by attacking library collections.