Conference Policies

Please note: PLA Conference is a professional event; it is not open to the public.

Cancellation Policies

The PLA 2026 Conference is offered on a cost-recovery basis. PLA reserves the right to cancel all or any part of this event if there is insufficient registration or for other reasons. Neither ALA nor PLA is responsible for cancellation charges assessed by the airlines or travel agencies, or other losses incurred due to the cancellation of the workshops. The event’s operating hours, schedules, guests, and speakers are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Attendee Cancellation Policy

All registration cancellations and refund requests for the event, including tours and meal events, must be made in writing by Friday, February 20, 2026, and are subject to a $50 handling fee. Please submit any cancellation requests by email to pla@maritz.com. No telephone cancellations/refund requests can be accepted. After Friday, February 20, 2026, no requests for refunds will be accepted and no exceptions will be made to the policy. Registrations made after Friday, February 20, 2026, are nonrefundable. Exhibits-Only and Exhibits-Plus badges are nonrefundable. Refunds meeting the above criteria will be processed by Friday, May 1, 2026.

Substitutions of registrations, including tours and meal events, are permitted prior to the conference and must be made in writing to pla@maritz.com. No telephone substitution requests can be accepted. The individual submitting the substitution request is responsible for all financial obligations (any balance due) associated with that substitution. Badge sharing, splitting, and reprints are strictly prohibited. No meal tickets will be sold onsite.

Virtual Conference Cancellation Policy

Written cancellations, requests for refunds, and/or changes for the Virtual Conference only will be accepted until Friday, February 20, 2026, and are subject to a $50 handling fee. Please submit any cancellation requests by email to pla@maritz.com. No telephone cancellations/refund requests can be accepted. After Friday, February 20, 2026, no requests for refunds will be accepted and no exceptions will be made to the policy. Registrations made after Friday, February 20, 2026, are nonrefundable. Participation in the PLA 2026 Virtual Conference is contingent upon reliable internet access and minimum system requirements. PLA does not provide refunds for insufficient internet access or system requirements. Refunds meeting the above criteria will be processed by Friday, May 1, 2026.

Exhibitor Cancellation Policy

All booth space cancellation requests must be received in writing by Show Management (Corcoran Expositions), but the cancellation deadline has passed. Contact Carmen Guerrero, Corcoran Expositions, 312-265-9644 or pla@corcexpo.com.

Appropriate Conduct

The Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, holds professional conferences to enable its members to receive continuing education, build professional networks, and discover new products and services for professional use. To provide all participants—members and other attendees, speakers, exhibitors, staff, and volunteers—the opportunity to benefit from the event, the Public Library Association is committed to providing a harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, ethnicity, religion, or other group identity.

As an association, PLA is strongly committed to diversity, equity, and the free expression of ideas. These values have been repeatedly delineated in ALA policy (for instance: Policy A.1.4 – Core Organizational Values; Policy B.1.1 – Core Values of Librarianship; Policy B.1.2 – Code of Professional Ethics). Taken cumulatively, the values and beliefs delineated within ALA policy describe conduct based on a firm belief in the value of civil discourse and the free exploration of competing ideas and concepts—with a fundamental respect for the rights, dignity, and value of all persons.

PLA and ALA have zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at our meetings. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, PLA asks that you inform us at placonference@ala.org, so that we can take the appropriate action.

Unacceptable Behavior is defined as:

Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.

Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, PLA/ALA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.

Examples of verbal abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, PLA/ALA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.

Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the Exhibits Hall, or at other events organized by PLA throughout the meeting. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any PLA/ALA event staff.

Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services. PLA reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban sources of those solicitations.

Participants should not copy or take screen shots of Q&A or any chat room activity that takes place in the virtual space.

Within the context of ALA policy and the professional practices of librarianship, critical examination of beliefs and viewpoints does not, by itself, constitute hostile conduct or harassment. Similarly, use of sexual imagery or language in the context of a professional discussion might not constitute hostile conduct or harassment.

Speakers are asked to frame discussions as openly and inclusively as possible and to be aware of how language or images may be perceived by others. Participants may—and do—exercise the “law of two feet.” Exhibitors must follow all PLA Exhibits rules and regulations and ALA policies.

Any registered conference attendee can protest peacefully during the conference. However, if the protest becomes disruptive or causes a safety concern, the protestors will be asked to stop by security or PLA staff. Note that allowing peaceful protest does not in any way constitute endorsement by PLA.

All participants are expected to observe these rules and behaviors in all conference venues, including online venues, and conference social events. Participants asked to stop a hostile or harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Conference participants seek to learn, network, and have fun. Please do so responsibly and with respect for the right of others to do likewise.

PLA reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, and PLA reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting, virtually or in person.

Last modified: August 4, 2025.

Canvassing

Canvassing of PLA Conference attendees during programs and at the conference venue (outside of the areas approved by PLA for exhibitors) is strictly prohibited. If this activity is discovered, violators will be directed to cease immediately. PLA provides many opportunities for representatives from for-profit and non-profit organizations to make conference attendees aware of their services and products. These include exhibiting, advertising, sponsoring, and, as approved by PLA, program planning.

For candidates running for PLA/ALA office, PLA will provide a table for campaign literature in the Exhibits Hall at the convention center. Candidates must inform PLA Executive Director Mary Davis Fournier at mfournier@ala.org, no later than January 15, 2026, if they will require a table for campaign literature. No on-site requests will be honored. The candidates are responsible for shipping, delivering, and replenishing materials at this table. The designated table is the only location in the convention center where campaign materials may be distributed. Materials found in any other location will be discarded. Candidates are not required to provide campaign materials.

Community Guidelines

This website is sponsored by the Public Library Association as a tool to convey information and generate community discussion about the PLA Conference. Lively commentary, opinion, and reaction to social media posts are welcome but may be moderated by PLA staff. Comments should be relevant to the specific post to which they refer. PLA reserves the right to remove, or not to post, comments unrelated to the mission of the blog. Spam, flaming, personal attacks, and off-topic comments are not permitted.

Conference Media Policy

PLA Conference is a professional event; it is not open to the public. Those requesting media registration must be currently employed or retained by a news organization. Each organization is limited to no more than five media representatives, except newsletters, which are limited to one. Account representatives, sales executives, and book authors do not meet the criteria for media registration. Please review the full policy, including how to request media registration.

Personal Data Notification

The ALA (American Library Association and its units) and the ALA-APA (Allied Professional Association) (collectively “ALA”) use the personal data you provide to the ALA to process membership, inform you of products, services, conferences, education opportunities, events and for other purposes which are within the Association’s mission. To accomplish these actions, ALA contracts with third-parties who gather and process personal data to complete interactions such as online purchases, conference registration, and fulfillment. The personal data as provided is processed and stored as a legitimate Interest to the ALA in order to fulfill your requests for information and services from ALA. Additional information can be found at http://www.ala.org/personal-data-notification.

For more information, review ALA’S PRIVACY POLICY.

Photographic Images

Registration and attendance at, or participation in, the PLA 2026 Conference constitutes an agreement by the registrant to PLA’s use and distribution of the registrant or attendee’s image or voice in photographs, electronic reproductions, and video or audio recordings of such events and activities.

Social Media and Personal Recording Guidelines

PLA welcomes the use of social media, photography, and recording for personal use and accessibility at its conference, unless a speaker specifically prohibits sharing of their content. We ask meeting participants to be respectful of presenters’ intellectual property. Posting or sharing full recordings of presentations, including General Sessions, is strictly prohibited. If unacceptable social media use or recording is reported or identified, PLA staff and volunteers may take the actions deemed necessary and appropriate (see "Appropriate Conduct" policy above).

Use of Conference Logo

The custom logos of the PLA 2026 Conference are the property of PLA. Anyone wishing to use the logos in their communications and promotional materials must: 1) seek permission from PLA, and 2) submit communication/artwork incorporating the logo to PLA for final approval. The logo may not be modified and must be reproduced in its entirety (i.e., no outlines, cropping).

To request the use of the logo, companies should contact Carmen Guerrero, Corcoran Expositions, at 312-265-9644 or pla@corcexpo.com; all others should contact PLA at 800-545-2433 x5PLA (x5752) or placonference@ala.org.