The 2023 American Library Association Annual Conference recently took place in Chicago, June 22–27, with nearly 16,000 attendees. Here we’ve gathered an extensive selection of photos from the event: author signings, panels, award celebrations, and much more. Enjoy!


ALA board members and staff took to the stage to open an exhibit hall in McCormick Place by cutting a ribbon before several thousand librarians. Photo: Claire Kirch.


(From l.): authors Robin Gow, Mark Oshiro, Claribel Ortega, and Mariama J. Lockington before their panel highlighting diverse LGBTQIA+ characters in middle grade fiction.


Carole Boston Weatherford (l.) and Frank Morrison, Coretta Scott King illustrator winner, signing copies of their book Standing in the Need of Prayer.


Jim Di Bartolo (l.) and Laini Taylor with their new book, Billie Blaster and the Robot Army from Outer Space.


(From l.) Agent Brenda Bowen, authors Alicia D. Williams and Jasmine Warga, and editor Alessandra Balzer.


E.B. Lewis (l.) and Wade Hudson signed copies of their book, Invincible, at the Astra Books for Young Readers booth.


Candlewick staff and Newbery Honor author Christina Soontornvat.


The Art of Books panelists (from l.) Nidhi Chanani, Jim Di Bartolo, Laini Taylor, Andrea Beaty, Nathan Hale, and Maggie Lehrman.


Strong illustrator Nidhi Chanani (l.) and co-author Eric Rosswood.


Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink staff and authors—including Nikki Grimes (far r.), Philip C. Stead (middle row, c.), and 2023 Geisel winner Michael Emberley (back row)—before attending the Newbery Caldecott banquet.


(From l.): author Irene Latham, author-illustrator Vikram Madan, and Wordsong/Astra Young Readers editorial director Rebecca Davis.


Patty Cisneros Prevo and American Paralympic volleyball player Hope Lewellen with a poster for Prevo’s picture book, Tenacious.


(From l.): Linda Sue Park, Lisa Yee, and Christina Soonornvat celebrated Yee’s Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature at the APALA celebration and dinner. Photo: Shana Corey.


(From l.): Jerry Craft, Laurie Halse Anderson, Kelly Yang, Lisa Yee, Judy Blume, and Alex Gino gathered at the party thrown by the TvS Media Group. Photo: Kathy Trinh, courtesy TvS Media Group.


Aisha Saeed signs a copy of her book The Together Tree for Sheri Doniger, a trustee with the Lincolnwood Public Library District in Lincolnwood, Ill. Photo: Claire Kirch.


(From l.) Eve Ewing, Amanda Gorman, and Christian Robinson at ALA’s closing session on June 27. Photo: EPNAC.


APALA honoree Joanna Ho (r.) adding the seal to her YA novel, The Silence That Binds Us, with her editor Alyson Day.


2023 Newbery Medalist Amina Luqman-Dawson (l.), author of Freewater, with her editor, Alexandra Hightower.


James Patterson congratulating Luqman-Dawson, whose book was published by his Jimmy Patterson imprint at Little, Brown, at the Newbery Caldecott banquet


Caldecott Medalist Doug Salati, author-illustrator of Hot Dog (back l.) with the 2023 Caldecott committee.


Salati with Kathy Jarombek, former director of youth services at the Perrot Library in Old Greenwich, Conn.


Lee & Low celebrated its illustrator winners at the Pura Belpré breakfast.


Harmony Becker (r.) signing copies of her graphic novel, Himawari House, alongside her editor, Kiara Valdez.


(From l.) Michaela Goade, Susan Rich, and Sophie Blackall take a selfie together.


(From l.): Barefoot CEO and co-founder Nancy Traversy with authors Shirin Shamsi Mia Wenjen, Baptiste Paul, and marketing director Jeanne Stafford.


Meg Medina (r.), the current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and Joseph Coelho, the U.K.’s Children's Laureate, at the Library of Congress Pavilion.


Boston Globe-Horn Book Award chair Erica Marks (r.) officially stickers the Picture Book Award winner, When You Can Swim, alongside the book’s author-illustrator, Jack Wong.


Judy Blume (r.) and Justin Chanda, publisher of S&S Books for Young Readers, at Blume’s opening keynote address at ALA.


Hannah V. Sawyerr spots the poster of her debut YA novel, All the Fighting Parts, for the first time.


During a live interview with Travis Jonker (l.) on his podcast, “The Yarn,” Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo (c.) and her editor at Candlewick Press, Andrea Tompa, announced DiCamillo’s forthcoming middle grade novel, Ferris. Photo: Kirch.


Jason Reynolds (top r.) with the recipients of the Simon & Schuster travel grant, dedicated to assisting Black/African American youth or teen services librarians attend ALA.


Nikki Grimes (r.) and Brian Pinkney signing copies of their picture book A Walk in the Woods at the Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink booth.


Author Art Baltazar (r.) takes a photo with a librarian.


Among the 500 librarians from outside the U.S. attending ALA were (from l.) Katie Day from the Tanglin Trust School in Singapore; Norelmin Sapuan from Selangor Public Library in Malaysia; Kim Beeman from the Tanglin Trust School; Mastura Muhamad, director of the Selangor Public Library; Juliana Es Mohd Munawir of the Selangor Public Library; and Hikmah Hassan of the Selangor Public Library. Photo: Kirch.


Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group hosted a signing for Eoin Colfer’s forthcoming book Juniper’s Christmas.


Authors Mélina Mangal (l.) and Ismée Williams signing copies of Boundless at the Harlequin Trade Publishing booth.


James E. Ransome at the joint-publisher Legacy Luncheon.


(From l.): authors Adi Alsaid, Michael Witwer, and Emily Riesbeck prepare for a book signing.


Newbery Medalist Jerry Craft signing copies of his graphic novel School Trip at the HarperCollins booth. Photo: Kirch


(From l.): Dawud Anyabwile, Derrick Barnes, Norton Young Readers publishing director Simon Boughton, and Tommie Smith before a book signing for National Book Award nominee Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice. Photo: Tracy van Straaten.


(From l.): illustrator Magdalena Mora, librarian Rosie Camargo, and author Claudia Guadalupe Martinez at the Lee & Low happy hour.


Author Baptiste Paul (l.) and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara signing their books at the NorthSouth booth.


(From l.): Librarians Amanda Jones and Pat Scales and authors David Levithan, Raj Haldar, and Juno Dawson at the How This Book Got Banned panel at the exhibit hall’s Pop Top Stage.


Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell signing copies of his picture book Evergreen for Katie Burke, youth services librarian at Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling, Ill. Photo: Kirch.


Ray Anthony Shepard (l.) and Alice Faye Duncan (r.) with Ida Thompson (c.), retired librarian and recipient of ALA’s Black Caucus 2021 Distinguished Service to the Library Profession Award.


Jerome (l.) and Jarrett Pumphrey with a young reader during their book signing.


(From l.): writers Yuva Harish, Alex Brown, Jamison Shea, and Miranda Sun.


Author Jumata Emill (l.) signing copies of his debut YA novel, The Black Queen, with Hannah Hill, senior editor at Random House Children’s Books.


William C. Morris Award finalist Andrew Joseph White (l.) with Peachtree Teen editor Ashley Hearn.


Martin Lemelman signing a copy of his picture book The Miracle Seed.


Guests at the Lerner Publishing Group booth met Alicia, the dog who inspired the new Mayo Clinic Press Kids Helping Paws Academy series, and her handlers, Amy (l.) and Jenny Krueger.


Debut YA author Lily Meade (l.) meets Jason Reynolds at the Coretta Scott King breakfast.


Susan Gal, illustrator of the Sibert Honor title The Tower of Life, signing the book for a librarian.


Author London Ladd greeting ALA attendees at his signing.


(From l.) librarians Janeè Jackson-Doering and Brenda Hall of the State Library of Iowa with Sarah Scholten of the St. John’s County Public Library in St. Augustine (Fla.). Photo: Kirch.