In-person gatherings of the Public Library Association only happen biennially, and plans for PLA 2026, which runs April 1–3 in Minneapolis, have been underway for more than a year. “This is like the Super Bowl, the World Cup, the Olympics of the library world,” says Scott Duimstra, director of the Minneapolis-based Hennepin County Public Library. “We’re thrilled to be the host city and the host library system.”
Conference planning became considerably more complicated due to Operation Metro Surge, an ongoing federal immigration crackdown that began in the Twin Cities in December 2025 and sparked community resistance, especially after two observers were killed by federal agents. “Locally owned businesses had to scale back services or didn’t have customers,” Duimstra says, noting that 41 Hennepin County libraries became food assistance sites and rallying points. PLA has “given us the opportunity to tell our story about what occurred and how we as libraries, as community institutions, support our communities through a crisis.”
PLA organizers feared attendance might suffer as a result, yet now expect more than 5,700 attendees, with about 320 members opting for the virtual conference. In the exhibitor space, 267 companies will occupy 535 booths. “The anticipation has been tremendous,” says PLA executive director Mary Davis Fournier. “The field has said loud and clear that it’s important to show up for Minnesota and their colleagues.”
Safety is foremost, Fournier emphasizes. “We’ve been working closely with the Minneapolis Convention Center, the visitors’ bureau, Downtown Minneapolis, and local law enforcement,” she says. “We recently had an in-person site visit to go over everything.” She and her team urge PLA attendees to download the conference app, which will provide up-to-the-minute alerts and notifications.
Behind the scenes, Fournier says, the region’s librarians are prepared to welcome attendees. “They’ll be staffing information booths, helping with wayfinding, putting together recommendations—they’ve been incredible. If you see a Minnesota librarian, be sure to give them your appreciation, especially the team from the Twin Cities area.”
PLA president Brandy McNeil, deputy director of branch programs and services at the New York Public Library, underscores Fournier and Duimstra’s resolve. “This is the year to be in the room,” McNeil says. She says the goal is “for people to connect, to learn, and to grow,” and she believes keynotes Bryan Stevenson, Ruha Benjamin, and Sean Sherman will “lay that groundwork, as we look at our role in equity and justice as public institutions. The message will be of resilience and revitalization.”
This year’s schedule includes several new session types, to engage members from libraries of all sizes and regions. “We went back to basics,” says Isaiah West of the PLA conference committee. “We’re focusing on the pillars of what the modern public library stands for, including innovation, creative practices, diversity, adaptability, and professionalism.”
On March 31, PLA will debut a Conference 101 session for first-time participants and a series of 20-minute “hot takes” sessions whose presenters defend provocative theses such as “libraries need to reject generative AI” and “the real threat isn’t book banners—it’s libraries self-censoring.”
During the show, regular one-hour education sessions will be accompanied by two-hour “deep dives” that leave time for presentations plus practical exercises. Immersive education sessions are meant to “give a flavor of a preconference workshop,” McNeil says. “These will allow library staff to physically do a thing and not just hear high-level description.”
PLA’s leadership team believes Minneapolis is an ideal space for library professionals to band together. “Libraries use funding for our basic operations,” Duimstra says. “You don’t realize how impactful that is until your doors are not open, and community members don’t know where to go for books, for access to technology, for food distribution.”
Read more from our PLA show guide feature.
“The Right Story for the Novel”: PW Talks with Ann Patchett
PW Talks with St. Paul Public Library director Maureen Hartman
