ALA officials are considering how best to proceed with the Midwinter meeting in the future
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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Stretching from last weekend into Tuesday, the 2018 American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Denver has reported total attendance of 8,036—the lowest in over 30 years. That number is down sharply from the 8,995 who gathered last year in Atlanta, which was the lowest attendance in over 25 years, according to Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
“By most accounts, librarians had positive reviews for the program” he says. “But after a lackluster turnout last year in Atlanta, attendance dipped again this year, which has amplified long-simmering questions about the future of the ALA Midwinter show.
“ALA officials note that they are considering how best to proceed with the Midwinter meeting in the future,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
“Sources on the ALA Council tell me the show has not been meeting revenue expectations for more than a few years. It’s important for librarians to get together, and these meetings are important. But clearly something has to change, and ALA is in the process of addressing that now,” he reports.
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
