Annual Conference
2026 WLA Annual Conference
Libraries Uplift, Advocate & Cultivate
Friday, June 5, 2026
Legislative Session with Westchester County Executive, Ken Jenkins and Local Legislators
Keynote Address: Cultivating Libraries in the 21st Century: Yonkers Public Library, Director Jesse Montero & the YPL Team
Uncovering the Roots of Our Rancor: The Science Behind the Political Divide: Prof. Mark Horowitz, Seton Hall University
Closing Keynote: Emily Drabinski, Former ALA President
2026 WLA Keynote Speaker: Yonkers Public Library : Repositioning the Public Library as Civic Infrastructure
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2025 WLA Annual Conference
Thank you for helping to make the 2025 WLA Annual Conference and Business Meeting a great success!
2025 Conference Photos
2025 WLA Conference Agenda
Thursday, June 12, 2025 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Westchester Community College • The Gateway Center • Valhalla, NY
Community Building: Libraries as the Cornerstone Of our Communities
- 8:30 a.m. Doors Open: Check-ln and Walk-ln Registration
- 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Breakfast, Vendors, Exhibits, Networking
- 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. WLA Annual Membership & Business Meeting
- 9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Keynote Speaker – Nate Hill, Director of METRO Council NY
- 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Session 1: 2 Options –
- (1) The Importance Of Staying Focused during an Age Of Distraction with Motivational Speaker Greg Dwyer
- (2) Librarianship Roles • Academic, Public, School & Special with Anthony Reda, Patrick Raftery, and Daniel Frett
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Session 2: 2 Options –
- (1) Wellness for Library Workers with adjunct lecturer at Columbia University and Rutgers Business School Young Mi
- (2) Civil Service Revisited with Library Directors Jessica Pacciotti, Karen LaRocca-Fels, and Eugenia Schatoff
- 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Vendors, optional Tour of WCC Library & Native Plant Garden
- 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Legislators’ Session
- 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Session 3: 2 Options –
- (1) An introduction to the Westchester County Historical Society’s Resources and its New Digital Collection: Experiencing the Neutral Ground Of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews, – WCHS Librarian Patrick Raftery and Project Archivist Monica Genuardi.
- (2) Librarians as Social Workers with Antonia Bruno, Social Work Fellow at the New York State Library
- 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Professional Development & Bonnie Katz Awards and Closing Remarks
Thanks to Our 2025 Sponsors!
Previous Conferences
2022 WLA Annual Conference
2022 WLA Annual Conference Sponsors
WLA Virtual Annual Conference May 6 2022 Agenda
Special Meeting of the Members of the
Westchester Library Association
A special meeting of the members of the Westchester Library Association was called by the Board of Directors on Wednesday, March 16th at 7:00pm via zoom to carry out a vote for the newly revised and updated Bylaws of the Organization.
By an overwhelming majority of votes the membership approved our newly revised and updated Bylaws.
Click here to view current Bylaws
Thank you to those who participated.