“Take Any Ship That Sails” by Michele Heeney is displayed at the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all.
More than 13,500 attendees gathered in San Diego, CA, for the largest library event in the world. The ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition took place at the San Diego Convention Center from June 28 to July 2. Total attendance was 13,532, with 8,439 of them being attendees and 5,093 being exhibitors, authors, illustrators, press, and staff.
Against a backdrop of increasing censorship and book challenges, library workers learned from each other and supported each other through the 175 educational programs throughout the conference.
The conference opened with Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning host Trevor Noah and ALA Past President Lessa Kanani’opua Peyalo-Lozada in conversation discussing Noah’s upcoming book, “Into the Uncut Grass.”
ALA and Unite Against Book Bans hosted a second Rally for the Right to Read, which spotlighted the courage and resilience of library workers who are protecting the freedom to read.
ALA is now preparing for LibLearnX 2025, which will be held Jan. 24-27 in Phoenix. Next year’s ALA Annual will take place in Philadelphia.
For more information, visit www.ala.org.
Author Reputation Press’ published book, written by Michele Heeney, was displayed at the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference from June 28 to July 2. The publisher and author of the book are honored and proud to be part of this annual conference.
“Take Any Ship That Sails” is a book of photos and poems by Michele Heeney spanning 45 years, from the mountains of Western Pennsylvania to the sixties in San Francisco and beyond. It includes photos and poems from West Africa, Mexico, Hawaii, the central coast of California and New Mexico.
Michele has lived in Marin and Monterey counties of California, and also Maui, Hawaii. Michele now lives and writes in New Mexico. Her house is on the Cochiti reservation, just south of Santa Fe in the little town of Cochiti Lake.
After receiving her R.N. in Pennsylvania and moving to California, she expanded her career at UCSF studying OBGYN and becoming a Nurse Practitioner. The last fifteen years of her career were spent in Monterey County working with Mexican fam workers in the Salinas Valley. In addition to her professional work, nature filled her life at home on a 6,000-acre ranch at the north end of the Big Sur Wilderness where she was caretaker for the park district of Monterey.
Visit Michele Heeney’s website at https://micheleheeney.com/.
She was interviewed by CBS Radio’s host, Benji Cole. The interview in the program People of Distinction is about the discussion of the message of the book as well as the author’s purpose for writing this masterpiece. People of Distinction is one of the most wide-ranging radio shows in the United States. Benji Cole, the host of the program, is a world-class interviewer, video formulator, Los Angeles actor, and filmmaker. He’s shared the acting stage with superstar Tom Hanks.
Get to know more about the author and the work as you listen to the full interview below:
