Announcing Cory Doctorow As TLA 2017 Opening General Session Speaker

Press Release March 20, 2017

Contact: Sara Ortiz Communications & Marketing Specialist

Announcing Cory Doctorow as TLA 2017 Opening General Session Speaker

AUSTIN –The Texas Library Association (TLA) announces that New York Times bestselling author and former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Cory Doctorow will deliver the opening General Session on Thursday, April 20 from 8:15 to 9:45 am at the 2017 TLA Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. Among his achievements, Doctorow is the activist-in- residence for the MIT Media Lab, a visiting professor of computer science at Open University, a science fiction author, activist, and journalist.

In 1998, the US Congress made protecting digital rights management (DRM) into the law of the land, passing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and making it a felony to break a digital lock. Fast forward 20 years and DRM technology is not just an agony for librarians, it’s a way for manufacturers to control their users in devices ranging from insulin pumps to tractors, and from cars to voting machines. Co-editor of Boing Boing and author of Walkaway, Doctorow will delve into technological liberation and offer insight about defending your rights in the digital world.

“We are really excited to welcome Cory Doctorow to the 2017 TLA Annual Conference,” stated TLA President Walter Betts. “His allegiance to defending rights in a digital world is energizing and illuminating.”

At the 2017 TLA Annual Conference, more than 7,000 industry professionals will gather over four days, with 200 information and library leaders, policy experts, and authors to cover topics including technology trends, makerspaces, literacy initiatives, advocacy, administration sessions, and explorations of today’s most pressing information and education issues. Continuing its tradition of serving as the premier marketplace of ideas and information services, the TLA Annual Conference will also host approximately 500 companies, publishers, media outlets, and professional library services organizations.

For more information and registration details, visit www.txla.org/annual-conference

# # #

About the Texas Library Association TLA is the largest state library association in the country with approximately 7,000 members who work in public, school, academic, and special libraries and who support educational institutions. TLA offers a wide range of services, including advocacy, continuing education, research, and public relations. To learn more about TLA, visit www.txla.org or call 512-328-1518.