COVID-19 Health & Safety Measures
Your health and safety are our first priority.
We can't wait to gather in person this summer, and the health and safety of everyone who attends is our top priority. Be assured that the 2022 Annual Conference & Exhibition will be held in a wholly safe and clean environment. We want you to feel completely confident about your decision to join us. We’re carefully tracking all of the latest health and safety guidance for large group gatherings from the CDC, the DC Department of Health, and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, as they work with suppliers in environmental services, health and safety technology upgrades, food & beverage, and other services.
See the American Library Association Annual Conference 2022 Health Protocols below. Stay tuned to this page for the latest updates on our COVID-19 health planning and policies.
American Library Association Annual Conference 2022 Health Protocols
Updated May 26, 2022, See Health & Safety Practices
ALA is actively tracking emerging news regarding COVID-19 and its variants. ALA will continue to monitor guidelines for health and safety measures as recommended by the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Washington, DC. ALA will follow applicable federal, state, and local laws, adapting ALA plans accordingly. We are working closely with Destination DC, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and contracted ALA Hotels. Any change in protocols will be communicated via the ALA Annual Website and to registrants.
To participate in the ALA Annual Conference, you must provide one of the following:
A physical or digital vaccination card (with identification)
A negative COVID-19 PCR or Rapid test administered within 48 hours must be provided by registrants. Testing reports must come from an official medical facility, clinic, or pharmacy. Self-at-home tests will not be accepted. Find DC COVID Centers.
Masks will be required at all ALA events and ALA contracted venues including but not limited to meetings in hotels, the convention center, on the exhibit floor, and on shuttle buses regardless of whether it is required by law at the time of the Conference.
We ask that you will:
- Allow for social distancing when possible.
- Not attend the Conference if you have knowingly been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19 within the fourteen (14) days prior to the Conference or if you are experiencing or have experienced COVID-19 symptoms within the fourteen (14) days prior to the Conference.
- Notify ALA at [email protected] if you experience symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 at any time during the Conference or within 14 days after participating in the Event. Please note, that this information will be held strictly confidential. It will only be used to inform other Event attendees of the possibility of exposure (and such notice will not include your name).
We request that you understand:
- Traveling to and attending the Conference could increase my risk of contracting COVID-19.
- ALA is not responsible for the Venue’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts (or lack thereof) or any negligence by the Venue or its staff relative to such precautions.
When registering, you will be asked to indicate your agreement to the following:
I acknowledge and agree that I am attending the Conference voluntarily and at my own risk, and that I release and waive any claim I might have against ALA and its officers, directors, employees, and agents for any and all liability or responsibility for any illness, damages, or injury whatsoever that I may incur in connection with my attendance at the Conference, including, without limitation, as a result of exposure to COVID-19 or the manner in which the Conference is conducted.
ALA Annual Conference Health & Safety Practices
ALA cares about your safety. See below, the safety practices that have been implemented within the Convention Center, and what you can do to help keep you, and your peers safe.
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center has full GBAC STAR™ certification, becoming the first venue in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeastern region to achieve this status. Health and technology upgrades include:
All air handlers automatically generate 40-70% outside air supply depending on outside temperature and have the highest efficiency Merv filters installed (16A).
Installation of Synexis BioDefense System in the air handlers supplying all meeting rooms, the East and West Salons, and the Ballroom.
Sterile Touch Sapphire LED UV-C Handrail Sanitation.
NanoSeptic light-powered self-cleaning surface products on high-traffic public touchpoints to continuously self-clean these surfaces 24/7.
Thermal scanning technology to detect body temperature, crowd density, mask compliance, and occupancy counts.
Read more about COVID-19 health and safety improvements at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (PDF).
What you can do:
Prior to Conference:
Registrants must provide a physical or digital vaccination card (with identification), or a negative COVID-19 PCR or Rapid test administered within 48 hours. Testing reports must come from an official medical facility, clinic, or pharmacy. Self-at-home tests will not be accepted.
Please do not attend the Conference if you have knowingly been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19 within the fourteen (14) days prior to the Conference or if you are experiencing or have experienced COVID-19 symptoms within the fourteen (14) days prior to the Conference.
During Conference:
Masks will be required at all ALA events and ALA contracted venues including but not limited to meetings in hotels, the convention center, on the exhibit floor, and on shuttle buses regardless of whether it is required by law at the time of the Conference.
Allow for social distancing when possible. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.
To be tested, there are DC COVID Centers available. You can register SAME-DAY for a COVID PCR test at coronavirus.dc.gov/register or go to your nearest COVID Center, no appointment necessary.
Notify ALA at [email protected] if you experience symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 at any time during the Conference or within 14 days after participating in the Event. Please note, that this information will be held strictly confidential. It will only be used to inform other Event attendees of the possibility of exposure (and such notice will not include your name).