The MLA conference is not over just because the sessions have ended.

There are several fun activities to fill your evening conference hours both Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Wednesday:

Art, Books and Dining at the Quad
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Springfield Central Library "Open House". Historical tours of the building for conference attendees will be given by library staff. Springfield Art Museums Open to all conference attendees with an ID badge

6:30pm - 7:00pm
Cocktail Reception in the entry/landing area of the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts

7:00pm - 8:30pm
Dinner in the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts
Guest Speaker in the Davis Auditorium on the lower level of the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts: Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author of The Hours

Michael Cunningham was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1952 and grew up in La Canada, California. He received his B.A. in English Literature from Stanford University and his M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. His novel A Home at the End of the World was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in 1990 to wide acclaim. Flesh and Blood, another novel, followed in 1995. He received the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award for his novel, The Hours. He has written one nonfiction book, Land's End: A Walk Through Provincetown. He is also the author of Specimen Days (June 2005).

A film version of The Hours was directed by Stephen Daldry and featured Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep. A film version of A Home at the End of the World was directed by Michael Mayer, and featured Colin Farrell, Robin Wright Penn, Dallas Roberts and Sissy Spacek. Cunningham and Susan Minot co-wrote the screenplay for her novel Evening; the film stars Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes, Toni Colette, Patrick Wilson, and Meryl Streep.

9:00pm - 10:30pm
President's Reception
Richard Callaghan, MLA's current President, invites you to the Annual Conference with a wine and beer reception that is just steps away from the YSS Gaming Night! This is a great opportunity to say hello to friends old and new. It's a fantastic networking opportunity as well! Then cross the hall and try your hand at Rock Band! All are encouraged to stop by.

9:00pm – 11:00pm
YSS Annual Gaming Night
Gaming at MLA is back! Join the Youth Services Section for another fun night of Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, Mario Cart and other favorites! Presented by the MLA Youth Services Section.

Thursday:

4:30pm-6:00pm
Massachusetts Book Cart Drill Team State Championships & Cocktail Reception!
Back for a second year -- the 2nd Annual Massachusetts Book Cart Drill Team State Championships! Come join in all the fun and cheer for your favorite team. There will be a precision drill, toe-tapping music, dancing book carts, fun costumes, a cocktail reception, twists, turns and much, much more!

Download the Rules and Registration Forms!

6:30pm-10:30pm
Dinner,Trivia, and Auction in the Marriot Ballroom
Prepaid Ticket for Dinner Required
Prepaid Ticket for the Trivia Game Required

After a lovely dinner, MLA will be hosting a Trivia Night Fundraising Contest combined with a small silent auction. Some special items will also be auctioned off live between rounds of trivia by our favorite auctioneer and American Library Association’s Executive Director, Keith Fiels.

Trivia Night is coming back and it will be better than ever this year! We've assembled a crack team of fact finders to help put together this year's questions. There should be no mistakes and there will be no library-related questions this time! Yay! This event is your opportunity to show off your boundless knowledge of trivia. You can try answering questions on your own, or form a team of trivia-loving friends and combine your areas of knowledge into one unstoppable trivia-answering machine! Challenge other libraries or library-related organizations to bring a team and match wits against yours. Costumes are encouraged. This event is the primary way that MLA raises funds for the Continuing Education Fund, so register early for this event and challenge your friends to come and play!