On Saturday, March 24, the final day of the Public Library Association’s (PLA) 2018 Conference in Philadelphia, people in roughly 70 cities across the United States will gather for planned demonstrations against gun violence under the banner of March for Our Lives. The mission and focus of March for Our Lives is to demand that comprehensive and effective legislation be immediately brought before Congress to address the countless mass shootings in our country.
As an organization that openly deplores gun violence, which materially affects the libraries and communities we serve, PLA stands in absolute solidarity with the March for Our Lives movement. Accordingly, we are working to make information available to PLA Conference attendees regarding the Philadelphia demonstration. Participants will be assembling at 9:30 AM, at the intersection of Fifth and Market Streets, which is less than one mile from the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The march is scheduled to begin promptly at 10:00 AM, culminating at Lombard Circle.
PLA Conference attendees should allow extra time when traveling in downtown Philadelphia on March 24. Those with flights departing from Philadelphia International Airport should prepare for delays in exiting the downtown area and disruption to normal traffic flows.
Please be advised that all PLA Conference activities scheduled for March 24, including the Closing Session with Hasan Minhaj, will continue as planned, and PLA will provide further updates through the mobile app and social media channels.