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2026 OELMA Annual Conference: Speakers, Authors, and Special Guests |
Samira Ahmed OELMA Welcomes Author Samira Ahmed Thursday morning, November 12 Samira Ahmed is the bestselling author of Love, Hate & Other Filters, Internment, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, Hollow Fires, and the Amira & Hamza middle-grade duology, as well as a Ms. Marvel comic book mini-series. Her poetry, essays, and short stories have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies including the New York Times, Take the Mic, Color Outside the Lines, Vampires Never Get Old and A Universe of Wishes. She was born in Bombay, India, and grew up in Batavia, Illinois, in a house that smelled like fried onions, spices, and potpourri. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Samira has taught high school English in both the suburbs of Chicago and New York City, worked in education non-profits, and spent time on the road for political campaigns. Samira currently lives in the Midwest. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found on her lifelong quest for the perfect pastry. Website: https://theauthorvillage.com/presenters/samira-ahmed/ OELMA Welcomes Author and Illustrator Loren Long on Friday morning, November 13th
Loren Long, a lifelong Midwesterner, grew up loving to draw and paint. His instantly recognizable and nostalgic style is grounded in American Regionalism, an art movement from the 1930s. After earning a BA from University of Kentucky and attending the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Loren began freelancing in editorial illustration, and his work appeared in such outlets as Time Magazine, Forbes, Atlantic Monthly, Readers Digest, and Sports Illustrated. In 2003, Loren illustrated his first picture book, I Dream of Trains by Angela Johnson. He fell in love with visual storytelling for children, and he’s been making picture books ever since. His catalog of nearly 30 picture books includes titles by the singer Madonna (Mr. Peabody’s Apples), the writer Frank McCourt (Angela and the Baby Jesus), the inaugural poet Amanda Gorman (Change Sings), Newbery-award winner Matt de la Peña (Love and the forthcoming Home), and President Barack Obama (Of Thee I Sing), among others. He’s also written and illustrated his own stories, including the six titles in the bestselling Otis series, which was later adapted into an animated television series with Apple TV+, which he executive produced. His most recent book is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling The Yellow Bus. Thirteen of Loren’s books have appeared on the NYT bestseller list and a retrospective show of his work was mounted by the National Center of Children’s Illustrated Literature in 2021. Loren lives in Cincinnati, where he and his wife have raised two sons and four dogs, including their current rescue dog, Charlie. He serves on the board of literacy nonprofit Queen City Book Bank, whose headquarters feature a mural of his art. Website: https://theauthorvillage.com/presenters/loren-long/ | 
Natalie Richards OELMA Welcomes Authors Natalie Richards and Mindy McGinnis Thursday afternoon, November 12 Natalie D. Richards writes page-turning Young Adult thrillers and Middle Grade adventure novels. She is the author of more than ten novels, two New York Times Bestsellers, Five Total Strangers (2020) and Seven Dirty Secrets (2021), as well as 49 Miles Alone, a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award Winner. Of Two Perfect Lies (2026), Kirkus Review said, “The breakneck pacing and mounting tension are balanced by [an] unfolding romance... A gripping tale of betrayal that will keep readers breathlessly turning pages.” 49 Miles Alone (2024), about two cousins hiking in the remote Utah wilderness, won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult, and was nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. When she isn’t shopping a manuscript or writing, she can most likely be found wading through the huge stacks of dog-eared paperback books that have taken over her bedroom. Natalie currently lives in Ohio with her three children and (very) large dog, Wookie. Websites: https://www.nataliedrichards.com/about and https://www.mindymcginnis.com/about |
and Mindy McGinnis Mindy McGinnis is the author of multiple novels that span many genres. From historical to fantasy, contemporary to gothic thriller, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. A ninth-generation farmer, Mindy attributes much of her character to growing up on an Ohio farm, learning the value of physical labor, and the harshness of the natural world early in life. Much of her writing reflects small-town living and aspects of rural poverty. A former school librarian, Mindy still lives and works in her hometown, and is dedicated to making herself available to financially disadvantaged school districts and communities. Mindy has done multiple interviews and guest posts over the years, and has been featured on such outlets as NPR and PBS. OELMA Welcomes School Librarian and Podcaster Amy Hermon on Friday afternoon, November 13th Amy Hermon, a library media specialist for more than 14 years, is the host of School Librarians United, a weekly podcast for and by school librarians. During the pandemic she recorded several episodes addressing the challenges of virtual programming in school libraries and provided a platform for presenters whose conferences had been cancelled. The podcast, created by Hermon in 2018, now has listeners in all 50 states and 110 countries. Hermon was included on Library Journal's 2022 list of Movers and Shakers in the Community Builders category. Website: https://schoollibrariansunited.libsyn.com/about |
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19 Sep 2026 10:00 AMVirtual
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17 Oct 2026 10:00 AMVirtual
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12 Nov 2026OCLC Conference Center, Dublin, Ohio