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CHICAGO— Award-winning and best-selling authors Da Chen and David Treuer will join the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color for an adult author luncheon, Sept. 19-23, 2012 in Kansas City, Mo. Registration is open now, with early bird registration available through Wednesday June 13.

The Joint Conference of Librarians of Color is a conference for everyone and brings together a diverse group of librarians, library staff, library supporters and community participants to explore issues of diversity in libraries and how they affect the ethnic communities that libraries serve. Under the theme, “Gathering at the Waters: Celebrating Stories and Embracing Communities,” JCLC deepens connections across constituencies, creates spaces for dialogue on issues of diversity and encourages the transformation of libraries into more democratic and diverse organizations. For more information about the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, please visit .

Da Chen is the author of numerous titles, including “Brothers,” winner of the AP¾«¶«´«Ã½award for adult fiction in 2007; the New York Times best-selling memoir “Colors of the Mountain”; the memoir “Sounds of the River”; and two books for young readers, “Wandering Warrior” and “China's Son.” A graduate of Columbia University Law School, which he attended on full scholarship, Chen is a brush calligrapher of considerable spirituality who also plays the classical bamboo flute. He lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his wife and two small children.

David Treuer is the author of three novels and a book of criticism. His newest book and first full-length work of non-fiction, “Rez Life,” brings a novelist’s storytelling skill and an eye for detail to a complex and subtle examination of Native American reservation life, past and present. Treuer is an Ojibwe Indian from Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, the 1996 Minnesota Book Award, and fellowships from the NEH, Bush Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation. His essays and stories have appeared in Esquire, TriQuarterly, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and Slate.com.

JCLC will provide a unique opportunity for learning, with more than 70 concurrent sessions, including panel discussions, presentations, workshops and roundtables. Programming is divided into five tracks—Advocacy, Outreach and Collaboration; Collections, Programs and Services; Deep Diversity and Cultural Exchange; Leadership, Management and Organizational Development; and Technology and Innovation. Three preconferences will provide more focused exploration of diversity leadership development, diversity action plans and advocacy in diverse communities.

Kansas City, newly revitalized and richly diverse, will provide an ideal backdrop for this gathering, with the beautiful symbol of fountains set throughout the landscape. Kansas City offers numerous cultural opportunities, including a culinary scene set apart by world-famous barbeque and nightlife fueled by a vibrant jazz community.

The Joint Conference of Librarians of Color is sponsored by the five ethnic caucuses: the American Indian Library Association (AILA), Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Black Caucus of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (BCALA), Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. The first Joint Conference was held in Dallas in 2006. More information may be found at .

Da Chen’s participation is made possible through the generous support of Random House, Inc. Random House is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher and includes an army of prestigious imprints and distribution lines, publishing some of the foremost writers of our time. For more information about Random House, please visit .

David Treuer’s participation is made possible by Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. For more information about Ho-Chunk Nation, please visit .