2026 Core Forum

2026 Core Forum

7:00am EST

Registration Open

8:00am EST

PAID EVENT: Louisville Library Buildings Tour with BCUL and APL

12:00pm EST

PAID EVENT: A Friendly Intro to Licensing: Clause for Celebration PAID EVENT: Disaster Preparedness Workshop PAID EVENT: Informal Leadership in Action: Discovery, Practice, and Growth PAID EVENT: User Experience 101: A Masterclass for Non-UX Library Professionals

2:30pm EST

The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers How to Publish with Core 101Kimberely Edwards

3:30pm EST

America ByDesign/Gateway Library Video & Presentation

5:00pm EST

Opening Welcome Reception

7:00am EST

Registation Open

8:30am EST

Opening General Session - Nick Laucuente - Bourbon Archaeology: Unearthing Spirited Stories

10:00am EST

Morning Break with Vendors

10:30am EST

Beyond the Desk: Implementing AI Chatbots to Transform Reference ServicesAmal Cavender Designing for Discovery: Creating Interactive and Engaging Library Spaces for Kids and TeensWendy Tressler • Julie Wheeler • Matt Brown • Deanna Jones Distilling Our Priorities: Iterative and Inclusive Strategic Planning in Challenging TimesCourtney Stine • Rob Detmering • Anita Hall Tackling Problematic Subject Categories In the Stacks: Promoting Inclusivity Through Signage, Marketing Efforts, and Strategic PartnershipsYelena Gordiyenko The ROI of Open: Communicating the Value of Transformative AgreementsMark Robison • Erika Hosselkus Yonder in the Graveyard Walk: Preservation and Connection in Louisville’s Historic Black CemeteriesKaira Tucker

11:30am EST

Lunch On Your Own

1:00pm EST

Accessibility in the Research Data Ecosystem: Emerging Practices and Persistent GapsKelly Denny Beyond the Books: Sustainable Outdoor Spaces supporting Academic Libraries OR Learning in the Landscape: Sustainable Outdoor Spaces to support Academic LibrariesLisa Nickel • Heidi Greenberg • Michael Gutierrez Building the Learning Hub: A Flexible Model for Equitably Supporting Library LearnersTerry McQuown • Hillary Washburn From Assumptions to Insight: Attribution Theory in Library LeadershipJenny Meslener • Regan McClure Leveraging Librarian Expertise for Systematic Faculty-Acquired Subscriptions ReviewKayla Lenkner • Calida Barboza OCLC Sponsored Session

2:00pm EST

Afternoon Break with Vendors

2:30pm EST

Cataloging Non-Roman Scripts With Help From AI: A Case Study of Chinese Language MaterialsAdrienne Sanders Chicago's 81 Club - Equity of Access to Library Resources for All StudentsKara Thorstenson Digital Preservation for LibrariansDerek Clark From Downtown Dreams to Funded Library: Aligning Civic Priorities and Community NeedsRob Remark • Debbie Joy Stuck in the Middle: Positionality and the Emotional Labor of Academic Library LeadersSusan R. Franzen • Kate Tallman The Plan, the Problem, and the Solution: Using Asana’s API and ChatGPT to Build a Web Interface for Liaison StatisticsBen Rawlins Why Retail Stores Learn Faster Than Libraries—and What Libraries Can Do About ItDavid Vinjamuri

3:30pm EST

Afternoon Break with Vendors

3:45pm EST

Built to Move: Designing Active Play Spaces in the Modern Public LibraryPamela Jankowski • Aaron Hill • Annie Vedder From Pilot to Program: Designing a Novice VR Creation Badge in an Academic LibraryBeryl White-Bing Social Work Informed Library Services: They Do Teach That in Library School!Brian Real • Beth Wahler Sponsored Session The Tech Services Librarian Behind the Curtain: Building Relationships for Behind the Scenes PositionsEmma Beck • Challen Wright When Things Fall Apart: Learning from Management FailuresDr. Janette Klein

6:00pm EST

7:30am EST

Registation Open

8:30am EST

Opening General Session - Frank X Walker - Curious George Goes to the Library(and Gives Birth to a Poet)

10:00am EST

Morning Break with Vendors and Poster Sessions “A Look into Louisville: Consumer Health & AI”Martina Junod A Comparison Study on the Influence of Social Movements on Collection Building and Use of Print Monographs at a Large Research University LibraryDerek Wilmott Advancing Equity Through Collection Development: Establishing a Spanish Language Collection in a Hispanic‑Serving InstitutionAngelina Santana-Torres Automating MARC Holdings Generation with AI: Lessons from the FieldMatthew Codey Beginning in Transition: Navigating Library Leadership During a Major RenovationJennifer Donner Building and Managing Book Displays With Creative LMS Use and a Streamlined WorkflowWilliam Schultz Jr. Can They Find the eBook? Whether and How Metadata Quality Shapes Discoverability and Academic Library ROIMichele K. Hahn Down with the "System": Taking Back Cataloging Statistics in AlmaAlexa Torchynowycz Enhancing Records, Expanding AccessWilliam Blueher Every Voice in the Plan: A Collaborative Approach to Operational Planning in a Large Library DivisionAmanda Zerangue Exploring Library Visitor DemographicsCherie Turner From the Ground Up: One Academic Library's Quest to Implement Linked Data with Limited ResourcesYelena Gordiyenko Goals, Roadmaps, and Checkpoints: A Successful Project Management Framework for Library TeamsMea Warren Keeping Access Afloat : Analyzing Serials Cost Data in the Wake of Tariffs and Shipping IssuesCara M. Calabrese Leveling Up: Building a Circulating Video Game Collection at an Academic LibraryPresley Dyer Libraries as Gateways to Digital Equity in Underserved Communities: Lessons from Indian Libraries in a Global ContextTanish Living Lands and Memories: Indigenous Paths through Google EarthCarla Maria Rodrigues de Souza Looking Past Cost Per Use: Metrics to Evaluate JournalsMelissa M Johnson Mapping Accessibility at the Kentucky Geological SurveyDoug Curl Media Mentorship for Children and FamiliesMaria Cahill Mentoring MadnessEmily Thompson Mobile Libraries Open Rules for CatalogingBobby Bothmann Paws for Healing: Integrating Therapy Animals into Library Mental Health SupportTara Jankowski Pivot, Buffer, Repeat: How Middle Managers Navigate Constant ChangeJenny Meslener Precision Wayfinding: Range-Level Collection Mapping at R1 UniversitiesAmanda Gray Perry Reclaiming Scope: Job Crafting as a Response to Role Creep and Role Displacement in E-Resources & Serials LibrarianshipCalida Barboza Recognizing OER Champions: Assessing a Library-Led Award Advancing Student AffordabilityPaul C. Campbell Reframing Leadership: Updating Core’s Leadership and Management CompetenciesVirginia Cairns • Jonathan Shank Scope, Costs and RFQ: Aligning your Request for Qualifications with your Building Project and Budget Second Acts in Academic Librarianship: Trends, Impacts, and ImplicationsPhill Johnson • Dr. Tiffany Davis Norris Subject Heading Triage: Remediating With Limited ResourcesJenny Bodenhamer The Open Access Trap? Navigating the Fair Use Paradox of AI in Academic LibrariesTreshani Perera To Make Assessment Strategic - Identify the Gaps!Susanna Cowan Visualizing the Advancement of Open Access Through Radical InterdependenceMelissa Seelye

11:00am EST

After the Architects Leave: Lessons from 25 Years of Library Resiliency and Adaptive UsePat Losinski • Randy Gibson Designing for Inclusion: Creating Sensory Spaces for Neurodiverse Library UsersLauren Kehoe Navigating the Surge: Developing Policies for AI-Generated BooksLora Ericson • Stacey Wolf Top Tech TrendsAmanda Gray Perry Two Sides, Two Coins: Shared Print and PreservationShari Laster • Hannah B. Tashjian Understanding Career Advancement in Academic Libraries: Motivators, Barriers, and Pathways to LeadershipLauren Reiter • Ash Faulkner

12:00pm EST

Lunch On Your Own

1:30pm EST

Contributing Back: How Libraries Can Participate in Open-Source Communities Without a Developer on StaffChristine Peterson Modern Middle Leadership: Redefining How to Lead at the Most Crucial LevelJoLyn Reisdorf • Tracy Cornelius On Our Terms: Building a Community Subject Thesaurus for Radical MaterialsViolet Fox • Jesse Cole Safe by Design: Moving Beyond Technology to Create Safer LibrariesWendy Tressler • Andrea Quillici Stewards in the Storm: Preservation, Preparedness, and Community Memory in LibrariesDenise Lyons Unlocking the Library: Strategies for Creating an Open Access LibraryMegan Stuart • Allison McKenzie

2:30pm EST

Afternoon Break with Vendors

3:00pm EST

ALA Core Best Furniture & Equipment: Trends, Innovation, and Smart Product Selection for Today’s Libraries Digital Collections Made Better: Accessibility, Discoverability, Usability How Public Libraries Are Advancing AI: A Panel on Strategy, Access, and InnovationJustin Bumbico • BJ Colvin • Anthony White • Oli Sandias • Vicky Varga Sharing Your Expertise Through Consulting: Core Library Consulting Interest GroupMichelle Frisque • Michelle Ornat Sponsored Session The Overlooked Advantage: How Different Thinkers Strengthen OrganizationsKaylee Yutzy When the Big Project Won’t Come: Leading Library Renewal One Phase at a TimeDianne Chia • Jared Hoppenfield • James Fulton

4:00pm EST

Afternoon Break with Vendors

4:15pm EST

Access in Flux: What Librarians Need to Know About the Changing Scholarly LandscapeJohn Felts AI Use by Library Technical Services Workers in the U.S. and CanadaSean Kennedy • Arpi Anderson Designing for Behavior: How Space Planning Shapes Student ConductTravis Goode From Flat Files to Knowledge Graphs: Rescuing an Endangered Dataset with WikidataEmily Baldoni I Trust You: How Three Little Words Can Unleash Your TeamMarna Hosteller Librarian, Architect, and Community: A Cross-Stakeholder Conversation Assessing a Community-Engaged Public Library ProjectAlexandra (Alex) Hamby