There is no substitute for experiencing a library in person. Visiting a library, walking through its spaces, and speaking directly with librarians about their design process, service models, and spatial strategies provides insights that cannot be gained through presentations alone. Seeing how ideas are translated into built environments allows participants to better understand what works—and why. This tour aligns closely with current library trends, including the evolution of libraries as community-centered spaces, the shift toward inclusive and flexible design, the integration of technology, and the transformation of traditional service models. As libraries continue to redefine their role—serving as cultural hubs, learning environments, and civic anchors—understanding how design supports these missions is essential. By exploring libraries at different stages—historic renovation, new construction, award-winning projects, and active construction—participants will gain a comprehensive perspective on how libraries are adapting to meet contemporary community needs.
Itinerary 8:00–8:15 AM Meet tour bus in front of the conference hotel (The Galt House Hotel, 140 N. Fourth St., Louisville, KY 40202)
8:15–8:45 AM (3.9 m 13 minutes) Depart hotel to Parkland Library (2743 Virginia Ave, Louisville, KY 40211)
8:45 –9:45 AM Tour Parkland Library
9:45 – 10:05 (3.3 m 11 minutes) Depart Parkland Library to Ekstrom Library (2215 S 3rd St, Louisville)
10:05 10:30 Coffe break @ Ekstrom
10:30 11:45 Tour Ekstrom Library with Dean Robert
11:45–12:15 (13.7 m 20 minutes) Depart Central Ekstrom Library to Northeast Library (15 Bellevoir Cir, Louisville, KY 40223)
12:15–1:00 PM Lunch at Northeast Library
1:00 – 2:00 Tour of Northeast Library
2:00–2:30 PM (13.9 m 22 minutes) Depart Northeast Library to Central (301 York St, Louisville, KY 40203)
2:30-3:45 PM Tour Central
3:45–4:00 PM (1.2 m 2 minute) Return to conference hotel
Scared of licensing? Don't be! This preconference will be a straightforward introduction to some of the most common licensing terms and what to look out for. This is not just for electronic resource librarians but will help anyone in libraries who work with resources better understand how they and their patrons can use those resources. We'll work through a number of terms, review sample licenses and leave with a better understanding of what our libraries are agreeing to when we sign on the dotted line.
Note: I’m not a lawyer and am not offering legal advice. Instead, this session will focus on practical guidance to help you feel more confident reading and understanding the licenses you encounter before you send them to legal counsel, if you're the library signatory or after they are on file!
This workshop will provide participants with an introduction to disaster planning specific to arts and culture organizations. They will also be provided insight into the coordination of disaster response networks via the experience of member institutions of the Kentucky Heritage Emergency Response Network. Activities will include an instructor led demonstration of salvage methods used in the recovery of wet materials as well as table top exercises during which participants will engage in activities to assess their institutions risks.
Informal leadership (IL) can be a “heavy lift,” often accompanied by complex challenges and limited recognition. Yet in many organizations, it is one of the primary ways professionals gain new skills, expand their experience, and build meaningful relationships. How can you determine whether informal leadership is right for you? And if it is, how can you identify opportunities and prepare for success?
This interactive workshop invites participants to explore these questions through discussion and shared experience. Presenters will introduce definitions of informal leadership drawn from multiple disciplines and reflect on how IL has shaped their own career paths. The session will examine the realities of “leading from among” and “leading from below,” including the importance of understanding organizational culture before stepping into an informal leadership role.
Throughout the session, attendees will be encouraged to connect theory to practice, identify their own leadership strengths, and reflect on how informal leadership can align with both personal values and organizational goals. We will conclude with a collaborative conversation about the individual and organizational benefits of IL and practical strategies for fostering engagement within participants’ own institutions
Libraries need user feedback for improvements on websites, catalogs, and physical aspects of the library, but budgets are tighter and tighter. User testing, surveys, and focus groups are just a handful of aspects of UX work that can be practiced by anyone - no UX experience required! - and would be easy to incorporate at any library. UX is a growing trend in librarianship, and we hope this workshop will give library workers practical guidance to use these helpful techniques, as well as give an overview of UX and the design cycle. The goal is low/no-cost methods that will yield high-impact results for you to make demonstrable upgrades in your own library.
The Keeneland Library launched The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers in the Library from February 23 to December 8, 2023, before traveling the exhibit. Since its launch, more than 225,000 youth and adults from every state and 35 countries have freely engaged with the exhibit and its educational programs. The groundbreaking exhibit that follows the lives and contributions of Black horsemen and women from enslavement to today engaged visitors with exhibited interpretive panels and never-before-displayed photographs, artwork, artifacts, and video interviews. More than 100 photographs from Keeneland Library collections captured moments across their varied careers, while commissioned artwork by LaVon Williams and loaned artwork from the Kentucky Derby Museum, the International Museum of the Horse, and private collections honored their lasting legacies. Lexington’s East End, home to the Kentucky Association track from the late 1820s through 1933, also was home to many Black horsemen and their families. By the late 1800s, four future Racing Hall of Famers lived in Lexington’s East End: jockeys Isaac Burns Murphy and Jimmy Winkfield, trainer Ansel Williamson, and trainer/owner Edward Dudley Brown. Hundreds of others bought their homes, built their businesses, and raised their families in surrounding neighborhoods.
Oscar Dishman, Jr. (right) and Robert Turner (left), circa 1965 Keeneland Library CollectionThat many of the city’s leading horsemen were African American and living near the Kentucky Association track shaped the East End’s heritage as a historic industry hub for pioneering Black horsemen. The economy of the Bluegrass and viability of the Thoroughbred industry as a whole are rooted in their skill, hard work, knowledge, and tenacity. From racetrack superstars to behind-the-scenes caretakers, The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers showcases select stories of the countless African Americans who forged their way in Kentucky and beyond from the era of slavery to the present, making the racing industry what it is today.
Are you interested in writing for publication and don’t know how to get started? Join editors, editorial board members, and experienced writers from ALA Core division journals and monographs to explore publication opportunities and learn how to position your work to be successful. Panelists will discuss the behind-the-scenes processes that bring book and journal publications to readers worldwide and explain how attendees can get involved as authors of books, articles, or reviews. Attendees will also hear practical takeaways and lessons learned from published article and monograph authors. By highlighting editorial and review procedures, best practices in preparing manuscripts for submission, and open access publishing opportunities, the panelists will empower authors to make the best decisions for their work.
