Organizations that serve vulnerable populations often rely on both safety personnel and social service professionals to create stable, supportive environments. While these teams share a common mission—protecting and supporting individuals—their roles, training, and operational priorities can differ significantly. Successfully integrating these groups requires thoughtful planning, clear communication, and a shared understanding of goals. This presentation explores the process of combining safety and social services teams into a cohesive, collaborative unit. We will examine common challenges organizations encounter, including cultural differences between departments, role clarity, communication gaps, and balancing enforcement with compassionate care. The session will also highlight strategies for overcoming these obstacles through cross-training, policy alignment, and leadership support. In addition to discussing potential barriers, the presentation will showcase real-world successes that demonstrate the benefits of integration. Participants will learn how unified teams can improve responses, strengthen relationships with patrons, reduce behavioral escalations, and create safer environments for both staff and those they serve. Attendees will leave with practical insights, lessons learned, and actionable strategies for fostering collaboration between safety and social service professionals. Whether your organization is considering integration or refining an existing model, this session will provide valuable guidance for building a coordinated approach that enhances both safety and support.
Designing inclusive, supportive library environments requires thoughtful attention to the needs of neurodiverse users and others with sensory-processing differences. This session explores how a private, four year institution’s academic library collaborated with campus partners and students with disabilities to create a dedicated sensory space—an intentionally calming environment that supports emotional regulation, focus, and well being. Grounded in a multi tiered user research framework, the project centered students who self identified as having sensory needs and invited them to directly shape design decisions, furniture and equipment selection, and overall functionality. The session will trace the full lifecycle of the project, including building cross-campus coalitions, aligning the initiative with institutional priorities, securing external grant funding, and managing a multi year planning and implementation process. Presenters will share high level findings from user research; examples of effective collaboration with accessibility services, counseling staff, and facilities teams; and practical guidance for developing policies, budgeting, procurement, and long term sustainability. Participants will leave with adaptable strategies for replicating sensory spaces in academic, public, or specialized library settings. By highlighting the social model of disability and emphasizing meaningful inclusion, the session demonstrates how libraries can transform physical spaces to better support neurodiverse community members and advance equity within their organizations.
As generative AI floods the publishing market, libraries face a new frontier in collection management. This presentation explores the critical intersection of Artificial Intelligence and collection development, addressing the fundamental question: Should we include AI-written books in our stacks? We will dive into practical strategies for identifying AI-generated content using specialized checklists and red-flag indicators. Beyond identification, we will discuss the policy implications for your library—examining whether your current Collection Development Policy is equipped for this shift or if new standards for "quality" and "authorship" are required. The session covers the entire workflow of a suspected AI book, from the selector’s decision to buy or bypass, to cataloging options and MARC record notations, and the ethical implications of creating an original bibliographic record to add to OCLC. We will also share templates for communicating with requestors and discuss the ethics of warning the broader community through reviews. Attendees will leave with a draft AI checklist and a wealth of resources to help their institutions make informed, consistent decisions. Join us to discuss how we can maintain high collection standards while navigating the complexities of machine-authored literature.
Emerging technology trends are rapidly evolving and have the power to transform the way libraries operate. Stay ahead of these changes by joining our Top Tech Trends panel! Our expert panelists, representing a diverse range of libraries, will share their insights on the latest technological developments and their potential impact on library services and staff. This session will explore key trends shaping the future of libraries and provide valuable perspectives on how to navigate these innovations. Come ready with questions—our panelists are excited to discuss and engage with you!
Shared print and preservation are strategies in support of libraries’ mission to provide access to collections. Shared print programs enable libraries to coordinate information resource holdings across institutions in service of efficient, long-term access to the collective scholarly record. Library preservation programs focus on the protection of library materials and mitigation of deteriorating forces that threaten long-term access. While these programs are not two sides of the same coin, they offer complementary strategies in pursuit of a mutual goal. However, just as no retention commitment can protect a book from unrecoverable damage in a mold outbreak, repairing a damaged book is of no use to a partnership program if the owning library withdraws its commitment. This session will explore areas of mutual concern and interest for shared print and preservation. Using "A Model to Determine Optimal Numbers of Monograph Copies for Preservation in Shared Print Collections" (Bogus et al, 2023) as a springboard, we will offer considerations and questions for collection management and preservation decisions. We will look at both areas of practice as mutually beneficial, but also as areas of expertise raising important considerations for each other. The resulting discussion will surface a shared agenda for future investigation.
Academic libraries increasingly recognize that cultivating effective senior leaders is essential for the profession and for the stability of our organizations, yet little is known about what motivates, prepares, or discourages librarians from pursuing these roles. At the same time, the profession faces impending retirements and growing uncertainty about whether the existing pipeline can meet future leadership needs. Drawing from a systematic review on career advancement in academic libraries, this presentation will summarize recent research on the experiences, challenges, and turning points that shape librarians’ trajectories toward (or away from) senior leadership roles. The authors will highlight key findings, including the outsized importance of leadership institutes, mentorship, and “stretch” assignments, the paradox that many crucial leadership skills cannot be acquired until one already holds a leadership role, and the continued impact of racism, sexism, and organizational culture on advancement opportunities. The presentation will also consider how unclear advancement pathways, limited mid‑career support, and inequities in access to professional development constrain the leadership pipeline. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what supports or discourages librarians’ pursuit of senior roles and how institutions can more effectively cultivate a diverse and well‑prepared generation of future library leaders.
Libraries have long embraced open-source software as a practical alternative to costly proprietary systems, but participation in these communities often stops at the download. Many library staff assume that contributing back requires programming skills they don’t have — leaving a significant gap between what libraries consume and what they give back to the tools they depend on.
This session challenges that assumption. Contributing to open-source projects takes many forms: writing documentation, translating interfaces, submitting bug reports, testing new releases, and advocating for features that serve library-specific needs. None of these require writing a single line of code.
Drawing on real examples from libraries of varying sizes and resource levels, this session explores what motivates institutions to start contributing, what barriers they encounter, and what sustainable participation looks like when staff are already stretched thin. The session also addresses how to make the case to administrators that time spent on open-source contribution is time well spent.
Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of the contribution landscape, concrete first steps regardless of technical skill level, and a framework for building institutional support for ongoing participation.
Middle‑management leaders serve as the crucial link between organizational strategy and day‑to‑day operations, translating broad vision into practical action while advocating for both staff and community needs. This session explores what happens when that translation is successful: When active listening, shared leadership, and the intentional elevation of staff and stakeholder expertise fuel forward movement. We will share key strategies to narrow approaches and strengthen outcomes from our own successful and less successful attempts. Presenters from two distinct roles will share how they navigate the complex work of acting as interpreters, coaches, and connectors between organizational strategy, decision‑makers, and frontline realities. The session examines two essential concepts: how leaders can support staff in embracing change even without direct decision-making authority, and how they can identify and elevate staff expertise to build collective ownership confidence, and psychological safety in the workplace. Participants will walk away feeling confident in providing responsive communication and an articulated “why”: to create alignment across departments, differing team structures, and diverse operational models, connecting systemwide goals and vision into everyday work that centers community impact and user experience, and recognizing shared power as a form of self-care.
The Zine Subject Thesaurus (ZST) is a set of subject terms that can be used to catalog zines and other alternative publications or content. Developed in 2008 for the Anchor Archive Zine Library catalog and recently expanded, the ZST aims to better describe topics in radical materials and to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in standardized subject headings. The ZST has over 1800 terms and is now used by zine collections worldwide, collectively maintained by members of the zine and zine library community. Two members of the Zine Thesaurus Management Collective will introduce participants to equity issues in existing subject heading vocabularies, explain how to use the ZST to ameliorate these concerns, then lead participants in a brief edit-a-thon. Participants will work collaboratively to suggest terms, evaluate terms, choose preferred terms, and create relationships with other terms in the Thesaurus. In a think-pair-share activity, attendees will reflect on and discuss their newfound insight into how to use the ZST and other tools to apply respectful, up-to-date terminology that accurately reflects language used by marginalized creators.
What makes a library safe? This question is at the forefront of every librarian’s mind. Too often, safety is addressed primarily through technology—security gates, cameras, and sensors. While these tools can be effective, they are not enough on their own. A truly safe library begins with intentional, well-designed spaces that naturally support visibility, accessibility, and positive use—helping to prevent crime before it occurs. This session explores how thoughtful architectural and interior design, guided by Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, can enhance safety while preserving the welcoming, civic spirit of libraries. Through real-world examples, practical strategies, and case studies, participants will learn how good design can quietly protect both people and collections—without relying solely on surveillance or barriers.
This presentation will explore the vital role that librarians play in disaster preparedness, emphasizing how preserving communities’ experiences and ensuring the sustainability of information and knowledge are vital for disaster response. The presenters will incorporate the IDEA model — Integrity, Data, Evidence, and Action — in this session and highlight best practices for data-driven, strategic risk and crisis communication. There will also be real-world examples and lessons learned from disaster scenarios, showcasing how libraries can safeguard both physical and digital materials to protect local history and lived experiences. Attendees will gain insight into proactive planning and collaboration with emergency services. From this session, librarians will leave by embracing their role as stewards of cultural preservation and sustainability, by helping communities recover and respond to future challenges.
As communities demand greater flexibility, many public libraries face the challenge of expanding access while navigating stagnant budgets and staffing shortages. This session explores the emerging "open library" model, which leverages specialized facility design and integrated technology to support unstaffed hours for extended service to patrons. Through the lens of recent case studies across the US, including rural and urban branches, we will examine how specific architectural interventions and hardware solutions allow libraries to increase open hours. The discussion will cover the essential technical infrastructure required, such as automated building controls, integrated security systems, and self-service kiosks. We will also address the "human" side of the transition: safety protocols, user agreements, and communication strategies that ensure staff and community buy-in. Attendees will walk away with a framework to evaluate their own facilities for "open access" suitability and the tools to frame this model as a value-added service for their community.
This session highlights standout furniture and equipment recognized in the ALA Core Best Furniture & Equipment 2026 Product Selection Showcase. Attendees will explore thoughtfully curated products across key library categories from furniture, to materials to shelving that have stood through the rough use and abusive of the library. The showcase emphasizes flexible, durable, sustainable, and design-forward solutions that respond to evolving library needs. Featured products demonstrate trends such as modular collaboration zones, privacy-forward seating, mobile and height-adjustable workstations, bleach-cleanable upholstery, high-durability materials, and adaptable table systems for maker and multipurpose spaces.Participants will gain insight into evaluating furniture for function, longevity, cleanability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness while balancing aesthetics and user experience. This session equips library professionals with practical strategies for selecting furniture and equipment that support active learning, community engagement, and future-ready library environments.
Public libraries are no longer just talking about AI; they are putting it to work! This panel will feature leaders from multiple library systems sharing how they are advancing AI through strategy, staff enablement, public engagement, and pilot projects. Panelists will discuss practical lessons from early implementation, including how they are selecting use cases, supporting internal adoption, exploring emerging tools, and connecting AI efforts to access, equity, and community needs. The conversation will also highlight how libraries can create meaningful public learning opportunities, including youth-centered and creative applications, while staying grounded in responsible use and service impact. Attendees will gain practical insights into how libraries are moving from AI exploration to execution, along with adaptable ideas for launching or strengthening their own efforts.
Have you considered consulting after you retire? While working full time? Or even as your next career? This fast-paced panel of library consultants will share how they got started, offer practical advice and hard-won lessons, and show how they are using their expertise to support libraries across the field. Bring your questions.
Organizations committed to equity often focus on representation, yet cognitive diversity is frequently overlooked in conversations about inclusion. Many professionals with ADHD and other neurodivergent traits bring creativity, pattern recognition, and innovative problem-solving to their roles, but traditional workplace structures may unintentionally discourage these strengths. This session explores how leaders can better recognize and support diverse thinking styles within teams. Drawing on lived experience with ADHD and leadership perspectives from organizational environments, the presentation highlights how neurodivergent professionals often develop resilience, adaptability, and unique approaches to complex challenges. Participants will explore practical strategies to foster inclusive collaboration, reduce barriers created by traditional workplace expectations, and create environments where diverse thinking styles contribute to stronger teams and more innovative outcomes.
Academic libraries are among the most heavily used buildings on campus, yet major capital projects are increasingly delayed, reduced, or broken into funding cycles tied to state appropriations, donors timelines, or campus priorities. When comprehensive renovation is not possible, library leaders must move forward incrementally without losing momentum or vision. This session brings together library leaders who have navigated multi-phase renovation efforts over many years. Each panelist will briefly share their institutional context and key decision points via the three lenses: A Tactical lens considers service continuity, swing space limitations, sequencing and operational impacts; a Business lens looks at capital finance strategies, funding cycles, costs over time, alignment with building systems and the big umbrella within which the library fits; and a Human lens which brings aspirational/value-based thinking addressing access to library services during projects, staff and student experience during construction, and equity implications of phased disruption. The moderated discussion will explore how to prioritize phases, integrate deferred maintenance with programmatic change, maintain service continuity, and align incremental projects with a long-term master plan. Participants will leave with practical frameworks and leadership strategies for advancing meaningful renewal when capital arrives in pieces rather than all at once.
The last 24 months have been a rollercoaster for online resource access. Rapid changes in browser technologies and evolving regulatory frameworks have introduced new barriers and uncertainties, making it harder than ever to provide users with seamless, secure, and reliable access to the scholarly content they need. These challenges are reshaping how libraries, publishers, and service providers think about authentication and access.
SeamlessAccess is an initiative dedicated to improving the access experience by offering a collaborative framework that helps the community navigate the complex intersection of technology, policy, and user experience. Positioned at the crossroads of these evolving challenges, SeamlessAccess develops solutions grounded in four guiding principles: usability, privacy, reliability, and security.
This session will explore these principles, highlight the latest developments in the resource access ecosystem, and discuss the ongoing development of the Access Audit Toolkit – a practical framework for auditing resource access. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the shifting access landscape, practical strategies for evaluating and improving resource access, and a stronger sense of how SeamlessAccess supports libraries.
This presentation will share findings from our 2026 survey on the current use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by library technical services workers. A brief introduction to various AI tools will be provided for those who have not yet engaged with these tools. Our research data provides the first comprehensive view of AI adoption in technical services. We will share information from our research about who is using these tools (e.g., types of libraries), where they are most commonly deployed (e.g., cataloging department), and how they are being implemented to strengthen technical services workflows. Attendees will learn about some practical project examples of AI-supported work across various areas of technical services. These examples may be adaptable/transferable to their own institutions and/or spark some ideas on how attendees can use AI tools in their own work. The session is designed to be interactive with the audience participating in real-time polls and a discussion/sharing about their AI experiences within technical services. This topic and discussion will be of interest to any library technical services worker, whether you are someone just beginning to explore or an experienced user, we are all learning together.
Creating effective study environments is essential to supporting student success, especially as academic libraries face increased demand for quiet, focused spaces. At the Redacted Library, staff found that furniture selection, layout, and sightlines influenced noise and disruptive behavior more reliably than policy enforcement alone. This session reframes space planning as a behavioral intervention by illustrating how intentional design can shape conduct amid rapid enrollment growth and post pandemic shifts in student behavior. Drawing on five years of behavioral data, QR based noise heat maps, and iterative redesigns, we highlight clear furniture and behavior correlations: lounge seating, large group tables, and movable soft chairs tend to attract social clustering, while anchored single seating, study carrels, structured layouts, and improved visibility significantly reduce disruptions. We introduce a practical Behavior by Design Toolkit to help libraries assess spaces, map behavior patterns, and select furnishings that reinforce desired norms. Attendees will gain evidence-based design principles, heat mapping templates, and guidance for furniture decision making. These insights extend beyond quiet zones. The same behavioral patterns inform the design of group study rooms, collaboration hubs, and learning commons, demonstrating how intentional space planning creates environments that naturally support their intended uses.
For years, librarians have been hearing promises about the potential of linked data and identity management to transform workflows and enhance discoverability, but most catalogers have had little opportunity to put these ideas into practice, particularly those working at institutions without extensive resources for development of emerging metadata technologies. This presentation, drawing on the presenters’ recent project to rescue an endangered dataset documenting their institution’s early women faculty, will discuss low-barrier approaches to linked data and identity management, incorporating Wikidata and participation in the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Entity Management Cooperative (EMCO). In 2024, the metadata team learned that, due to security concerns, the library’s technology department would be taking down a local database that contained extensive information about the often-overlooked women faculty who formed the backbone of the institution in its early years as a teaching college. The team saw this as an opportunity to rescue this data and give it new visibility in the larger information ecosystem of Wikidata. The presenters will share their experience working on this EMCO pilot project, and will provide practical strategies and tools for sharing and visualizing institutionally important data in Wikidata that attendees can apply to their own projects.
As library leaders, it is important for employees to hear that you trust them. Of course, you have already placed trust in your employees – you have hired them! But saying the words out loud is powerful. It is an agreement, an understanding, and it requires commitment from both parties. The first commitment is on the part of the library leader who is extending trust. She is saying, “I trust you to do your best and to consider your actions. I also trust you to speak up when you need help, or when something goes wrong. I can’t help if I don’t know that a problem exists.” The second commitment is on the part of the employee. By accepting the trust of the supervisor, the employee promises to do their best not to let the supervisor down, but also to trust her at her word – that she will support the employee if a mistake occurs. These three words can change the way employees view library leaders, but they can also change how employees view themselves. Saying, “I trust you,” creates a learning opportunity, and a chance for employees to grow, which is empowering.
A new County public library in a diverse neighborhood adjoining a mid-sized Mid-Atlantic city opened in 2019 following an ambitious, community-engaged design process. Workshops were held. Surveys were conducted. Voices were heard. But five years later, a critical question remains: Did the building deliver on its promise of access and equity? This session moves beyond design intent and into lived experience. Through a cross-stakeholder conversation, a librarian, the architect, and a graduate researcher examine what worked, what surprised them, and what the data reveals about how the community actually uses the space. Drawing on post-occupancy surveys and interviews with patrons and staff, the panel will discuss findings related to seating choices, spatial zoning, interior design decisions, and user satisfaction. Where did early community input shape outcomes? Where did reality diverge from expectation? And how can libraries better translate engagement into measurable impact? Rather than presenting a single narrative, this session stages a candid dialogue across roles and perspectives. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for turning community engagement from a checkbox into a sustained, research-informed partnership — ensuring that public libraries are not only designed for communities, but truly shaped with them.
