2026 Core Forum

2026 Core Forum

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

2:00pm EST

Registration Open

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 Services Designing for Discovery: Creating Interactive and Engaging Library Spaces for Kids and Teens Digital Collections Made Better: Accessibility, Discoverability, Usability Stop Beating Yourself Up: Leading with Compassion Tackling Problematic Subject Categories In the Stacks: Promoting Inclusivity Through Signage, Marketing Efforts, and Strategic Partnerships Yonder in the Graveyard Walk: Preservation and Connection in Louisville’s Historic Black Cemeteries

11:30am EST

Lunch On Your Own

1:00pm EST

Accessibility in the Research Data Ecosystem: Emerging Practices and Persistent Gaps Beyond the Books: Sustainable Outdoor Spaces supporting Academic Libraries OR Learning in the Landscape: Sustainable Outdoor Spaces to support Academic Libraries Building the Learning Hub: A Flexible Model for Equitably Supporting Library Learners From Assumptions to Insight: Attribution Theory in Library Leadership Leveraging Librarian Expertise for Systematic Faculty-Acquired Subscriptions Review 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 Materials Chicago's 81 Club - Equity of Access to Library Resources for All Students Digital Preservation for Librarians From Downtown Dreams to Funded Library: Aligning Civic Priorities and Community Needs Stuck in the Middle: Positionality and the Emotional Labor of Academic Library Leaders The Plan, the Problem, and the Solution: Using Asana’s API and ChatGPT to Build a Web Interface for Liaison Statistics

3:30pm EST

Afternoon Break with Vendors

3:45pm EST

Built to Move: Incorporating Big Body Play into the Modern Public Library From Pilot to Program: Designing a Novice VR Creation Badge in an Academic Library Social Work Informed Library Services: They Do Teach That in Library School! Sponsored Session The Tech Services Librarian Behind the Curtain: Building Relationships for Behind the Scenes Positions When Things Fall Apart: Learning from Management Failures

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 Comparison Study on the Influence of Social Movements on Collection Building and Use of Print Monographs at a Large Research University Library A Theoretical Approach to Library Storage Process Improvement Using SCOR-DS Advancing Equity Through Collection Development: Establishing a Spanish Language Collection in a Hispanic‑Serving Institution Automating MARC Holdings Generation with AI: Lessons from the Field Beginning in Transition: Navigating Library Leadership During a Major Renovation Building and Managing Book Displays With Creative LMS Use and a Streamlined Workflow Can They Find the eBook? Whether and How Metadata Quality Shapes Discoverability and Academic Library ROI Down with the "System": Taking Back Cataloging Statistics in Alma Enhancing Records, Expanding Access Every Voice in the Plan: A Collaborative Approach to Operational Planning in a Large Library Division Exploring Library Visitor Demographics From the Ground Up: One Academic Library's Quest to Implement Linked Data with Limited Resources Goals, Roadmaps, and Checkpoints: A Successful Project Management Framework for Library Teams Keeping Access Afloat : Analyzing Serials Cost Data in the Wake of Tariffs and Shipping Issues Leveling Up: Building a Circulating Video Game Collection at an Academic Library Libraries as Gateways to Digital Equity in Underserved Communities: Lessons from Indian Libraries in a Global Context Living Lands and Memories: Indigenous Paths through Google Earth Looking Past Cost Per Use: Metrics to Evaluate Journals Mapping Accessibility at the Kentucky Geological Survey Media Mentorship for Children and Families Mentoring Madness Mobile Libraries Open Rules for Cataloging Paws for Healing: Integrating Therapy Animals into Library Mental Health Support Pivot, Buffer, Repeat: How Middle Managers Navigate Constant Change Precision Wayfinding: Range-Level Collection Mapping at R1 Universities Reclaiming Scope: Job Crafting as a Response to Role Creep and Role Displacement in E-Resources & Serials Librarianship Recognizing OER Champions: Assessing a Library-Led Award Advancing Student Affordability Reframing Leadership: Updating Core’s Leadership and Management Competencies Scope, Costs and RFQ: Aligning your Request for Qualifications with your Building Project and Budget Second Acts in Academic Librarianship: Trends, Impacts, and Implications Subject Heading Triage: Remediating With Limited Resources The Open Access Trap? Navigating the Fair Use Paradox of AI in Academic Libraries To Make Assessment Strategic - Identify the Gaps! Visualizing the Advancement of Open Access Through Radical Interdependence “A Look into Louisville: Consumer Health & AI”

11:00am EST

Combining Your Safety & Social Services Teams: Challenges & Successes Designing for Inclusion: Creating Sensory Spaces for Neurodiverse Library Users Navigating the Surge: Developing Policies for AI-Generated Books Top Tech Trends Two Sides, Two Coins: Shared Print and Preservation Understanding Career Advancement in Academic Libraries: Motivators, Barriers, and Pathways to Leadership

12:00pm EST

Lunch On Your Own

1:30pm EST

Contributing Back: How Libraries Can Participate in Open-Source Communities Without a Developer on Staff Modern Middle Leadership: Redefining How to Lead at the Most Crucial Level On Our Terms: Building a Community Subject Thesaurus for Radical Materials Safe by Design: Moving Beyond Technology to Create Safer Libraries Stewards in the Storm: Preservation, Preparedness, and Community Memory in Libraries Unlocking the Library: Strategies for Creating an Open Access Library

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 How Public Libraries Are Advancing AI: A Panel on Strategy, Access, and Innovation Sharing Your Expertise Through Consulting: Core Library Consulting Interest Group Sponsored Session The Overlooked Advantage: How Different Thinkers Strengthen Organizations The ROI of Open: Communicating the Value of Transformative Agreements When the Big Project Won’t Come: Leading Library Renewal One Phase at a Time

4:00pm EST

Afternoon Break with Vendors

4:15pm EST

Access in Flux: What Librarians Need to Know About the Changing Scholarly Landscape AI Use by Library Technical Services Workers in the U.S. and Canada Designing for Behavior: How Space Planning Shapes Student Conduct From Flat Files to Knowledge Graphs: Rescuing an Endangered Dataset with Wikidata I Trust You: How Three Little Words Can Unleash Your Team Librarian, Architect, and Community: A Cross-Stakeholder Conversation Assessing a Community-Engaged Public Library Project