2026 Core Forum

2026 Core Forum

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

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

2:30pm 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

3:45pm 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

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

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

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

4:15pm 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