CALCON 2026 Courageous Libraries Resilient Communities: Full Schedule

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10:45am MDT

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT

In September 2025, Library Research Service began planning a new blog series: Colorful Colorado Libraries: Stories from our Centennial State. The past year has been full of library visits, fascinating conversations, story-crafting, and many lessons learned. This session will cover the process of telling different stories from all types of libraries big and small across Colorado. It will draw from both Kate McDowell’s book Critical Data Storytelling for Libraries: Crafting Ethical Narratives for Advocacy and Impact and the hands-on experience gained from months of collecting data and transforming it into stories. Not only is sharing library stories inspiring, informative, and fun, but it can be a critical way for us to communicate our purpose and the positive impacts that library services have on patrons.

Speakers

Sara Wicen

Over four years of experience working at Library Research Service (LRS), a degree in English and a professional writing certificate, and a year of planning and executing the Colorful Colorado Libraries blog series. This session will share lessons from this lived experience., Colorado State Library

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT
Paige Turner Breakout Room 4

Breakout Session

1:45pm MDT

How To Not Always Run the Show: Library Person-In-Charge Training

Wednesday September 9, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT

Paige Turner Breakout Room 4

Do you or other leaders at your library feel like you are always on call to handle every emergency or crisis? From handling staff callouts to plumbing emergencies to problem patrons, this presentation will help you recognize the importance of training future leaders in your library to have a full rotation of Library Persons-In-Charge (PICs). We will discuss main PIC expectations, PIC vs Supervisor responsibilities, the training process, and much more. By the end, you will have scalable training using adult learning principles and instructional design that will empower your staff and improve your organizational effectiveness. The PIC training template includes examples of a half-day in-person course, two weeks of shadowing, 50 hours of primary responsibility, and a meeting schedule for regular check-ins.

Speakers

Carrie Watson

Library Operations Manager, Englewood Public Library

Carrie Watson is the Library Operations Manager at Englewood Public Library in Englewood, Colorado. She specializes in keeping projects on track by keeping spirits high and helping folks stay organized. Her Master of Library Science (MLS) is from East Carolina University (go Pirates... Read More →

Wednesday September 9, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Paige Turner Breakout Room 4

Breakout Session

3:00pm MDT

Programming for Therians: Building Belonging Through Subcultures

Wednesday September 9, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm MDT

Paige Turner Breakout Room 4

Teens often find belonging through subcultures that adults may not immediately understand. Whether Therians, fandom communities, fans of music or any number of identity and affinity based groups, librarians who don't understand them are missing a great opportunity to connect with and build communities with them.

This session will introduce therianthropy and other current teen subcultures and explore why these identities resonate with teens. Participants will also gain practical tools and tips on how to figure out what subcultures you should be programming for as well as tips on how to run both large and small programs for these groups. We will also be looking at how to handle pushback from patrons and administration to ensure you're prepared for when you may encounter misunderstanding.

By looking at what we've been doing at Aurora Public Library, attendees will learn how to design welcoming spaces that affirm diverse identities while aligning with library values while helping every teen feel seen, safe, and at home in the library.

Speakers

Cody Robinson

Teen Services Librarian, Aurora Public Library

Cody (he/him) is the Teen Services Librarian at Central Library where he has been for 2.5 years. In addition to more traditional programming, he is passionate about making the library an inclusive and welcoming space for all the teens in Aurora regardless of their identity or bac... Read More →

Wednesday September 9, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm MDT
Paige Turner Breakout Room 4

Breakout Session

CALCON 2026 Courageous Libraries Resilient Communities

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CALCON 2026 Courageous Libraries Resilient Communities

10:45am MDT

Sara Wicen

1:45pm MDT

Carrie Watson

3:00pm MDT

Cody Robinson

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