CALCON 2026 Courageous Libraries Resilient Communities: Full Schedule

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10:45am MDT

From Check-Ins to Breakthroughs: Rethinking One-on-Ones

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT

Are you stuck in a routine when it comes to holding one-on-one meetings? Have you been eager to overhaul your approach to ensure both you and your employees get more value from these sessions? In this workshop, you will understand the pivotal role one-on-one meetings play in enabling supervisors to nurture growth, enhance retention, and boost overall performance. Uncover techniques for creating purposeful and staff-driven one-on-one interactions that transcend basic status updates or casual conversations. Whether you are a supervisor aiming to elevate team performance or an employee eager to make stronger connections with your manager and peers, you will discover how to level up your one-on-ones and leverage these meetings to achieve your objectives.

Speakers

Melissa Beavers

As an experienced manager, I have been working towards improving the success of one-on-ones both as a facilitator with my staff and as an attendee with my supervisor. I have read numerous books and articles on the topic and be using various techniques for many years with strong results., High Plains Library District

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT
Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Breakout Session

2:00pm MDT

Snacktivities and Beyond: Addressing Food Insecurity with Young Library Patrons

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

In 2019, Arapahoe Libraries created a "Snacktivities" program to help address the need for Food Justice in our community in a fun and engaging way. The program was revived post-covid in 2022 and grew rapidly with our growing neighborhoods and their shifting needs. In 2024, the program grew from two branches to district-wide, now serving seven diverse communities in Arapahoe County.
We soon realized that this program, as it was created, was struggling to meet the changing needs of our young patrons. As third spaces for young people become less common, we frequently see young independent patrons in our libraries for hours at a time. During school breaks, these young patrons are often in our spaces for up to 8-10 hours per day, some with a few dollars for food or a small bag of snacks. They may depend on the vending machine for food. Some of our libraries are in food deserts; With the exception of a weekly food pantry and a summer program designed to support families who are reliant on school lunches, there is no walkable access to fresh and healthy food. We made observations and gathered feedback from our young patrons. Based on the information we received, we revamped our in-branch programming model to better serve food insecurity needs through community connections and varied in-house programing, both based around teaching food skills to patrons and supplying them with healthier, more substantial food options.

Speakers

Mariann Gentile

As branch Youth Reference Librarians, we are the branch level staff that have the most day-to-day interactions with our patrons to directly observe these needs. We are in these positions at two of the ALD branches that see the highest food insecurity needs from our surrounding communities. Mariann has a background in Social Work and has worked extensively both in and out of library settings with diverse populations of young people, including through Head Start and After School Programs. June worked with young people experiencing homelessness (and food insecurity) for many years before working at a library. She has previously presented at the Colorado State Library on trauma informed best practices for working with kids and teens in libraries., Arapahoe Library District

June McGinn

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Breakout Session

4:00pm MDT

Connecting with Your Local and Global Community

Thursday September 10, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm MDT

Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Gain inspiration from CAL’s International Libraries and Cultural Exchange Interest Group (ILCE-IG)! Learn how to connect your library at a global level, but more importantly, how to build meaningful connections for your local cultural communities. Our presentation will review the Sister Cities Toolkit, the ILCE grant process, and provide examples from our inspiring 2025 grant winners!

Speakers