CALCON 2026 Courageous Libraries Resilient Communities: Full Schedule

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10:45am MDT

Charting Your Path: Career Development for the Courageous Library Professional

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

What if you had a clearer roadmap for your library career? Whether you are early in your journey, considering a move into management, or simply figuring out your next step, this deep dive session meets you where you are! Through a short strengths and goal-setting exercise, small group conversations with experienced library professionals, and a take-home career path template, participants will leave with more than inspiration – they’ll leave with a plan. We will explore the real challenges of navigating careers in libraries, including how to keep growing when the path feels uncertain. This session offers a practical, hands-on career development opportunity shaped by community knowledge sharing and focused on building individual resilience.

Speakers

Xochil Arellano

Equity Diversity and Inclusion management for Poudre Libraries, Poudre Libraries

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT
Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Breakout Session

2:00pm MDT

Thursday Thought Talks

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

Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Thought Talks are 15-20 minute mini-sessions within a session!

1. Numbers (Help!) Tell Our Library Story:
This session will focus on statewide, multiyear trends in public library services, collections, finances, staffing, and more. Highlights from the latest data from the 2025 Public Library Annual Survey as well as national trends will tell the story of Colorado’s public libraries. The presenters will demonstrate free tools available from the Library Research Service that attendees can use to tell their own library’s stories.
2. Supporting All Students: Considerations & Challenges in Implementing Academic Library Support for Campus Prison Education Program:
Regis University librarians are in the process of implementing library support for the school’s prison education program. Regis’ Prison Education Program (RPEP) serves students at the Limon Correctional Facility. University prison education programs vary drastically across the country and within Colorado and require various specialized services. Providing library services and information literacy education to this population presents additional challenges.
3. EPA Region 8 Community Library Program - Providing Resources, Making Connections:
The Healthy Schools Team in the Denver office of the USEPA recently launched a new program to work with community libraries in several states including Colorado. We are excited to connect with Colorado libraries to share more about the Community Library Program and invite new libraries to participate. The goal of the Community Library Program is to provide environmental outreach and education and increase community engagement.

Speakers

Kim Bartels

Children's Environmental Health and Healthy Schools Coordinator, USEPA Region 8

Charissa Brammer

Multiple years of experience working in survey design, implementation, and data analysis., Colorado State Library

Dana Petersen

Multiple years of experience working in survey design, implementation, and data analysis., Colorado State Library

Amanda Davidson

Amanda is a Research & Instruction Librarian at Regis University. She has worked in academic libraries for over three years and has an MLIS from San Jose State University. Amanda is the subject liaison for Communications, Counseling, Education, and Psychology and is currently the lead librarian for the Regis University Prison Education Program., Regis University

Ashley Meisenheimer

Ashley Meisenheimer, MA, MLIS currently serves as a Research and Instruction librarian at Regis University. Her previous positions have seen her in both private business, as well as industry, and she has worked with varied populations across her career. Her specialties are History, Politics and Medicine., Regis University

Thursday September 10, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Breakout Session

4:00pm MDT

From Idea to Impact: First Steps to Transforming Your Library

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

Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Libraries evolve with their communities. Whether you’re expanding, renovating, refreshing, or building a new facility, knowing where to begin can be the biggest challenge. This session will guide librarians, staff, and trustees through the essential first steps. It starts with community engagement: listening to residents, understanding what they need, and building the case for investment. From there, we’ll explore facility planning, including phasing projects, maintaining operations during construction, and using case studies and analysis to support decision-making. Finally, we’ll discuss funding pathways, from mill levies and library districts to municipal budgets, bonds, and private funding. Attendees will leave with a clearer roadmap for turning community needs into actionable plans, and the financial support needed to make their next library project possible.

Speakers

Rob Cullin

Rob brings over 20 years of experience working with libraries nationwide and internationally. As co-founder of ReThinking Libraries (RTL) and a former leader at Kimberly Bolan & Associates (KBA), he has supported thousands of libraries and visited more than 1,000 facilities. His work focuses on strategic planning, facility planning, and community engagement. Rob’s expertise includes library space programming and design, demographic and usage data analysis, technology planning, and organizational assessment, helping libraries translate community insights into practical, data-informed decisions., ReThinking Libraries

Wells Squier

Wells has more than 29 years of professional experience working with public sector clients, and has a proven record of success with library projects in Colorado. He is known for his gracious demeanor and collaborative approach, successfully bringing clients, communities, and design teams together to create legacy projects., Anderson Hallas Architects

Rebecca Silva

Rebecca brings hands-on experience managing library projects from concept through completion, each grounded in robust community engagement. Her work is driven by a passion for holistic, context-sensitive design that connects people, place, and purpose, ensuring library spaces reflect and support the communities they serve. She also brings expertise in evaluating and implementing sustainable design strategies, helping libraries create efficient, resilient, and future-ready facilities., Anderson Hallas Architects

Thursday September 10, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm MDT
Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Breakout Session