CALCON 2026 Courageous Libraries Resilient Communities: Full Schedule

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8:00am MDT

Registration/Welcome Desk

Friday September 11, 2026 8:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Special

8:45am MDT

“Mini-Programs: Finding Your Blank Spaces”

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Archivist Prime Breakout Room 8

The secondary school library is more than a resource hub—it’s a space where connections are made, ideas are shared, and students find a sense of belonging. This session highlights how “mini programs” and the blank spaces in our schedule can transform you and your library program into a dynamic asset to your school community. From quick activities to thematic events, mini programs engage middle and high school students, encouraging literacy, social interaction, and academic exploration. Learn how to create and implement small, inclusive initiatives that foster relationships, celebrate diversity, and build a vibrant school community—all while requiring minimal time and resources.

Speakers

Erica Leu

District Librarian, DCSD, DLMC

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
Archivist Prime Breakout Room 8

Breakout Session

8:45am MDT

Can’t Touch This: Mastering Archival Processing in a Virtual Space

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

As technology advances, so does our ability to teach virtually, but how do you instruct a student to analyze a nineteenth-century collection in detail without the opportunity to physically handle the collection? After adapting an in-person archival experience, I will share how I delivered four virtual practicums with the use of an adapted in-person archival experience. These virtual practicums taught students to thoroughly process and write metadata for two archival collections. I will also discuss the iterative improvements made to my teaching methods to ensure students stayed academically challenged while receiving the necessary scaffolding for success. Attendees will walk away with a scalable framework for hosting virtual practicums that can be applied to various collection types and academic levels.

Speakers

Justin Easterday

Research and Instruction Librarian, CSU Pueblo

For the past two years, I have been a virtual practicum supervisor and have continually refined my instructional methods and style. My improvements were based on direct student feedback and on areas that clearly showed gaps during instruction.

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Breakout Session

8:45am MDT

From Curiosity to Career: Building STEM Pathways Through Libraries

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

How can libraries spark curiosity, inspire future innovators, and connect families to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) possibilities? According to an article published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, informal STEM learning can lead to positive outcomes for students from historically marginalized communities. In response to opportunity gaps for students to participate in informal STEM enrichment programs, this session will equip you to incorporate STEM programs and events into your library’s offerings. You will learn how to bring together STEM leaders, educators, and families to showcase STEM’s relevance in everyday life while positioning libraries as key partners in fostering discovery and exploration. Participants will leave with strategies for hosting STEM-focused programs, building community partnerships, finding funding sources, and encouraging youth to see science, technology, engineering and mathematics as meaningful career pathways.

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

Alyssa Johnson

Alyssa is an Innovation Technician at HPLD and is an adjunct chemistry instructor at University of Northern Colorado, she has been making science accessible to people of all ages for more than a decade., High Plains Library District

Victor Sam

Victor is an engineer and a DEI administrator at Stantec who has been assisting STEM enrichment programs at schools, libraries, and recreation centers for over 15 years., Stantec

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Breakout Session

8:45am MDT

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Leadership: Zen and the Art of Librarianship

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Dewey Decimator Breakout Room 6

Join our panel as we discuss our approaches to leadership, resilience, and joy. The program examines how the panel navigates the pressures of management, decision-making, and organizational change. Through personal stories, practical examples, and thoughtful discussion, the session highlights strategies for cultivating calm, clarity, and resilience while leading teams and serving communities. Participants are encouraged to rethink leadership not as a source of stress but as an opportunity for growth, balance, and meaningful connection. By embracing curiosity, patience, and self-awareness, librarians can develop leadership practices that support both personal well-being and stronger, more collaborative library environments.

Speakers

Allaina Wallace

Each presenter has several years of experience as a library director or equivalent. We represent several types of libraries, public, academic, federal, and special. We have each managed teams of various sizes through change – construction, restructuring, fiscal, etc., Denver Botanic Gardens, Helen Fowler Library

Amy Phillips

Robyn Lupa

Jack Maness

Michele Masias

Each presenter has several years of experience as a library director or equivalent. We represent several types of librar, Retired Law Librarian, CoALL Member-at-Large

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
Dewey Decimator Breakout Room 6

Breakout Session

8:45am MDT

Local Children’s Authors: A Vibrant Resource for your School and Public Library Communities

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Tome Raider Breakout Room 1

In this session participants will learn about the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). There are many ways our chapter can help Colorado librarians connect their patrons with books for young people by local authors and illustrators. Our Rocky Mountain Chapter (RMC) maintains an up-to-date list of authors and illustrators who enjoy giving presentations at both school and public libraries. In our session, librarians will also learn about new books by local authors that often feature characters drawn from our resilient and diverse Colorado communities. Finally, librarians can find out about upcoming author events of interest to their young patrons and writing conferences that can encourage their own personal creativity.

Speakers

Susan Wroble

Led and volunteered for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI (the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), Rocky Mountain Chapter Society of Children's Book Writers or Illustrators

Polly Holyoke

Volunteer and conference presenter for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
Tome Raider Breakout Room 1

Breakout Session

8:45am MDT

The Standards Advantage: A Framework for Strategic Planning and Library Success

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Digital Defender Breakout Room 5

Step 1: Read Colorado Public Library Standards.
Step 2: ???.
Step 3: Library growth and success!
If your library’s director, leaders, and trustees are wondering about “Step 2”, learn how the Clearview Library District is using the Colorado Public Library Standards to drive library assessment, identify improvement opportunities, and shape our Operational and Strategic Plans. We’ve built a framework that we’d like to share and we've learned a lot along the way. This candid conversation will feature our successes, along with lessons learned, and we invite anyone with a passion for library leadership, growth, and development to join us.

Speakers

Jeromey Balderrama

Trustee, Clearview Library District

🥁Drummer, 👧🏼👧🏼Dad, 👨‍💻Tech Geek, 📸 Photographer Wannabe, 🏈🔸🔹Broncos Nut, 📚 Library Lover

Erica Rose

Library Director, Clearview Library District

I currently serve as the Library Director for the Clearview Library District. Before landing at Clearview, I was able to scratch the library itch in a variety of settings including higher ed, outreach, customer service, programming, youth services, and even a touch of law librarianship... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
Digital Defender Breakout Room 5

Breakout Session

9:00am MDT

CAL Committee/Interest Group Tables

Friday September 11, 2026 9:00am - 11:30am MDT

Special

10:00am MDT

AI Framework: Questions, Ethics, Cybersecurity

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Dewey Decimator Breakout Room 6

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly integrated in our workspace and our lives, library professionals must grapple with complex questions around use, ethics, legality, cybersecurity, and public trust. This session will include a brief overview of the AI landscape, and then we will then dive into discussion to wrestle with questions of ethics and application. By preparing librarians with education and skills-building, Americans will have the necessary expertise and awareness to direct our AI future.

Speakers

Office of Library Development, Colorado State Library

AI Trainers through SLAAIT and AI Awareness Project, Colorado State Library

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Dewey Decimator Breakout Room 6

Breakout Session

10:00am MDT

Beyond the Buzzwords: People-First EDI That Builds Around Your Library's Heart

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Archivist Prime Breakout Room 8

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts within US organizations have faced a tumultuous landscape over recent years to which libraries are not immune. Our library recognizes that EDI initiatives are not about politics but rather about people. By evolving and expanding our EDI efforts, we prioritized best practices which make our organization more innovative, more responsive to our community, and better at cultivating employee satisfaction.

In the past two years, our EDI team implemented several new initiatives across our organization, which resulted in a 29% increase in employee engagement scores. We redesigned our staff training program and broadened the focus of our teams’ efforts, centering our organization's core mission and values. We sought innovative approaches that invited inclusion from all staff, leading to 88% voluntary staff participation in our new entry level EDI training class.

Do you need concrete ideas for incorporating EDI values that will work in your library? At this session you will learn:

How our mid-sized organization shifted from an academic-heavy training program to a practical application program and how this can work for your library, too.

Strategies to create inclusive trainings that connect EDI concepts to your organization’s core values.

Practices and trainings that foster learning, joy, staff connection and community building.

Innovative ways to include all levels of your organization in EDI practices.

Speakers

Xochil Arellano

Equity Diversity and Inclusion management for Poudre Libraries, Poudre Libraries

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Archivist Prime Breakout Room 8

Breakout Session

10:00am MDT

CUnique Stories: Community Connection Through Storytelling

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

How might libraries enact compassion and belonging through storytelling? Librarians at CU Boulder explored this question over the past several years and designed intentional events to better understand the possibilities. CUnique Stories was a storytelling event in celebration of our 2025-2026 campus One Read title. In an effort to center compassionate listening and community connection, the University Libraries offered a program inspired by the traditions of both Storycorps and the Human Library. Members from the campus community, Storytellers, shared their stories of finding fulfillment in their lives. Participating students, faculty, and staff, or Listeners, heard a wide range of life experiences and pathways towards finding one’s calling. Listeners and Storytellers engaged in dialogue, conversation, and exchange to strengthen community connections. During this presentation, we will share the values, processes, and materials used to design CUnique Stories and offer suggestions for how a similar program might be adapted for a variety of audiences and libraries. We will invite participants to briefly engage as Storytellers and Listeners, giving a taste of what it looks and feels like to authentically connect with others through compassionate listening. We will also share possibilities for assessment of programs like CUnique Stories.

Speakers

Cynthia Keller

Ample years of experience designing and facilitating engagement programming to promote connection, community, and belonging in academic libraries., University of Colorado Boulder

Amanda Rybin Koob

Ample years of experience designing and facilitating engagement programming to promote connection, community, and belonging in academic libraries., University of Colorado Boulder

Caroline Sinkinson

Ample years of experience designing and facilitating engagement programming to promote connection, community, and belonging in academic libraries., University of Colorado Boulder

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Breakout Session

10:00am MDT

Pragmatic and Resilient Approaches to Planning for Libraries

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Digital Defender Breakout Room 5

Planning for the future of your public library often feels hard and overwhelming. Engaging outside help can feel outside of your budget but how do you approach developing a new strategic or other kinds of plans for your library without getting overwhelmed? This presentation will pull from the speaker's 30 years of planning experience, the last 12 of which were fully focused on public library planning to help you understand the most important aspects of planning development. It will cover how you can successfully manage such a project, provide a toolbox of assessment and analysis activities to gain further insight into your organization, provide key tips for engaging your resilient community throughout the process, and will offer a Strategic Plan framework that has worked well for hundreds of libraries across the country. The session will also cover questions of when you might want some help from outside your organization to support certain aspects of your process. If that help is needed, advice is provided as to how you can approach getting the right help for your organization and setting the service expectations for that assistance.

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

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Digital Defender Breakout Room 5

Breakout Session

10:00am MDT

Sometimes You Need a Moment: Searching for Stories of Hope and Joy in YA Literature

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Tome Raider Breakout Room 1

Young adult literature has often been at the forefront of navigating social themes and issues, such as advocating for greater diversity in representation of characters, authors, and stories; normalizing discussions of mental health; and exploring the ways identity intersects with society. While these are important discussions for teens learning to live in and process the world, the result is a body of literature that can sometimes feel heavy – and sometimes, they need a moment of lightness. Join us for a session highlighting books of joy and hope written for teens, and discussion about why they matter.

Speakers

Catherine Boddie

Supervisor, Teen Services, Arapahoe Libraries

Catherine and Erica work with teen services at Arapahoe Libraries, Catherine as supervisor of Teen Services and Erica as a teen services librarian. As part of their work with ALD, they maintain a robust schedule of booktalking visits with local schools and also manage their district’s... Read More →

Erica Schimmel

Teen Services Librarian, Arapahoe Libraries

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Tome Raider Breakout Room 1

Breakout Session

10:00am MDT

Sustainability in Action: Building Stronger Library Communities

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Libraries are already doing important sustainability work, often without calling it that. From managing donated materials to improving building operations and partnering with local organizations, libraries play a key role in reducing waste and supporting resilient communities.
This panel brings together perspectives from library facilities, book reuse/recycling, statewide environmental programs, and community recycling initiatives. Moderated by David of Dream Books Co., panelists will share practical examples of how their organizations work with libraries to extend the life of materials, reduce waste, and create programs that benefit their communities.
The conversation will focus on practical approaches libraries can adapt, whether they are just starting sustainability efforts or expanding existing programs. Topics will include partnerships, funding opportunities, operational improvements, and strategies that help libraries reduce their environmental impact while strengthening community connections.
Attendees will leave with concrete ideas they can take back to their libraries, no matter their size or resources.

Speakers

Courtney Dixon

Courtney is the Partnerships Manager at Dream Books Co. and works directly with libraries and school districts to build programs around book reuse and recycling. She has helped expand partnerships that keep donated books in circulation while creating funding opportunities for libraries., Dream Books Co.

David Chung

David is the founder of Dream Books Co. and brings decades of experience in book reuse, resale, and recycling. Through building Dream Books from a small operation into a company that works with libraries and community organizations across the region, he brings expertise in creating systems that keep books in circulation and out of landfills, Dream Books Co.

Cameron Bowen

Cameron brings the perspective of a public library system working to incorporate sustainability into both operations and, Arapahoe Libraries

Lex Shannon

Lex Shannon, Public Education and Engagement Senior manager at Eco-Cycle. Eco-Cycle is one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit recyclers dedicated to innovating, implementing, and advocating for waste reduction, recycling, composting and other zero waste solutions. Lex specializes in volunteer management and community engagement strategy. She has been lucky enough to live all over the United States working as a park ranger and teaching environmental education before landing in Colorado, and she's so excited to combine her passion for sustainability and relationship building in her current role with Eco-Cycle. Lex has a M.S. in Urban Resilience and Sustainability from the University of Colorado-Boulder Masters of the Environment (MENV) program and a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of Arizona, Eco-Cycle, Inc.

Kathleen Hynes

Outreach & Technical Assistance Specialist, Colorado Circular Communities (C3)

Kathleen works for the Colorado Circular Communities (C3) program, which supports communities state-wide in advancing Colorado’s transition from a linear take-make-waste economy to a circular reuse-repair-remanufacture economy. With a background in consulting and market development... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Breakout Session

11:30am MDT

CAL Business Meeting/Networking Lunch

Friday September 11, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm MDT

Aurora Ballroom "The Library League"

Lunch Menu - Asian Buffet

Build Your Own Asian Salad: Purple cabbage, cucumber, carrots, edamame, red pepper, peanuts, ginger soy and yuzu sesame yogurt dressings
Vegetable spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce
Beef with broccolini in sweet sesame sauce
Chicken stir fry with seasonal vegetables in an orange ginger sauce
Pineapple fried rice and Asian Noodle salad
Asian vegetable medley
Healthy Low Sugar Mango Lime Cake, Five Spice Whipped Cream served on the side

Friday September 11, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm MDT
Aurora Ballroom "The Library League"

Meal

1:15pm MDT

Beyond D&D: The Wide World of Roleplaying Games in Libraries

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT

Digital Defender Breakout Room 5

At this point, you know about Dungeons & Dragons. But what else is out there?

We’ll discuss the diverse range of roleplaying games (RPGs) currently being published and strategies for connecting library patrons to their next favorite game, whether it’s at a library program or with their own playgroup. Similar to traditional reader’s advisory, we’ll discuss factors like genre, tone, familiarity-level and more, as well as challenges to connecting people with games they might love.

This panel presentation will include perspectives on purchasing, reader’s advisory interactions, and programming, for libraries serving varied communities. You’ll walk out with a deeper appreciation for how RPGs in libraries can help grow resiliency and belonging for patrons, and a wider view of what’s available – and you’ll roll a few dice along the way.

Speakers

Becky Van Den Berg

Hosting RPG library programs, Pine River Library District (Bayfield branch)

Matthew Galloway

Purchasing RPG-related materials for library collection, Anythink Libraries (Collection Development department)

Jakob Seelig

Branch Manager, Anythink Libraries (Adams County)

I use he/him pronouns.

Some of my favorite things that happen in library spaces are: the eyes of new patrons widening as it dawns on them what a library is – children and parents discovering an unexpected book together – patrons helping other patrons.

Recent favorite authors include Ann Leckie, Tamsyn Muir, Naomi Novik, and still Terry Pratchett GNU... Read More →

Patrick Austin

Teen Guide, Anythink Libraries (Huron St branch)

I have been running role playing games as a teen guide at Anythink for the past three years. When I'm not gaming, I am writing and collecting zines, tinkering with retro games and cameras, and conducting Unwise Microwave Experiments

Izzie Olsen

RPG Reader’s Advisory with library patrons, Anythink Libraries (Wright Farms branch)

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Digital Defender Breakout Room 5

Deep Dive

1:15pm MDT

Designing Together: Strategies for Building Stronger Programs and Partnerships

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT

Archivist Prime Breakout Room 8

Unlock one of the library’s keys to success and innovation: collaboration. Programming partnerships create an impact on every level, and we’ll share the strategies for you to build fruitful, lasting connections. Drawing on a combined 10+ years of experience, we’ll explore collaboration types, ranging from small-scale programs to larger events, and the specific processes that made them successful. Attendees will leave with the confidence and guidance to strengthen community ties, involve new partners, and transform their programming process. We’ll use real-world examples from our library, including how we adapted and learned from setbacks, to demonstrate how successful our programming was with the collective community and library partnerships.

Speakers

Katie Harness-Hemmer

Over four years of experience collaborating, fostering new partnerships, and leading 60+ programs while working at BPLD. I have focused mostly in my department Youth Services in which I have created programming for families, children and teens., Boulder Public Library District

Sophia Surage

Sophia has over 6 years of experience fostering and maintaining community partnerships as the Volunteer Services Manager at BPLD, and before that at CU Boulder's Volunteer Resource Center. Her experience covers planning the JLF Colorado festival, cultivating partnerships within the Boulder community, and solidifying relationships with volunteers., Boulder Public Library District

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Archivist Prime Breakout Room 8

Deep Dive

1:15pm MDT

Lightning Talks

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT

Dewey Decimator Breakout Room 6

1. ABA's Free Legal Answers - A New Tool for Library Patrons with Legal Questions:
Colorado just joined the American Bar Association's platform Free Legal Answers. Learn more about how this website can help your patrons with legal questions by connecting them with attorneys in the state.
2. (Re)Introducing Colorado Libraries Collaborate:
Colorado Libraries Collaborate (CLC) has been around since 1991 and is the coolest reciprocal borrowing program you've (maybe) never heard of! Most public and academic libraries in the state technically participate in the program, but with all of the employee turnover libraries have experienced in the past few years, some staff may not be aware that their institution participates, or how to facilitate the program for borrowers. This session provides a (re)introduction to the CLC program as well as answers to frequently asked questions that are bubbling up from libraries and patrons.
3. For the Love of Poetry: Inspiring Empathy, Belonging & Resilience:
Poetry nourishes intellect, evokes emotion, and sparks imagination. It connects to the human heart in a way no other medium can. This session explores how poetry engages the whole person and remains accessible and enriching for patrons of all ages and backgrounds.
4. Roll for Initiative:
D&D has emerged from the basement to become a popular pastime for adults and children alike. It builds literacy, community, and interpersonal skills - a great choice for library programming!
D&D has emerged from the basement to become a popular pastime for adults and children alike. It builds literacy, community, and interpersonal skills - a great choice for library programming!
5. Turning Community Health Data into Library Action:
This lightning talk introduces library employees to freely available community health data that can be used to better understand local health needs and inform library services.
6. Better together: Philosophical and pragmatic benefits of collaborative outreach between an academic and public library:
Many libraries, regardless of type, are facing challenges from reduced budgets and escalating costs to maintain services and access to materials while simultaneously facing pressure to demonstrate value by means of usage statistics, patron counts, and other hard stats. Even without any budget constraints, no single library has it all and faces limitations in its offerings. Library networks and consortium have been built up over time to help address this fundamental challenge, but in many cases the relationships are defined by library type and/or back-end systems rather than by commonalities between patron experience and needs.
7. We are still standing: the fight for intellectual freedom continues:
Although book challenges in Colorado have decreased largely due to the passing of Senate Bill 24-216, library workers are still on the ground zero advocating for people’s rights to read, watch, and listen to what they desire. Drawing on frontline experiences, this talk explores the ongoing challenges facing public library workers as they navigate censorship pressures, community expectations, and political scrutiny.

Speakers

Deborah Hamilton

Over ten years as a law librarian and author of the book "Helping Library Users with Legal Questions.", Pikes Peak Library District

Josh Hem Lee

Current vice president/president elect of the Colorado Black Library Association and has served on the organization's board in the past. Has worked to highlight diversity within libraries and has worked with children and adults., Pinnacle Charter School

Melissa Beavers

Paul Betty

The proposal covers matters and experience related to management, reference skills, user experience, and outreach, Dayton Memorial Library,

Kristen DeSanto

I have worked as a health sciences librarian for 17 years in consumer health, hospital, and academic settings. I completed the Consumer Health Information Specialization program from the Medical Library Association and am a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals., Strauss Health Sciences Library, University of Colorado Anschutz

Marisa Wood

Seven years of experience supporting statewide resource sharing initiatives through direct contact with Colorado libraries, cultural heritage institutions, and library users., Colorado State Library

Michael Smith

During my tenure as University Librarian, I have presented on this topic at another conference and I am completing an article for publication on the same topic (which may be published before CALCON 2026 begins). Further, I am an avid reader of poetry and a believer in the power of the medium to reach across cultural and philosophical divides to inspire discussion, debate, reflection, and growth. My favorite types of poetry include odes, haikus, limericks, tankas and couplets., Colorado Christian University

Maria Kramer

I have been playing and leading D&D groups for about 20 years. I've been leading the library D&D program for three years., Alamosa Public Library

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Dewey Decimator Breakout Room 6

Deep Dive

1:15pm MDT

Project Management in Libraries: Make a Plan and then Paddle Like the Dickens

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT

Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Much of the work we do in libraries is project-based, and we often find ourselves in charge of projects without formal training in how to successfully manage them. While most projects are still successful, they can be more stressful than they need to be. This session will help support people who manage projects in the library to plan those projects to ensure success and reduce stress for everyone.
In this session, we will introduce the project management cycle and agile techniques and how they help to simplify successful projects. Attendees will work step by step with their own project idea to identify key phases, clarify project purpose, define deliverables, outline a realistic schedule, and determine meaningful measures of success. We will also explore stakeholder engagement and communication strategies that strengthen collaboration and support smoother implementation.
Participants will bring a project they are considering or that is in progress and will develop a detailed and flexible project plan and tools to use to manage the project.

Speakers

Charissa Brammer

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

Amy Bahlenhorst

Amy has successfully planned research and assessment projects with the Library Research Service and projects in public libraries. She has 32 hours of formal project management training as required for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.., Colorado State Library

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

Jami Yazdani

Strategic Execution Partner, Yazdani Consulting & Facilitation

Jami Yazdani, MLIS, is the founder of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation, where she helps changemakers lead collaborative teams with clarity and confidence so their work creates meaningful impact.

Jami began her library career in circulation roles before earning a library degree and has been a reference librarian, technology librarian, library manager, and library director. With more than 20 years of experience leading complex, high-impact initiatives, Jami brings both structure... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Reference Ranger Breakout Room 2

Deep Dive

1:15pm MDT

Seeing and Serving Our Unseen Caregiving Youth

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT

Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Caregiving youth are people under the age of 18 who provide care for family/kin who require support due to chronic illness, age-related decline, disability, or other medically-related conditions. In this deep dive, we will introduce participants to the special needs of caregiving youth in the state of Colorado, and engage in a co-creation of meaningful opportunities to support this population. The session will begin with an overview of the topic and an introduction to research on caregiving by young people in Colorado, contextualized against national and international trends and awareness. We will then explore the various supports and interventions currently operating elsewhere in the U.S. and internationally, and together, begin to create the ways that Colorado librarians can support this hidden population of caregivers.

Speakers

Kate Brunner

Kate Brunner is the Youth and Family Services Principal Consultant at the Colorado State Library. She works with youth services professionals across all Colorado public libraries to co-design innovative approaches to their work that help to more effectively provide library services for underserved adolescent populations like caregiving youth in their communities., Colorado State Library

Nadine Roberts Cornish

Nadine Roberts Cornish is the Executive Director of the CO Alliance for Caregiving Youth, a Certified Senior Advisor, Gerontologist, Author, National Speaker, and Chief Care Strategist with over eighteen years of experience in care management and consultation. Nadine’s unwavering dedication to caregivers extends to her recent founding of the non-profit organization, (CACY) Colorado Alliance for Caregiving Youth focusing on supporting caregiving youth and their families. Her expertise and passion make her a leading voice in the field of caregiving and advocacy., Colorado Alliance for Caregiving Youth

Dr. Elizabeth Olson

Dr. Elizabeth Olson is the Interim Director of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities and a Professor of Geography and the Environment in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is co-founder and co-director of the Caregiving Youth Research Collaborative, a national consortium of researchers and scholars in the U.S. Dr. Olson researches themes related to care, ethics, and young people, sometimes separately, sometimes in relation to each other. Her scholarship is produced in collaboration and through transformative partnerships with practitioners, artists, and other scholars, often co-developing methodological innovations to engage diverse communities., College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Captain Catalog Breakout Room 7

Deep Dive

1:15pm MDT

What We Talk About When We Talk About AI

Friday September 11, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT

Tome Raider Breakout Room 1

AI is obviously a hot topic in libraries (and everywhere), but one thing I struggled with in my programming was figuring out where to begin with my patrons. It's one thing to know about AI and another to know how to navigate educating people about it, especially when one's own feelings about it can be complex. This is essentially a presentation about a programming series I've planned (and already begun) that includes both general information sessions (Intro to AI), topical sessions (Internet Privacy in the age of AI), and more fun/social sessions (Is it AI Game Show- about identifying AI in different forms).
I talk about how I weighed my own feelings about AI with my patron's information needs, how I covered difficult and often political questions, what patrons have been most interested in, etc.

Speakers