CALCON 2026 Courageous Libraries Resilient Communities: Full Schedule

10:45am MDT

Empowering Teens through Meaningful Service

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

How do you build a teen volunteer program that truly serves teens, and also adds value to your library? In this session, two colleagues from a mid-sized suburban library share how they manage teen volunteers across departments, with a shared commitment to making opportunities meaningful, skill-building, and teen-centered. We'll walk through specific opportunities, logistics, and the philosophy behind centering teen volunteers' needs. Bring your questions and your own stories to share. This program was originally presented as a webinar through Colorado State Library’s Talking Teen Services series in March 2025.

Speakers

Jessica Schwartz

Teen Services Librarian, Louisville Public Library

Lindsay Huth

Lindsay Huth has spent 20 years in public libraries with a focus on early childhood services, and currently coordinates teen volunteers in the Children’s Department at Louisville Public Library. Jessica Schwartz has 15 years of experience in teen services and has been developing and managing teen volunteer programs throughout her career. Both presenters work collaboratively at the same library, giving them firsthand experience building a cross-departmental volunteer program with a shared philosophy. Together, the presenters bring nearly 35 years of combined public library experience, with deep specialization in youth services. They presented on this topic together for CSL’s Talking Teen Services webinar series last year, and Jessica recently presented on this topic for the Infopeople course “Teen Services Fundamentals.”, Louisville Public Library

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT
Query Queen Breakout Room 3

Breakout Session

1:45pm MDT

Budget Development and Forecasting

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

Query Queen Breakout Room 3

This session provides a practical overview of budget development and financial forecasting for local governments, including forecasting techniques, managing uncertainty, and using financial projections to support informed decision-making, long term planning, and fiscal sustainability.

Speakers

Amanda Karger

Amanda Karger served Colorado’s state and local communities for over 17 years as a government finance leader in various roles from budget analyst to the Director of Finance and Operations providing accounting, budget, forecasting, compliance, grants management, procurement, and financial oversight services at the Colorado Department of Education – Charter School Institute, Colorado Department of Revenue, Jeffco Public Schools, and the City of Aurora., Plante Moran

Reed Smythe

Reed Smythe served as Accounting Supervisor for the City of Wheat Ridge, overseeing core financial operations including audit preparation, reconciliations, cash management, budgeting, capital assets, and two bond issuances. He prepared monthly internal financial statements, managed AP/AR, led implementations of multiple financial systems, and developed processes to ensure compliance with GASB 87 and 96., Plante Moran

Wednesday September 9, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm MDT
Query Queen Breakout Room 3

Breakout Session

3:00pm MDT

Once Upon a Time in the Library: How Film and TV Portray Libraries

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

Query Queen Breakout Room 3

Libraries appear frequently in film and television, often serving as symbols of knowledge, authority, and community. Using a series of short, curated clips, this session moves from familiar, traditional depictions of libraries and librarians in popular media to more expansive and contemporary portrayals found in lesser-known films and documentaries.
Attendees will be introduced to library-related media they may be unfamiliar with and encouraged to consider how these portrayals shape public expectations of what libraries are, what they do, and who they are for. The session also looks at how such examples may support advocacy, outreach, and instruction by offering shared reference points for broader library conversations.

Speakers

Jon Frederick

MLS from Emporia State University and minor in film production from the University of Colorado Denver, Colorado Library Consortium

Wednesday September 9, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm MDT
Query Queen Breakout Room 3

Breakout Session

10:45am MDT

Good people are hard to find: Developing and retaining an effective workforce

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

Query Queen Breakout Room 3

This session explores today’s talent challenges facing government organizations, including workforce shortages, generational differences, and the high cost of turnover.

Speakers

Amanda Karger

Reed Smythe

Thursday September 10, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT
Query Queen Breakout Room 3

Breakout Session

4:00pm MDT

Bringing Resilience To Light: Working With Communities Through Oral Histories

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

Query Queen Breakout Room 3

Engaging with communities through oral history interviews enables librarian archivists to work towards amplifying voices traditionally excluded from historical records. Marginalized groups such as people of color, women, immigrants, differently abled, and LGBTQ represent a significant percentage of the population that has been severely underrepresented in archives.

This presentation covers the steps recommended to conduct oral histories and how to establish trust with community members. The mutual benefits and challenges of collaborative projects such as oral histories, committees, and donations will be discussed. Documenting cultural heritage and unique experiences with diverse communities on their terms provides a more inclusive archival record and creates opportunities to help empower these communities.

Speakers

Maria Smyer

Several years of experience working with diverse communities., Colorado State University Pueblo

Maria Elena Smyer is the University Archivist and Assistant Professor of Library Services for Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colorado. She has twenty years of library and museum experience working with the immigrant community, language instruction, collection development, and... Read More →