As artificial intelligence reshapes how students access, evaluate, and create information, academic libraries stand at the heart of ensuring equitable AI literacy across higher education. This session explores how academic librarians can create safe, judgment-free spaces within information literacy and research instruction where students explore AI's complexities, experiment with emerging tools, and develop critical evaluation skills. Attendees will learn practical approaches to integrating AI literacy into existing library instruction programs, including a detailed outline of a newly developed for-credit AI literacy course based on the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for teaching students to use AI to enhance rather than replace research processes while upholding academic integrity and information ethics.
Library Directors, especially in small and rural libraries find themselves dealing with situations and knowing things they never could have imagined when they started working in libraries. This panel will share stories of lessons learned, advice on dealing with the unexpected, and answer questions. What is something you have had to deal with or wondered how others would address? Questions can be submitted prior to the session or asked during the discussion.
The rapid arrival and development of AI is having a profound effect on libraries, librarianship, and education. As libraries and librarians work to account for this new, disruptive, and powerful information technology, they need to take into their patrons, stakeholders, and organizational cultures. Join a diverse panel of librarians for a discussion of how guidance, policies, and the conversations surrounding AI are playing out in community college, public, and university libraries.
This presentation focuses on sharing documentation from a website archiving project while highlighting the fragility of the internet and reliable data. For this America 250 themed conference special attention will be given to highlighting projects like the End of Term Web Archive and Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian which work to preserve information related the U.S. government. These efforts document changes to materials which can face intentional malice alteration with the goal of rewriting history.
Reading Dragons and Friends is a fun reading incentive program. It uses the popularity of trading card games to encourage students to read. They earn collectable, playable trading cards. Reading Dragons was created by the Dover Public Library and has grown into a nationwide cooperative of libraries sharing resources. We will share information on our program at the Brookings Public Library. Learn how we started, tips we learned and things we are adding year two!
Across the United States, trust in public institutions has declined steadily over recent decades. Confidence in schools, media, and politics has eroded since the late 20th century, with national institutions often ranking lowest in public trust.
While organizations such as Gallup and Pew have long tracked these trends, libraries have rarely been included in national surveys of institutional confidence. In 2025, the Nebraska Rural Poll - the longest-running survey of rural life in the United States - addressed this gap by adding public libraries to its instrument. In its 2025 iteration, 943 respondents reported the highest levels of confidence in public libraries among all institutions measured. At the same time, demographic variation in responses offers important insights for librarians planning for the future.
This presentation, featuring members of the Nebraska Rural Poll team and researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will highlight key findings from the 2025 data alongside longitudinal insights drawn from nearly three decades of survey work. Attendees will gain an understanding of the Poll’s history, methodological approach, and ways to contribute to the design of future surveys, and consider strategies for how librarians and community stakeholders can use findings to improve connections with their communities.
Discover how the Hastings Public Library fosters a lifelong love of reading through a diverse range of reading programs designed for children, teens, and adults. This presentation provides an overview of our year-round literacy initiatives, including seasonal reading challenges, early literacy programs, teen engagement, and adult reading incentives.
Participants will learn how we structure our programs and will hopefully leave with ideas and adaptable approaches that can be customized to fit libraries of varying sizes, budgets, and community needs.
Many libraries are making strides toward building inclusive and representative collections. Achieving true inclusion, however, often involves more than simply adding a few titles by Native authors. This session explores strategies for meaningfully incorporating Native materials into library collections, guided by principles of respect, reciprocity, and representation. Participants will learn practical frameworks for evaluating, acquiring, and promoting Native content while navigating challenges such as respectful cataloging, relationship-building with Native communities, and cultural sensitivity. The session will provide a toolkit of strategies to support a shift from inclusion toward equity in collection development.
Tribal Libraries Program Coordinator, New Mexico State Library
I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. I have over 25 years of experience in library services across academic, school, and special libraries. Currently, I serve as the Tribal Libraries Program Coordinator at the New Mexico State Library, where I act as a key liaison between the state... Read More →
Thursday October 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am CDT Fedora 112520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
Library workers routinely use and analyze data related to their collection, patrons, and institutions. Using code for data management, analysis, and visualization can be extremely useful to them. This talk will cover the basics of the R programming language and how it can be used to analyze data and to create visualizations and interactive dashboards. Attendees will leave with a foundational understanding of R's capabilities and ideas for applying these skills in their libraries.
Roots of Justice: A History of Race and Racism in Nebraska is a pathbreaking, multidisciplinary edited volume that confronts the history of racism experienced by minority populations in Nebraska. The book contains chapters on Native American, African American, Latino, Asian, and Refugee populations. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field, who is also a member of that particular community. The authors capture the lived experience of these groups, and point the way forward for racial understanding and reconciliation.
The presenter, Gabriel Bruguier, authored the chapter, “A History of Native People in Nebraska, Part I”. He is an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Assistant Professor and Teaching and Learning Librarian at University of Nebraska Libraries, and the City of Lincoln Commissioner on the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs. He will contextualize his contribution through his family history, discuss some of the challenges experienced while writing the chapter, and explain the significance of the Native American rallying cry, “We are Still Here!"
This presentation will also give an overview of other chapters in the book, focusing on the multidisciplinary approach taken by the authors; discuss accompanying resources to the book; discuss the open accessibility of the book and individual chapters; and discuss ways in which librarians and educators might integrate the work into community programs and educational curriculum.
Discover how recognizing and leveraging your natural strengths can boost your confidence, improve teamwork, and make your daily work more energizing. In this session, we’ll explore simple strategies for identifying what you do best, aligning tasks with strengths, and building a workplace where everyone shines. Come ready to reflect, share, and leave with practical tools to help you do more of the work that lights you up.
Mary has 30 years experience as a professional librarian. She has served as the State Librarian of ND since 2014. She believes that libraries serve as community centers, connecting all the parts of the community that they serve. When she's not traveling for work, she loves to read... Read More →
Thursday October 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am CDT Dapper 312520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
As libraries remain at the heart of their communities, they face growing challenges involving materials, policies, governance, and public trust. In this interactive MPLA Advocacy Committee session, participants will work through case studies based on current library controversies and trends. Small-group discussions will help attendees evaluate policies, procedures, and communication strategies, identify potential gaps, and explore practical tools that can be adapted for staff training, board development, and advocacy preparedness.
Library Services Consultant, Northeast Kansas Library System
Robin Hastings is the Library Services Consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System in Lawrence, KS. She has 20 years of experience in library technology and has written 4 books on various tech subjects, as well as several articles. She manages the Recollections:KS digital repository... Read More →
Conrrado Saldivar is Tech Services Manager at the Natrona County Library in Wyoming, Guest Faculty at the University of Washington iSchool, and an ALA Councilor-at-Large. He is active in the Wyoming Library Association and is deeply committed to library advocacy and community eng... Read More →
The role of libraries in today’s communities extends far beyond new construction. It includes the creative adaptation, renovation, and expansion of existing buildings to meet evolving user needs. Through adaptive reuse, strategic additions, and new facilities, libraries are embracing flexibility and innovation to remain vital civic anchors. This panel will examine multiple approaches to library design—transforming existing structures, expanding current spaces, and building new—highlighting how each can produce dynamic, sustainable, and inclusive environments.
Mark is a Design Principal at BVH Architecture, where he leads civic and cultural projects with a focus on museums, libraries, and community anchors. His work—including the Museum of Nebraska Art expansion, the Columbus Library, City Hall & Children’s Museum, and the Nature Conservancy... Read More →
Explore innovative and low-cost youth services programming designed to inspire curiosity and creativity, support early literacy, connect with the community, and build lifelong readers. Participants will learn practical and cost saving strategies for implementing engaging programs for children, teens and families, including ideas on reusing materials, promoting through free marketing, engaging activities, and community partnerships.
Coordinator of Children & Young Adult Services, Nebraska Library Commission
Sally Snyder is Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services at the Nebraska Library Commission, and has worked at there in various capacities since 1984. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Master of Arts in... Read More →
Thursday October 15, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm CDT Fedora 212520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
Woodrow Wilson said that he used his brains and all that he could borrow. Following his insight on the power of collaborating, please help us discover solutions to library-life challenges. There will be mentoring as we help each other. Got a conundrum to share in advance so it can be anonymized? Please provide as much information as you can to help us better understand it. You can send it to Elena Rosenfeld ([email protected]).
Community Engagement & Strategies Manager, High Plains Library District
My focus is to help us keep us discovering new ways the Library can help our community members grow and thrive. This means looking to partner with organizations that might be ones that we never considered before as well as supporting new ways of making services and programs available... Read More →
Academic librarian with more than 20 years of experience working in academia. Active researcher in assessment, belongingness, and space utilization., University of Northern Colorado's University Libraries
This presentation describes the results of UNL Libraries’ project to implement reparative metadata practices by replacing or supplementing pejorative or outdated subject headings in our bibliographic metadata. Using examples drawn from local subject heading review and remediation workflows, it explores how librarians at UNL evaluate replacement and supplemental subject headings, determine when to replace, supplement, or retain existing headings, and document the rationale for those decisions. The presentation also addresses practical implementation methods in Ex Libris Alma, such as local authority records, normalization rules, and tools for altering how subject headings are displayed, as well as the importance of community consultation, transparency, and internal documentation in creating sustainable metadata remediation. It provides strategies for navigating the technical challenges of handling subject headings that have variant forms and for balancing local language decisions within shared bibliographic environments with numerous stakeholders. The presentation offers a practical model for institutions beginning similar reparative metadata initiatives.
Want to add readers services into your adult programs? This session will spark ideas for building engaging, reading-based programs that fit your capacity and inspire your community.
We’ll highlight two successful adult programs, sharing practical tools, lessons learned, and creative strategies for designing, scaling, and sustaining programs that deepen community connection through reading.
You’ll leave this session with new ways to think about program design and actionable steps to turn resources into powerful, people-centered programs.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how library work gets done, raising urgent questions about staff roles, ethics, and institutional responsibility. This session by the author of the recent ALA Special Report on AI Policy, Robin Hastings, argues that thoughtfully designed AI policies can elevate the human workforce—freeing staff from routine tasks while protecting privacy, accuracy, and professional judgment—and will present practical frameworks, policy examples, and real-world use cases from libraries actively implementing AI.
Library Services Consultant, Northeast Kansas Library System
Robin Hastings is the Library Services Consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System in Lawrence, KS. She has 20 years of experience in library technology and has written 4 books on various tech subjects, as well as several articles. She manages the Recollections:KS digital repository... Read More →
Thursday October 15, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm CDT Dapper 212520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
This presentation is about what you can achieve without formal training and the imposter syndrome that comes with it. As a person with a drive to excel and a creative mind, I have led initiatives at the Minot Public Library, in my local community, and state-wide that have made a difference.
The goal of this presentation is to encourage library staff to step out of their comfort zone and do the uncomfortable things because you know who you are doing those things for- your community, your patrons, and all the people who come after you.
At Fort Hays State University’s Tebo Library, the outreach department frequently partners with campus and community organizations to host events and outreach initiatives. This strategy helps reach underserved student populations and strengthens town and gown relationships. In this session, you will learn about examples of successful partnerships (as well as cautionary tales) and brainstorm collaborative opportunities within your own community.
Instruction & Outreach Librarian, Fort Hays State University - Tebo Library
I am a marketer turned librarian with experience doing instruction, programming, and reference in a variety of settings.
As the Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Fort Hays State University, I lead communications and events, manage the library website and wayfinding, and teach... Read More →
Thursday October 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT Dapper 212520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
We know libraries are becoming more: not just places for check-outs, computers, programming, or study groups, but spaces for our community members to find, connect, and fulfill needs. How do we bring in more unique resources to our customers without burning out our staff? This presentation uses the example of a rural library that focuses on partnerships to bring food programs to their community and highlights partnerships as a way to respond to local needs.
This session takes a fresh, engaging look at ADHD and AuDHD (Autistic + ADHD) in the workplace—moving beyond challenges to spotlight the powerful strengths neurodivergent employees bring. Discover practical, real-world strategies to navigate time blindness, task paralysis, and burnout, while unlocking the potential of hyperfocus, creativity, and innovation. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, you’ll walk away energized and equipped with tools to create a more inclusive, supportive, and thriving workplace.
What obligation, if any, do libraries have to preserve local history records? We will explore the functions of public history, comparing how citizens engage with local history resources in academic and public library settings (as opposed to archival). These collections enable scholars and curious laypeople alike to contextualize personal, regional histories in a national context. Using public history, libraries can engage patrons through outreach, genealogy resources, social media, and more.
In many rural libraries, staff are hired directly from the community and may not have prior library experience or formal training. If that sounds like you, have you ever wondered where to go from here? Whether you’re interested in pursuing a library degree or are simply looking for ways to strengthen your resume and expand your opportunities, this session is designed with you in mind. We’ll explore practical ways to build knowledge and skills in the field, outline steps for getting started on a degree path, and highlight funding opportunities available to support whichever direction you choose.
Assistant Director, Sublette County Library - Pinedale, Wyoming
Judi is presenting from experience in this session. She began her library career as a part-time circulation staff member, was hired full-time a year later as the adult programmer, and worked very deliberately to put herself in a position to be hired as Assistant Director, including... Read More →
Thursday October 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT Fedora 212520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
Many library professionals carry expertise that extends far beyond their institutional walls — and their communities often need exactly what they have to offer. This session explores how technical services librarians can apply professional collection skills in volunteer, consulting, and community settings, drawing on real experience working with public libraries, faith communities, and civic organizations across the region. Presenters will share practical frameworks for approaching community collection work, including collection analysis and catalog assessment, layout and space consultation, development policy creation, and cataloging and processing for under-resourced collections. The session uses a congregational library project as an anchor case study — walking through building an online (and free) catalog, through collection analysis and withdrawal recommendations, to a formal collection development policy — while situating that work within a broader pattern of pro bono and consulting practice. Attendees will leave with transferable tools and strategies for bringing their own expertise to the communities they serve, and with a clearer sense of the professional value that flows both ways. Learning Outcomes — Attendees will be able to: • Understand the steps in building an online and free catalog •Apply collection assessment and development methodologies in small or under-resourced community library settings •Develop or adapt collection development policy frameworks for non-institutional contexts •Identify opportunities for pro bono and volunteer collection work within their own communities
Metadata Quality Librarian, University of Nebraska Lincoln
Meg Mering is the Metadata Quality Librarian for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institutional Repository. She previously served as the Principal Catalog Librarian at UNL.
Thursday October 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT Dapper 112520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
What’s happening in technical services right now? In this fast-paced session, four librarians each spotlight a project, initiative, or area of expertise from their technical services work. Topics will range from collaborating in a consortium to cataloging and metadata remediation to a discovery catalog to and an ILS evaluation. Attendees will discover practical strategies and new ideas they can apply in their own institutions.
Assistant Director, Metadata & Cataloging, University of Central Oklahoma
Shay Beezley (she/her), Assistant Director of Metadata and Cataloging at University of Central Oklahoma's Chambers Library, leads a team of six catalogers and up to four student employees in providing accurate, effective and timely access to library resources. As someone that the... Read More →
Are you feeling lost in your never-ending journey of collection development? You may need to take a closer look at your ordering process and priorities for your collection. In this session we will lay out a basic guideline for selecting and purchasing your materials. We will also discuss how to compile useful data and involve your community in cultivating your catalog. Additional tools and resources will be provided for your reference.
The partnership between the Great Plains Black History Museum and UNO Criss Library is preserving and more widely sharing the museum’s archival collections. This session will explore how partnerships can transform technical services like archival processing into opportunities for community engagement. By combining archival description with active outreach, libraries can play a vital role not only in preserving community memory, but also in ensuring those stories remain visible, meaningful, and part of the community’s identity.
Director of Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Amy Schindler (she, her) is an archivist and has been the Director of Archives and Special Collections at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Libraries since 2014. Previously, Amy held appointments in academic archives in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as holding contract positions... Read More →
Thursday October 15, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm CDT Gatsby12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska
To drive more participation in our annual Summer Reading Smackdown competition, we added a fun gamifying element to our adult reading program, McDonald's Style Monopoly! This collect-and-win game reignited community engagement and led to record participation.
Pat Leach, host of Nebraska Public Media's All About Books program and retired director of Lincoln City Libraries, will present a readers' advisory-focused presentation on the 2026 ALA Notable Books list for adults, as well as additional titles that deserve your interest, and the interest of your reading community.
When the Tyson Foods plant announced its closure in Lexington, NE, the Lexington Public Library was one of the first responders. By assessing Tyson workers' needs, the Library became a space not only for information, but a place to be heard and seen. Learn how the Library stepped up to the community's needs when a third of its population lost their jobs.
Libraries have become an increasingly contentious battleground in the political landscape. More than ever, we need to be able to speak up for critical thinking, empathy, and the freedom to read. This discussion begins with a review of the library bills brought before the 2026 Utah Legislative Session and the story behind how the ULA’s Advocacy Committee collaborations helped to defeat multiple anti-library and book-banning bills. Then we will teach you and your advocacy team how to navigate the legislative process and provide state-specific resources to help you prepare for 2027!
You’re Not Falling Behind. When truly useful tools emerge, they’ll be more user-friendly. You will be able to jump in immediately. Learning about AI is important, but much like cigarettes, you can learn about AI without using it. This presentation covers the current AI landscape, helpful terminology, and motivations behind AI hype, with accurate citations and a word order that doesn’t match the statistical probability of words on the Internet.
Join regular Hosts Jake and Mary in an IN PERSON version of our popular monthly web chat. The topic for this meeting will be a ‘potpourri’ which means we’ll be taking your questions about anything that’s impacting your library life. Bring your questions, thoughts and whimsies for an enjoyable hour of conversation and sharing.
Chew & Chat is a monthly web meeting where librarians from the MPLA region gather over lunch to discuss a topic. Topics are selected by attendees at the January meeting and listed in the MPLA newsletter. You can join us by visiting the MPLA website and clicking on the Calendar of Events. We’d love to see you.
Mary has 30 years experience as a professional librarian. She has served as the State Librarian of ND since 2014. She believes that libraries serve as community centers, connecting all the parts of the community that they serve. When she's not traveling for work, she loves to read... Read More →
This session highlights the implementation of the Paul Scholar Program at Link Library, Concordia University Nebraska, where a student scholar works 15 hours per week on meaningful library projects. Attendees will learn how the program supports student professional development while enhancing library services, outreach, and user experience initiatives. The presentation will share practical strategies for structuring the position, mentoring student scholars, and aligning their contributions with institutional goals to foster innovation and experiential learning.
Libraries are for everyone, yet many neurodivergent individuals—particularly those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)—can face barriers that make library visits challenging. This session explores practical, realistic ways libraries can create more welcoming and supportive experiences for neurodivergent guests and their families.
Participants will gain a foundational understanding of autism, how sensory, communication, and predictability needs may impact a library visit, and how small, thoughtful adjustments can make a meaningful difference. Through real-world examples and actionable strategies, attendees will learn how to foster inclusive environments, support positive interactions, and build confidence in serving neurodivergent community members.
Whether you work in public, school, or academic libraries, this session will provide tools you can immediately implement to make your library a place where all guests feel welcomed, supported, and included.
Join Ethan and Richard from the Western Library System as they share real-world examples of how they use artificial intelligence in libraries. From cautiously dipping their toes into the AI waters to experimenting with current projects, they bring equal parts skepticism, curiosity, and “what did we just ask ChatGPT to do?” energy. This session invites participants to explore AI with curiosity, while being grounded in the ethics of the information science profession.
Join us for a conference favorite - One Book Many Librarians - book discussion group. We'll be joined by Nebraska author Alex Kava in disucssing the first in the Ryder Creed series - Breaking Creed. It's a great chance to join your colleagues and the author, and the program includes beverage and snacks for a relaxed and fun environment. Get started now in reading - Breaking Creed by Alex Kava.
Alex Kava is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including the internationally bestselling Maggie O’Dell series and the award-winning Ryder Creed K-9 mystery thrillers. Known for blending real crimes and facts into her fiction, Kava... Read More →
The programmable Reachy-Mini robot from Hugging Face is an open-source robotics platform designed to support the embodied deployment of large language models (LLMs). Because it can operate without cloud-based computing, it also offers a reduced-impact approach to deploying artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Equipped with auditory and visual sensors, the platform can interact with patrons and respond to prompts in real time. A team in our student-driven Makerspace has programmed our Reachy-Mini, named Robin, as a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) system that is responsive to queries within limited bounds while maintaining sensitivity to patron privacy. Robin is being deployed as a greeter to provide a unique and engaging way for patrons to discover our services. Rather than automating librarianship, Robin serves as a novel service interface that expands patron engagement while giving Makerspace staff an opportunity to explore and develop practices aligned with the AI Competencies for Academic Library Workers issued by the Association of College & Research Libraries.
