NLA/MPLA Joint Conference: Full Schedule

8:00am CDT

Starting a Reading Dragons & Friends Program at Your Library

Thursday October 15, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT

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!

Speakers

Katherine Eberline

Children’s Services Coordinator, Brookings Public Library

Kristen Prout

Thursday October 15, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

9:00am CDT

Stars, Stripes, and Strong Libraries: Preparing for Advocacy Challenges With Case Studies

Thursday October 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am CDT

Dapper 2

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.

Speakers

Valerie Nye

Santa Fe Community College

Robin Hastings

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

Tech Services Manager, Natrona County Library

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 →

Holli Duggan

Kilgore Memorial Library

Thursday October 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

11:15am CDT

Human-Centered AI: Policies and Practices to Elevate—and Safeguard—the Library Workforce

Thursday October 15, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm CDT

Dapper 2

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.

Speakers

Robin Hastings

Library Services Consultant, Northeast Kansas Library System

Thursday October 15, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

1:15pm CDT

Better Together: Strategic Campus and Community Partnerships

Thursday October 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

Dapper 2

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.

Speakers

Cyndi Landis

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 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

3:15pm CDT

Leveling up: How gamification supercharged our library's adult summer reading program

Thursday October 15, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm CDT

Dapper 2

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.

Speakers

Hattie Lee

Kilgore Memorial Library

Thursday October 15, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

4:15pm CDT

Empowering Student Success and Library Innovation: The Impact of the Paul Scholar Program at Link Library

Thursday October 15, 2026 4:15pm - 5:00pm CDT

Dapper 2

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.

Speakers

Karen Centeno

Concordia University Nebraska

Paul Berggren

Payton Hendricks

Thursday October 15, 2026 4:15pm - 5:00pm CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

8:30am CDT

Critical Thinking in the Digital Age: Helping Students Navigate Online Resources

Friday October 16, 2026 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Dapper 2

This session will explore practical strategies for teaching students how to evaluate online information in a world of constant digital content. Participants will examine common challenges such as misinformation, bias, and unreliable sources, and learn classroom-ready techniques to build students’ critical thinking and digital literacy skills. The session will highlight best practices for guiding students through searching for information, vertical and lateral reading, and fact-checking processes. Educators will leave with practical strategies and resources they can immediately implement to strengthen student learning and research skills.

Speakers

Courtney Pentland

ITL/School Library Programs Coordinator, University of Nebraska Omaha

Friday October 16, 2026 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

9:30am CDT

Podcasting: How to Develop, Facilitate, and Host a Podcast in an Academic Library

Friday October 16, 2026 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Dapper 2

This presentation will break down the process for a library to develop its own podcast, including coming up with an idea, creating a hook and tagline, and choosing the technology to use. While also looking at what formatting works best for your library, what topics and themes you can use, and how to develop your ideas. It will then go into how to facilitate your podcast in connection to platforms, schedules, and marketing. Finally, I will discuss how a library can use its podcast to promote its collections, programs, resources, and values.

Speakers

Jessica Omer

Bellevue University Library

Friday October 16, 2026 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

1:30pm CDT

From ‘Meh’ to ‘Heck Yeah!’—Book Talks That Work

Friday October 16, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT

Dapper 2

If your book talks are getting more yawns than cheers, it’s time for a makeover! Learn how to turn “meh” moments into “heck yeah!” reactions by finding the juicy bits of any book, using your voice (no opera singing required), and adding just the right amount of flair to keep listeners hooked. Whether you’re talking to kids, teens, or adults, you’ll leave with practical tips to deliver book talks that spark curiosity and get books into readers’ hands.

Speakers

Jennifer McCulley

McPherson Public Library

Friday October 16, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

2:30pm CDT

How spicy is too spicy?: Readers Advisory in the ever changing world of romance

Friday October 16, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT

Dapper 2

The past few years have seen everything from the rise in romance set in fantasy worlds, to serial killers falling in love, and even mothmen as heroes. How is a librarian to decide what is worth buying and recommending to readers especially when many romance readers can consume upwards of 30 books a month.

You will learn how to maximize your romance budget, purchase the very latest trends in the genre, seek out the hot new titles, and also satisfy your more traditional readers. Also, discover tips and tricks for helping library patrons find just the right romance for them and to answer that age old question, is it a romance or is it erotica?

Speakers

Alicia Ahlvers

Central Kansas Library System

Friday October 16, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm CDT
Dapper 2 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, Nebraska

Breakout

8:00am CDT

9:00am CDT

11:15am CDT

1:15pm CDT

3:15pm CDT

4:15pm CDT

8:30am CDT

9:30am CDT

1:30pm CDT

2:30pm CDT

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