NLA/MPLA Joint Conference

NLA/MPLA Joint Conference

8:00am CDT

Information Desk Open La Vista Conference Center

9:00am CDT

Intro to Anime and Manga: A Cram Session Sugarloaf Qualitative Research Bootcamp for Librarians & Archivists Dapper 3

12:00pm CDT

Lunch on Your Own TBA

1:00pm CDT

Threading the Needle: Navigating Tough Topics in Librarianship Gatsby Advocacy in Action Dapper 1

4:00pm CDT

MPLA Board Meeting Manhattan II

5:00pm CDT

Dine Around TBA

5:30pm CDT

Omaha Public Libraries, Central Library Open House and Tours Central Library, Omaha Public Library

6:30pm CDT

Keynote: Jewel Rodgers Central Library, Omaha Public Library

7:00am CDT

Information Desk Open La Vista Conference Center

8:00am CDT

AI Literacy as Civic Duty: Preparing Students for America's AI-Powered Future Sugarloaf How Did I Get Here and Why Do I know That? Stories and Confessions of Small Library Directors Gatsby Navigating AI: Conversations, Guidance, and Policy in Nebraska Libraries Dapper 1 Saving the Site: A D.I.Y. Approach to Website Archiving Fedora 2 Starting a Reading Dragons & Friends Program at Your Library Dapper 2 The Nebraska Rural Poll at 30: Insights for Libraries Fedora 1 Where Stories Come Alive: Inside Our Reading Programs Dapper 3 Exhibit Floor Open TBA

9:00am CDT

Beyond Inclusion: Building Library Collections That Center Native Voices Fedora 1 Data Analysis for Librarians: Using the R Programming Language to Tell Your Data Story Fedora 2 From Racism to Reconciliation: The Path Forward for Nebraska Sugarloaf Playing to Your Strengths: Empowering Your Best Work Dapper 3 Stars, Stripes, and Strong Libraries: Preparing for Advocacy Challenges With Case Studies Dapper 2 Tough Questions You Need Answered About Your Library: Navigating Space, Systems, and Technology Dapper 1 Youth Services Tips and Tricks Gatsby

10:00am CDT

Keynote: Kelvin Watson TBA

10:45am CDT

Exhibitor Break TBA

11:15am CDT

Best Teen Titles of 2026 Fedora 2 Borrowing Brains - Working Together to Figure It Out! Dapper 1 From Review to Remediation: Building a Sustainable Reparative Metadata Workflow Fedora 1 From Shelf to Spotlight: Amplifying Readers Services with Adult Programming Gatsby Golden Sower Award Presentation Dapper 3 Human-Centered AI: Policies and Practices to Elevate—and Safeguard—the Library Workforce Dapper 2 Just a punk a$$ librarian...nothing formal, born to excel, be creative, and the best-est hype woman you ever met Sugarloaf

12:00pm CDT

12:30pm CDT

C&U Business Meeting Manhattan I IFRT/Advocacy Committee Business Meeting Gatsby MPLA Member Meeting TBA PLTS Business Meeting Manhattan II TSRT Business Meeting Sugarloaf

1:15pm CDT

Better Together: Strategic Campus and Community Partnerships Dapper 2 Food For Thought: Feeding Our Future Through Partnerships Sugarloaf From Challenges to Superpowers: ADHD & AuDHD in the Workplace Dapper 3 Local History in the Public Square: Opportunities for Public & Academic Libraries Fedora 1 Nontraditional Pathways to Librarianship Fedora 2 Pro Bono Librarianship: Collection Development as Community Service Dapper 1 Tech Services Showcase: Four Projects, Four Perspectives Gatsby

2:15pm CDT

Keynote: Alex Kava TBA

3:15pm CDT

Curate Your Collection By Utilizing Data and Your Community Fedora 2 From Community Memory to Access: Sharing and Preserving the Stories from the Great Plains Black History Museum Gatsby Leveling up: How gamification supercharged our library's adult summer reading program Dapper 2 Notable Books, Along with Some Interesting Others Fedora 1 Responding to Crisis: The Lexington Public Library Steps Up When Tyson Stepped Out Dapper 1 The Audacity! How to step up and speak out for libraries during your legislative session. Sugarloaf There’s No Need to Rush - Why Generative AI Can Wait Dapper 3

4:15pm CDT

Conference Chew & Chat Dapper 1 Empowering Student Success and Library Innovation: The Impact of the Paul Scholar Program at Link Library Dapper 2 Everyday Inclusion: Welcoming Neurodivergent Guests Dapper 3 Exploring AI with Confidence and Curiosity Fedora 1 One Book Many Librarians Sugarloaf Team Tiny Kiosk Bot, Deployment of a local LLM-powered robot in Creighton University Libraries' Makerspace Gatsby

5:00pm CDT

Exhibitor Reception with live band: The Raw Nerve TBA

7:30pm CDT

Smash Park Smash Park La Vista

7:30am CDT

Information Desk Open La Vista Conference Center

8:00am CDT

Exhibit Floor Open TBA

8:30am CDT

Critical Thinking in the Digital Age: Helping Students Navigate Online Resources Dapper 2 Discovering Stories and Developing Community via Archives Dapper 3 Museum Exhibitions for the Public Library: Bring the experience local! Fedora 2 Opening Up the American Dream: Advocating for Affordable Textbooks for All Students Dapper 1 Pages from the Past: Bringing Local History to Life Through Community Partnership Gatsby Respectful Representation: Honoring Indigenous Art and Culture in Libraries Fedora 1 Strong Boards, Strong Libraries: Governance Skills That Matter Sugarloaf

9:30am CDT

AI Perspectives; or, A Luddite And A Tech Bro Walk Into A Bar Dapper 1 Best Children's Books of 2026 Fedora 2 Controlled Chaos: The Beautiful Mess of Teen Programming Dapper 3 LEGOs in your Library Fedora 1 Podcasting: How to Develop, Facilitate, and Host a Podcast in an Academic Library Dapper 2 Securing Public Computers Sugarloaf Staff Innovation Grants - watch staff, services, and programs thrive! Gatsby

10:15am CDT

Exhibitor Break TBA

11:30am CDT

NLA Annual Meeting Opening Speaker: Dr. Maria McCauley TBA NLA Annual Meeting TBA

12:30pm CDT

1:30pm CDT

Books, Blocks and Bubbles: Hosting a Young Child Fair for Your Community Sugarloaf Collaboration Station!: How School Libraries and Public Libraries Work Together! Dapper 1 Don’t Panic!: Common Interlibrary Loan Errors and How to Resolve Them Fedora 1 From ‘Meh’ to ‘Heck Yeah!’—Book Talks That Work Dapper 2 Low Cost/No Tech Makerspaces Dapper 3 When I Disagree Becomes I Can’t: Balancing Personal and Professional Ethics Gatsby Bess Streeter Aldrich - Nebraska Hall of Fame Author TBA Experiential Learning in the Archives: The New Mexico Black History Spotlights TBA Jigsaw Puzzling TBA Meet the NLA Candidates TBA Mysteries Await at Your Library – New Books for the 2027 Summer Reading Program TBA New patron opportunities: increasing your out-of-service-area users TBA Shedding Light on Untold Stories and Underrepresented Voices in the Creighton University Archives TBA Small Spaces, Big Impact: Designing Immersive Play Environments for Family Engagement TBA Something's Been Eating the Books: A Practical Approach to Pest Management TBA Threading Tales: Library Engagement through StitchCraft TBA

2:30pm CDT

$$$ Show me the (Library) Money! $$$ Dapper 1 How spicy is too spicy?: Readers Advisory in the ever changing world of romance Dapper 2 NLA Advocacy Committee Updates Gatsby Strategic Planning: A Roadmap for Libraries Sugarloaf Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits Fedora 1 Visual Excel-lence: Using Spreadsheets for Their Graphical Potential Dapper 3

3:30pm CDT

Keynote: Juli Burney TBA

4:15pm CDT

Closing Address TBA