This webinar examines the current landscape of attacks on intellectual freedom and the impacts of coordinated censorship campaigns. We'll analyze the role of moral entrepreneurs, including organized advocacy groups and bad faith social media influencers.
We'll explore the historical context of how moral panics operate to limit access to reading materials and confine intellectual freedom. Understanding this history helps us respond more effectively in today’s environment.
The webinar covers legal threats facing libraries, including new state laws in Idaho, Missouri, Louisiana, and other states. Finally, we'll address the human cost of this crisis: the occupational trauma and burnout facing library workers, including anticipatory anxiety and the disproportionate impact on marginalized staff.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the current landscape of challenges to intellectual freedom.
Analyze the mechanisms of coordinated censorship campaigns.
Compare how moral panics have operated to censor materials across four historical periods.
Recognize the symptoms of occupational burnout and trauma faced by library staff.
Presenter:
Carrie Rogers is the founder of Digital Respons-Ability, a mission-based company that has taught tens of thousands of students, parents and educators digital citizenship.
Carrie worked in libraries for over a decade in various roles and continues to work with and train libraries around the country on various topics. Carrie is the author of eight books, and is currently editing an academic series with Bloomsbury on digital citizenship. She won a 2021 Outstanding Reference Source List from the American Library Association for her title with ABC-CLIO Serving Teens and Adults on the Autism Spectrum: a Guide for Libraries and is currently writing a second edition. Carrie lives in Utah with her family.
This session will provide a comprehensive overview of Tutor.com and how libraries can maximize its full range of services. Attendees will participate in a live demonstration highlighting key features and benefits, followed by an interactive Q&A session.
Tutor.com supports learners across K–12, higher education, continuing education, and job-seeking pursuits by providing access to expert academic and career support, including:
Individualized online tutoring with fully vetted expert tutors and career coaches in more than 200 subjects, including bilingual offerings
Live and drop-off writing review services for essays, r?sum?s, and cover letters
Test preparation resources from The Princeton Review?, along with practice quizzes, worksheets, and additional learning tools
This session will be led by David Wills, Senior Director of Library Partnerships at Tutor.com, who will share insights on how libraries can effectively leverage Tutor.com to support their communities.
Presenter:
David Wills is the Senior Director of Library Partnerships at Tutor.com. He has been part of the Tutor.com organization since 2017 and holds a BS in Finance and Global Economics. In his role, David oversees the Library Institutional market nationwide, leading new business initiatives and managing the Customer Support team that partners closely with libraries across the country.
Join your peers to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and discover new solutions to common challenges.
This meeting will be held through Zoom which is user friendly to all devices. You will receive a link in your confirmation email a reminder 2 hours before the meeting. We hope you will join us. Please send agenda items/questions to Melissa Lattanzi.
Practical, real-world strategies for turning library data into measurable growth and community impact. Discover how the Growing Libraries platform can analyze your community, identify non-cardholding households and drive new memberships through targeted direct mail and email campaigns.
Presenter:
Brendan' Pearce's career in the public library industry spans over 17 years, working for companies such as collectionHQ (acquired by Baker and Taylor) and Patron Point (acquired by Springshare). In January 2026, he joined the Growing Libraries team as VP, Business Development.
"I have worked with a number of businesses in the past, but this is by far the most exciting! Based on feedback I have received from libraries that I have previously partnered with, the challenge was always how they could reach non-cardholding households in the community to promote library services - now libraries have a strategic and powerful way to do this"
The Patchogue-Medford Library in New York has transformed traditional parent education programming into an accessible podcast format, expanding their reach from an average of 5 in-person attendees to an average of 26 listeners per episode. The PML "Adventures in Parenting" podcast delivers expert content and resource guides to busy parents while maximizing staff time and programming budgets.
The model is surprisingly simple: pair librarian hosts with local experts, focus on evergreen parenting topics, and create accompanying online resource guides. Librarian-parents bring authenticity to conversations, while expert guests provide authoritative content. This format eliminates common barriers with in-person parenting programming like scheduling conflicts and childcare needs while extending the Library's reach beyond service hours and physical boundaries.
The impact has been remarkable. Beyond the 400% increase in engagement, the Patchogue-Medford Library is reaching patrons who never attended in-person workshops. Download metrics show listening peaks during commute times and late nights - exactly when our physical spaces are least accessible.
Ready to reach your busiest patrons? Podcasts as programming might be the answer you've been looking for!
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate how podcasts can be used as an innovative programming format to reach busy parents and other hard-to-reach demographics with on-demand, expert-led content.
Identify the key steps in creating a library programming podcast, including choosing topics, finding experts, recording episodes, and developing accompanying resource guides.
List the benefits of podcast programming, such as increased engagement, budget efficiency, community responsiveness, and flexible access to library resources.
Presenter:
Jessi Bouchelle, Carnegie Branch & Youth Services Manager, Patchogue-Medford Library, New York
Join your peers to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and discover new solutions to common challenges.
This meeting will be held through Zoom which is user friendly to all devices. You will receive a link in your confirmation email a reminder 2 hours before the meeting. We hope you will join us. Please send agenda items/questions to Hilllary Brown.
We are excited to welcome you to our second annual Customer Service Conference: Communication and Credibility. In an era where the library serves as a vital sanctuary for information and connection, our success thrives on the trust we build through every interaction.
Today, we invite you to explore the multifaceted nature of modern service. We will begin by mastering Professional Intelligence (PQ) to anchor our daily work in empathy and reliability. We’ll dive into strategies for bridging generational divides, ensuring inclusive access for all abilities, and maintaining safety and security within our shared spaces. We will also look at the science of the 'Mentor Mindset' to ensure our teens are welcomed. Finally, we will conclude with Resilience in Action, focusing on the boundaries and self-care habits that allow us to serve our communities without pouring from an empty cup. Together, we are here to sharpen the skills that turn everyday service into a mission of excellence and professional pride.
Morning Session: Professional Intelligence (PQ): What Everyone Should Know
Professionalism in today’s library goes beyond appearance or etiquette—it shows up in how staff listen, respond, and engage with patrons and one another every day. It shapes the culture of service, influences public trust, and reinforces the library’s role as a welcoming, respectful, and reliable community resource. This program introduces the core elements of professionalism and how they support a positive, service-oriented library environment across all roles and responsibilities.
Participants will explore practical ways to create positive interactions, navigate difficult situations, and communicate with clarity and respect—whether working with patrons, coworkers, or community partners. Emphasis is placed on active listening, empathy, and thoughtful communication as essential tools for maintaining professionalism, strengthening relationships, and fostering teamwork. Attendees will leave with a shared understanding of how everyday behaviors contribute to a professional culture that reflects both personal pride and the library’s mission of service.
Participant Performance Objectives:
Explore the five keys to professionalism and how they apply to a library’s culture of service.
Identify ways to create positive interactions and resolve difficult situations with patrons and coworkers.
Recognize the importance of active listening and empathy in maintaining professionalism and strong relationships.
Presenter:
Amy B. Shannon, President, Pinnacle Leadership Solutions, LLC, and a Partner in Your Partner in HR has specialized in Organizational Development, Human Resources and Training for over 25 years. For the past 13 years, Amy has been an Organizational Development consultant working with clients in manufacturing, service, financial and healthcare industries. Most recently, Amy served as the Executive Director II/Vice President of Corporate College where she built robust leadership training curriculum to serve her clients. Amy also holds certifications with numerous nationally known training vendors. She is a regular speaker at national conferences such as The Corporate University Week at the Disney Institute. She is a seasoned speaker for the HR Star Conference Cleveland. As a result of her high ratings, she has also been a key speaker at the HR Star Atlanta and received the Gold Medal Award three years in a row for best session speaker. Amy was a recipient of the 2015 HR Awards presented by ERC & CSHRM.
Breakout Sessions after lunch
Breakout Session 1
Strengthening Staff Communication Across Generations and Departments
Today’s workplaces bring together multiple generations, diverse communication styles, and departmental perspectives. While this diversity can be a powerful asset, it can also lead to misunderstandings, silos, and missed opportunities for collaboration. This interactive session explores how generational preferences and organizational structures influence communication, and offers participants practical strategies for building clearer, more collaborative connections across teams.
Objectives:
Understand key generational differences in communication styles and expectations.
Identify common communication barriers between departments.
Explore practical strategies for breaking down silos and strengthening cross-team collaboration.
Leave with at least one actionable communication strategy to use immediately.
Presenter: Ragan Snead serves as Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System, where she has led the organization since 2022. With 15 years of experience in public and academic libraries, she has worked in circulation, reference, youth services, and management. Ragan is passionate about
staff development and supporting library professionals as they grow their skills and confidence. She holds an MLIS from Kent State University and an MBA from Lake Erie College.
Safety and Security in Libraries â
This breakout session will discuss safety and security issues that we are currently dealing with in today's libraries, whether it's unruly patrons, teenagers, threats that we are facing in our communities or mental health. The session will cover what resources we have available and how to make connections with our community partners who can assist us with some of our issues.
Presenter: Bossie Loggins III is the Security Coordinator for the Cuyahoga County Public Library system and have been with the system for the past 14 years. Before taking that position, he was the Security Supervisor for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Library system. In his 24 years of work in public libraries, he has been involved in almost any security and/or safety situation you can imagine. He has presented security topics for NEO-RLS, OLC conferences and several library systems throughout the state of Ohio on security issues, teen behavior and staying safe in libraries.
Breakout Session 2 Access Is Customer Service: Communicating Belonging in Public Libraries
At North Canton Public Library, customer service is rooted in intentional communication, before a patron ever approaches a desk. This session explores how NCPL has strengthened access and inclusion by making services clearer, more visible, and more responsive to diverse needs. Attendees will learn how sensory-inclusive practices, accessible design choices, assistive tools, and thoughtfully designed services help reduce barriers and create a sense of belonging for patrons with sensory, mobility, hearing, vision, and cognitive needs. Through practical examples and lessons learned, this presentation offers scalable strategies libraries can use to make access a visible, integrated part of everyday customer service.
Presenter: Andrea Legg is the Director of the North Canton Public Library, where she has led with a focus on access, inclusion, and community-centered service since 2020 (yes, she started right at the beginning of the pandemic and lived to tell the tale). She has worked in public libraries since 2008 and currently serves on the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Akron Children's Hospital NICU Parent Mentor Program. Andrea is very serious about libraries, not serious about herself, and lives under the benevolent but firm rule of two corgis who supervise all of her leadership and life decisions.
Respect + Resilience: Applying the Mentor Mindset to Improve Teen Engagement
Adapted from the latest work by Dr. David Yeager (10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People), this training equips public-facing library staff with practical tools and strategies to cultivate an environment of respect that improves communication and strengthens relationships with teens. Participants will learn strategies rooted in current psychology and neuroscience to create a more positive, engaging environment for teens that extends to all patrons.
Learning Objectives:
Attendees will understand how teen brain development affects teens' perception of the world around them and how they interact with it.
Attendees will understand how to set and enforce boundaries appropriately with teens to elicit desired behaviors and avoid undesirable ones.
Attendees will learn to employ respect, transparency, and appropriate expectations to foster positive interactions and relationships with teens in the library.
Presenters: Carolyn Bagley is the intermediate/teen librarian at Firestone Park Library, part of the Akron–Summit County Public Library system. Drawing on 15 years of experience as an educator, she is a vocal advocate for middle and high school students, dedicated to helping adults shift their mindset about teenagers toward seeing them as capable, thoughtful, and worthy of trust. Carolyn is excited to support fellow public service workers with practical professional development rooted in teen-centered practice.
Kelly Chaplin has been working with youth for a decade and is currently the Assistant Youth Services Coordinator at Akron-Summit County Public Library. Kelly helps connect youth librarians with community representatives. She has experience with organizing large-scale programs such as the Library's mini-comicon Geekfest and system-wide services like the free book box subscription Lit Loot. Collaboration is key in all these efforts, and she deeply values what the Library staff can create when working together. She enjoys it when teens teach her new things and encourages youth to participate at their library and in the community.
Abigail Krukemeyer is an Intermediate and Teen Librarian with Akron-Summit County Public Library. She is passionate about adolescent development and is dedicated to providing services and opportunities that equip young people to succeed in today's multimodal world.
Emily Smith has worked for Akron Summit County Public Library for 8 years, currently serving as one of their Collection Development Librarians, and previously worked as an Intermediate/Teen Librarian. Emily holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Mount Union and an MLIS from Kent State University. Her educational and career background has afforded her the opportunity to work alongside youth and learn and understand their behavior, particularly inside a public library setting.
Safety and Security in Libraries - Repeated
Final Session: Resilience in Action
This session offers practical, easyâtoâuse strategies for building resilience, establishing healthy boundaries, and managing stress in a way that supports your wellâbeing both on and off the desk. Together, we’ll explore tools for staying grounded, communicating confidently, and creating habits that protect your energy.
Presenter: Katie Jenkins, Executive Director, NAMI Greater Cleveland
Katie Jenkins is a passionate mental health advocate, experienced public servant, lifelong student, and mother. Her extensive professional background includes roles spanning every area of the mental health sector. Katie's guiding principle is rooted in empathy, compassion, and the belief that everyone deserves a high-level quality of life. She is dedicated to breaking down barriers and ensuring that no one faces their challenges alone.
Katie currently serves as a Vice-Chair of NAMI National's Executive Director Council's Executive Committee and is Chair of the NE Ohio Hub Steering Committee of the Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition. Katie is also a proud board member of R.A.K.E.
In May 2024, Katie graduated from Youngstown State University with a Master of Social Work and is a licensed social worker through the State of Ohio. She currently holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, Master of Public Administration, and a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant license.
Makerspaces and Maker programs are enhanced services offered in many library settings. See a way to take makerspace offerings to the next level like Pflugerville Public Library. Maker Markets provide an avenue where libraries can expand support to non-traditional small businesses and encourage next steps for entrepreneurial makers. For makers this provides the experience of bringing their creations to market with a low barrier for entry. As simply as providing time and space for local makers to have the opportunity to sell their wares and share their creativity with the public. To broader community partnerships that provide further business skill building. Whether you already have an active makerspace or just want to support local makers, this webinar will provide an example of a successful library program.
Learning Objectives:
Identify local makers or makerspace users who are positioned to sell their products or are already on that path and key strategies for expanding makerspace offerings.
Create and promote events like Maker Markets to foster community involvement and support local artisans, encouraging collaboration between the library and entrepreneurial makers.
Analyze and address barriers that prevent community members from accessing technology and resources in makerspaces, ensuring inclusivity in offerings.
Margaret Miller is an Adult Services Librarian at Pflugerville Public Library, Pflugerville, TX, has worked in public libraries since 2005. Currently overseeing maker trainings, lab hours and other library programming including pet-friendly offerings, author events and maker markets. As a member of the Texas Library Association, she presented topics from tech to programming while filling officer positions on the Programming for Adults Round Table and Innovation and Technology Round Table. With the American Library Association, as a member of the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table, has served the Libcomix Online committee and the Best Graphic Novels for Adults list committee.
Join your peers to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and discover new solutions to common challenges.
This meeting will be held through Zoom which is user friendly to all devices. You will receive a link in your confirmation email a reminder 2 hours before the meeting. We hope you will join us. Please send agenda items/questions to Hillary Brown.
How do you lead a library when the technological ground is shifting? The 2026 Directors' Retreat:Navigating the AI Horizon-A Leadership Roadmap for Library and Staff Readiness will prepare you for just that. Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it is a present reality already shaping library workflows, vendor tools, and patron expectations. For library leaders, the primary challenge isn’t just understanding the technology, but leading people through the uncertainty it creates.
We will be returning to the Punderson Manor Lodge & Conference Center this year. The retreat will kick off with a light breakfast on Thursday,April 30th at 9:00 a.m. - the perfect time to catch up with your peers. The workshop will begin at 10 a.m. starting with AI Readiness for Library Leaders: Leading Staff, Assessing Readiness, and Understanding Your AI Landscape. The afternoon will focus on Coexisting, Not Competing: Librarianship in the Era of AI . We will conclude the first day at 4:00 p.m. Dinner will be at 6:00 p.m. with the tradition of rich conversations to follow. The second day will start with breakfast at 8:00 a.m. followed by Building an AI Governance Framework.We will conclude at noon with a quick lunch.
Thursday Morning, April 30th: AI Readiness for Library Leaders: Leading Staff, Assessing Readiness, and Understanding Your AI Landscape
Artificial intelligence is already influencing library work through vendor tools, staff experimentation, and patron expectations. For library leaders, the challenge is knowing how to lead people through the questions and uncertainty it brings. This three-hour workshop is designed for library directors, managers, and senior staff who want to build clarity and confidence before making decisions about AI. Participants will develop a practical, leader-focused understanding of AI, explore how staff typically respond to AI-driven change using the SCARF model, and begin examining their organization’s current AI landscape, stakeholders, and areas that may need greater attention. The session balances shared learning with guided reflection, using realistic scenarios and structured mapping activities that can be started during the workshop and continued afterward. Participants will also receive a leadership-oriented checklist outlining common next steps libraries consider as they move from AI readiness toward more intentional exploration or implementation.
Participants will leave with:
A clear, non-technical understanding of what AI is and is not, and why it matters for library leadership
Insight into common staff reactions to AI through the SCARF framework (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness), with strategies for leading change in ways that reduce threat and build trust
Practical language and approaches for talking with staff about AI expectations, boundaries, and evolving practices
A draft Stakeholder Map identifying who is affected by AI-related conversations and decisions across departments, administration, governance, IT, vendors, and external partners
A draft Current State Map capturing where AI is already showing up in workflows, decisions, or vendor tools, including what appears to be working well and where questions and risks are emerging
A leadership-oriented Next Steps Checklist to help assess readiness and consider thoughtful options for future exploration or implementation
Increased confidence in assessing organizational readiness and identifying appropriate next steps related to AI
Presenter will be virtual: Crystal Trice, CSM, CSM@Scale, Library Consultant, Scissors & Glue, LLC
Crystal Trice, founder of Scissors & Glue, LLC, has over 20 years of experience in education and local government, with a focus on improving collaboration and handling challenging situations with patrons and coworkers. She is passionate about creating environments where people work together more effectively.
With certifications as a Scrum Master and in Scrum at Scale for Government, Crystal holds a Master’s in Library & Information Science and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and Psychology. Her dedication to community enrichment fuels her work in supporting organizations to achieve their goals.
Afternoon Session:Coexisting, Not Competing: Librarianship in the Era of AI
While artificial intelligence is not new technology, the ways it can interact with people and information has changed rapidly in the past 5 years. AI chat systems are everywhere - AI in phones, on social media, and as independent services. But what about information professionals and libraries? How does AI affect librarianship and how can we respond? In this presentation, you’ll learn how AI and libraries can coexist through awareness, education, and thoughtful engagement. Librarians don’t need to embrace AI or become experts, but growing their own understanding is a key part of coexisting with AI and serving their users.
Presenters:
Lynn Warner is a Research and Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Cincinnati. Lynn supports students and faculty in the College of Nursing and College of Allied Health Sciences. She has a passion for information literacy instruction and enjoys teaching people how to find and evaluate the information they are seeking. Lynn has taken an interest in learning about AI tools and how they can (and can’t) be utilized in the research process, and has been involved in AI Literacy initiatives at UC.
Madeleine Gaiser is an Online Learning and Instruction Librarian at University of Cincinnati’s College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) Library. Joining UC Libraries in 2020, Madeleine supports academic research, maintains and creates online resources, and purchases library materials. Madeleine has participated in multiple AI initiatives at UC and regularly seeks professional development opportunities on the subject. In her free time, Madeleine collects cookbooks and enjoys longs walks through the Aldi Finds aisle.
Friday, May 1st: Building an AI Governance Framework
Successfully integrating AI into your organization requires a roadmap to take your AI strategy from theoretical to functional. In this interactive session, Glen Horton will guide participants through the critical components of developing an AI governance framework that ensures your AI initiatives are aligned with your organization's mission, needs, and ethics.
Presenter: Glen Horton is the AI Architect at Sinclair College where he leads and implements the College's AI strategy and initiatives. He has over 30 years of experience developing and supporting technologies in higher education and libraries. Before joining Sinclair in 2025, he supported AI and software development initiatives at the University of Cincinnati Libraries. Glen is passionate about developing human-centered AI solutions that responsibly and safely benefit people and organizations.
Join your peers to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and discover new solutions to common challenges.
This meeting will be held through Zoom which is user friendly to all devices. You will receive a link in your confirmation email a reminder 2 hours before the meeting. We hope you will join us. Please send agenda items/questions to Melissa Lattanzi.
Join your peers to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and discover new solutions to common challenges.
This meeting will be held through Zoom which is user friendly to all devices. You will receive a link in your confirmation email a reminder 2 hours before the meeting. We hope you will join us. Please send agenda items/questions to Hillary Brown.
Join your peers to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and discover new solutions to common challenges.
This meeting will be held through Zoom which is user friendly to all devices. You will receive a link in your confirmation email a reminder 2 hours before the meeting. We hope you will join us. Please send agenda items/questions to Melissa Lattanzi.
Teaching students and adults about fake news, digital literacy, and understanding data requires a deeper dive into images. What is the psychology behind images seen every day? Who is manipulating images and with what purpose? What part do Artificial Intelligence systems play? This session will explore images and charts to help break down what people see and feel. The majority of this session is focused on still images. The more practice people have in evaluating images, the better they are at discerning the real purpose.
Learning Objectives:
Evaluate an image's purpose by its creator.
Provide practice images to use with your patrons.
Conduct lessons on image manipulations and an understanding of AI images.
Presenter:
Dr. Robbie Barber is an electrical engineer from Georgia Tech who wandered into a school library. As a teacher-librarian, she works with high school students and teachers to find the best resources, use technology, and locate the perfect book. Dr. Barber teaches classes on using research databases and how to better search the internet. She researches the latest technology, plays with AI, and creates professional presentations on recognizing fake news and other tech-infused ideas in the classroom and the library.
Join your peers to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and discover new solutions to common challenges.
This meeting will be held through Zoom which is user friendly to all devices. You will receive a link in your confirmation email a reminder 2 hours before the meeting. We hope you will join us. Please send agenda items/questions to Hillary Brown.
Librarians and library workers enable members of our community to take care of themselves and each other, but research shows that we often end up trying to care for our own well-being alone. The struggles and burnout that many library workers face have systemic causes, yet we may feel compelled to address them with purely individual solutions. This webinar will explore how we can move to a paradigm of community care, where organizations and people work together to support us all.
Learning Objectives:
How to recognize the underlying, systemic factors that lead to burnout
Practical tips for how organizations, teams, managers, and individuals can participate in community care to reduce burnout and proactively support wellbeing
How community and self care can work together to support library worker wellbeing
Presenter:
Audrey Barbakoff, EdD, MLIS
Dr. Barbakoff is passionate about helping organizations build capacity for collaboration and belonging by centering their communities. She is the CEO of Co/Lab Capacity LLC, which offers community-centered consulting and training to libraries. With a decade of public library experience and a doctorate in organizational change and leadership, she brings both a practical and scholarly lens to library development. Dr. Barbakoff holds an MLIS from University of Washington and an EdD from the University of Southern California. Her innovative work has been recognized by Library Journal Movers & Shakers, the Urban Libraries Council, and the Freedom to Read Foundation. She has served in a variety of service leadership roles, including the ALA Policy Corps, facilitating the ALA Emerging Leaders program, two terms on ALA Council, and chairing the Intellectual Freedom Round Table. Her newest book, co-authored with Noah Lenstra, is TheTwelve Steps to a Community-Led Library. She has also written two picture books, which give her an excuse to dust off her children’s librarian skills for school and library visits.
Reference all seems personalized because each question from a patron is unique. Many questions can be similar, but not all questions are the same. How do you train yourself to respond to challenging questions and utilize reference skills? Reference can be one of the most intimidating divisions of a library for new and emerging reference staff. Recognizing how to surpass the fear of not knowing every answer is necessary to respond with confidence and reassurance. Reference skills can also be utilized to discern a standard response vs. personalized. Discerning also requires you to recognize when someone wants help vs. when someone wants you to do things for them.
Learning Objectives:
The challenges of unique questions and demands
How to instill confidence in your response when you don’t have the answer
How to form policies, procedures, and training for standardized vs. personalized reference
How to help patrons with their unique needs while also enforcing healthy boundaries.
Presenter:
Jennifer Blair is the Head of User Services Librarian and Associate Professor at Azusa Pacific University (APU). Her role is dedicated to the user experience, including marketing the library, operations, and teaching. She has extensive experience teaching online courses in design and library science. Jennifer holds a B.A. in Graphic Design, an M.A in Educational Multimedia, and an M.S. in Library and Information Studies. Her experience in academic and public libraries as well as work experience in art and design allow her to employ visionary strategies to enrich progress and enhance advancement for library users.
Carrie Rogers is the founder of
David Wills is the Senior Director of Library Partnerships at Tutor.com. He has been part of the Tutor.com organization since 2017 and holds a BS in Finance and Global Economics. In his role, David oversees the Library Institutional market nationwide, leading new business initiatives and managing the Customer Support team that partners closely with libraries across the country.
Brendan' Pearce's career in the public library industry spans over 17 years, working for companies such as collectionHQ (acquired by Baker and Taylor) and Patron Point (acquired by Springshare). In January 2026, he joined the Growing Libraries team as VP, Business Development.
Amy B. Shannon, President, Pinnacle Leadership Solutions, LLC, and a Partner in Your Partner in HR has specialized in Organizational Development, Human Resources and Training for over 25 years. For the past 13 years, Amy has been an Organizational Development consultant working with clients in manufacturing, service, financial and healthcare industries. Most recently, Amy served as the Executive Director II/Vice President of Corporate College where she built robust leadership training curriculum to serve her clients. Amy also holds certifications with numerous nationally known training vendors. She is a regular speaker at national conferences such as The Corporate University Week at the Disney Institute. She is a seasoned speaker for the HR Star Conference Cleveland. As a result of her high ratings, she has also been a key speaker at the HR Star Atlanta and received the Gold Medal Award three years in a row for best session speaker. Amy was a recipient of the 2015 HR Awards presented by ERC & CSHRM.
Ragan Snead serves as Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System, where she has led the organization since 2022. With 15 years of experience in public and academic libraries, she has worked in circulation, reference, youth services, and management. Ragan is passionate about
Andrea Legg is the Director of the North Canton Public Library, where she has led with a focus on access, inclusion, and community-centered service since 2020 (yes, she started right at the beginning of the pandemic and lived to tell the tale). She has worked in public libraries since 2008 and currently serves on the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Akron Children's Hospital NICU Parent Mentor Program. Andrea is very serious about libraries, not serious about herself, and lives under the benevolent but firm rule of two corgis who supervise all of her leadership and life decisions. 
Carolyn Bagley is the intermediate/teen librarian at Firestone Park Library, part of the Akron–Summit County Public Library system. Drawing on 15 years of experience as an educator, she is a vocal advocate for middle and high school students, dedicated to helping adults shift their mindset about teenagers toward seeing them as capable, thoughtful, and worthy of trust. Carolyn is excited to support fellow public service workers with practical professional development rooted in teen-centered practice.
Kelly Chaplin has been working with youth for a decade and is currently the Assistant Youth Services Coordinator at Akron-Summit County Public Library. Kelly helps connect youth librarians with community representatives. She has experience with organizing large-scale programs such as the Library's mini-comicon Geekfest and system-wide services like the free book box subscription Lit Loot. Collaboration is key in all these efforts, and she deeply values what the Library staff can create when working together. She enjoys it when teens teach her new things and encourages youth to participate at their library and in the community.
Abigail Krukemeyer is an Intermediate and Teen Librarian with Akron-Summit County Public Library. She is passionate about adolescent development and is dedicated to providing services and opportunities that equip young people to succeed in today's multimodal world. 
Emily Smith has worked for Akron Summit County Public Library for 8 years, currently serving as one of their Collection Development Librarians, and previously worked as an Intermediate/Teen Librarian. Emily holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Mount Union and an MLIS from Kent State University. Her educational and career background has afforded her the opportunity to work alongside youth and learn and understand their behavior, particularly inside a public library setting. 
Katie Jenkins, Executive Director, NAMI Greater Cleveland
Margaret Miller is an Adult Services Librarian at Pflugerville Public Library, Pflugerville, TX, has worked in public libraries since 2005. Currently overseeing maker trainings, lab hours and other library programming including pet-friendly offerings, author events and maker markets. As a member of the Texas Library Association, she presented topics from tech to programming while filling officer positions on the Programming for Adults Round Table and Innovation and Technology Round Table. With the American Library Association, as a member of the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table, has served the Libcomix Online committee and the Best Graphic Novels for Adults list committee.
Crystal Trice, CSM, CSM@Scale, Library Consultant, Scissors & Glue, LLC
Lynn Warner is a Research and Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Cincinnati. Lynn supports students and faculty in the College of Nursing and College of Allied Health Sciences. She has a passion for information literacy instruction and enjoys teaching people how to find and evaluate the information they are seeking. Lynn has taken an interest in learning about AI tools and how they can (and can’t) be utilized in the research process, and has been involved in AI Literacy initiatives at UC.
Madeleine Gaiser is an Online Learning and Instruction Librarian at University of Cincinnati’s College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) Library. Joining UC Libraries in 2020, Madeleine supports academic research, maintains and creates online resources, and purchases library materials. Madeleine has participated in multiple AI initiatives at UC and regularly seeks professional development opportunities on the subject. In her free time, Madeleine collects cookbooks and enjoys longs walks through the Aldi Finds aisle.
Presenter:
Dr. Robbie Barber is an electrical engineer from Georgia Tech who wandered into a school library. As a teacher-librarian, she works with high school students and teachers to find the best resources, use technology, and locate the perfect book. Dr. Barber teaches classes on using research databases and how to better search the internet. She researches the latest technology, plays with AI, and creates professional presentations on recognizing fake news and other tech-infused ideas in the classroom and the library.
Audrey Barbakoff, EdD, MLIS 
Jennifer Blair is the Head of User Services Librarian and Associate Professor at Azusa Pacific University (APU). Her role is dedicated to the user experience, including marketing the library, operations, and teaching. She has extensive experience teaching online courses in design and library science. Jennifer holds a B.A. in Graphic Design, an M.A in Educational Multimedia, and an M.S. in Library and Information Studies. Her experience in academic and public libraries as well as work experience in art and design allow her to employ visionary strategies to enrich progress and enhance advancement for library users.