Event Registration - Northeast Ohio Regional Library System
2026 Directors’ Retreat: Navigating the AI Horizon: A Leadership Roadmap for Library and Staff Readiness Competency: Leadership and Innovation 05/07/26 - 05/08/26 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, May 7th 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 Supporting Library Staff with AI Literacy and Understanding. 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, May 7th: 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:Supporting Library Staff with AI Literacy and Understanding - More details coming soon.
Friday, May 8th: 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.
Crystal Trice, CSM, CSM@Scale, Library Consultant, Scissors & Glue, LLC
Presenter: