Big Talk From Small Libraries 2026
Full details coming soon!
The conference will be broadcast online on Friday, February 27, 2026 from 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Time, via the GoTo Webinar online meeting service.
8:45-9:00am
Welcome to the Conference & Introductions
Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission
Rural Libraries and Mental Health
Audra Shaneman, Director, Winthrop City Library, Winthrop, MN, Population served: 1,400
Through the Lens of Disability: Library Services Centered on Disability in an Abled World
Stephanie M. Smith, Library Operations Manager, Univ of New Mexico Center for Development & Disability Library, Albuquerque, NM, Population served: 3,300
Books Unbanned: The Freedom to Read
Emilia Jury, Youth Services Director, and Trina Erickson, Director, McIntosh Memorial Library, Viroqua, WI, Population served: 4,500
12:00-12:50pm – Lightning Round!
Enhancing Your Board’s Knowledge and Advocacy Power
Brittany Durgin, Director, Moultonborough Public Library, Moultonborough, NH, Population served: 5,000
Designing for Reality: Building a Space in Academic Libraries for Caregivers
Meghan Kowalski, Outreach and Reference Librarian, The University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC, FTE: 2,900
At the University of the District of Columbia, many students balance coursework with caregiving responsibilities. As an HBCU with a largely commuter and non-traditional population, we recognize how family obligations can limit access to effective study spaces. In response, the library created a family-friendly study area where students can work alongside their children. This lightning talk explores why we built the space, how it was designed, and lessons learned so far. Topics include furniture, cost, materials, policies, and student impact. The space supports academic success, reinforces institutional values of inclusion and care, and offers a replicable model for small libraries serving caregivers.
Denise Lawver, Library Director, Wahoo Public Library, Wahoo, NE, Population served: 4,800
Find out how a small community library raises thousands of dollars each year selling used Christmas decorations! The Friends of the Library have sponsored this sale for 24 years–raising just a little over $200 the first year to over $5,000 for a record-breaking year in 2025.
Cassandra O’Connell, Teen/Reference Librarian, Crete Public Library District, Crete, IL, Population served: 8,400
Beyond the Stacks: Creative Campus & Community Partnerships for Student Success
Kylie Riordan, Information Literacy & Instruction Librarian, and Nichole Novak, Head of Reference and Instruction, Illinois Institute of Technology – Paul V. Galvin Library, Chicago, IL, FTE: 7,502
Building meaningful community partnerships is essential for academic libraries wanting to strengthen student support and foster broader student engagement. In this presentation, we will discuss three ways that we strengthen our students’ sense of community, through both external partnerships and internal initiatives.
We will share the impact of our new collaboration with the local public library, which brought a campus-wide library card drive directly to students; our efforts to better support neurodivergent students by expanding our collections and wellness tools; and how partnering with Career Services allows us to develop tailored workshops that teach students to leverage library databases, company research tools, and industry resources in preparation for the Career Fair.
Hello, School! Your Friendly Public Library Here
Janene Hill, Library Director, Jensen Memorial Library, Minden, NE, Population served: 3,113
Staying in contact and partnering with local schools is important for libraries, especially in small communities where schedules are tight and resources are sometimes scarce. Jensen Memorial Library uses several methods to keep the public library relevant with school staff and students. These efforts include classroom visits, shared presenters, back-to-school bags for teachers, in-house displays, collection coordination, and more. Library staff also make a concerted effort to stay in contact with key administrators and teachers. The session will include time for idea sharing by participants.
Small Library, Big STEAM Energy
Emily Zumbrun, Rural Entrepreneurship Librarian, West Virginia University Potomac State College, Keyser, WV, FTE: 885
Food for Thought: Food Pantries, Rescues, and Feeding Our Future
Marie Elena “Jett” Reed, Branch Manager, Indian Springs Library – Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Indian Springs, NV, Population served: 1,000
Food insecurity has become a more dire situation in recent times. The Indian Springs Library in southern Nevada saw this in our community of 1000. Since July 2021, this branch of three employees has hosted a variety of programs feeding seniors, kids, and adults. For the past three years, we’ve done a weekly food rescue, bringing fresh food items in our low-barrier program for all ages. With consideration that every library’s situation and support are different, I’d like to share our journey, showing you some possibilities in hope to smooth your path, should you bring food into your own programming.