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The Florida Library Association of College and Research Libraries (FACRL) is the Florida state chapter of the American Library Association's (ALA) division of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
Learn more about ACRL membership at https://www.ala.org/acrl/membership or consider joining FACRL at https://facrl.wildapricot.org.
2026 Conference Program
Thursday, October 8 & Friday, October 9, 2026
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Collaboration and Human Connection in Academic Libraries
Collaboration and human connection are central to the mission of academic libraries, transforming them from quiet repositories into dynamic hubs of learning and innovation. By fostering partnerships among librarians, faculty, and students, libraries support interdisciplinary research, enhance information literacy, and create more inclusive and responsive services. Human connection builds trust and ensures that users feel supported as they navigate increasingly complex information landscapes. In an era defined by rapid technological change, these relationships remain essential, grounding the academic library in its role as both a scholarly and social cornerstone of the institution.
Themes
Sessions throughout the conference are organized into seven broad thematic categories that reflect the many facets of collaboration and human connection in academic libraries:
- Collaboration & Partnerships 🌟
- Community & Belonging 🗪
- Instruction & Literacy 🔍
- Library Spaces & Outreach 📌
- Professional Development & Mentorship 📗
- Student Engagement 👤
- Wellness & Workplace Culture 🧡
Session Types
Presentations: 18 sessions (45 minutes each)
Poster Sessions: 2 sessions (one session of 3 posters, 45 minutes; one session of 2 posters, 30 minutes)
Lightning Round Session: 1 session consisting of three 5-minute talks (30 minutes)
Roundtables: 3 sessions (two sessions, 45 minutes; one session, 30 minutes)
Concurrent Sessions
Each session will have approximately three concurrent presentations at the same time.
Brief Agenda
Thursday, October 8, 2026, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
| Time | Session Description |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:50 AM | Morning Coffee & Networking |
| 10:50 – 11:00 AM | Break |
| 11:00 – 11:15 AM | Welcome from the FACRL President Jason Phillips and Presentation of Scholarship Winners by Adrian Legaspi, Scholarship Chair |
| 11:15 – 12:15 PM | Keynote Address: Community Counters Contempt: How Forging Alliances Creates a More Just World and a Better Learning Environment with Jessamyn West, Library Technologist in Orange County Vermont |
| 12:15 – 12:25 PM | Break |
| 12:25 – 1:10 PM | Session 1 |
| 1:10 – 1:20 PM | Break |
| 1:20 – 2:05 PM | Session 2 |
| 2:05 – 2:15 PM | Break |
| 2:15 – 3:00 PM | Session 3 |
Friday, October 9, 2026, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
| Time | Session Description |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:30 AM | Session 4 (30 minutes) |
| 10:30 – 10:35 AM | Break |
| 10:35 – 11:20 AM | Session 5 |
| 11:20 – 11:30 AM | Break |
| 11:30 – 12:15 PM | Session 6 |
| 12:15 – 12:25 PM | Break |
| 12:25 – 1:10 PM | Session 7: Lunch & Learn |
| 1:10 – 1:20 PM | Break |
| 1:20 – 2:05 PM | Session 8 |
| 2:05 – 2:15 PM | Break |
| 2:15 – 2:30 PM | Closing Remarks |
| 2:30 – 3:00 PM | Yoga |
Extended Agenda
Thursday, October 8, 2026, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
| Time | Session Description |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:50 AM | Morning Coffee & Networking |
| 10:50 – 11:00 AM | Break |
| 11:00 – 11:15 AM | Welcome from the FACRL President Jason Phillips and Presentation of Scholarship Winners by Adrian Legaspi, Scholarship Chair |
| 11:15 – 12:15 PM |  with Jessamyn West A library technologist in Orange County Vermont, Jessamyn West is a nationally known speaker, writer, and educator on the issues facing today's libraries. Her blog focusing on libraries and politics, Librarian.net, is one of the earliest and longest running librarian websites. She is the author of the book Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide. She works at her local public library and for the Flickr Foundation as a Community Lead for Flickr Commons. |
| 12:15 – 12:25 PM | Break |
| 12:25 – 1:10 PM | Session 1 Presentation 1: "Coffee and Greetings: Tenure Cohort Meetings for Early-Career Academic Librarians" Jennie Balchunas, Hannah Whitaker, & Fiona Hartley-Kroeger (University of Florida) Theme: 📗Professional Development & Mentorship Presentation 2: "Tapping the talent of your community: Fostering library connections through fine arts outreach events" Jacob Mauldwin & Ann Lindell (University of Florida) Theme: 👤Student Engagement Presentation 3: "Connecting through Conversations: Using Focus Groups to Understand Real User Needs" Lisa Campbell, April Hines, Patty Takacs, & Hélène Huet (University of Florida) Theme: 👤Student Engagement |
| 1:10 – 1:20 PM | Break |
| 1:20 – 2:05 PM | Session 2 Presentation 4: "At the Heart of Connection: Building Community Between Students and the Library" Adrian Legaspi, Lauren Fralinger, Nyabi Benjamin, Jose Rodriguez Class (University of Miami), & Taishmarie Ramos Soto (City of Pomona) Theme: 👤Student Engagement Presentation 5: "Building Psychological Safety: Fostering Human Connection in Academic Libraries" Dawn Behrend (University of North Florida) Theme: 🧡Wellness & Workplace Culture Poster Session 1:
1:20 – 1:30 PM: "Actually Meet your Librarian: Organizing an Outreach Event Designed for Face-to-Face Conversation"
Tyler Commons (Clemson University) Theme: 📌Library Spaces & Outreach 1:30 – 1:40 PM: "Leading from Within: Human Connection and Graduate Student Mentorship in Academic Libraries" Amy Dye-Reeves (Auburn University) Theme: 📗Professional Development & Mentorship 1:40 – 1:50 PM: "Stronger Together: How Libraries Lead Student Success Through Collaboration" Camielle Crampsie & Erica Lovelette (University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus) Theme: 🌟Collaboration & Partnerships |
| 2:05 – 2:15 PM | Break |
| 2:15 – 3:00 PM | Session 3 Presentation 6: "Crafting Connection: Bridging Library and Counseling Services for Student Holistic Wellness" Josette Marie Kubicki (Valencia College) Theme: 🧡Wellness & Workplace Culture Presentation 7: "The Human Search Engine: Building an AI Literacy Ecosystem Through Trust, Collaboration, and Connection" Dawn Zimmerer & Naomi Hurtienne Magola (Hinds Community College) Theme: 🔍Instruction & Literacy Roundtable 1: "Shared Struggles, Shared Strategies: Early-Career Librarianship and Human Connection in Florida" Evan Fruehauf (University of South Florida) & Audri Pabustan (Florida Atlantic University) Theme: 📗Professional Development & Mentorship |
Friday, October 9, 2026, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
| Time | Session Description |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:30 AM | Session 4 (30 minutes) Lightning Round 1:
10:00 – 10:05 AM: "Outside Our Walls, Together: A Whole-Library Pop-Up Event"
Poster Session 2:
Kellie Sparks (University of West Florida) Theme: 📌Library Spaces & Outreach 10:05 – 10:10 AM: "CarlsonCon: A Library Themed Convention to Introduce Students to Library Resources" Jennifer Joe (University of Toledo) Theme: 👤Student Engagement 10:10 – 10:15 AM: "Shared Space, Shared Story: Building Connection Through a Library Mural Project" Susan Bernier (Florida Gulf Coast University) Theme: 🗪Community & Belonging
10:00 – 10:10 AM:"Connecting with the Past Through Personal and Community Archiving"
Roundtable 2: "Transfer Students, Information Literacy, and Library Collaborations" Angie Neely-Sardon (Indian River State College) Theme: 🗪Community & Belonging 10:10 – 10:20 AM: "Comfort, Connection, Community: Transforming the Academic Library Experience" Jennifer A. DeVito & Rebecca Lukachinski (Stony Brook University) Theme: 📌Library Spaces & Outreach Janet Schalk (Pasco-Hernando State College) & Andrew Beman-Cavallaro (University of South Florida) Theme: 🔍Instruction & Literacy |
| 10:30 – 10:35 AM | Break |
| 10:35 – 11:20 AM | Session 5 Presentation 8:"The Engaged Library: James White Library Transforming Learning through Human-to-Human Connection" Margaret Adeogun (Andrews University) Theme: 🗪Community & Belonging Presentation 9: "Learning is Not a Solo Act: Prioritizing Peer Collaboration in Information Literacy Instruction" Kayla Davis (Stetson University) Theme: 🔍Instruction & Literacy Roundtable 3: "What Should We Lend Next? A Library of Things" Tiffany Ellis (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) Theme: 📌Library Spaces & Outreach |
| 11:20 – 11:30 AM | Break |
| 11:30 – 12:15 PM | Session 6 Presentation 10: "Creating Connections: An Academic Library’s Collaborative Experience Building a Learning Community for Preservice Teachers" Brittany Kester, Shelley Therien, & Kelly Bjalobok (University of Florida) Theme: 🌟Collaboration & Partnerships Presentation 11: "Academic Libraries as Community Conveners: Building Collaborative Pathways to Data Literacy" Nick Ruhs, Neelam Bharti, Elizabeth Bernadin (Florida State University) Theme: 🔍Instruction & Literacy Presentation 12: "Leading with Authenticity: Cultivating Human Connection and Collaboration in Academic Library Spaces" Sue Garrison (Rice University) & Constance Wade (University of Iowa) Theme: 🗪Community & Belonging |
| 12:15 – 12:25 PM | Break |
| 12:25 – 1:10 PM | Session 7: *Please note: These sessions may be moved if there is a sponsored Lunch & Learn during this session Presentation 13: "Beyond the Search Bar: Building Health Literacy Through Partnerships and Human Connection" Kendra Auberry (Indian River State College) Theme: 🌟Collaboration & Partnerships *If moved, this will go to Session 5 (10:35 – 11:20 AM) Presentation 14: "Engagement Through Life Experience: Humanize Your Library Experience with The Living Book" Mei-Ju Chen (Broward College) Theme: 🗪Community & Belonging *If moved, this will go to Session 8 (1:20 – 2:05 PM) Presentation 15: "Mentoring First-Generation Librarians: Advancing Equity and Streamlining Career Navigation with Relational Trust" Elida Velado Salazar (University of Miami) & Megan Donnelly (West Chester University) Theme: 📗Professional Development & Mentorship *If moved, this will go to Session 6 (11:30 – 12:15 PM) |
| 1:10 – 1:20 PM | Break |
| 1:20 – 2:05 PM | Session 8 Presentation 16: "From Cohort to Community: Lessons from the Florida Library Middle Manager Intensive" Melissa Sykes-Silvers (Florida Virtual Campus), Elaina Norlin (Association of Southeastern Research Libraries), & Suzanne Morrison Williams (Library and Information Resources Network, Inc) Theme: 📗Professional Development & Mentorship Presentation 17: "Hallucinated or Not? Using Play and Evaluation Strategies to Build Human-Centered AI Literacy" Victoria Antwi (Stetson University) Theme: 🔍Instruction & Literacy Presentation 18: "A Trauma-Informed Approach to Student Employment: Teaching Emotional Intelligence Skills to Build Community and Create an Inclusive Workplace Culture" Ariela McCaffrey (CT State Community College Three Rivers) Theme: 🧡Wellness & Workplace Culture |
| 2:05 – 2:15 PM | Break |
| 2:15 – 2:30 PM | Closing Remarks from FACRL President-Elect Katy Webb and Presentation from FLA by Marina Morgan |
| 2:30 – 3:00 PM | Chair Yoga and Guided Meditation Katy Webb (Stetson University) |