2026 MLA|DLA Annual Conference

This session showcases simple techniques that employ a content-forward marketing strategy to educate participants on: using the cameras or phones that they have at hand in the production of social media videos and working with Canva, a free, web-based design platform, in order to produce a steady stream of quality content for library audiences.

Educators are often told that Generative AI is here to stay, and that it is better to adapt to (and adopt) these new technologies rather than be left behind. The next generation will be the ones to shape our technological world, though, not the marketing departments of a few present-day companies—and our students need to be empowered to say no to unethical uses of technology. This session describes a pathway for librarians to involve themselves in AI ethics education and demonstrates what it looks like to talk to students about technology as a question of autonomy.

You can lead from any position! Reflect on your own opportunities to lead. Explore the concepts of influence, persuasion, and personal power and leverage them to move your idea, team, or project forward.

Who decides what goes on the shelves? This panel explores intellectual freedom in action—covering acquisitions, cataloging, and censorship challenges—and offers strategies to keep libraries open, diverse, and inclusive.

Learn how developing an outreach kit can up your game in your community. By preparing an easily transportable kit, you and your staff can be prepared to take part in community events throughout your service area. This program will explore the materials such a kit can contain, the places you can take it, and encourages participants to share their successes in this area as well. This program effectively encourages participants to ask the question: "How far down can I usefully scale my library in a way that I can take with me?"