2026 ARSL Preliminary Session List

Here's a first look at the educational sessions you can look forward to at the 2026 ARSL Conference! This is not an exhaustive list of all #ARSL2026 programs, and sessions will continue to be added over the coming weeks.

Additional session information will be available on the official conference program schedule. This list is subject to change.

Access & Inclusion

Understanding Behavior, Building Safety: Trauma-Informed Libraries

Safe Routes to Libraries: Actionable Solutions to Ensuring Walking and Biking Access to Your Library

Advocacy & Intellectual Freedom

Law for Librarians presents Privacy, Patron Policies and the Limited Public Forum

 Healthy Roots, Stronger Branches: Advocacy from Personal Boundaries to Community Action

The Quiet Power of Rural Libraries: Advocacy Rooted in Trust

Age-Specific Programming

"Raiding the Supply Closet: Low-Cost Adult Crafts for High-Impact Community Building"

Reaching Rural Teens: Building Bridges, Breaking Down Barriers, and Creating Lifelong Library Champions

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name" : Making summer reading your opportunity to make meaningful experiences in small libraries.

Walking Together: How Rural Libraries Are Reducing Isolation, Improving Health, and Strengthening Communities

Setting Teens Up For Success: TAB and Food Security

Collections, Cataloguing, RA, Archives

Modern Readers’ Advisory: Books, Screens, and Everything In Between

General Programming

Let's Play I Spy AI! How to Evaluate Content Critically

Seed Libraries, Community Gardens and Freedges: Creating Programs That Feed Your Community and Build Resilience

OUT ON A LIMB: Putting your library “out there” to build internal and external relationships

The Newest Hub for Food Education… & How You Can Do It Too!

Building Book Clubs, Build Community

Outreach, Marketing, & Community Engagement

Fundraising for Small & Rural Libraries

From Shelf to Table: Feeding Neighbors, One Bag at a Time

Building Community-Based Summers: Rethinking Your “Why”

Small Events, Big Impact: Turning Music, Bingo, and Community into Library Funding

Gathering CommUNITY: tried and true programs that encourage nonlibrary users into your library

Programming: From Worms to Prom

When It Hits Home: Navigating Controversy in Small Communities

Book Merchandising in Public Libraries

Building Community and Connection: A Practical Guide to Holding Civic Dialogues

The M Word: Bringing Math Into the Community 

Partnerships & Networking

Hello School! Your Friendly Public Library Here

You Don't Have to Do It All: Building Partnerships with Boundaries, Humility, and Mutual Benefit

From Circulation Desk to Community Anchor: How One Rural Library Became a Countywide Hub

Six (or Seven) Strangers: Creating Cultural Connection in a Small Town

More Than Books: How Rural Libraries Compete -- and Win -- Because They're Rooted in Community

Planning & Leadership

Empowering Staff to Be Library Ambassadors

GROWING BRANCHES: Pruning stagnation as a catalyst for library leadership

Being Ready for Change: Keeping Library Services Going In Real Life

Findings from the Public Libraries Support Community Resilience Survey with ARSL & Cornerstones of Science

Presenting Presentations

Small & Rural Libraries: Mighty Catalysts for Community Resilience

Resources & Services

Mom Sharing Shelf

Library of Things in the 21st Century

Libraries with Heart: Partnering with the American Heart Association to Support Blood Pressure Access, Education & Cardiac Emergency Preparedness in Rural Communities

Rural Libraries, Urban Problems: Advocating for Social Support Staff Without Losing Library Services

The Academic Library in the Small and Rural Community Setting: Lessons from Historically Black Colleges and Universities

The Collabratory: creating a library makerspace

ThriftBooks BuyBack Program

Workplace & HR

Welcome Aboard . . .and Please Don't Jump Ship: A (relatively) peaceful flow for onboarding and evaluating library staff

From Transaction to Trust: Strengthening Patron Experience in Rural and Small Libraries

Better Culture, Better Service: Building a Happy Library Workplace