Spring CE 2026

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Event Schedule

TIMEPROGRAMPRESENTERROOM
8:30-9:00AMWelcome, Registration, Coffee, Vendor Networking, Free Headshots!Kelly Lounge
Keynote:
9:00-10:00amThe Power of the Huddle: Concentric Circles of CommunityAnnaLee DragonMain Dining Room
10:00-10:15amBreakBreakBreak
Session 1:
10:15-11:15am1.1) NARCAN TrainingConnie TerryMain Dining Room
1.2) Rethinking Dewey in the LibraryBarb Radigan & Larissa WagnerHanley Room (Library)
1.3) Web AccessibilityKendyl Litwiller-SutherbySmall Dining Room
1.4) Retention with Intention: Forging Meaningful, Lifelong Connections with DonorsNikki RonanTriangle Lounge
Lunch:
11:15am-12:30pmLunch, Door Prizes, Vendor NetworkingMain Dining Room
Session 2:
12:30-1:30pm2.1) Repair Cafe: Let’s Fix It TogetherPauline Emery & Jen FerrisMain Dining Room
2.2) Homesteading at Your LibraryErica MosesHanley Room (Library)
2.3) Let’s Talk Intelligence, ArtificiallyMelissa Desir-SpinelliSmall Dining Room
 2.4) Updates to NYS Minimum StandardsBrian Hildreth & Erika JennsTriangle Lounge
1:30-1:45pmBreakBreakBreak
Session 3:
1:45-2:45pm3.1) Trauma Informed LibrariesRebecca RowleyMain Dining Room
3.2) School PartnershipsKarin Thomas & Jessica WestlakeHanley Room (Library)
3.3) TBDSmall Dining Room
3.4) Trustees Who Stay and Serve: Practical Strategies for Strong Library BoardsTina Dalton & Faith StewartTriangle Lounge
2:45-3:00pmBreakBreakBreak
Session 4:
3:00-4:00pm4.1) Welcome & Welcoming at the LibraryErika House & Jessica LashMain Dining Room
4.2) Celebrating America 250 with Local History & Special CollectionsDenise Chilson, Tina Dalton, Chuck Henry, Katherine Jacus, Claire Lovell & Maggie YoungHanley Room (Library)
4.3) Be a Human Firewall: A librarian’s guide to interrupting misinformation and protecting democracyMiranda StefanoSmall Dining Room
4.4) TBDTriangle Lounge

Check out session descriptions and learn more about each presentation.


Event Code of Conduct

STLS Statement of Appropriate Conduct for Events

The Southern Tier Library System holds professional conferences and meetings to enable its members to receive continuing education, build professional networks, and discover new products and services for professional use. To provide all participants – members and other attendees, speakers, exhibitors, staff and volunteers – the opportunity to benefit from the event, the Southern Tier Library System is committed to providing a harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, ethnicity, religion or other group identity.

As an organization, STLS is strongly committed to diversity, equity and the free expression of ideas. These values have been outlined in the STLS Declaration Promoting Racial and Social Justice.

Within the professional practices of librarianship, critical examination of beliefs and viewpoints does not, by itself, constitute hostile conduct or harassment. Similarly, use of sexual imagery or language in the context of a professional discussion might not constitute hostile conduct or harassment.

STLS seeks to provide a learning environment in which diverse participants may learn, network and enjoy the company of colleagues in an environment of mutual human respect. We recognize a shared responsibility to create and hold that environment for the benefit of all.

Some behaviors are, therefore, specifically prohibited:

  • Harassment or intimidation based on race, religion, language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, appearance, or other group status.
  • Sexual harassment or intimidation, including unwelcome sexual attention, stalking (physical or virtual), or unsolicited physical contact.
  • Yelling at or threatening speakers (verbally or physically).

Furthermore, the following behaviors are prohibited during virtual meetings and events:

  • Recording, live streaming, taking screenshots, or sharing of event content without prior permission from organizers and presenters.
  • Using AI transcription tools or note-taking bots:
    • If you’d like to use note taking/transcribing/AI bots or tools for accessibility purposes in any online meetings and events hosted by STLS, please notify us in advance via info@stls.org
    • Without prior notification, any note taking/transcribing/AI bots or tools that join our meetings will be removed. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Speakers are asked to frame discussions as openly and inclusively as possible and to be aware of how language or images may be perceived by others.

All participants are expected to observe these rules and behaviors in all conference venues, including online venues, and conference social events. Participants asked to stop hostile or harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Participants seek to learn, network and have fun. Please do so responsibly and with respect for the right of others to do likewise.


Land Acknowledgement

Thank you for joining us today! Please take a moment to read our Land Acknowledgement, and check out these additional resources to learn more about the history of the land around us:

Native Land Digital – Look up your location; links will appear with different nation names. By clicking on those links, you will be taken to a page specifically about that nation, language, or treaty, where you can view some sources, give feedback, and learn a little more.

Seneca Nation – The Seneca were the largest of six Native American nations which comprised the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations, a democratic government that pre-dates the United States Constitution. The historical Seneca occupied territory throughout the Finger Lakes area in Central New York, and in the Genesee Valley in Western New York. Today the Seneca Nation currently has a total enrolled population of over 8,000 citizens.

Haudenosaunee Confederacy – The confederacy was founded by the prophet known as the Peacemaker with the help of Aionwatha, more commonly known as Hiawatha. The confederacy, made up of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas was intended as a way to unite the nations and create a peaceful means of decision making. Through the confederacy, each of the nations of the Haudenosaunee are united by a common goal to live in harmony.

American Indian Library Association – AILA was founded in 1979 in conjunction with the White House Pre-Conference on Indian Library and Information Services on or near Reservations. At the time, there was increasing awareness that library services for Native Americans were inadequate. An affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), the American Indian Library Association is a membership action group that addresses the library-related needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives.


STLS Sustainability Statement

On May 14th, 2019, the American Library Association announced that sustainability would be added as a core value of librarianship, and libraries were highlighted for the important and unique role they play in promoting community awareness about resilience, climate change, and a sustainable future.  

At STLS, we recognize the need for change and the opportunity that libraries have to be leaders by setting an example for sustainable practices in our communities. We joined the Sustainable Libraries Initiative in 2023 and will spend the next few years working to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program. This program provides a path forward to nurture libraries and communities that are more environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically feasible. We are excited to begin this important work and look forward to sharing our progress. 

As we look to the future, we find motivation in the American Library Association’s Sustainability in Libraries Call to Action, “Facing the realities of climate change and acting with purpose is the responsibility of all library stakeholders, in our personal lives and at work. From the inside out, our libraries should reflect a commitment to sustainability as a core value.” Together we can make a difference.  


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