Morning Sessions
Conference Schedule
Embedded Files
Please join us for our conference on Friday, July 31, 2026 from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. See the morning sessions and links below (links to join sessions will be live on the day of the conference).
If you need assistance during the conference, please email ctlcprogramming@gmail.com.
If you need assistance after the program, please email amorris8@twu.edu.
8:30 - 9:00 am - Welcome: Coffee & Connection
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Opening Keynote
Opening Keynote
Patricia Alvarado-Barnes
9:00-9:50 am
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We are proud to welcome Patricia Alvarado-Barnes as the Keynote Speaker for the 2026 Cross Timbers Library Collaborative Conference.
Patricia serves as the Director of Library Media Services for Dallas ISD, leading one of the largest school library systems in Texas. Since 2022, she has led a period of significant growth and innovation, helping expand the district’s librarian workforce from 92 librarians to more than 200 in the 2025–2026 school year.
Under her leadership, Dallas ISD has strengthened its library program through a clear vision centered on literacy, equity, innovation, and student learning. She led the development of an evaluation rubric for librarians aligned to the district’s Library Standards of Service, helping define and support high-quality library programs across the district.
Patricia has also helped build the future pipeline for the profession by creating a pathway for certified teachers to become certified school librarians and by partnering with universities, including Texas Woman’s University, to encourage and increase enrollment in school library certification programs.
Her work continues to position school libraries as dynamic hubs for reading, research, digital citizenship, and innovative learning. She is also leading efforts in responsible AI integration to support teaching, learning, and library services in Dallas ISD.
This session is capped at 300 attendees and will be recorded.
Session A - 10:00 - 11:00 am
Room 1
10:00 - 10:50 am
No Seeds, No Sprouts: Building
Relationships with Faculty
Presenter: Laurie Bruns, Texas Tech University
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Programming, Wellness & User Experience
Room 2
10:00 - 10:50 am
Gondor Calls for Aid!: How UNT
Libraries Answered Researchers
Seeking Evidence Synthesis Support
Presenters: Pilar Baskett, Briana Knox,
Brea Henson, & Jen Rowe, University of North Texas
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Leadership, Collaboration & Organizational Practice
Room 3
10:00 - 10:25 am
Developing a Framework for Library Program Series: A Case of
Global Explorers
Presenters: Eun Ah Lee &
Evan Gan, Plano Public Library
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Outreach, Engagement & Community Building
Room 4
10:00 - 10:25 am
Researching Post College
Graduation: How to Prepare College Students for Lifelong Research
Presenter: Tom Rohrig, Texas Tech University
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Teaching, Learning & Instructional Creativity
10:30 - 10:55 am
Weeding with WEST: An Approach to Bound Periodical Withdrawals
Presenters:
Laura Morrell & Jenny Bolech, Baylor University
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Access & Scholarly Communication
10:30 - 10:55 am
Students and the Primo Research
Assistant: The Next Chapter of
Discovery?
Presenters: Clayton Crenshaw,
Melissa Johnson, & Synae Yoon, Southern Methodist University
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AI, Innovation & the Future of Libraries
Session B - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Room 1
11:00 - 11:50 am
The Wild Within: Nature Engagement at Your Library
Presenters: Jessica Rico, Jaime Eastman, & Laura Hargrove, Plano Public Library
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Programming, Wellness & User Experience
Room 2
11:00 - 11:50 am
From Interest Group to
Action: Developing an AI Framework for Your Academic Library
Presenters: Amanda Zerangue, Jo Monahan, Kristin Wolski & Carol Shaffer, University of North Texas
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AI, Innovation & the Future of Libraries
Room 3
11:00 - 11:25 am
Remote Supervision of On-Site
Library Staff: Managing with
Connection, Clarity, and Care
Presenter: Michelle Speed, Baylor University
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Leadership, Collaboration &
Organizational Practice
Room 4
11:00 - 11:25 am
Math in the Stacks: Library Lessons with books from the Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Award
Presenter: Marcie Verastiqui, Dallas Independent School District (ISD)
Ben Milam Elementary School
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Teaching, Learning & Instructional Creativity
11:30 - 11:55 am
Advancing Equity in Scholarly
Communication: An Open Access
Initiative in Academic Libraries
Presenters: Tracy Honeycutt, Texas Woman's University
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Collections, Access & Scholarly
Communication
11:30 - 11:55 am
Connecting Forward Together: Using TLA to Grow Professionally
Presenters: Anna Hithersay, Tarrant County College District
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Teaching, Learning & Instructional Creativity
Nourish & Network - 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Eat Lunch + Meet New People + Connect with Old Friends
12:00 - 12:30
Lunch
12:30 - 1:00 pm
Next Chapter Conversations
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Our Conference Continues
Please see Afternoon Sessions for more details
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