4:10 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Protecting Your Peace
Christina Cornelison, Madison County Public Library and Sammie Betler, Casey County Public Library
Theater
Library leaders at every level face constant pressures: staff needs, public expectations, board oversight, community challenges, and the emotional toll of serving others. Directors and managers are often an island of one, where the work becomes their identity and burnout creeps in unnoticed. Yet when leaders run on empty, the entire organization feels the strain.
Protecting Your Peace: Leading Without Overwhelm offers a grounded, honest look at burnout in library leadership and provides practical, research-informed strategies for preserving wellbeing. Participants will learn how psychological principles, mindful habits, boundaries, and perspective-shifting can recharge the heart of their leadership. Through relatable examples, audience engagement, and tools rooted in real world library experience, this session reframes self care as a service oriented leadership practice that strengthens culture, innovation, and the customer experience.
Using Google Suite as a Tool for Program Collaboration
Destiney Amiott, Meade County Public Library
Hotel Conference Room
Despite your comfort level with Google Suite, anyone can learn something from this session on Google Suite's library uses. Learn how to use Google Suite tools for programming, community collaboration, and outreach.
The Future of AI in Your Library
Katie Tyson, Logan County Public Library
Ballroom A-B
The Logan County Public Library participated in an AI Cohort this winter and came away with some insights and the beginning of an AI Roadmap. Katie is still an AI skeptic, but the internet is rapidly integrating it and the library world needs to stay up to date, skeptical or not. Your patrons are using it, are you able to support them in safe and effective ways?
The session will start out with an overview of what they learned—ethical concerns, decision strategies, training thoughts, some things to consider—but you should have time to start chatting with your peers about your concerns, opportunities, and to what extent your library might move forward with this new, disruptive technology.
ILL Best Practices Roundtable
Deborah Hibbard & Ilona Burdette, Kentucky Virtual Library
Ballroom C-D
Description: Are you confident that you're using ILL best practices? Do you have something to share? Something to learn? Join this round table discussion as we seek to elevate interlibrary loan practices in the Commonwealth. KDLA will facilitate, and KYVL will be on hand to answer courier questions
Media & Information Literacy Programming in Public Libraries
Elizabeth Daniels, KET
Ballroom E
Media and information literacy are essential skills for navigating today’s complex information landscape, and public libraries are well-positioned to help their patrons build these competencies. This session will focus on practical approaches for developing media and information literacy programs that serve diverse audiences and recognize the library’s role as an inclusive and trusted learning space.
The workshop will review core principles of media literacy and ground the session in foundational concepts. Then, we will move into practical applications across common library program areas, such as community workshops, digital literacy sessions, and daily interactions. We’ll highlight ways to point patrons toward credible sources, model critical thinking when engaging with news and social media and encourage thoughtful conversations around media use. Additionally, the session will also incorporate ideas for introducing AI literacy, including how these tools work, their limitations and potential biases, and scenarios where AI can both help and mislead. Participants will also have the opportunity for interactive brainstorming and program idea development tailored to their library needs.
The session will include strategies, resources, and ideas that can help design effective media and information literacy programming that reflects the library’s role as a center for critical inquiry and lifelong learning. Participants will leave with approaches they can apply directly to help adults in their community build confidence and strengthen their skills as information seekers and media users.