CARLI News July 29, 2026
CARLI Annual Meeting and Annual Directors Meeting
Register now to attend the CARLI Annual Meeting on Tuesday, November 10, at the I-Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign.
There will be a meeting of the CARLI Governing Directors preceding the annual meeting. If you are attending both meetings, please register at each link.
There is a virtual option for the annual meeting for those that cannot attend in person.
Agendas for both meetings will be posted on the calendar page as they become available.
There are a limited number of rooms in a block available at the I Hotel for guests that require an overnight stay. You can book this reservation online or if you call, you need to mention the code CARLI1126 when making the reservation. Here is the booking information for an online booking. Use this link to make a reservation. These rooms in the block are on a first come basis.
You will enter:
Group/Block Code: CARLI1126
Guest Password: 9mj#o
Design, Build, Refine, Repeat – Supporting Active Learning with 3D Printing
3D printing as a process for creating real-world objects from digital models has hit its stride in the consumer and academic spheres, and many places of learning are now equipped with some form of 3D printing – though many printers are, sadly, collecting dust. Educators are looking beyond the initial novelty of these devices and imagining ways to deploy them for pedagogical support, and curricula that integrate 3D printing no longer need to be limited to pure tech or engineering disciplines.
This workshop will provide participants with a brief overview of 3D printing as a concept and a process, as well as practical advice on how to make the most out of a 3D printer in the classroom. Whether you want to create tangible, customized learning objects to facilitate understanding of complex ideas, or you want to actually include your students in the design process and foster a mindset of iterative "productive struggle", join us for this session to spark your creativity and get excited about 3D printing!
Registration is required. All CARLI Members are invited to attend these sessions.
Webinar, August 6, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
Office Hour, August 11, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
LibreTexts Workshops
These workshops are part of a series of workshops designed for the support of Open Education Resources in the State of Illinois for the CARLI member institutions who have opted to use LibreTexts. Please share with faculty and staff who are interested in Open Education Resources. You must register in advance for each session.
Getting Started with LibreTexts: Conductor and the Libraries - August 10, 1:00 p.m.
Join the CARLI staff as we demonstrate some of the uses of LibreTexts Conductor for project planning and management. This workshop will also get you started on remixing, adapting, or creating your OER project.
Using LibreTexts to Remix, Adapt, and Create OER - August 18, 1:00 p.m.
This workshop will get you started on remixing, adapting, or creating your OER project. We will cover some of the new LibreText tools like the License Stacker, Glossary, and the Accessibility checker.
Creating Ancillaries with LibreStudio and Adapt on LibreTexts - August 26 at 1:00 p.m.
Are you interested in adding dynamic assignments to your Open Educational Resources? Want to learn how to add H5P learning tools to your course materials? Or create stored testbanks to accompany the OER materials in your class? This is the course for you! You should request access to LibreStudio and Adapt on the LibreTexts site prior to the class so we can get you started creating new learning tools.
Electronic Resources Management Tea (ERMT)
The Electronic Resources Management Tea is continuing through the summer!
Join us on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 9:00–9:45 a.m. on Zoom.
More information about ERMT is shared on the CARLI E-Resource Contacts mailing list. If you are not currently a subscriber, please join the list!
Update to the CARLI Consortial Ebook Program
CARLI is pleased to announce that the CARLI Governance Board has allocated CARLI funds to grow the CARLI Ebook Program! Additional information about the CARLI Ebook Program including access information is available on the program webpage.
As of August 1, 2026, all CARLI Governing Members will have access to Project MUSE Ebooks from 2021 – June 2028. This is a consortial evidence-based acquisitions program with access for both FY27 (titles from 2021 – June 2027) and FY28 (titles from 2022 – June 2028). CARLI will make selections for perpetual access in summer 2027 and summer 2028. Members will also have the opportunity to purchase consortial access to ebooks.
Also, as of July 1, 2026, all CARLI Governing Members have access to Bloomsbury Ebooks.
I-Share
Welcome to the New I-Share Libraries
Please join us in welcoming two new institutions to I-Share! These institutions are now in the I-Share network and are ready for I-Share resource sharing.
Patrons from CHM and FLD can begin borrowing items from other I-Share libraries, either by requesting them through Primo VE, or by visiting other I-Share libraries in person. Also, FLD will begin filling I-Share requests. Additionally, your patrons can visit these libraries for on-site borrowing; please have your patrons review the library's website for any access details.
With the addition of these libraries, I-Share represents the holdings of 94 CARLI I-Share member institutions across the state of Illinois. The combination of this enormous consortial collection with I-Share's resource sharing services gives I-Share library patrons ready access to a collection that ranks among the world's greatest research libraries.
Check out the complete list of I-Share libraries and a map of their locations!
New Ex Libris/Clarivate Knowledge Center
Clarivate continues the migration of their product documentation from the Ex Libris Knowledge Center link to the Clarivate Knowledge Portal. This change affects documentation for Alma, Primo, Leganto, and Rialto, as well as their other products. Pages that have been moved from the old knowledge center will have an orange banner across the top indicating that the latest version is published in the new portal. Unfortunately, redirects from old pages to new pages are not part of this migration, so users will need to search in the new portal to find the current documentation on the new site. CARLI Staff will be working on updating links on CARLI webpages to refer to the new documentation pages in the new Knowledge Portal. The old Knowledge Center is scheduled to be retired in November 2026. Visit Clarivate's website for more information.
Semi-Annual Premium Sandbox Refresh
CARLI′s Alma license includes access to six premium sandboxes that may be used to train staff or test workflows. A "premium" sandbox is distinguished from a standard sandbox by containing a copy of an institution′s actual Alma data (personal data, including all user accounts, are anonymized). Twice each year, Ex Libris performs a full refresh of all sandboxes, copying production data from institutions and adding those snapshots to the sandboxes.
The next sandbox refresh will take place on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
More information is available on the Alma Sandbox Information page. Dates for the monthly Alma release and release updates may be found on the Alma Release and Maintenance Schedule. If you have questions about sandboxes or any Alma issue, please contact us at support@carli.illinois.edu.
Professional Development Alliance Events
The following programs from the Professional Development Alliance are currently on the calendar. Programs are offered on a wide variety of subjects. Check out everything the alliance is making available to our libraries!
- August 4: Native Tongue: The Public Library′s Role in Assisting Health Care Professionals with Community Health
- August 4: Outlook for Intermediates - Microsoft 365
- August 11: Don′t Buy (Into) It! How to Spot AI-Generated Slop
- August 11: Excel for Beginners - Microsoft 365
- August 12: A Shallow Dive into Copyright and Digital Resource Lending
- August 12: Creating Professional Development Opportunities for Library Support Staff— The Southern Library Support Staff Conference
- August 17: ADA Web Accessibility for Private Entities
- August 18: Excel for Intermediates - Microsoft 365
- August 18: Beyond Borders, Within Reach: The Fulbright Specialist Experience for Librarians
- August 19: To Sticker or Not to Sticker: A Genre-fying Conundrum
- August 25: Word for Beginners - Microsoft 365
- September 1: Word for Intermediates – Microsoft 365
To register, visit the CARLI Event Calendar.
Recordings of past CARLI-sponsored PDA events are available on the Professional Development Alliance website when permitted by the presenter.
View recordings of past AI-specific PDA webinars offered this fiscal year, compiled by Minitex.
Are you interested in presenting a topic for CARLI members and the Professional Development Alliance? Or would you like to moderate a follow up discussion for an upcoming program? Email us to become more involved in CARLI′s continuing education efforts!
PDA is now making on-demand learning resources available such as, Teaching Information Literacy.
Other Library News
CMC Cataloging Courses and Online with CMC Webinars from IHLS
Press Start: Cataloging Games with RDA, Sept. 10
Join CMC Cataloging Trainer Eric McKinney and Bibliographic Grant Manager Pamela Thomas as they guide you step by step through the process of cataloging video, outdoor, card, and board games using Resource Description and Access (RDA) guidelines. This session will provide practical insight into applying cataloging standards to games, highlighting key elements, common challenges, and best practices for creating accurate and consistent metadata. Ideal for catalogers, librarians, and information professionals, this webinar will help you build confidence in working with non-traditional materials, such as games.
Focus on Deriving a Record, September 21 – October 4
Have you found records in OCLC that are a match, but you need to create a new bibliographic record, or do you? If you find a close match, you can derive a new record. Eric McKinney will teach you how to do that.
Upcoming CARLI Events and Meetings
Consult the CARLI calendar to view the current list of meeting times and locations.
Contact Us
Please direct all questions and comments about the e-newsletter to CARLI Support.
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If you need disability-related accommodations to participate in any of the events mentioned below, please email the CARLI Office. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Registration is typically required for CARLI events. For more information and to register for events, please visit the event page links.