CARLI News October 28, 2026

Registration Closes on November 2 for the CARLI Annual Meeting and Annual Directors Meeting 

The 2026 CARLI Annual Meeting is all about library advocacy! Our keynote speaker, John Chrastka, executive director of EveryLibrary will present, "Advancing the Academic Library Agenda for Higher Education in Illinois". The session will examine key issues in Springfield and Washington and demonstrate ways for you to strengthen relationships with campus leaders, faculty, students, policymakers, and other higher education stakeholders.

Register now to attend on Tuesday, November 10, at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign. There is also a virtual option for those who wish to attend online.

There will be a meeting of the CARLI Governing Directors preceding the annual meeting. If you are planning to attend both meetings, please register for each one.

The complete agenda can be viewed on the registration page.

The deadline to register for in-person attendance is November 2. All staff at CARLI member libraries are welcome to attend. We hope you will join us!

CY27 Selection Period

Make your E-Resources calendar year selections now! The E-Resources calendar year 2027 brokering period will close on November 13. 

CARLI to Discontinue Alma Batch Inventory Report Tool on Feb. 1, 2027  

CARLI has ceased development of the Alma Batch Inventory Report Tool and due to increasing challenges associated with supporting and maintaining the tool, will discontinue offering the service to I-Share libraries as of Feb. 1, 2027. CARLI will continue to support the Alma Interactive Inventory Scanning Tool for I-Share libraries for the future. The Interactive Inventory Scanning Tool also supports the batch functionality of importing a list of barcodes in a CSV file. If you have any questions, please contact CARLI Support.

New Version of CONTENTdm 

OCLC announced a new version of CONTENTdm in Fall 2026. The current release includes limited functionality, with additional features expected through mid-2027. 

Based on discussions with OCLC′s CONTENTdm product team, CARLI does not anticipate migrating its CONTENTdm installation for CARLI Digital Collections before Summer 2027 at the earliest. 

The migration timeline will be coordinated between OCLC and the CARLI Office to minimize disruption for member libraries. The transition may require several weeks during which the CARLI CONTENTdm installation will be frozen. The CARLI Office will provide training and support for the new version. 

CARLI will share migration updates with member libraries as soon as more information becomes available, via the “New Version of CONTENTdm” webpage and to the CARLI CONTENTdm contacts email list.

CARLI Archives Working Session

Have questions about archives? Looking to connect with colleagues or explore archival resources? Join CARLI Archives Committee members for a working session on December 14 from 1:00-2:00 p.m.

This informal, drop-in session offers CARLI members and others an opportunity to ask questions, seek guidance on archival topics, and connect with members of the Archives Committee and colleagues working in the field.

Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance to help us ensure that a committee member with relevant expertise is available during the session. Have a last-minute question or just want to stop by and make some archives connections? You are welcome to drop in, too!

While advance questions help us connect you with the right expertise, we will do our best to provide resources and guidance for all participants. If your question requires expertise from a committee member who is not available during the session, we may follow up by connecting you with that individual or sharing relevant resources.

Whether you have a specific archival challenge, are looking for ideas or resources, or simply want to connect with others interested in archives, we hope you will join us!

This session will not be recorded. Registration is required.

CARLI DEI Symposium: Call for Proposals

The CARLI DEI Committee invites proposals for the April 21 inaugural CARLI DEI Symposium, a virtual forum for library workers across our consortium. This year's theme "Supporting Access to information in a Restrictive Climate" centers on advocacy and how we cultivate communities.

We welcome proposals that explore advocacy in library services, programming, and space including but not limited to: Collections and Space, Programming and Outreach, Circulation, Cataloging, Information Literacy, Instructional Design, Systems and Tools Evaluations, Archives, and Preservation.

Presentations may focus on these advocacy methods, but are not limited to: Soft Censorship, Subject Headings, Authors and Publishing, Student Support Focus, Sources of Bias, and Collection Reconsideration.

Preference will be given to proposals that include speakers from Illinois academic libraries.

Teresa Helena Moreno will be the keynote speaker for this inaugural symposium. Teresa is an associate professor and librarian for Black studies and the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts at University of Illinois Chicago. As an interdisciplinary scholar, her research sits at the intersections of information literacy, arts literacy and pedagogy, and the criminalization of information in the United States. Her scholarship serves as a conduit to connect all these sites of inquiry together to develop new pathways of praxis for librarianship.

Important dates:

• Deadline for Submissions: November 20
• Notification of Acceptance: January 8
• Event Date: April 21

Submit your proposal today!

Three Virtual OER Meetups for Faculty, Instructors, and Librarians

The CARLI OER Committee is sponsoring several upcoming virtual meetups intended for faculty, instructors, and librarians. Join us for a lively virtual meet-up designed to spark ideas, share experiences and tips, and explore opportunities for cross-institutional OER partnerships.

• OER Meetup for Health Sciences Faculty, Instructors, and Librarians – October 30, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
• OER Meetup for Social Sciences Faculty, Instructors, and Librarians – November 6, 1:00–2:00 p.m.
• OER Meetup for Humanities Faculty, Instructors, and Librarians – November 13, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

Using LibreTexts to Remix, Adapt, and Create OER, November 17, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

This workshop will cover getting 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. This workshop is part of a series of workshops designed for the CARLI members who have opted in to use LibreTexts. This workshop is open to all CARLI members.

Please register in advance.

Ask a Preservation Expert 

Do you have questions about the best way to store and preserve your institution′s collections? Join the CARLI Preservation Committee for Ask a Preservation Expert virtual office hour on Thursday, November 19, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Committee members will be on hand to answer questions, offer advice, and share resources to help you plan for the long-term preservation and access of your materials. The Preservation Committee includes members who specialize in archives and special collections, conservation, collections care, disaster planning, and more. 

Don′t have a specific question? You′re still welcome to join the session and hear what other CARLI members want to know. Please register to attend.

Electronic Resources Management Tea (ERMT)

The ERMT: Electronic Resources Management Tea is continuing through the end of 2026!

Join us on the third Thursday of the month in November from 9:00–9:45 a.m. on Zoom. In December, we will also meet on the third Thursday from 9:00–9:45 a.m.

More information about ERMT is shared on the CARLI E-Resource Contacts mailing list. If you are not currently a subscriber, visit the link to subscribe.

Linking Parser Parameters: A Review 

Join Marisa Tolbert from CARLI in a review of Linking Parser Parameters in Alma e-Collections. 

In these sessions, we will review what the linking parser parameters are, where they are located, what is needed in these fields when they are present in an electronic collection, and what kind of errors to be on the lookout for when activating e-collections that use these. 

Registration is required. 

Here are the session dates and times with registration links that include more information about what to expect: 

November 16, 10–11 a.m.
November 17, 10–11 a.m.
November 17, 2:00–3:00 p.m. 
November 20, 9:30–10:30 a.m.
November 20, 1:30–2:30 p.m.

Technical Services Q&A Focuses on Alma Basics

Technical Services Q&A sessions are returning in November and December with Alma Basics. Each 60-minute meeting will include brief lessons on the interface and techniques for cataloging and acquisitions workflows, with time allotted for questions on additional topics. Each session will be recorded for later viewing.

To register for a session, check the CARLI Event Calendar with the links below.

November 2, 9:30-10:30 Importing, Merging, Linking
November 9, 9:30-10:30 Ordering Physical Resources
November 16, 9:00-10:00 Holdings and Items
November 30: 9:30-10:30 Ordering Electronic Resources
December 7, 9:30-10:30 Portfolios and Community Zone
December 14, 9:30-10:30 Receiving, Activating, Claiming, Invoicing

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!

• November 3: Evidence-Based Library Advocacy: Assessment Strategies for Every Library Type 
• November 5: Read, Reflect, Respond: Building a Faculty Learning Community  
• November 5: Building Foundations for Future Success in AI and Media Literacy  
• November 9: AI Evaluation in Action: Discovering and Combating AI Hallucinated Citations  
• November 10: We′re All in this Together: Developing and Sustaining a Thriving Access Services S
• November 12: Centering Humanity to Connect with Students Online 
• November 12: AI in Research and Teaching: Engaging Faculty in Critical Conversation  
• November 18: Human-Centered AI for Library Communications 
• November 18: Crafting Professional Library One-Pagers & Reports 

• December 1: Designing Library Flyers That Pop  

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.
  
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!

Preservation Tips Series: Advocacy 

Stephanie Gowler, Northwestern University Libraries 

The CARLI Preservation Committee′s 2026-27 term is in full swing, and the committee is excited to announce that the theme of this year′s blog series is "Advocacy. " Designed to complement the CARLI Annual Meeting topic, the Preservation Committee will offer a series of blog posts highlighting a range of ways to advocate for preservation within and beyond your institution. 

Upcoming blog posts will address the importance of developing cross-departmental relationships; staff across our institutions have a role to play in preservation, and finding opportunities to partner with facilities staff, circulation desk workers, and others can empower them to take an active role in preservation of collections. Other posts will look beyond the library, offering insights into advocacy through community partnerships and public policy. There will also be a post offering tips for building collaborative digitization projects and another highlighting an initiative focused on the preservation of games. 

The Preservation Committee will also be busy this term conducting a thorough review and revamp of the Preservation Resources page on the CARLI website. This work is necessary to comply with new ADA Title II requirements, and it affords an opportunity to carefully assess the listed resources, ensuring that they reflect the most up-to-date and useful information for CARLI members. This webliography has been a valuable resource for many years, and the Preservation Committee looks forward to making sure it has continued value for the future. 

Stay tuned for more from the Preservation Committee this fall, including an emergency preparedness email on cybersecurity. On November 19, the committee will once again host an “Ask a Preservation Expert” virtual event. This is an informal, office-hours-style event where CARLI members can meet with members of the Preservation Committee and ask specific, preservation-related questions. 

The Preservation Committee is also planning a hands-on "Basic Preservation on a Budget"workshop for the spring. Details are still in the works, but this will be an excellent opportunity for CARLI members at small institutions, with limited staff and resources, to become more confident in preserving their collections. 

Other Library News

Upcoming OCLC Webinars for Illinois libraries

OCLC is hosting the following webinars available to CARLI members:

Introduction to Cataloging at OCLC - November 4, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

This session introduces the basics of cataloging with Connexion, WorldShare Record Manager, and WorldShare Collection Manager. This session is geared towards anyone getting started with these tools.

Introduction to WorldShare Interlibrary Loan - November 18, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

This webinar covers the fundamentals of resource sharing with WorldShare Interlibrary Loan. This session is an overview of requesting and lending for people new to the service. 

Introduction to FirstSearch and WorldCat Discovery - December 2, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

The final session offers an introductory look at FirstSearch and WorldCat Discovery and how each supports searching and discovery for your staff and patrons. 

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. 

Subscribe to CARLI email lists to receive the latest news on topics of interest to you. 

If you need disability-related accommodations to participate in any of the events mentioned above, 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 in each item.