CARLI News October 29, 2025

Honoring Anne Craig

It is official! At their September 18 meeting, the ILA Executive Board confirmed Anne Craig as an Illinois Library Luminary! Anne′s achievements were celebrated at the ILA Award Luncheon on October 14 during the ILA Annual Conference in Rosemont.

See the announcement in the latest issue of ILA Alert.

Congratulations to Anne on a well-deserved award!

Anne was also interviewed by Sue Franzen from Illinois State University for the IACRL Member Spotlight, which appears in the September 25 IACRL Forum newsletter and was featured in the Champaign News-Gazette.

Express Your Appreciation for Anne

CARLI has set up a Kudoboard so our members can add their appreciation for Anne's contributions to CARLI and the Illinois library community!

We hope you will take the time to leave Anne a message.

Statement from CARLI, Orbis Cascade, and PALCI

At its September meeting, the CARLI Governance Board approved "Free Speech Needs Free Libraries: A Joint Statement of CARLI, Orbis Cascade Alliance, and PALCI". We have collaborated with Orbis Cascade Alliance and PALCI to post the statement.

The statement was developed through a collaboration of library consortium executive directors across the United States in response to growing threats to academic freedom and freedom of inquiry experienced by library users in many states.

If your organization would like to share the ideas in this statement, please feel free to take it, revise it if needed, and use it within your communities. The statement is issued under a Creative Commons Attribution license by CARLI, Orbis Cascade, and PALCI.

2025 CARLI Annual Meeting

Thank you to all the staff at our member libraries who were able to travel to Champaign for the CARLI Annual Meeting and 20th Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday, October 21. There were almost 170 CARLI members and representatives from 7 vendor sponsors in attendance!

Congratulations to Erikson Institute, the winner of the "Curious Things from Your Collection" contest with the Infant Health Trio, a set of 3 dolls meant to simulate the effects of drugs, alcohol, and shaken baby syndrome!

The slides and recordings will be linked from the meeting agenda page as soon as they are ready.

Do You Have a Learning Commons? Host a Visit!

Do you have a Learning Commons, Student Success Center, or another coordinated model of student services in your library? The CARLI Public Services Committee is seeking libraries to host site visits in Spring 2026, where CARLI members can tour your space and learn more about your services and initiatives.

Site visits may include a guided tour and an informational session led by your team. If your library is interested in serving as a host site, please contact committee chairs Kimberly Shotick and Diana Sykes by November 15 to express your interest.

GLAM 2026 Virtual Career Fair

The Government, Library, Archive, and Museum Employees (GLAM) Virtual Career Festival presents a unique opportunity for students and alumni from nineteen of the most prestigious library programs in the United States to engage with recruiters from leading employers and professional organizations. If you are seeking to connect with exceptional talent to fill internships, practica, or full-time positions, or if you wish to enhance your organization's visibility, this event offers you the chance.

CARLI will once again partner with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign iSchool to support CARLI member′s participation in the GLAM Virtual Career Festival being held on February 27, 2026. CARLI will pay the Early Bird rate for registrations submitted by November 30. Libraries registering after November 28 must pay their own registration fee.

There is a GLAM Employer Information Session on November 5 for libraries that have not previously participated in an online job fair or would like a refresher.

For questions about GLAM, please contact the iSchool at Illinois.

Two Opportunities to 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 hours on November 12 and/or May 1, 1:00–2:00 p.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.

Register for each session you wish to attend.

November 12, 2025: 1:00-2:00 p.m. 
May 1, 2026: 1:00-2:00 p.m. 

A CARLI Community Conversation on Student Employee Supervision

The CARLI Public Services Committee invites CARLI members to an informal Zoom discussion on November 18 from 1–2:30 p.m. about student employee supervision, facilitated by Charity Ringel (UIS) and Kristen Blankenship (UIUC). This event is intended for student supervisors and those interested in learning more about student supervision. Topics could include anything from hiring and training to mentoring, providing feedback, scheduling, budgets, and more. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences as well as any documentation or resources they′ve created. Any resources that participants are comfortable distributing to the group will be shared with all attendees after the session.

Bring your snacks, your questions, and any resources or examples you would like to show! Whether you are new to supervising or have years of experience, we hope you gain fresh perspectives and practical ideas for supporting your student staff.

This session is open to all CARLI members. The session will not be recorded.

Please register by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 14.

Save the Date: Webinar on Born Digital Archival Materials

The CARLI Archives Committee invites CARLI members to save the date, December 12, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. for a webinar on born digital archival materials. Danielle Taylor, Digital Preservation Librarian at Indiana University Libraries, will give a session on the archival appraisal of born digital materials.

CARLI OER Workshops

CARLI is once again offering workshops designed to help librarians and faculty with the creation of Open Educational Resources. While the workshops are part of a series for the awardees of the Illinois Secretary of State/ Illinois State Library OER Grants they are open to all CARLI members with an interest in OER creation. Recordings of these workshops are available. The workshops are part of a series of workshops designed for the support of Open Education Resources in the State of Illinois and funded by the Support of the Creation of Open Education Resources grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education.

Please register for each course in advance by selecting the date you would like to attend from the list of workshops below.

Getting Started with LibreTexts: Conductor and the LibrariesNovember 5, 3:00 p.m. 

Learn how to set up your account and to navigate the site, locate materials, and set up projects.

Using LibreTexts to Remix, Adapt, and Create OER

November 13, 2:00 p.m. 

Please join the CARLI staff as we demonstrate some of the uses of LibreTexts Conductor for project planning and management. This workshop will also go over getting you started on remixing, adapting, or creating your OER project.

Using LibreStudio to Create H5P Assignments

December 10, 11:00 a.m.

Are you interested in adding dynamic assignments to your Open Educational Resources? Want to learn how to add H5P learning tools to your materials? Then this is the course for you. You should also request access to LibreStudio on the LibreTexts site prior to the class so we can get you started creating new learning tools.

Virtual Course: Understanding and Promoting Open Educational Resources

CARLI is pleased to offer a 3-week synchronous and asynchronous course on open educational resources in December 2025 with the live sessions on December 3, 10, and 17 from 9:30–11:00 a.m. Attendees should plan to attend each live session.

This virtual course is designed to help the novice person learning about open educational resources to apply the information from this program to build their own local programs and workshops. The program is open to all CARLI members.

The virtual program will contain both synchronous (three live 90-minute Zoom sessions) and asynchronous (readings, videos, etc.) to be completed before each live session. The live sessions will include presentations, but the aim of the program planners is that these will incorporate a flipped classroom model to build community among participants as all share and discuss the topics.

Registration is available until December 1 or until the course is full. Course materials will be sent to registrants beginning November 20.

CARLI Registration Support for OEN's Certificate in Open Education Librarianship Program

Interested in a deeper dive on Open Education or need support in implementing an OER program at your institution from experts? In support of CARLI member libraries' OER efforts, the CARLI Open Educational Resources Committee is pleased to announce that continued funding is available for up to five CARLI member librarians to attend the Open Education Network's Certificate in Open Education Librarianship Program. 

The certificate program includes online content, mentor-led cohort meetings, and program development support. A culminating final project helps participants put what they have learned into action. Librarians who successfully complete the eight-month program will receive a Certificate in Open Education Librarianship from the Open Education Network.

Acceptance by the OEN is required but does not guarantee CARLI support. The deadline to apply for this program is October 31, 2025, 11:59 p.m. For detailed information about how to receive CARLI support for this program, visit CARLI's program web page.

For questions about available scholarships or other questions about the OEN Certificate in Open Education Librarianship, please see OEN's Frequently Asked Questions.

CARLI Registration Support for OEN's Certificate in Open Pedagogy

The Certificate in Open Pedagogy is a professional development program that will create actionable pathways for faculty and librarians to implement open education for the transformation of learning. 

Applicants should be a two person team consisting of a librarian and teaching faculty member who will complete a nine-week, asynchronous course in the spring of 2026 about the range of open educational practices with modules on the hallmarks of open education, copyright and Creative Commons licensing, the hallmarks of open pedagogy, the benefits and limitations of OEP, accessibility, and student empowerment and agency. Together, the faculty and faculty partner pairs will create an Action Plan, to be implemented the following spring, that seeks to transform learning through the power of open education. 

CARLI will support one two-member team consisting of a librarian and faculty member from a CARLI member. Acceptance by the OEN is required but does not guarantee CARLI support. The deadline to apply to this program is October 31, 2025, 11:59 p.m.

For detailed information about how to receive CARLI support for this program, visit CARLI's program web page. 

For questions about available scholarships or other questions about the OEN Certificate in Open Pedagogy, please see OEN's Frequently Asked Questions.  

Managing EBSCO e-Collections in the Institution Zone

CARLI is changing the way that all EBSCO e-collections are managed in Alma for I-Share libraries. Until now, EBSCO e-collections provided by CARLI or the Illinois State Library have been managed centrally in the Network Zone (NZ); from now on, EBSCO e-collections will be managed in each Institution Zone (IZ). I-Share libraries may activate these e-collections locally in their IZs or request assistance from CARLI staff to facilitate this process. I-Share Liaisons were emailed the requirements and details of this project. All I-Share libraries must complete a survey by October 31, 2025, letting CARLI know your choice. For more information, follow up with your institution's I-Share Liaison before the October 31 deadline.

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!

• October 30: Virtual Connections: Librarians on Social Media for Professional Growth

• November 3: Education Justice Project's Reentry Guides
• November 4: Everyday Superheroes: Collaboration, Support, and Purpose in Small to Mid-Size Libraries
• November 5: Collaborating with Stakeholders to Support Underserved Communities with Reparative Collections: Benefits, Challenges, and Emerging Best Practices
• November 6: AI and Alt Text for Archival Image Collections
• November 6: Motherhood in Academic Libraries: Sharing Lived Experiences from our Feminized Profession
• November 6: Circulating Connections: LinkedIn and Public Presence
• November 6: More Than a To-Do List: Reimagining and Restructuring Graduate Student Labor in Digital Projects
• November 11: Developing an A.I. Chatbot for the Library: The Rebecca Crown Library Experience
• November 13: Librarianship at a Crossroads: Using AI as a Catalyst for Cross-Campus Collaboration
• November 13: Leading Librarians: Fostering Growth and Development
• November 13: Popping Up All Over: An Interdisciplinary Library Outreach Strategy for Unexpected Spaces
• November 13: Write on Track – Résumés & Cover Letters
• November 18: Enchanting Escapes: Romantasy Readers′ Advisory for Libraries
• November 19: ADA Title II Toolkit for Libraries: Accessible Videos and Audio
• November 20: AI Knowledge Bytes: Artificial Intelligence in Libraries Lunch ‘n Learn Series, Topic 3: AI and Research Tools - Using REACT Framework to Evaluate AI Features in Library Databases
• November 23: On the Record – Interview Dos & Don′ts

• December 2: Hallucination Check: Verifying Sources in the Age of AI
• December 11: Harnessing AI for OER: Bridging Content Gaps with Microsoft Copilot

• January 22: AI + Accessibility: Why Keeping Humans in the Loop Matters
• January 28: Cultivating the Living Room of Campus: Lessons from Tredway Library′s Wellness Initiatives

To register, visit the CARLI Event Calendar.

Recordings of past CARLI-sponsored PDA events are available on the Professional Development Alliance 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!

Education Justice Project's Reentry Guides 
November 3, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

The Reentry Resource Program at the Education Justice Project (EJP) publishes practical guides for people returning home from prison and for those being deported from the US. These 200-page guides, published in English and Spanish, offer empowering information and resources for individuals going through often-traumatic transitions. Lee Ragsdale will discuss the resources, how to access them, anticipated updates, and more. In addition, Lee will talk about EJP′s Reentry Guide Project through which the organization provides a year of technical and financial assistance to organizations to create their own reentry guides.

Collaborating with Stakeholders to Support Underserved Communities with Reparative Collections: Benefits, Challenges, and Emerging Best Practices
November 5, 10:00–11:00 a.m.

Anne Marie Hamilton-Brehm, Dr. Pamela Smoot, and Juniper Oxford at Southern Illinois University Carbondale discuss how opportunities to develop reparative archival collections emerged and have been pursued in collaboration with underserved Black and LGBTQ+ communities in the southern Illinois region. The panel reflects on expected and unexpected benefits and challenges of coordinating initiatives and building collections with internal and external partners and stakeholders and offers thoughts on best practices based on their experiences.

Developing an AI Chatbot for the Library: The Rebecca Crown Library Experience
November 11, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

In this webinar, Zach Claybaugh, Dominican University, walks through the process of developing an AI chatbot as a tool for library patrons. Zach discusses the origin of the project, cross-departmental collaboration, student involvement, and AI anxiety. By the end of the presentation, participants will have an understanding of some of the challenges of developing an AI chatbot, as well as finding ways to address the concerns of library personnel and students who are anxious about the impact of AI technology.

Librarianship at a Crossroads: Using AI as a Catalyst for Cross-Campus Collaboration
November 13, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

This webinar will introduce the fundamentals of AI and share strategies for using it as a springboard to move beyond the traditional "one shot" instruction model. Drawing from real-world experience, Atticus Garrison, Black Hawk College, will show how AI became an entry point for new collaborations with instructors and departments across campus.

Participants will consider how AI can expand instructional reach, highlight the librarian′s role in teaching digital literacies, and spark critical conversations about disinformation, academic integrity, labor, and environmental impacts. Attendees will leave with both a broader perspective on AI in higher education and practical approaches for positioning the library as a key partner in this evolving landscape.

ADA Title II Toolkit for Libraries: Accessible Videos and Audio
November 19, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Libraries across the nation are facing challenges as they try to assess and fix the accessibility of their A/V content with regard to the new Title II regulations that will go into effect in April of 2026. Each library will face its own unique challenges; however, there are some common considerations that library workers should know.

In this fourth webinar of CARLI's ADA Title II Toolkit for Libraries series, Ann Fredricksen, Coordinator of Accessible Media Services at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will share ways in which libraries can start thinking about tackling the A/V material on their websites, strategies for working with smaller vendors to improve the accessibility of their content, and emerging AI tools that can be utilized to reduce the workload.

Cultivating the Living Room of Campus: Lessons from Tredway Library′s Wellness Initiatives
January 28, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Augustana College′s Tredway Library takes pride in its moniker of being the living room of the campus. However, like many others, the library faced a decrease in student engagement in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic; moreover, situational factors such as reduced campus communication outlets and several curriculum redevelopments compounded the situation by limiting both messaging opportunities and library capacity to respond to student needs. Survey data collected from senior students over the past five years underscores an initial decrease and steady regrowth in self-reported sense of belonging within the library, aligning with the pandemic and post-pandemic library engagement data.

Tredway librarians prioritized the development of targeted wellness-related collections and programming centered on giving students resources and spaces to simply be, rather than be in an act of becoming, in response to expressed gaps in student support. These projects, ranging from the expansion of a leisure collection to include self-care materials to curating lego sets for passive community programming and even to the present reimagining of a defunct computer lab into a wellness lounge, have each invited and engaged students throughout the development and realization processes. Presenters Kaitlyn Goss-Peirce and Garrett Traylor will share an overview of Tredway Library’s path to developing wellness initiatives with this active student buy-in, along with some pros, cons, and advice regarding each of the projects they have undertaken so far.

Preservation Tip

Beyond Paper – Scrapbooks
Amy Sherwood, University of Illinois Chicago

Is there anything more eclectic, unique, or imaginative than a scrapbook? Is there any preservation task more challenging? Whether your answer is yes or no, scrapbooks can be both a delightful collection of memorabilia and record-keeping and a preservation nightmare.

While predecessors of scrapbooks have been around since the printing press, the scrapbook as we envision it emerged in the 19th century. They evolved out of journals and diaries when people began to insert keepsakes like photographs and cards. They frequently include artwork and sketches, newspaper clippings, ticket stubs and brochures, even pressed flowers or locks of hair.

What makes scrapbooks so unique, the wide variety of materials integrated into a single volume, is what makes them so difficult to preserve.

Learn more about these preservation challenges as well as some guidance to care for, store, and handle the scrapbooks in your collection.

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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