Event Sponsors
GOLD Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Events
Tue, Nov 10, 2026
/ 10:00am to 3:00pm
Location
Chancellor Ballroom
I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center
1900 South First Street, Champaign
Agenda
10:15 a.m. Welcome and CARLI Update
Speaker: Michele Boule Smith, Chair, CARLI Governance Board, Director of Library Services at North Central College
Speaker: Laurie Blandino, CARLI Director
Speaker: Sarah Zehr Gantz, Senior Assistant Vice President for Academic Initiatives and Policies, University of Illinois System
11:00 a.m. Advocacy In Practice Panel
Advocacy is ongoing work built on relationships, evidence, and messaging for specific audiences. In this session, library directors and staff from across CARLI's membership describe what they have done on their own campuses: how they identified the stakeholders, what data and what stories moved those audiences, what tools and approaches produced results, and what didn’t work so well. Panelists come from a range of institution types and will address how this work gets sustained when it competes with everything else on a small staff's time. Attendees should expect concrete practices they can adapt. Discussion from this session will inform the CARLI Advocacy Task Force's ongoing work on a member library advocacy toolkit.
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 p.m. Keynote Address: Advancing the Academic Library Agenda for Higher Education in Illinois
Speaker: John Chrastka, Executive Director, EveryLibrary
Academic libraries are key partners in shaping the future of higher education in Illinois. Join John Chrastka, executive director of EveryLibrary, the national political action committee for libraries, for a keynote presentation that will explore a positive, theory-of-change approach to advocacy that moves beyond defensive actions and into a framework where academic libraries are helping to build the systems of support that contribute to institutional capacity, student success, research, academic freedom, and statewide higher education goals. We will examine emerging issues in Springfield and Washington, including higher education funding, accreditation reform, federal policy disruption, and the evolving role of libraries in institutional quality and accountability. The session will demonstrate ways for you to strengthen relationships with campus leaders, faculty, students, policymakers, and other higher education stakeholders.
2:15 p.m. Afternoon Table Talks (in person attendees only)
Registration
Anyone may register to attend the CARLI Annual Meeting!
To register to attend in-person, please click on the "Register" tab above. The registration deadline is November 3.
We are also providing a virtual streaming option for those who wish to attend online. To attend virtually,register here.
If you need to cancel your in-person registration, please email CARLI Support.
If you are a CARLI director, or a CARLI director's designee and planning to attend the Directors Meeting before the Annual Meeting, please register for that meeting as well.
Room Block
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 mention the code CARLI1126 when making the reservation. Here is the booking information for an online booking. Use this link for making a reservation.
You will enter:
- Group/Block Code: CARLI1126
- Guest Password: 9mj#o
Event Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Tue, Nov 10, 2026
/ 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Academic Access Services departments are often overwhelmed with urgent daily demands that can undermine core principles, long term goals, and strategic initiatives. Losing the forest for the trees in this way can contribute to burnout, staff and student employee turnover, low morale, delays in service, and poor customer service. This session explores a strategic approach to leadership to nurture a thriving and sustainable work environment. Using real-world examples this presentation will demonstrate how intentional collaboration, self-reflection, and compassionate conflict resolution not only avoids common pitfalls, but creates an environment for individual and collective wellbeing and growth. After learning about the real-world examples, attendees will work through a guided self-reflection exercise to apply what they learned to meet needs and challenges at their home institutions.
This webinar is appropriate for anyone serving in a supervisory role at an academic library, including support staff who supervise student employees.
Presenter:
Catherine Paolillo is the Head of Access & Outreach Services Librarian at the University of San Diego's (USD) Copley Library. She earned her BA in visual arts from CSU Chico and a MLIS and MS Art History from the Pratt Institute. In her role as Department Head she oversees circulation, resource sharing, course reserves, day to day building operations, and the department's vital student assistant program. She is also responsible for the library's social media presence, organizing outreach events such as the annual Banned Books Week celebration, and supporting other library marketing efforts. In her role as a tenure-track faculty librarian, Catherine serves on several library committees, is the liaison to USD's first-generation students, produces original research, and contributes to the profession through professional development and service opportunities outside of USD.
Hosted by FLVC
Wed, Nov 11, 2026
/ 12:00am to 11:45pm
Limited availability of CARLI Staff. Responses to non-emergency support tickets may be delayed.
Thu, Nov 12, 2026
/ 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Monthly meeting of the CARLI Public Services Committee.
Contact the CARLI office for Zoom connection information
Fri, Nov 13, 2026
/ 11:00am to 12:30pm
The Preservation Committee meets monthly.
This virtual meeting is held via Zoom / Conference Call.
Contact CARLI Support for attendance details.
Mon, Nov 16, 2026
/ 2:00pm to 3:30pm
The Collection Management Committee meets monthly.
This virtual meeting is held via Zoom / Conference Call.
Contact CARLI Support for attendance details.
Wed, Nov 18, 2026
/ 9:00am to 9:45am
The Electronic Resources Management Tea is every third Wednesday* of the month from 9 - 9:45 am on Zoom, November through December 2026.
*The regular occurence of the ERMTs has shifted for the months of November and December due to conflicts with holidays.
Wed, Nov 18, 2026
/ 10:00am to 12:00pm
The CARLI Discovery Primo VE Committee meets monthly via Zoom. Contact the committee chair or CARLI staff with any questions.