Novare Library Services

ALA 2026 Annual Conference - Visit Our Booth 4142
2026-06-28 10:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Exhibit Hours
Friday: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Monday: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm

AMA@ALA: AI and All Things Technology with Brian Pichman
2026-06-28 11:00 - 12:00 | Booth 4142 – ALA Annual Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago
From AI tools to emerging technology trends, Brian Pichman will discuss the innovations shaping today’s libraries.

AMA@ALA: LinkedIn Coaching with Anne Ryan
2026-06-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Booth 4142 – ALA Annual Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago
Drop-in Ask Me Anything session with career coach Anne Ryan on LinkedIn Coaching. No registration required. Novare Library Services – novarelibrary.com

AMA@ALA: Customer Service with Maurice Coleman
2026-06-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Booth 4142 – ALA Annual Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago
Drop-in Ask Me Anything session with Maurice Coleman on Customer Service. No registration required. Novare Library Services – novarelibrary.com

AMA@ALA: Podcasting with Heather Tesko
2026-06-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Booth 4142 – ALA Annual Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago
Drop-in Ask Me Anything session with Heather Tesko on Podcasting. No registration required. Novare Library Services – novarelibrary.com

AMA@ALA: Teaching Tech to Staff & Users with Steve Alcalde
2026-06-28 16:00 - 17:00 | Booth 4142 – ALA Annual Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago
Drop-in Ask Me Anything session with Steve Alcalde on Teaching Tech to Staff & Users. No registration required. Novare Library Services – novarelibrary.com

ALA 2026 Annual Conference - Visit Our Booth 4142
2026-06-29 09:00 - 12:30

AMA@ALA: Friends of the Library with Diana Silveira
2026-06-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Booth 4142 – ALA Annual Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago
Drop-in Ask Me Anything session with Diana Silveira on Friends of the Library. No registration required. Novare Library Services – novarelibrary.com

Moderator - PLAN: Artificial Intelligence Discussion Group
2026-07-01 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-05 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-02 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-10-07 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-11-04 11:00 - 12:00 | PLAN
Curious about artificial intelligence? Want to learn what others are trying, or get answers to your own questions?
Join us for our upcoming AI discussion group on the first Wednesday of each month.
PLAN Members are welcome, whether you’re brand‑new to AI or already experimenting with tools. Come ready to share your experiences or simply listen and ask questions. It’s a relaxed, peer‑to‑peer space to explore what’s possible.
More at: https://planfl.org/

NEFLIN: Let's Get Crafty: Creating Successful Adult Craft Programs
2026-07-07 09:00 - 15:30 | Neflin Avenue, 38401 Neflin Ave, Zephyrhills, FL, United States
Let’s Get Crafty: Creating Successful Adult Craft ProgramsTuesday, July 7, 9-3:30Great craft programs start with great ideas — not great crafting skills. You don’t have to be the craftiest person in the room to create engaging, successful craft programs for adults at your library. This interactive, hands-on day is designed to inspire and equip library staff with the tools, ideas, and confidence to bring creative programming to life.
Through hands-on activities and guided discussions, participants will explore a variety of craft mediums — including paper crafts, Cricut, resin, fiber arts, and more — while learning how to build sustainable, low-cost programs that adults (and teens!) will love. Attendees will leave with a robust list of ready-to-use programming ideas and the practical skills to make them happen.
Register at: neflin.org

ByWater Presents: Getting Started with AI: Simple Tools for Everyday Work
2026-07-08 14:00 - 15:00
New to AI and not sure where to start? This beginner-friendly webinar shows you how to use AI to save time on everyday work, no technical jargon required. You’ll learn what AI actually is in plain language, see live demos of practical productivity workflows in Gemini and NotebookLM, pick up tips for writing better prompts, and walk away with the confidence to use AI safely and responsibly. Perfect for anyone ready to put AI to work.
Get the Most out of this Session
Speaker: Regina Burgess Regina Burgess is the Director for the Panhandle Library Access Network, a multitype library cooperative in Florida, where she provides continuing education programs for library staff in the region. Regina has worked in public and special libraries and has non-library-related corporate experience. She is the current President and past Treasurer of the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries. Regina received a Bachelor of Arts in History from New Mexico State University and a Master of Library Science degree from the University of North Texas.
Register Today

Library Tech Connect: Designing Effective Library Fliers in Canva
2026-07-09 15:00 - 16:00
Walk away from this webinar ready to create your next library flier with confidence. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn practical design techniques using Canva’s free tools, no graphic design experience required.
We’ll cover the core principles that make a flier work: choosing fonts that are easy to read, pairing colors that pop, laying out information so patrons actually stop and look, and knowing what to leave out. You’ll also get best practices specific to library programming, from promoting story times to community events to new collections.Whether you’re starting from a blank canvas or reworking an old template, you’ll leave with actionable strategies you can apply immediately to your next project.
You’ll learn how to:– Set up a flier in Canva from scratch or using a template– Apply design fundamentals: typography, color, hierarchy, and white space– Write concise, patron-friendly copy that gets the message across fast– Utilize Canva’s built-in AI tools– Export and size your flier for print, social media, and digital displays
Speaker: Abbie Digel Abbie Digel, MLIS, spent ten years working in public and private schools as a Librarian, Digital Teacher Librarian, and Library Teacher. She served as the President of Colorado Independent School Librarians, and is currently the founder of Story Space Reading + Writing Club and her consultancy, ATD Information Services, LLC.
Her work is grounded in her desire to lead with curiosity, connect with others, and build community. She creates welcoming spaces for people and organizations to explore ideas through thoughtful information and learning experience design. Her goal is to make complex information more clear, actionable, and tailored to meet learner’s needs.
Her education includes a dual Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science & Education from Syracuse University, and a Creative Writing and English degree from Colorado College. In her free time, she loves trips to the library with her two young children, stopping at every booth at the farmer’s market, and long, drawn out dinners with friends. Based in Denver, she brings warmth, structure, and a deep love of story to every room she’s in. Learn more at storyspaceclub.com.
Interested in attending? Contact us

Library Tech Connect: Office Hours: Tech Drop In
2026-07-16 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-13 15:00 - 16:00
Got a tech question? Bring it to our virtual Tech Office Hours. Drop into this free one-hour Zoom session and get real answers from someone who knows libraries. No agenda, no presentation — just your question and a conversation.
Interested in attending? Contact us

Library Tech Connect: My Famous Friends Are Not Famous: An Introduction to Romance and Imposter Scams
2026-07-23 15:00 - 16:00
This presentation is an enlightening, breezy, and often hilarious look at the subculture of social media-based scams. The speaker will touch upon those mostly; however, some of the “Greatest Hits” of scamming – phishing, fake A/V, and retail – will also be addressed. The session will include tangible tips for library staff to help users identify scams.
Wesley Johnson Wesley Johnson started his library career in 2007 as a System Administrator for the Muhlenberg County Public Libraries. After that, he worked IT for both a bank and a cell phone company headquarters. In 2013, after once again hearing libraries call his name, he was hired as an IT Technician for the Daviess County Public Library in Owensboro, KY. There he works on computers and plans/hosts programs for adults.
Interested in attending? Contact us

PLAN: Let's Get Crafty: Creating Successful Adult Craft Programs
2026-07-29 10:00 - 16:30 | 6275 Dogwood Dr, Milton, FL, United States
Let’s Get Crafty: Creating Successful Adult Craft ProgramsGreat craft programs start with great ideas — not great crafting skills. You don’t have to be the craftiest person in the room to create engaging, successful craft programs for adults at your library. This interactive, hands-on day is designed to inspire and equip library staff with the tools, ideas, and confidence to bring creative programming to life.
Through hands-on activities and guided discussions, participants will explore a variety of craft mediums — including paper crafts, Cricut, resin, fiber arts, and more — while learning how to build sustainable, low-cost programs that adults (and teens!) will love. Attendees will leave with a robust list of ready-to-use programming ideas and the practical skills to make them happen.
Register at: https://planfl.org/

PLAN: Let's Get Crafty: Creating Successful Adult Craft Programs
2026-07-31 10:00 - 16:30 | Gadsden County Public Library, 732 S Pat Thomas Pkwy, Quincy, FL, United States
Let's Get Crafty: Creating Successful Adult Craft ProgramsGreat craft programs start with great ideas — not great crafting skills. You don't have to be the craftiest person in the room to create engaging, successful craft programs for adults at your library. This interactive, hands-on day is designed to inspire and equip library staff with the tools, ideas, and confidence to bring creative programming to life.
Through hands-on activities and guided discussions, participants will explore a variety of craft mediums — including paper crafts, Cricut, resin, fiber arts, and more — while learning how to build sustainable, low-cost programs that adults (and teens!) will love. Attendees will leave with a robust list of ready-to-use programming ideas and the practical skills to make them happen.
Register at: https://planfl.org/

Library Tech Connect: Tech Ready Nation: Bridge the Digital Skills Gap
2026-08-06 15:00 - 16:00
Digital skills touch every part of life — from financial literacy to parenting to job readiness. Hundreds of initiatives exist to help, but resources are scattered, leaving organizations to either miss opportunities or reinvent the wheel.
The Tech Ready Nation platform changes that. It acts as a discovery layer — one place to find courses, lesson plans, handouts, and resources that actually fit your community.
In this session, Sweet shares how to leverage free and low-cost Tech Ready Nation resources to help your library survive and thrive. She started the platform as a tech librarian for Nebraska and is now syncing with other states to meet a growing national need.
Walk away with practical insights and ideas for helping your users build core technology skills — without starting from scratch.
Amanda Sweet Amanda Sweet is the Technology Innovation Librarian for the Nebraska Library Commission, where she helps communities leverage technology to solve large-scale issues. She is focused on learning new AI-supported techniques to accelerate service design and development.
She is a frequent conference speaker on Industry 4.0 technologies, Sustainable Development Goals, and collective impact for social change. Amanda has a BA in English from Carleton College, a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and received the Excellence in Leadership Award from the State of Nebraska in 2022.
Interested in attending? Contact us

ByWater Presents: AI in Libraries: Your Policy Life Jacket for Safe and Effective Use
2026-08-12 14:00 - 15:00
Artificial intelligence is already showing up in library work—whether through staff experimentation, vendor tools, or patron use. After exploring what AI can do, the next step is ensuring your library is prepared to use it responsibly.This session introduces a practical, policy-first approach to managing AI in libraries. Using the concept of a “policy life jacket,” participants will learn how clear, flexible policies can help staff navigate AI tools safely while protecting patron privacy, maintaining accuracy, and reinforcing professional judgment.
Drawing on real-world library examples and policy frameworks, this webinar will cover:
– Why AI use without policy creates institutional risk– What an effective AI policy does (and doesn’t do)– Key components of a library AI policy, including privacy, transparency, and staff guidance– The Human–AI–Human workflow as a foundation for responsible use– How to create a policy that supports innovation without losing controlParticipants will leave with a clear understanding of how to move from informal AI use to intentional, well-governed practice—and with practical ideas they can adapt for their own libraries.
Robin HastingsRobin Hastings is the Library Services Consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS). In that capacity, she provides technology and consulting on library services to 40+ libraries in the NEKLS region as well as providing management for several state-wide services in Kansas. She has presented all over the world on Cloud Computing, Project Management, Disaster Planning and many other topics and teaches classes on library technology at Emporia State University and Library Juice Academy. Robin is the author of several books on library-related and technology topics as well as many articles in library-related journals. Find her on the web at http://www.rhastings.net
Register

Library Tech Connect: Let’s Go Viral: Creating a Social Media Presence
2026-08-20 15:00 - 16:00
Are you looking to increase your library’s social media presence but overwhelmed with constantly changing trends and memes?
Let us help you create a strategy that works! In this session, we’ll explore how you can make viral social media trends work for your library, no matter what kind of resources you have available.
We’ll address the struggles that often come up with creating social media content, such as getting staff and administrative buy-in, keeping up with trends that are constantly changing, and creating a realistic posting schedule.
By the end of the session, you’ll leave with actionable tips and strategies that are guaranteed to increase engagement on your library’s social pages.
Elise Aiello Elise holds an MLIS from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Eckerd College. With a decade of public library and consortial experience, Elise has previously worked for the Palm Harbor Library, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library, the Tampa Bay Library Consortium, and Pasco County Libraries. Her professional interests include library outreach, social media content creation, and nontraditional library services. Her personal interests include hanging out with her husband, son, friends, family, and two dogs–a mini poodle and Goldendoodle! She loves hunting for treasures in thrift stores, trying new coffee shops, gardening, and jewelry making. She also thoroughly enjoys binge-watching Gilmore Girls and Golden Girls reruns and reading multiple books at the same time.
Interested in attending? Contact us

Plan Tech Day
2026-08-28 08:30 - 17:00 | Gulf Coast State College

NEFLIN: Creating Videos In Canva
2026-09-08 14:00 - 15:00
Description: Ready to take your content to the next level? In this session, we’ll unlock the full power of Canva Video — including:

Create eye-catching social media reels, animated posts, and promo videos
Record yourself directly in Canva — no extra tools needed
Repurpose your existing designs into video content
Resize videos instantly for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube

Whether you’re a total beginner or looking to level up, you’ll leave with the skills — and the confidence — to create scroll-stopping videos every time.
Register at: neflin.org

Bywater: An Introduction to Vibe Coding: You Don't Have to Know How to Code to Build Something Cool
2026-09-09 14:00 - 15:00
AI has made it possible to build functional tools just by describing what you want in plain language. It’s called vibe coding, and it’s genuinely changing what’s possible for non-developers. This session covers the basics: what it is, how it works, what tools to use, and how to start your first project. No prior coding experience required, just curiosity and a problem you want to solve.
Speaker: Heather Tesko
Heather Teysko is a writer and podcasting pioneer whose show on Tudor history, the Renaissance English History Podcast, is one of the longest-running indie podcasts and is closing in on eight million downloads since 2009.
She speaks throughout the US and Europe on community building through podcasting, including at the Sound Education educational podcasting conference at Harvard University, and Intelligent Speech, featuring leading education podcasters. Before she became a full-time podcaster, Heather worked at the Califa Group for ten years, most recently as the Assistant Director, where, in addition to negotiating contracts and member offers, she was instrumental in building the enki eBook library, a statewide open-source eBook platform with a shared collection of content purchased directly from publishers. She now splits her time between her podcasting two loves: podcasting and libraries.
She is a consultant who works with libraries and mission-driven vendors on marketing and communications, and she continues building her podcast community, which now numbers over 45,000 subscribers on YouTube and includes events like Tudorcon.
Register

Makerpalooza!
2026-09-10 09:00 - 16:00 | Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast by IHG, 9931 Interstate Commerce Dr, Fort Myers, FL, United States
Makerpalooza is your all-access pass to a full day of creativity, technology, and inspiration for library professionals! Dive into hands-on learning, explore cutting-edge tools, and connect with fellow innovators in an engaging, collaborative environment.
Walk away with fresh programming ideas, practical tech insights, and exciting demos you can bring straight to your library or school classroom.
Whether you’re a makerspace champion, a tech lover, or just ready to try something new, Makerpalooza 2026 is for you.
Register now and stay tuned for session highlights and featured speakers—this is one event you don’t want to miss!
See you at Makerpalooza 2026!

Bywater: Practical AI in Public Libraries
2026-10-14 14:00 - 15:00
Proponents of Artificial Intelligence (AI) want to see it deployed everywhere and used to accomplish everything. But AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google’s Gemini are nothing more than tools; and not every tool is fit for every purpose. In this session, we’ll move past the hype and examine practical ways in which library staff can use AI to substantively support library operations.
Participants will learn:
1. About various types of AI tools, how they function, and what their limitations are.2. How to assess which areas of a library’s day-to-day operations could benefit from the use of AI, and which might be better off left as they are. 3. To use tools like Gemini and NoteboolkLM to assist with data analysis and serve as an on-demand staff assistant.
Scott LipkowitzScott Lipkowitz is a systems librarian and library administrator with a deep interest in computing, robotics, space exploration, and digital/computing literacy. He has worked in academic, special, and public libraries throughout the state of New York. As a technology educator, Scott focuses on demystifying the machine for end users of all skill and comfort levels.
Register

Bywater: Library Stats on Autopilot: AI & Google Sheets
2026-11-11 14:00 - 15:00
In this session, we will explore how to automate your library’s monthly statistics using AI and Google Sheets.
In this practical how-to:– Learn how to build an automated library statistics system using AI and Google Sheets– Eliminate repetitive tasks, reduce errors and deliver valuable insights fast– Spend less time compiling numbers and more time using them
Lauren McLaughlinLauren has worked in public libraries and marketing for more than 20 years. Passionate about the intersection of statistics and storytelling, she focuses on using library data and engaging design to strengthen advocacy and highlight the value libraries bring to their communities.
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