ThriveLib 2026 Call for Proposals

This was shared on the ThriveLib blog and social media earlier this week and I cross posting here.

I’m caught up in the new day job, finishing the new book, and working with some great clients in my consulting work and working with a great team on ThriveLib 2026. I hope to get back to regular posting this month (Hello March!)

Reimagining Library Culture Together August 11–13, 2026 | Virtual

Proposal Deadline April 10

We’re excited to invite proposals for ThriveLib 2026! ThriveLib: Reclaiming Joy, Balance, and Boundaries in Libraries is a virtual conference for librarians, library managers, and library workers who want more sustainable, humane library workplaces. Library workers are navigating burnout, moral injury, and growing strain. ThriveLib exists to create space for honest conversation, shared learning, and practical strategies that center the well-being of the people who sustain our libraries every day.

We’re also doing something a little different: all selected speakers receive free conference registration and an honorarium, because we believe sharing your labor, experience, and insight should be supported.

This Moment

We are convening ThriveLib 2026 during a time of instability for many in our communities. For many library workers, these realities shape safety, capacity, and the ability to show up at work at all. Not everyone is carrying the same weight right now. Some are navigating far greater risk, grief, exhaustion, and fear. ThriveLib does not ask participants to set this aside. We invite proposals that acknowledge these conditions honestly and explore how library culture and systems can either compound harm, or help reduce it.

2026 Theme: Reimagining Library Culture Together

Our 2026 theme is grounded in the belief that joy and sustainability require safety, dignity, community, and care.

We’re especially interested in proposals that reflect collective care, capacity awareness, and real-world constraints, without placing the burden on individuals.

You do not need polished answers or perfect success stories. We welcome proposals that are exploratory, honest about limits and uncertainty, and grounded in care and lived experience.

Our Commitment

ThriveLib is committed to a program that:

• Does not reward productivity theater
• Values lived experience alongside professional expertise
• Makes space for people navigating real and unequal harm

Visit our CFP page to review the proposal questions, selection rubric, and speaker agreement.

🎊 FINAL DAY of NASIG Autumn! Join us at 2 PM Eastern!

Today's Sessions:

📌 2:00 PM — Authentication Technology Training for Librarians
📌 2:40 PM — Pre-Recorded Sessions Q&A
📌 3:10 PM — Seamless Access Framework
📌 3:50 PM — Collection Assessment & Serials Processing
📌 4:30 PM — Conference Wrap Up with NASIG President Jacque Brellenthin

Let's finish strong! 🙌

#NASIG #NASIGAutumn #LibraryConference #FinalDay

Considering all that was available at #aall2025 I’d call this a modest swag haul. Still took up most of the free space in my luggage. (The majority of these items are for colleagues, since we can only send one person per year).

#librarianconference
#libraryconference
#lawlibrarians

Tickets Are Now Available for the First-Ever ThriveLib Conference,

Registration is now open for ThriveLib, a new virtual conference focused exclusively on library workers’ well-being. Taking place August 12–14, 2025, ThriveLib centers library staff, not patrons, and is grounded in the belief that a healthy workplace is foundational to good service.

Library workers across all roles are being asked to do more with less while navigating burnout, compassion fatigue, blurred boundaries, and increasingly unsafe conditions. ThriveLib was created in response to these realities. It’s a space to step back, reflect, and reimagine a more sustainable, just, and human-centered path forward.

Who Should Attend?
Anyone who works in a library and wants to create or sustain a healthier work environment. This includes frontline staff, middle managers, directors, and anyone who believes people matter more than productivity.

What to Expect:

• Keynotes, panels, and interactive sessions on burnout, psychological safety, disability justice, inclusive leadership, setting boundaries, and more.
• Recordings of all sessions available for 30 days.
• Certificates of attendance to support CE requirements.
• A conference culture that values care over output.

Sliding Scale Pricing
ThriveLib uses a sliding scale to keep the event accessible:

• $75 – Subsidized (for students and under/unemployed library workers—no documentation needed)
• $100 – Standard (covers event operations and speaker compensation)
• $125 – Pay It Forward (helps subsidize others—thank you for your generosity)

All ticket levels include full access to sessions, recordings, and CE certificates.

Join Us
ThriveLib isn’t just a conference, it’s a commitment to putting people first in library work. We hope you’ll be part of this first-of-its-kind gathering.

Register now

Connect with ThriveLib on Facebook group, Instagram, LinkedIn group, and BlueSky

#librariansConference #LibraryConference #ThriveLib #ThriveLib25 #WorkplaceWellBeing