Monday, April 27, 2026
Session 6: Breakouts
2:30-3:20 PM
Session 6: Breakouts
2:30-3:20 PM
Hotel Block Booking Discount Available ONLY until March 30 at 4:00 PM.
Presenters: Kate Byroade, Ellen Paul, Rebecca Harlow
Learn about CT’s landmark eBook and e-Audiobook licensing law passed in 2025 and the national landscape as other states put forward and enact similar legislation . Learn how you can participate in a statewide strategy for how Connecticut’s libraries should prepare for and respond to the likely triggering of the Connecticut eBook law.
Sponsor: CLA Legislative Committee
Presenters: Steve Mazeau with Niantic Toastmasters
Successful communities have clear communication and good leadership. Professionals skilled in one area, may have room for improvement in other areas, such as delivering presentations, speaking spontaneously or choosing words carefully to avoid or resolve a conflict. Local Toastmasters will provide a hands-on demonstration of basic communication skills and resources available to gain these skills.
Sponsor: CLA Member
Presenters: Maxine Bleiweis, MB&A; Sarah Kline Morgan, East Hartford Public Library
For years, Maxine Bleiweis has spoken at CLA conferences about new ways of thinking about our approach to library services. Sarah Kline Morgan agrees with the thinking, takes copious notes, and returns back to her library to implement. What gets in the way of making those hopes and dreams come true? Hear a provocative conversation between Maxine and Sarah as they sort it all out.
Sponsor: CLA Member
Presenters: Kayla Chamberlain, Head of Teen Services & Technology, Booth & Dimock Memorial Library
We organize information for our communities, but our own budgets, stats, and plans are often painfully decentralized in spreadsheets galore. Fix that with a "Second Brain!" In this session, learn how free personal knowledge management (PKM) tools like Coda and Notion can drastically improve your workflows, connect and visualize your data, and enable custom solutions for librarians’ unique needs.
Sponsor: CLA Member
Presenter: Heather Baker, Canton Public Library; Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library
Whether you want to refresh your current science offerings or don’t know where to start, this program will have you excited about science in the Library. Hear about - and try - some popular science experiments and lessons sure to be popular with kids at your library. Experiments, crafts, take homes, and lesson plans will be discussed and attempted.
Sponsor: CLA Member
Presenters: Caryn Friedman-Quinn, Wilton Library Association; Melissa Baker, Wilton Library Association
More than 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease, and an estimated 65% of them remain in the community, with 74% of those living with a family or unpaid caregiver. (Alzheimer's Assoc.)
By sponsoring Memory Cafés, libraries can offer vital social engagement, reduce caregiver isolation, and foster a dementia-friendly community."
Sponsor: CLA Member
Presenters: Stephanie Smith, CLC; Julie Yulo-Medeiros, CLC; Jackie Cashin, CLC
Discover how to get the most from your Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC) membership in this fun, informative session! Learn about CLC’s history, surprising stories, and member benefits from exclusive contracts and roundtables to helpful tools and tips. Leave with practical insights, new connections, and maybe even a prize! This is your backstage pass to all things CLC!
Sponsor: CLA Member
Presenter: Tim Kellogg and TBD
Context matters in how we work and live. Did you know that you can be disabled and a trauma survivor and also be a library leader? Former library director Tim Kellogg will share his story in conversation as participants learn how to lead better, skip assumptions, ask needs, and recognize the importance of context when dealing with library employees, patrons, and possibly life outside of work.
Sponsor: CLA ADA Committee