Sample the Tracks for ER&L Fest 2026
🎵 E-Resources Management & Licensing
The 2026 ER&L E-Resources Management & Licensing track offers a broad collection of sessions covering many different aspects of our work. Ensuring the accessibility of the resources we offer our communities receives some fresh attention with the forthcoming Title II federal regulation update. There’s also more attention paid to accurately evaluating VPATs and creating updated accessibility assessment rubrics. On the licensing side of things, there are several sessions on open access and transformative agreements, as well as a closer look at specific license language and some creative solutions for generating agreements for atypical resource types and term lengths. Patron authentication continues to be a vital component of our work, with sessions covering positive and negative aspects of the available technologies and products, as well as different library experiences during migration from one authentication type to another or from one system to another. Several proposals focus on usage statistics collection and analysis, both from a fundamental standpoint through to more complex analysis and customization using non-library technologies.
Many sessions take a deeper dive into e-resource management workflows and offer evaluation and advice from different professional perspectives and from within different ILS systems. Some topics include intradepartmental task management, PO management, workflows related to open access acquisitions, and using third-party tools to enhance, or in some cases, replace ERM systems. Special attention is paid to the importance of workflow documentation and succession planning. Online resource access troubleshooting is one of the core duties for our cohort, and that is certainly reflected in this year’s conference offerings. There’s much discussion about trying to automate or systemize e-resource access monitoring, including the addition of internal system status pages, proactive access testing, and the development of access maintenance plans. Lastly, but certainly not least, there will be an update from NISO on KBART Phase III. We’ll see you in 2026!
TRACK CHAIR:
Erin Finnerty
Temple University
🎵 Organizational Strategies
Building a library that thrives even when times get tough can feel like a challenge, but it’s also an exciting opportunity for growth! This track is all about how libraries are strengthening their foundations through strategic planning, teamwork, and making sure their work is promoted. We’re gathering to share practical ways to manage change, improve workflows, and make libraries flexible, strong partners in their institutions.
Presenters will share their stories of overcoming obstacles like budget recovery, planning for the future, dealing with the complexities of knowledge sharing, and keeping energy levels high. You’ll discover how libraries are capturing important memories, building collaborative workflows, and turning individual tasks into shared efforts. Some sessions will delve into reimagining staffing roles, onboarding practices, and connections to better align with modern library work while ensuring we support continuity for the long haul.
Technology is a big part of these strategies! Libraries are tapping into familiar tools like Microsoft Office and Power BI and experimenting with AI for tasks like metadata enrichment and workflow automation. These digital solutions help enhance decision-making, streamline operations, and promote openness. We’ll also explore how personality traits can affect recruitment, ways to reduce friction in organizations, and how to advocate for fair role classification.
Plus, presenters will share personal stories about career changes, remote work experiences, and navigating the journey toward tenure. These insights will help you maintain your identity and stay motivated through all the changes. Whether you’re leading a team, managing a department, or planning for the future, there’s something for everyone here to take home! Join us to learn how thoughtful strategies and caring organizational practices can turn challenges into exciting opportunities for growth and innovation. We can’t wait to see you there!
TRACK CHAIR:
Kaci Resau
Solventum
🎵 External Relationships
This year’s proposals in the External Relationships track range in topics from career readiness for students to transformational agreements. Join us for sessions exploring how vendors and librarians can collaborate for shared success; a panel discussion on vendor site accessibility with the new Title II ruling; hear about how a transformational agreement between a consortium and a vendor led to a sustainable read and publish agreement; look at case studies on how research information management systems were implemented and used by two universities; learn how the OpenRS community has helped libraries manage ILL; and see how vendors can help librarians prepare humanities students for post-graduate careers.
TRACK CHAIR:
Stew MacLehose
University of New England
🎵 Scholarly Communications & Library Publishing
Scholarly communication and library publishing continue to evolve. This year, sessions on open infrastructure and incorporating accessibility into open publishing considerations highlight some of the emerging concerns. The applications of AI in peer review and other potential for new technology also highlights new areas of focus and interest. Evaluating and understanding transformative agreements to better leverage negotiations and managing the data associated with these agreements will also be discussed. Researcher perceptions of APC-based open access publishing, and looking for ways to align local values and priorities with other open access publishing models like diamond are also sure to build interest in other ways that eResource librarians can engage with scholarly publishing as it integrates into collection management and assessment work.
TRACK CHAIR:
Jaclyn McLean
University of Saskatchewan
