Program

Day 1 (May 7)

The program will run 9:30 – 16:15, and include the following presentations:

Martin Garnar – “Library Technology Trends in College Libraries”

Martin is the director of the Amherst College Library. He has taught professional ethics, library instruction, and the foundations of library and information science for the University of Denver’s LIS program. He has served as chair of the ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and the Committee on Professional Ethics and as president of the Freedom to Read Foundation.

His professional activities and speaking schedule reflect a profound inability to say no. A native New Yorker, Martin lives in western Massachusetts with his husband Mark and their impossibly cute miniature dachshunds.

Marta Brunner – “That’s What We Do: Making Library Work Intelligible when the World Thinks It Has Moved on”

Marta is the College Librarian at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Prior to joining Skidmore in 2015, Marta held leadership positions in the Powell Library and Charles E. Young Research Library at the University of California, Los Angeles. She came to UCLA as a Council on Library and Information Resources postdoctoral fellow. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Consciousness from the University of California, Santa Cruz, a master’s in English (Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English) from the University of Arizona, and a BA in English from Goshen College. Her areas of teaching and research have covered social movement history and literature of the United States, libraries and social justice, incarceration and information access, and scholarly communication. She has lived abroad in Canada, Guadeloupe, and Japan.

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Day 2 (May 8)

The program will run 8:30–16:15, and include the following presentations:

Sandra Hirsh – “Leading Libraries into the Future: Foresight, Adaptability, and Advocacy in a Tech-Driven World”

Sandra Hirsh is Associate Dean of Academics in the College of Information, Data and Society and Special Advisor to the Provost on AI Curricular Initiatives at San José State University (SJSU). She previously served as professor and director of the SJSU School of Information and worked at HP Labs, Microsoft, and LinkedIn.

She is a past president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) and the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T). She is Chair-Elect of the International Relations Round Table in the American Library Association. She co-founded and co-chairs the global virtual Library 2.0 conference series.

Her textbook Information Services Today: An Introduction, 3rd Edition, is used in many LIS programs. Her latest book about the future of libraries, Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in March 2024. She holds a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from UCLA and an MLIS degree from the University of Michigan.

Lesley Langa – “Redefining the Library Experience: Findings from An OCLC Global Council Survey”

Lesley Langa is a strategic research and program manager with over 15 years of experience managing national initiatives that address the needs of libraries, museums, and other heritage institutions. Her work focuses on access to information and cultural heritage collections, including who has access vs. who does not, how we curate and protect information for future study and use, how we support the cultural sector in its daily work to improve access and sustain our collective history.

She is a policy-driven action researcher who aims to provide useful tools that can affect practice in the field and deliver practical solutions for cultural heritage professionals and helping to evaluate the mechanisms we use to do all of this. Her work has spanned several areas including digital collections, metadata management, evaluation and research, and user experience across the cultural heritage sector in museums, federal cultural agencies, and small nonprofits. She recently completed a PhD at the University of Maryland’s iSchool.

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Day 3 (May 9)

Optional half-day excursion to Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery & Garni Canyon Symphony of stones

This exclusive private tour includes some of the most famous and captivating sites in Armenia. Begin with a visit to the Garni Pagan Temple, dating back to the 1st century, which was dedicated to Mihr, the Sun God. Continuing your journey, marvel at the grandeur of the Geghard Monastery complex, a stunning 13th-century site partially carved into the rock. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a true architectural masterpiece. Finally, be awe-struck by the natural beauty of Garni Canyon, often referred to as the “Basaltic Organ” for its extraordinary rock formations. This tour offers a perfect blend of Armenia’s rich history, culture and breathtaking landscapes.

• Duration: 5-6 hours
• Time: TBD
• Price: includes lunch and admission to ticketed areas, and will be determined based on the number of people who join the tour.