Friday, November 13, 2026
Download Full Conference Program (PDF)
Theme:
Resilience and Renewal: Strengthening Libraries through Collaboration
Location:
The University of Tulsa
Allen Chapman Student Union
3135 E 5th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74104
Regular registration is $65, presenters pay $50, and students are free. Registration includes lunch, as well as morning and afternoon snacks.
Please register by 11:59 PM on November 1 to ensure your meal preferences are included in our final catering order.
Keynote Speaker
Representative Michelle McCane
Oklahoma State Representative
Former Library Media Specialist at Tulsa Public Schools
2025 Recipient of the OLA Bill Lowry Champion Award
2026 Recipient of the OPEA Champion Award
Rep. Michelle McCane has served the people of District 72, which includes portions of Owasso, Sperry, Tulsa, and Turley, since her election in 2024. She currently serves on 6 committees: A&B Judiciary, A&B Education, Administrative Rules, Post-Secondary Education, Tourism, and Transportation. She received the Bill Lowry Library Champion Award from the Oklahoma Library Association for her advocacy for library services in Oklahoma in 2025 and was awarded the OPEA Champion Award by the Oklahoma Public Employees Association for her support of the state’s front-line workers in 2026.
A Tulsa Native, McCane attended Tulsa Public Schools, including Hawthorne and Bell Elementary, Carver Middle School, and following in the footsteps of four generations, Booker T. Washington High School. In 2003, at 15 years old, Michelle gave birth to her first child and chose to earn her GED.
She eventually became a Teacher Assistant in Tulsa Public Schools and graduated with honors from Tulsa Community College with an associate’s degree in Elementary Education. Following the birth of her second child, she continued working full time, raising her children, and pursuing her education. In 2014, she again graduated with honors and received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northeastern State University followed by a master’s degree in Library Media & Information Technology in 2018. These additional degrees allowed her to become a classroom teacher and eventually school librarian.
Following her participation in the Oklahoma Teacher Walkout in 2018, she became more active in education and political advocacy taking on roles within the local Democratic party and her teachers’ union, the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA). A proud union member, Michelle joined TCTA’s executive board in 2022. She became a frequent voice for educators and students, volunteering for local and legislative campaigns as well as regularly attending and speaking at local school board meetings.
McCane spent over a decade in public education, serving thousands of children across Tulsa before entering the Legislature. During her career in education, McCane was awarded Teacher of the Year at McLain High School in 2020-2021 and Traice Academy in 2023-2024. In 2023, then TPS board member Dr. Jennettie Marshall honored her as a District 3 Trailblazer for her teaching and education advocacy.
Conference Schedule
| Start | End | Event | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 | 9:00 | Registration | 2nd Floor Student Union |
| 9:00 | 9:15 | Welcome & OK-ACRL Business Meeting | Great Hall A |
| 9:15 | 10:15 | Keynote: Rep. Michelle McCane “Beyond the Gatekeepers: Academic Libraries, the Right to Know, and the Promise of Opportunity” | Great Hall A |
| 10:15 | 10:30 | Break | |
| 10:30 | 11:15 | WANTED: Communication Integration by Any Other Name Ashley Smith, University of Oklahoma | Great Hall A |
| 10:30 | 11:15 | More Than Extra Hands: Building Instructional Capacity Through Librarian–Graduate Student Collaboration Dani Kirsch, Frances Alvarado-Albertorio, Cristina Colquhoun, and Emmanuel Kuutol, Oklahoma State University | Faculty Club |
| 10:30 | 11:15 | “I Don’t Need That. But, Can You…”: Insights on Creative Partnerships for Outreach Success Kathryn Thomas, The University of Tulsa | Alcove Room |
| 10:30 | 11:15 | Special Collections Tour (Meet just outside of Great Hall A) | McFarlin Library |
| 11:15 | 11:30 | Break | |
| 11:30 | 12:15 | Metaliteracy is AI Literacy: A Partnership Model for Reimagining Library Impact Chris Rosser and Frances Alvarado-Albertorio, Oklahoma State University | Great Hall A |
| 11:30 | 12:15 | Building Badges Together: Collaborative Library Credentials for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs Jayanna Greenwood, Southeastern Oklahoma State University | Faculty Club |
| 11:30 | 12:15 | Beads, Barriers, and Breakthroughs: Building Resilience Through Collaboration Megan York, University of Arkansas | Alcove Room |
| 11:30 | 12:15 | Special Collections Tour (Meet just outside of Great Hall A) | McFarlin Library |
| 12:15 | 2:00 | Lunch & Advocacy at OLA Listening Session (Listening Session will begin at 1:00) Jay Edwards, OU; Shay Beezley, UCO; Jenny Bodenhamer, OSU; Kiley Cortez, Bartlesville Public Library; Tim Miller, Western Plains Library System | Great Hall A |
| 2:00 | 2:15 | Break | |
| 2:15 | 3:00 | Productive Friction: Centering the Library in AI-Supported Research Frederic Murray, Southwestern Oklahoma State University | Great Hall A |
| 2:15 | 3:00 | Not Our First Rodeo: Strategies for a More Effective Medical Student Library Orientation Sonja Settle, OSU Center for Health Sciences | Faculty Club |
| 2:15 | 3:00 | Building Community through Collaboration: The Power of Working Meetings Simon Ringsmuth and Bailey Hoffner, Oklahoma State University | Alcove Room |
| 2:15 | 3:00 | Special Collections Tour (Meet just outside of Great Hall A) | McFarlin Library |
| 3:00 | 3:30 | Closing Remarks & Door Prizes | Great Hall A |
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
