CORE FORUM 2026

Join Core Forum 2026 at The Galt House Hotel (Louisville, KY) for an incredible opportunity to celebrate the diverse and interconnected library work of you, our Core members. From November 18-20, 2026 we’ll engage the collective expertise of presenters and participants, facilitating thought-provoking conversations over two days of presentations, table-top exhibits, and poster sessions. Core Forum provides a place to build and foster relationships with colleagues through exciting networking activities.

Consider submitting a proposal for a thought-provoking and highly-relevant to practitioners presentation in the following areas:

● Access and Equity
● Buildings and Operations
● Leadership and Management
● Metadata and Collections
● Technology
● Preservation

Presentation Opportunities
SESSION - Concurrent sessions will be held on Thursday and Friday. Presentations will be 45 minutes in length with 15 minutes for introduction and Q&A. Presenters are required to present in-person and register at the discounted presenter rate.
PRECONFERENCE - Half-day afternoon preconferences (3-4 hours) and all day tours (off-site venue) will be held on Wednesday. Presenters are required to present in-person.
POSTER - Poster sessions provide the opportunity to share work, research, and ideas across the Forum’s content areas identified in the bulleted list above. Print posters will be displayed throughout the Forum, with special time reserved during Friday morning for participants to ask questions and engage presenters.
Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

● Relevance to the Forum’s program tracks and audience
● Opportunities for learning and applicability to current library trends
● Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We encourage diversity in presenters from a wide range of backgrounds, libraries, and experiences, and deliberately seek and encourage submissions from underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous peoples, women, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities. We also strongly encourage submissions with presenters from public, school, and special libraries.
Vendors wishing to submit a proposal should partner with a library representative who is evaluating/using the product or service.
Presenters will submit final presentation slides and/or electronic content (video, audio, etc.) 10 days prior to the event for accessibility reviewing and to be made available online following the event. Presenters will be able to register at a discounted rate and participate in the Forum as attendees.​

Ready to submit your proposal? Complete the Proposal Form before the Sunday, March 8, 2026 deadline. To preview the 2026 Core Forum proposal questions before starting the form, please download the questions here.

Questions can be sent to the Forum Planning Co-Chairs or Core Staff:

Kevin Lightfoot, Core Forum Planning Committee Co-Chair, [email protected] Holly Sealine, Core Forum Planning Committee Co-Chair, [email protected] Julie Reese, Core Executive Director, [email protected] Tom Ferren, Core Deputy Executive Director of Learning & Events, [email protected]

Save the Date
Registration will open in April. Join the notification list to receive event announcements, and visit the Core Forum website for program information and sponsorship opportunities.