BLC Forum 2026: Connection & Collaboration at Connecticut College

The Boston Library Consortium hosted our annual membership meeting, the BLC Forum, on June 4, 2026, at Connecticut College. Colleagues from all 28 member institutions gathered in New London, CT to strengthen connections, exchange ideas, and advance the shared knowledge, resources, and infrastructure that define the BLC community.

The BLC Forum empowers BLC’s membership to come together, meet and connect with colleagues old and new, receive updates on consortial activities, and share knowledge and resources regarding both enduring issues and emerging trends. 

This year’s Forum kicked off with a warm welcome from the President of Connecticut College, Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D., followed by a presentation from Matthew Gardzina, Vice President for Information Services and College Librarian of Connecticut College. Matthew shared an inspirational message of resilience with attendees – analogizing the evolving spaces at Conn College to illustrate the values of librarianship and knowledge-sharing that persist in the people that make this work possible. Following, Charlie Barlow, BLC’s Executive Director, provided a year-in-review of consortial activities and invited attendees to share their ideas and priorities for BLC’s continued growth and impact in a plenary session. These member-driven insights have been incorporated into BLC’s new strategic framework, which will be unveiled in Fall 2026. 

Attendees then dispersed to participate in a wide variety of member-led programming. Faculty and staff from BLC member institutions led and facilitated 14 presentations, three roundtables, seven panels, four workshops, and one poster session across the afternoon. We invite you to review these presentations below and explore the expertise, creativity, collaboration, and innovation taking place across BLC member institutions. 

Community remains the catalyst of the BLC Forum. Fifteen BLC Communities convened to share updates, leverage member expertise, and drive high-impact initiatives forward. Attendees also enjoyed guided tours of Connecticut College Charles E. Shain Library, the Conn College campus, and the Arboretum. The day concluded with the BLC Leads mixer, bringing together six cohorts of alumni to connect and build community. 

Testimonials

Attendee testimonials highlights how the Forum fosters lasting connections and knowledge exchange across the consortium:

A "How to" Guide to Digitizing with the Internet Archive
Presenter: Tim Bigelow, Northeast Regional Digitization Manager, Internet Archive

BLC: A Year in Review
Presenter: Charlie Barlow, Executive Director, Boston Library Consortium

Adding Institutional Value Through Simple Bibliometric Analysis: Tools for Busy Librarians
Presenter: Samantha Porter, Scholarly Communications Librarian, MBLWHOI Library

BLC HRM Licensing Activity & Workflow Survey 2025: Process and Results
Presenters: Steve Smith, Associate University Librarian for Collections & Discovery, University of Massachusetts, Boston; Laura Sobel, Assistant Professor and the Electronic Resources and Acquisitions Librarian, University of Vermont; Susan Swogger, Associate Professor and Head of Collections Development, Analysis and Strategy, University of Vermont

Candidate Dinners: In Poor Taste
Presenter: Jill Livingston, Associate University Librarian for Academic Services, and Lynne Stahl, Humanities & Interdisciplinary Studies Librarian, Wesleyan University

Digital Bookplates at Connecticut College
Presenter: Joe Frawley, Systems & Technical Services Librarian, Connecticut College

Evaluating AI Tools in Library Databases: A Practical Approach
Presenters: Susan Chatham, Research and Instruction Librarian, and Kimberly Rinaldo, Electronic Resources and Systems Librarian, Trinity College
Download the AI evaluation rubric template here.

Expanding Discovery Through GenAI Environments
Presenter: Michael Ward, Director, Library Technology & Discovery Services, Boston University Libraries

Explore Your Leadership Path: BLC Leads Pathways Info Session
Presenter: Cate Harriman, Program Manager of Learning and Development, BLC

Future Pathways for Metadata and Resource Sharing: An Update on the Work of the Metadata Sharing Futures Working Group
Presenter: Molly Dupere, Resource Sharing Librarian, Northeastern University; Alison Harris, Metadata Services Librarian, Tufts University; Soojeong Herring, Metadata Manager, Northeastern University Library; Nathan Mealey, Associate University Librarian for Discovery and Access, Wesleyan University

Learning by Listening: UX Lessons from Talk-Back Boards
Presenters: Kristin Dhabolt, Web Content Manager, University of New Hampshire Library and Elizabeth Fowler, User Engagement & Student Success Librarian and Assistant Professor, University of New Hampshire

Making the Most of Alma Reserves: Challenges, Changes & Efficiency
Presenters: Emily Aylward, Manager of Access Services; Patricia Lombardi, Assistant Director of Library Collections; Lorraine McKinney, Acquisitions and Collection Services Supervisor; Heather Rogers, Circulation Specialist, Connecticut College

Navigating OER Support Without Drowning in AI
Presenters: Lydia Burrage-Goodwin, Open Scholarship & Institutional Repository Librarian, and Christine Moynihan, Scholarly Communications, Data, and Affordable Learning Librarian, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Professional Development Workshops for Library Student Assistants
Presenters: Patricia Lombardi, Assistant Director of Library Collections; Lorraine McKinney, Acquisitions and Collection Services Supervisor; Jana Pietrzyk, Interlibrary Loan Specialist, Connecticut College

Transforming Cataloging Workflows at Boston Public Library with Snapicat, a New Tool Using the WorldCat Metadata API
Presenters: Jay Colbert, Special Projects Cataloger, and Mike Williams, Cataloging and Processing Manager, Boston Public Library
View the GitHub repository here.

Workshops

Basic Book Repairs
Facilitator: Natalie Granados, Conservator, UConn Library

Cultivating Your Secret Garden: A Refuge From Pervasive Algorithmic Tides
Facilitator: Khyle Hannan, Entrepreneurship Program Manager, Northeastern University Library

Envisioning Futures: Empowering Our Communities Through Zine-making and Oral History Workshops
Facilitators: Joanna Gray, Student Success Librarian, and Gabby Womack, Student Success Librarian, Tufts University
Download the info sheet here.

Zine-Making Social
Facilitator: Kathleen O'Donovan, Student Engagement Librarian, Connecticut College

Roundtables and Panels

Advancing Your Leadership Journey: Inside the BLC Leads Experience
Panelists: Adam Cassell, Head of Reference, Outreach, and Instruction, University of Massachusetts, Boston; Tess Grynoch, Manager of Research Services, Brandeis University; Cate Harriman, Program Manager of Learning and Development, BLC; Amanda Izenstark, Professor, Reference & Instructional Design Librarian, University of Rhode Island; Erica Schattle, Senior Associate Director, Tisch Library, Tufts University

BLC’s Model License Taskforce: Our Journey Thus Far
Panelists: Rebecca Gerber, Electronic Resources Librarian, University of Massachusetts, Chan Medical School; Marc Hoffeditz, Deputy Director, BLC; Matthew Person, Technical Services Coordinator, MBLWHOI Library; Sara Pike, Associate Librarian, Library / Technical Services, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; Denis Shannon, Electronic and Continuing Resources Librarian, Wesleyan University; Laura Sobel, Assistant Professor and the Electronic Resources and Acquisitions Librarian, University of Vermont; Lynette Vargas, Scholarly Resources Licensing Librarian, Boston College

Building AI Literacy Together: A Roundtable for Sharing Strategies and Experiences
Facilitator: Lori Looney, Research and Data Librarian, Connecticut College

Creating a Culture of Mentorship: Inside BLC Mentors
Panelists: Julie Adamo, Director, Collection Strategies and Acquisitions, Middlebury College; Joanna Gray, Student Success Librarian, Tufts University ; Cate Harriman, Program Manager of Learning and Development, BLC; Soojeong Herring, Metadata Manager, Northeastern University Library; Nathan Mealey, Associate University Librarian for Discovery & Access, Wesleyan University

Engaging First-Year Students: Innovative Programs and Collaborative Strategies for Academic Libraries
Facilitators: Kathleen O’Donovan, Student Engagement Librarian, and Jessica McCullough, Director Research Support and Curricular Technology, Connecticut College

Scaling Workflows Together: The BLC Network Zone Update
Panelists: Julie Adamo, Director, Collection Strategies and Acquisitions, Middlebury College; Amanda Fairchild, Library Assistant/Electronic and Continuing Resources, Wesleyan University; Fred Folmer, Director Library Collections, Access and Discovery, Connecticut College; Joe Frawley, Systems & Technical Services Librarian, Connecticut College; Marc Hoffeditz, Deputy Director, BLC; Lorraine McKinney, Acquisitions & Collection Services Supervisor, Connecticut College; Lori Stethers, Systems/ Emerging Technologies Librarian, Wesleyan University

Exploring Article Galaxy Scholar: An Alternative Way to Provide Articles
Panelists: Fred Folmer, Director Library Collections, Access and Discovery, Connecticut College; Rebecca Gerber, Electronic Resources Librarian, Lamar Soutter Library, UMass Chan Medical School; Anne Langley, Dean, UConn Library; Sara Pike, Associate Librarian, Library / Technical Services, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; Anna Shields, E-resources Librarian, Williams College; Jane Strudwick, Head of Acquisitions & Discovery, UConn Library; Laurie Taylor, Associate University Librarian for Collections & Discovery, UConn Library

Let’s Talk Data: BLC Coordination on Data Literacy and Research
Facilitators: Tricia Boucher, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences Librarian, University of New Hampshire; Sarah Hunter, Data and Social Sciences Librarian, Smith College; Andrew Lopez, Research Support Librarian, Connecticut College

Navigating Change: Proven Strategies for Successful Change Management
Panelists: Emily Aylward, Manager of Access Services, Connecticut College; Nicole Santiago, Manager of Research Services, Boston Public Library; Abby Walsh, Head of Social Work Library, Boston College

Whose Archive Is It Anyway? AI, Power, and the Future of Post-Custodial Practice
Panelists: Jenifer Bartle, Director of Library Collections, Wellesley College; Christina Bleyer, Associate Vice President of Libraries and Digital Learning and Director of Special Collections and Archives, Trinity College; Amanda Matava, Head of Digital Asset Management, Trinity College

Tours

Charles E. Shain Library Tour
Guide: Emily Aylward, Manager of Access Services, Connecticut College

Connecticut College Arboretum Native Plant Collection Tour
Guide: Scott D'Agostino, Assistant Director, Connecticut College Arboretum

Connecticut College Campus Tour
Guide: Bailey Rodgers, Linda Lear Librarian for Special Collections, Connecticut College

Special Collections Exhibit: Conn College History and Student Life
Guide: Benjamin Panciera, Ruth Rusch Sheppe '40 Director of Special Collections and Archives, Linda Lear Center for Special Collections & Archives, Connecticut College

Community Meetings

Fifteen BLC Communities held in-person and hybrid meetings during the BLC Forum:

• Archives & Special Collections COI
• BIPOC Caucus
• BLC Directors
• Business COI
• Facilities COI
• Heads of Resource Management
• Health Sciences COI
• LGBTQIA+ Caucus
• Licensing COI
• Metadata & Resource Management COI
• Network Zone Discovery COP
• Resource Sharing COI
• Senior Managers COP
• Teaching and Instruction COI
• Technology COI

Special thanks to each presenter and attendee for making the 2026 BLC Forum a success. We look forward to announcing the 2027 BLC Forum soon.