Wednesday, May 27, 2026
School of Education Building
The Triad Area Library Association (TALA) Conference is an annual gathering of academic library staff from the North Carolina Triad area. The conference is a full day of informative relevant library topics led by staff and faculty from North Carolina universities. Attending the conference will provide an opportunity to paraprofessionals to converse with other library colleagues, network with presenters, and see the host institution’s library.
Download a PDF version of the conference information
Program Schedule
All presentations including lunch are being held at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
8:15am-9:00am: Registration with water, coffee, and muffins available
9:00am-9:10am: Welcome and UNCG library renovation by Amy Harris Houk, UNCG library Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning
9:10am-9:20am- Update from NC LIVE:
You might be familiar with some of NC LIVE’s resources, but you may not know about the many other ways that NC LIVE supports North Carolina libraries. Sophie Hollis, Community Engagement Librarian at NC LIVE, will provide a short overview of some of our recent projects and services and share more ways to get the most out of your membership.
9:20am- 10:20am: Keynote speaker, Lauren Pressley, Dean of Wake Forest Library SOE Room 120
What Libraries Make Possible: Conditions for Belonging, Learning, and Care
Libraries are often described as places that hold collections and deliver services. But the work on display at this conference suggests something more expansive: libraries are environments where meaningful things happen when people, spaces, and ideas come together. This keynote will explore how we create the conditions for belonging and care.
10:20am-10:30am: Break
10:30am-11:30am-Concurrent Sessions
1) Get In the Game: Library Programming the O’Kelly Way
Sharnette Evans and Joan Hill (Winston Salem State University)
SOE Room 108
This presentation will provide information about successful library programming in C.G. O’Kelly Library. Our presentation will provide detailed information about our card games held in the library by Sharnette Evans. We discuss game literacy and other fun ways to engage patrons.
2) Mental Health is for Everyone: Caring for Students, Caring for Each Other
Andy Foskey (Guilford Technical Community College)
SOE Room 120
For some, the library is a calming oasis, but for others, it can be a place where they experience overwhelm or anxiety. Library staff and students alike navigate mental health challenges, often within the same shared spaces. This session explores common mental health challenges, as well as those unique to students and library employees. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of self‑care for staff, as well as the role libraries can play in creating welcoming, supportive 3environments for all. The session will also highlight a collaboration between the GTCC library and the Access to Achievement program to support the mental well-being of neurodiverse students. Attendees will leave with concrete steps to support mental health for students, colleagues, and themselves.
3) Converting Bookshelves into a “Coveted Faculty Destination”
Octavious Spruill and Artis Williams (North Carolina A&T State University)
SOE Room 118
Bluford Library was presented with a unique opportunity: to strategically right-size its collection while simultaneously creating an inviting and functional space for faculty. To address this initiative, a Space Taskforce Committee was established to oversee the conversion of a section of book stacks into a dedicated Faculty Commons. The committee worked collaboratively with Library Administration, project managers, contractors, and vendors to plan and execute the demolition, renovation, furnishing, and technological enhancement of the new space. The result is a modern, dynamic environment designed to support faculty engagement and productivity. This presentation will highlight how Title III funding was effectively leveraged to support the renovation. It will outline the space-planning review process, the development and role of the Space Taskforce Committee, and the overall transformation of the library environment. The audience will learn “tips and secrets” on how to negotiate with university officials. In addition, attendees will gain practical insights into best practices for collection right-sizing and space reconfiguration. The session will also provide actionable strategies for successfully navigating negotiations with campus facilities teams, external contractors, and institutional leadership.
AND
F.D Bluford Multipurpose Seminar Room & Lounge
Mason Hughes (North Carolina A&T State University)
SOE Room 118
The Seminar Room at F.D. Bluford Library serves as a dynamic, multi-purpose hub that supports the library’s instructional mission, professional engagement, and campus-wide programming. This flexible learning environment is routinely utilized for course-integrated library instruction, faculty and staff professional development, and high-impact events such as National Library Week celebrations, library awards ceremonies, and Text in Community programming. It also functions as a venue for community-building initiatives, including film screenings, book talks, and facilitated discussions that promote intellectual exchange and cultural engagement.
11:30am-11:40am: Break
11:40am-12:30pm- Networking tables discussion and share out
Topics include:
Student Workers, Reference desk options, Building/Space management, Staffing beyond 9–5, Creative technologies, and other library subjects
12:30pm-2:00pm: Lunch
Lunch will be set up in front of SOE Room 118.
Seating options will include Room 118, Room 108, and Room 110. Additionally, there is an outdoor courtyard that is a short distance walk with picnic tables. (see map below)
1:30pm-2:30pm: Optional Guided Tour of library at UNC Greensboro
After lunch, please stick around and tour the beautiful library and campus at UNCG Greensboro!