ULA Annual Conference 2026

A how-to session for ULA Annual Conference attendees. Learn to navigate the exhibits, decipher the conference program, how ULA really works, and ways to get involved. Ask questions and hear from active ULA members about staying connected and engaged in the ULA organization and how to make the most of your professional development.

We will present an overview of copyright litigation that has affected libraries. The session will provide a hands-on look at specific cases and how they have affected and changed library work over time. A lawyer from the BYU Copyright Office will comment on each case and librarians will discuss the impact of these cases on library policy. This will help alleviate librarian's fear of copyright and legislation and provide guiding principles for the future. This is a Copyright Education Roundtable hosted session.

This session explores how establishing clear expectations and engaging the community have enabled the Weber County Library to reframe its approach to security—from enforcement-focused practices to strategies grounded in communication and voluntary compliance. Participants will examine how communication and de-escalation techniques build trust and foster a community-centered environment, creating safer and more inclusive spaces without always relying on traditional disciplinary measures. The session will also share practical approaches to de-escalation, boundary-setting, and collaborative problem-solving.

Empower teens to be the youth voices of the library through a Teen Advisory Board (TAB). Mentor teens to actively participate in decision-making by proposing, voting on, and helping implement library programs, while also promoting events to their peers and schools—ensuring teen services reflect real community needs.

This session will explore how TABs provide meaningful leadership opportunities through community partnerships, communication skill-building, mental health–focused workshops, and the development of job and interview skills.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies to start or strengthen a Teen Advisory Board, build impactful community partnerships, and empower teens as confident leaders prepared for both the library and the workforce.

Attendees can join us for a roundtable session in the same room immediately after the presentation.

Business meeting for members of the Rural and Small Libraries Roundtable (RSLRT), or attendees who are interested in RSLRT.

Understanding how children's brains grow and develop is a crucial part of early literacy. But for children who have undergone trauma or toxic stress, regular brain growth can be altered, leading to developmental delays. We will share insight into trauma informed practices at story time and other early literacy-based library programs. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, we will share practical strategies for creating safe, inclusive, and supportive library environments for young patrons.

In 2013, University of Utah’s Marriott Library purchased its first 3D printer. Over the past decade, the Creativity & Innovation Services department expanded 3D offerings to include self-service 3D printers, an online 3D printing service, 3D scanning tools, and training materials for all of the above. In this session, we will present a timeline on the development and deployment of each service, provide quantitative data about user demographics and use trends over the past decade, and relate qualitative data and anecdotal stories about the meaningful impacts these 3D-related services have had on University of Utah affiliates, curricula, and research.

Hear about ideas, challenges, creative solutions, and successes for public library outreach to elementary and secondary schools! We will provide general overviews and best practices for school outreach, including Salt Lake County Library's systemwide programs and how they can be scaled down for small library systems. We will also explore the challenge of getting in the door and making connections with schools in your area.

Eighty-one percent of employees nationally report that they will look for future workplaces that support mental health. The Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah, in cooperation with the campus WellU program, encourages wellness among its faculty and staff with innovative “challenges” offering an insurance incentive for activities that promote good mental health. The programs also encourage good working relationships among colleagues. We will provide background information on mental health among employees, detail the library’s efforts, and discuss lessons learned from the campaigns.