Join Core Forum 2025 at the Denver Hilton City Center for an incredible opportunity to celebrate the diverse and interconnected library work of you, our Core members. From November 12-14, 2025 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.
Core is a division of ALA (https://www.ala.org/core): "Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of buildings & operations, leadership & management, metadata & collections, and technology. Core members play a central role in every library, shaping the future of the profession by striking a balance between maintenance and innovation, process and progress, collaborating and leading. Our members serve in every level of responsibility for the implementation and maintenance of core services, from the practitioners who keep things running day-to-day to the innovators going in new directions to those making funding decisions, as well as the library school students who will shape the future. For and by members, Core delivers mentoring, learning, networking, and leadership opportunities across library types and experience levels. We support each other through collective challenges by building and sustaining a more equitable and accessible future, one Core member at a time."
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 (3-4 hours) preconferences and tours (off-site venue) will be held on Wednesday. Presenters are required to present in-person.
POSTER - The poster session offers the opportunity to share and promote work, research, and ideas across the Forum’s content areas identified in the bulleted list above. Print poster presentations will be available throughout the Forum, with special time reserved during the 2-day event for participants to ask questions and engage in chat conversation with the presenters.
Proposals will be evaluated on the following points:
- 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. We deliberately seek and strongly encourage submissions from underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous peoples, women, people of color, the LGBTQA+ 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 2, 2025 deadline. To preview the 2025 Core Forum proposal questions before starting the form, please download the questions here.
Questions about submitting a proposal? Attend our “All About Core Forum” webinar being held on Wednesday, January 29 from 2:30pm - 3:30pm CST. Please register here.
Questions can also be sent to the Forum Planning Co-Chairs or Core Staff:
- Michael Holt, Core Forum Planning Committee Co-Chair, michaelholt@lsu.edu
- Cate Sering, Core Forum Planning Committee Co-Chair, cate.sering@
washingtoncountymn.gov - Julie Reese, Core Executive Director, jreese@ala.org
- Tom Ferren, Core Deputy Executive Director of Learning and Events, tferren@ala.org
Save the Date:
Registration will open in April. Join the notification list to receive event announcements. Check the Core Forum website for program information and sponsorship opportunities.
