Conference dates: August 11, 12, 13, 2026

Proposal Deadline: 12:00 noon Central Time on Friday April 10, 2026.

ThriveLib: Reclaiming Joy, Balance, and Boundaries in Libraries is a virtual conference created for librarians, library managers, and library workers who are ready to reimagine what well-being looks like in their professional lives. Library workers are experiencing rising rates of burnout, moral injury, and disconnection. ThriveLib was born out of the need for space, support, and strategies that prioritize the well-being of those who sustain our libraries every day.

This Moment

We are convening ThriveLib 2026 in a time of instability and fear for members of our communities. For many, this is not happening “outside of work,” but is shaping their safety, capacity, and ability to show up at all. We want to be explicit: not everyone is struggling equally right now. Some people are carrying far more risk, grief, exhaustion, and fear than others. ThriveLib does not ask participants to set this reality aside. Instead, we invite proposals that acknowledge these conditions honestly and explore how library culture, expectations, and systems can either compound harm, or help reduce it.

2026 Theme Reimagining Library Culture Together

Our theme for 2026 is grounded in the belief that joy and sustainability cannot exist without safety, dignity, community, and care. We’re especially interested in proposals that reflect collective care, capacity awareness, and real-world constraints, without placing the burden of survival on individuals.

We recognize that asking people to submit proposals during times of crisis is not neutral.

You do not need to have everything figured out. You do not need polished answers or “success stories.” We welcome proposals that are:

• Exploratory rather than prescriptive

• Honest about limits, uncertainty, and harm

• Grounded in care, solidarity, and collective responsibility

ThriveLib is committed to creating a program:

• That does not reward productivity theater

• That values lived experience alongside professional expertise

• That makes space for people who are navigating real and unequal harm

Conference Objectives

ThriveLib 2026 sessions should support one or more of the following objectives:

1. Identify actionable practices that support long-term, meaningful library careers.

2. Examine how library culture influences joy, balance, and boundaries in daily work.

3. Explore capacity-aware, collective strategies for cultural change in libraries.

Example Topics

This list is illustrative, not exhaustive.

• Scripts, templates, and policies that make boundaries easier to hold

• Clarifying roles, expectations, and limits

• Adjusting workflows and norms rather than adding new initiatives

• Change at individual, team, and organizational levels, scaled to power and role

• Staying in library work without burning out

• Building cultures of collective care rather than individual resilience

• Reducing invisible labor and emotional overextension for yourself or others experiencing vulnerability

• Exploring boundaries and workload expectations when staff are experiencing trauma, fear, or increased vulnerability

• Offering collective, capacity-aware approaches that do not place the burden of survival or resilience on individuals

Speaker Support + Logistics

• All speakers will be offered an honorarium and free registration for the conference.

• Sessions will be recorded and available for 30 days via our hosting platform.

Ready to Submit?

Submit your Proposals Here

Proposals are due by 12:00 noon Central time on Friday April 10, 2026