Professional development shouldn’t be something you have to talk yourself into affording. That’s why ThriveLib 2026 offers a $50 subsidized ticket rate, and why we want to take a moment to explain who it’s for, encourage use, and what we believe about accessibility and sustainability in the library profession.
Our philosophy
ThriveLib was built on the belief that every library worker deserves access to community, learning, and support, not just the ones with institutional backing or professional development budgets. The library profession asks a lot of the people in it. Long hours, emotional labor, shrinking resources, and growing demands are the reality for many library workers right now. The last thing we want is for cost to be one more barrier between someone and three days that might genuinely make a difference.
That’s why we offer tiered pricing, and why we’ve lowered our subsidized rate this year from $75 to $50. Both our sponsors and every pay-it-forward ticket purchased at the $125 tier directly supports a subsidized ticket for someone else. This is a community taking care of itself.
Who the $50 ticket is for
The subsidized rate is available for three groups of people:
Library and information science students. If you’re earning your MLIS or a related degree, you’re already investing significantly in this profession. ThriveLib 2026 is a chance to connect with the realities of library work.
Unemployed library workers. If you’re between jobs right now, ThriveLib 2026 still has a place for you. Job searching is exhausting and isolating, and the connections and conversations you’ll find here are exactly the kind of thing that can help you keep going.
Underemployed library workers. This one deserves a fuller definition, because underemployment in the library profession takes a lot of forms that aren’t always visible or acknowledged.
What underemployment looks like in libraries:
Underemployment doesn’t just mean working part time when you want full time hours. In the library profession, it can look like:
- Holding an MLIS or related graduate degree but working in a paraprofessional or support staff role that doesn’t require it
- Working part time when your skills and availability warrant full time work
- Being paid significantly below the market rate for the responsibilities you carry
- Having a professional title but receiving no professional development funding
- Taking on the work of a senior role without the title, pay, or recognition that should come with it
- Lack of funding and support for professional development.
If any of that sounds familiar, the $50 ticket is for you. We’re not asking for proof and we’re not placing limits on this category. Use it if you need it.
No questions asked
We mean that. There is no application process, no documentation required, and no one checking. We trust you to know your own situation. When you register at thrivelib.com, you’ll see the ticket options, and you choose the one that fits. That’s it.
If you’ve been on the fence about attending because of cost, we hope this helps. ThriveLib 2026 runs August 11-13, all virtual, with replays planned for every session. Registration is open now and capped at 450 tickets.
Built to be sustainable
Accessibility and sustainability aren’t in conflict at ThriveLib. They depend on each other.
We pay our speakers. Every presenter at ThriveLib 2026 is offered an honorarium because we believe that the expertise, time, and labor that goes into preparing and delivering a session has real value.
Our organizers are compensated for their work too. ThriveLib is run by a small, dedicated team and we are committed to making sure the people who make this conference possible are not doing so at their own expense.
Our sponsors make a meaningful difference. Every sponsorship at every level contributes to our ability to keep ticket prices low, pay speakers fairly, and continue building something the library profession needs. We’re grateful to every organization and individual who has chosen to invest in this community.
Our attendees sustain us too. When you purchase a standard or pay-it-forward ticket, you’re not just buying access to three days of sessions. You’re helping ensure that ThriveLib can keep showing up for library workers year after year, at a price point that doesn’t exclude the people who need it most. Thank you!
ThriveLib 