This Week in Core – Feb 16

HAPPENING THIS WEEK

Monday, February 16

ALA/Core offices are closed in observance of President’s Day.

Tuesday, February 17

• Core Webinar: Build your Brand, Build your Community will be held from 1pm – 2pm CT
• Core Board of Directors will meet from 2pm – 4:30pm CT. Conversations with the 2026 Core Candidates will take place towards the beginning of the meeting.  All are welcome to attend.

Wednesday, February 18

• Core Webinar: Transforming LibGuides: A Case Study will be held from 1pm – 2pm CT

Thursday, February 19

• Core Continuing Resources Cataloging Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT

Friday, February 20

• Core Preservation Outreach Committee will meet from 11am – 12pm CT
• Core Emerging Technology Trends Section Committee will hold “Tech Talks: Accessibility” from 12pm – 1pm CT
  

HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

Monday, February 23

• Fundamentals of Cataloging (FOC) 2.0 begins at 9am CT – and runs through Friday, April 3, 2026
• Core Executive Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT

Tuesday, February 24

• Core Technology Section Leadership Team will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT
• Core Webinar: It’s Never Too Late: Pathways to Career Advancement will be held from 1pm – 2pm CT

Wednesday, February 25

• Core Webinar: Challenges for Collecting Digital Games will be held from 1pm – 2pm CT
• Core Web Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT

Thursday, February 26

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Friday, February 27

• Buildings for College and University Libraries Committee will meet from 10am – 11am – CT
• 2026 Core Forum Planning Committee will meet from 11:30am – 12:30pm CT

 MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Meet The Core Candidates for 2026-2027 Board of Directors
• The 2026 Core Fundamentals Course Schedule is now available. Register today!
• Applications for the Career LIFT Awards are now being accepted! The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 10.
• Submissions for the 2026 John Cotton Dana Award (JCD) are now open. The deadline to submit is March 13, 2026. The award is sponsored by Core, H.W. Wilson and EBSCO
• Nominations for the Core Margaret Mann Citation sponsored by OCLC are now open. Nominations due by February 27, 2026. Please help us spread the word and encourage your colleagues to nominate someone that is deserving of this recognition.
• Nominations for the Core Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship in Library and Information Technology sponsored this year by the American Library Association are now open. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2026.
• Nominations for the American Library Association (ALA) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Library Interior Design Awards are now open. The deadline to apply is April 6, 2026.
• This month’s #IamCore featured member is Daniel Dollar
• The Core Continuing Education Coordination Committee is looking for new members. One of the many perks for serving on this committee is the ability to Core CE events. Interested? Contact Tom Ferren at tferren@ala.org.
• Present a webinar or moderate an e-Forum Discussion for Core! Send your e-forum discussion idea to core-eforum+help@groups.io. Complete the webinar proposal form to submit your webinar idea. To participate in the e-forums, subscribe to the list by sending an email to core-eforum+subscribe@groups.io
• RUSA Virtual Forum-Agenda Posted – We are excited to inform you that the Agenda for the 2026 RUSA Virtual Forum: Reference and User Services: Stepping Boldly Forward to be held March 10 & 12, 2026 is now available. Click the link above to learn about the exciting sessions developed by RUSA sections and interest groups.
  

 HOT OFF THE PRESSES!

Check out these new titles which are available in the Core/ALA Store.

• The High-Impact Digital Library: Innovative Approaches for Outreach and Instruction. Digital library terminology like “accessible,” “discoverable,” and “searchable” usually presumes passive collections waiting to be found by motivated information seekers. Rarely do we envision collection managers initiating outreach with those most likely to benefit from the collections. 
• A Complete Guide to Creative Technology Spaces in Academic Libraries: Media Labs, Makerspaces, and More. Beyond the loaning of laptops and phone chargers, libraries are branching out into supporting patrons by providing spaces and services that encourage art, communication, and innovation. Perhaps you’ve been tasked with building such a space in your academic library. It might be a media studio, a virtual reality lab, or even a combination space that has a podcasting suite, equipment circulation, 3D printing, and a computer lab. Or maybe you’ve been doing this for a while; you know it’s time to expand, but you’re not quite sure which direction to take or what equipment you need.
•  Generative AI and Libraries: Claiming Our Place in the Center of a Shared Future. Addressing a topic of great concern with both urgency and clarity, this book offers a compelling vision for libraries to claim their central role as trusted stewards of knowledge and architects of a responsible and equitable AI-driven world.
• The Digital Accessibility Handbook for Libraries. Providing concrete guidance on integrating accessibility into all aspects of a library’s digital work, this book will serve as your one-stop guide to accessibility standards, processes, and best practices.

To have your committee meeting, Core event, or Core member opportunity listed in a future issue of This Week in Core (TWIC), contact the Core Office at core@ala.org a few weeks ahead of time and title your message “TWIC Post Request.”