HAPPENING THIS WEEK
Monday, February 23
- Fundamentals of Cataloging (FOC) 2.0 begins at 9am CT – and runs through Friday, April 3, 2026
- Core Metadata and Collections Section – Subject Analysis Committee will meet from 12pm – 2pm CT
- 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
- Core Technical Services and Systems Committee will meet from 11am – 12pm CT
- Core Metadata and Collections Section – Subject Analysis Committee will meet from 12pm – 2pm CT
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
- Core Metadata and Collections Section – Subject Analysis Committee will meet from 12pm – 2pm CT
HAPPENING NEXT WEEK
Join us for Core Interest Group Week!
Check out all of our sessions on the Core IG week page. We hope to see you there!
Monday, March 2
- Fundamentals of Electronic Resources Acquisitions 1.0 begins at 9am CT and ends Friday, March 27 at 5pm CT
- Fundamentals of Management 1.0 begins at 9am CT and ends Friday, March 27 at 5pm CT
Tuesday, March 3
- Core Circulation and Access Services Committee will present “Community of Practice” from 1pm – 2pm CT
Wednesday, March 4
- Core Web Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT
Thursday, March 5
- ALA Executive Board will meet from 3pm – 5pm CT
Friday, March 6
- Buildings for College and University Libraries Committee will meet from 10am – 11am – CT
MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Meet The Core Candidates running for Core President-Elect and Core Director-at-Large. 2026 Election Period: March 9, 2026 – April 1, 2026
- The 2026 Core Fundamentals Course Schedule is now available. Register today!
- Applications for the Career LIFT Award 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 ALA, H.W. Wilson and EBSCO. The program is managed by Core’s John Cotton Dana Award Committee.
- 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.”
