This Week in Core – March 9

HAPPENING THIS WEEK

Monday, March 9

• ALA/Core Elections Open Today! Watch for your ballot to arrive from ALA soon. 2026 Election Period: March 9, 2026 – April 1, 2026

Meet The Core Candidates running for Core President-Elect and Core
Director-at-Large.

• Core Leadership Development and Mentoring Committee  will met from 11am – 12pm CT 
• Core Executive Committee will met from 1pm – 2pm CT

Tuesday, March 10

• Core Webinar: Creating a Knowledge Management Initiative for Ongoing Team Success will be held from 1pm – 2pm CT
• Core Technology Section Leadership Team will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT

Wednesday, March 11

• Core Fundraising & Sponsorship Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT

Thursday, March 12

• Core Volunteer Fair will be held from 1pm – 2pm CT. Learn how to become a member of a Core committee or chair an interest group. To volunteer, Core members can fill out the Volunteer Form.
• Core Marketing and Social Media Committee will meet from 2pm – 3pm CT

Friday, March 13

• Core Library Consulting Interest Group will meet from 11am – 12pm CT
• Core Forum Planning Committee will meet from 11:30am – 12:30pm CT
• Core Organization & Bylaws Committee will meet from 12pm – 1pm CT
• Core Continuing Education Coordination Committee will meet from 1pm- 2pm CT

HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

Monday, March 16

• Core International Relations Committee will meet from 11am – 12pm CT
• Core Executive Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT

Tuesday, March 17

Wednesday, March 18

Thursday, 19

• Core Metadata and Collections Section Metadata Standards Committee will meet from 9am – 10am CT
• Core Awards & Scholarships Coordination Committee will meet from 10am – 11am CT
• Core Buildings and Operations Section’s Library Interiors, Furnishings, and Equipment Committee (LIFE) will meet from 2pm – 3pm CT 

Friday, March 20

• Core Planning and Design Committee will meet from 11am – 12pm CT
• Core Technology Section’s Emerging Technology Trends Committee will meet from 12pm – 1pm 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
• Applications for the Career LIFT Award are now being accepted! The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 24.
• The 2026 Core Fundamentals Course Schedule is now available. Register today!
• 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 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 Rachel Scott
• 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.”