HAPPENING THIS WEEK
This week is Core Preservation Week! This year’s theme: “Is This Thing On? Preserving Memory and Building Archives” with our Honorary Chair Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty and features three free webinars!
Monday, April 27
- Fundamentals of Metadata (FOM) web course begins today. Limited space is available.
- Core Executive Committee met from 1pm – 2pm CDT
Tuesday, April 28
- Preservation Week Webinar: Helping Patrons Preserve Digital Memories will be held from 1pm – 2pm CDT. This is a free webinar for all.
Wednesday, April 29
- Preservation Week Webinar: Seen, Not Saved: Preservation as an Act of Resilience, Resistance and Visibility will be held from 1pm – 2pm CDT. This is a free webinar for all.
- Core Web Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CDT
Thursday, April 30
- Preservation Week Webinar: Hand in Hand: Connecting, Supporting, and Sustaining California Memory Labs will be held from 1pm – 2pm CDT. This is a free webinar for all.
Friday, May 1
- World Languages Acquisitions Committee will meet from 10am – 11am CDT
- Core Metadata & Collections Section Leadership Team will meet from 11am – 12pm CDT
- Core Collection Evaluation and Assessment Interest Group will hold its “Coffee Talks” from 12pm – 1pm CDT
HAPPENING NEXT WEEK
Registration for the 2026 Core Forum in Louisville, KY opens this week! Watch for announcements via ALA Connect and the coreforum.org event site.
Monday, May 4
- Fundamentals of Acquisitions (FOA) web course begins today. Limited space is available.
- Fundamentals of Electronic Resources Acquisitions (FERA) web course begins today. Limited space is available.
- Core Executive Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CDT
- Core LIFT Awards Committee will meet from 11am – 12pm CDT
- Core Assessment and Evaluation Committee will meet from 1pm – 1:30pm CDT
Tuesday, May 5
- Core Webinar: Best of Core Forum: Using the Viewfinder Toolkit for Responsible AI will be held from 1pm – 2pm CDT
- Core Technology Section Leadership Team will meet from 1pm – 2pm CDT
Wednesday, May 6
- Core Interest Group Coordination Committee will meet from 12pm – 1pm CDT
- Core Committee on Cataloging: Asian and African Materials (CC:AAM) will meet from 12pm – 1pm CDT
- Core Webinar: Best of Core Forum: AI in Cataloging and Metadata: Developing Community and Best Practices will be held from 1pm- 2pm CDT
- Core Library Leaders and Managers Interest Group will meet from 1pm – 2pm CDT
Thursday, May 7
- Core Awards and Scholarships Coordination Committee will meet from 10am – 11am CDT
- Core Marketing and Social Media Committee will meet from 2pm – 3pm CDT
Friday, May 8
- Core Forum Planning Committee will meet from 11:30am – 12:30pm CDT
- Core Organization & Bylaws Committee will meet from 12pm – 1pm CDT
- Core Continuing Education Coordination Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CDT
MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Follow Core on Facebook!
- The Appointments Process is now underway for Core committees for the new committee year, starting July 1! Please consider volunteering for two or three or more of our committees, following the link here. We have committees for each of our five Sections, as well as Division level committees that help with the administration of Core. We also have award committees (which are a fun way to celebrate the great work of our colleagues) and editorial boards for the three open-access journals published by Core. With our wide variety of volunteer opportunities, we hope you can find your place in Core today!
- Reminder: Core May 2026 Reports from Committees, Interest Groups and Sections are due by May 30!
- View the 2026 Core Fundamentals Course Schedule
- 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
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.”

