HAPPENING THIS WEEK
Monday, January 5
- Core Executive Committee met from 1pm – 2pm CT
Tuesday, January 6
- Core Technology Section Leadership Team will meet to discuss strategic planning from 1pm – 2pm CT
Wednesday, January 7
- Core Library Leaders and Managers Interest Group will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT
Thursday, January 8
- Core Awards & Scholarships Coordination Committee will meet from 10am – 11am CT
Friday, January 9
- Core Collection Evaluation and Assessment Interest Group will host a “Coffee Talk” from 12pm – 1pm CT
- Core Emerging Technology Trends Committee will host “Tech Talks! AI Alternatives” from 12pm – 1pm CT
- Core Continuing Education Coordination Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT
- Library Consulting Interest Group will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT
- Core Organization & Bylaws Committee will meet from 12pm – 1pm CT
- Core Fundraising & Sponsorships Committee will meet from 2pm – 3pm CT
HAPPENING NEXT WEEK
Monday, January 12
- Core Member Engagement Coordination Committee will meet from 10:30am 11:00am CT
- Core Executive Committee will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT
Tuesday, January 13
- Core Webinar: Beyond Your Department: Uniting Catalogers will be held from 1pm – 2pm CT
- Core Technology Section Leadership Team will meet from 1pm – 2pm CT
- The January Core Leaders Meeting, with members of the Core Leaders Group (Core Division Committee Chairs, Section Leaders, Board of Directors, Core Staff) will be held from 2pm – 3pm CT
Wednesday, January 14
Thursday, January 15
Friday, January 16
- Core Preservation Outreach Committee will meet from 11am – 12pm CT
MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Core is pleased to announce the release of the 2026 Core Fundamentals Web Course Schedule. This series of related online courses covers basic topics that enhance skills in various areas of library work.
- Core is now accepting applications for the Online Course Scholarship for Library Professionals from Developing Countries to participate in our online Fundamentals courses. Applications may be submitted between January 17, 2025, and February 16, 2025. The Core Online Courses are available to any students who want to register at a cost.You can view the link below regarding course registration fees. Click below for more information.
http://www.ala.org/core/continuing-education/courses - 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.
- Core publishes its three journals–Information Technology and Libraries, Library Leadership & Management, and Library Resources & Technical Services–open access without charging authors fees. We invite your library to join Core in sustaining the continued excellence and availability of these journals. Now you can show your support by selecting the collection [American Library Association] ALA/Core Division Open Access Journals in EBSCONET and Fokus (Harrassowitz) and pledging $300 per year.
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.”

