Empowering an Informed Communities: A Librarian's Playbook

2026 WLA Presidential Summit

Thursday, December 3, 2026 | Online | 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Home | Agenda | Speakers | Registration

Join library professionals, educators, and community leaders for a dynamic day of learning focused on media literacy, artificial intelligence, misinformation, and strategies for strengthening informed communities.

As AI tools become increasingly integrated into everyday life, libraries play a critical role in helping patrons navigate information, evaluate sources, and engage thoughtfully with emerging technologies. This event will explore today's rapidly changing information landscape while providing practical tools, resources, and frameworks that librarians can use in their work.

Participants will hear from nationally recognized experts, engage in discussions on health and wellness misinformation, explore evolving AI guidance for libraries, and participate in interactive breakout sessions focused on real-world applications and community engagement.

Keynote Speaker

Jevin West, internationally recognized researcher and educator in media literacy and misinformation, will open the day with a keynote exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, misinformation, and influence in today's information environment.

Interactive Learning Opportunities

Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from multiple breakout sessions tailored to library environments, including:

AI guidance and implementation considerations
Demonstrations of innovative tools and technologies
Practical applications for public and school libraries
Community engagement strategies using the Empowering Informed Communities framework
A misinformation-themed escape room

Who Should Attend?

This program is designed for:

Public librarians
School librarians
Academic librarians
Library administrators
Information literacy educators
Community engagement professionals
Anyone interested in media literacy and combating misinformation

What You'll Leave With

By the end of the event, participants will gain actionable strategies, practical resources, and a stronger understanding of how libraries can help communities navigate AI, misinformation, and the evolving information landscape.

The program concludes with a wrap-up session featuring additional resources, Q&A, and opportunities for continued learning through upcoming library and information literacy initiatives.

Statewide Access

For this virtual event, WLA is once again excited to allow state libraries or state library associations to purchase a pass to grant all library staff in their state online access to the Summit! An all-access pass will allow staff from all levels, roles, and career stages to attend for a flat fee, based on the average number of library employees in your state. Pricing tiers are based on the estimated number of library employees in the state/area. Full pricing chart with individual area pricing, total employees per area, price per employee, and sources will be available soon! All sessions will be recorded and made available to all registrants.

Session Recordings

Links to the recordings and presenter materials will be emailed to all registrants within one week of the live event on Thursday,December 3. Access to the summit recordings will be available through December 3, 2026. Registration to request the summit recordings will remain open through November12, 2026.

Registration

Individual Registration: Individual registration costs are $15 WLA Student; $45 WLA Members, and $65 Non-Members.

Organizational Registration: For this virtual event, WLA is excited to allow organizations to purchase a pass to grant all staff online access to the Summit! An all-access pass will allow staff from all levels, roles, and career stages to attend for a flat fee. Organizational registration will open October 8 and close November 13th.

Your employees can pop in and out of live sessions as their schedules allow, and they will have access to all session recordings afterward. The cost is less than the regular member rate, and your staff at all levels can each have access to the full day's schedule of quality professional development.

Number of Employees*	Rate
3-5	$100
6-10	$200
11-20	$350
21-50	$550
51-100	$1,000
101-200	$1,500
201-500	$2,000
501-1,000	$2,500
1,001+	$3,000

*Schools can apply the "Number of Employees" to just employees, just students, or both.

Register Here

State-Wide Registration: For this virtual event, WLA is excited to allow state libraries or state library associations purchase a pass to grant all library staff in their state online access to the Summit! An all-access pass will allow staff from all levels, roles, and career stages to attend for a flat fee, based on the average number of library employees in your state. Pricing tiers are based on the estimated amount of library employees in the state/area.

Number of Employees*	Rate
Under 1,000	$2,500
1,001-2,000	$3,500
2,001-3,000	$4,500
3,001-4,000	$5,500
4,001-5,000	$6,500
5,001-6,000	$7,500
6,001-8,000	$8,500
8,001+	$9,000