See the Conference Schedule for more information about the location and timing of events.

The programming for this year’s conference will take place at Washburn University School of Law, located 2.2 miles from the hotel. There will be free parking at the law school. The reception will be held at the Kansas Museum of History, and on Friday, attendees can visit the Brown v. Board historical site. Transportation will be provided to both the reception and to the Brown v. Board historical site, but transportation from the hotel to the law school for daily programming will not be provided. If you need assistance arranging transportation from the hotel to the law school, please contact Lexi Brennan (alexandra.brennan@drake.edu). 

MALLCO Roundtables and Paper Workshop | 8:30-11:50 a.m.

Roundtable topics, workshop details, and facilitators to be announced

MALLCO members will participate in a morning of facilitated roundtable discussions and a paper workshop. Specific topics, facilitators, and workshop details will be announced as they become available.

Lunch & Program 1 | 12:00-1:30 p.m.

If You Seed It, They Will Read It

Presenter: Alex Henault, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

This session outlines the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library's partnership with the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center to replace its existing 3,000-item library with books and devices appropriate to the ages and interests of the children housed there. The project supports literacy and education for incarcerated youth who cannot participate in the public library's traditional outreach programs. Attendees will consider how to identify service gaps, build correctional partnerships, involve stakeholders early, and pursue funding for similar initiatives.

Program 2A | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Building the Practice-Ready Toolkit: A Collaborative Roundtable for Law Librarians Leading Change

Presenter: Stefanie S. Pearlman, University of Nebraska College of Law

Law librarians increasingly support students and new attorneys transitioning into judicial clerkships, firm clerkships, and associate roles, yet many libraries create instructional materials in isolation. This interactive roundtable invites participants to help build an open-access MAALL repository of practice-readiness resources. Attendees will workshop submitted videos, worksheets, research exercises, lesson plans, and guides and brainstorm adaptable tools addressing research skills, generative AI, ethics, workplace culture, professionalism, and other practice-readiness topics. Submission of materials is encouraged but not required.

Program 2B | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Routes to Leadership: Growing MAALL Through Member Engagement

MAALL Education Committee Roundtable; moderator(s) to be announced

MAALL's future depends on creating meaningful, accessible routes for members to participate and lead. This roundtable will invite attendees to discuss what encourages or discourages involvement, how committees and leaders can make service opportunities more visible, and how MAALL can better support members at different career stages and from different library settings. Participants will help identify practical approaches for recruiting volunteers, developing new leaders, and building sustained member engagement.

Program 3A | 2:40-3:40 p.m.

The Winding Road of Collection Development: Pitfalls and Speed Traps

Moderator: Heather Buckwalter, Creighton University School of Law

This roundtable will explore how collection-development practices have evolved since 2020, including the effects of recent ABA Standards changes, shifting decisions about which materials to collect, and approaches to donations amid continuing space and staffing constraints. Participants will compare institutional practices, discuss common obstacles, and leave with ideas they can adapt to their own libraries.

Program 3B | 2:40-3:40 p.m.

The Road to NextGen: Law Librarians and the Future of Bar-Ready Research Skills

MAALL Education Committee Roundtable; moderator(s) to be announced

As law schools prepare for the NextGen bar exam, law librarians are considering how legal research instruction can support the skills students will need for licensure and practice. This roundtable will bring attendees together to discuss research-related competencies, curricular opportunities, assessment approaches, and the librarian's role in broader bar-readiness efforts. Participants will share current practices and identify questions and resources that warrant continued collaboration.

Program 4A | 3:50-4:35 p.m.

AI-Integration in First Semester Legal Research & Writing

Presenter: Frank Young, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

This session provides a hands-on approach to incorporating generative AI into first-year legal research and writing instruction. Through structured assignments involving case analysis, legal reasoning, and drafting, students learn to evaluate AI-generated work, identify inaccuracies, and develop essential verification habits. The session addresses overreliance, transparency, and ethical obligations and offers adaptable exercises that preserve core legal competencies while building responsible AI literacy.

Program 4B | 3:50-4:35 p.m.

TBD

Presenter: TBD

Program 5A | 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Accreditation, Assessment, and ABA: Law Libraries at the Center of ABA Standards for Law School Accreditation

Presenter: Matt Timko, Northern Illinois University College of Law
Other presenter(s) TBA

ABA Standards shape nearly every aspect of law-school operations, and law libraries are both affected by and essential to institutional compliance. This session will provide an overview of the standards that implicate law libraries, examine how libraries can address those requirements through their operations and assessment practices, and discuss how librarians can serve as key participants in accreditation preparation and site visits.

Program 5B | 9:00-10:00 a.m.

TBD

Presenter:  TBD

Program 6A | 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Superior Supervising: Roundtable on Managing and Supervising Full-Time Staff

Moderator: Lexi Brennan, Drake University School of Law

This roundtable discussion focuses on the day-to-day realities of supervising staff, with an emphasis on setting meaningful goals and conducting effective performance evaluations. We will discuss strategies for goal-setting, documentation, and feedback. Participants will be encouraged to share their own strategies, challenges, and institutional constraints, with the aim of learning from each other how to become better managers and supervisors.

Program 6B | 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Book to Action

Moderator: Matt Timko, Northern Illinois University College of Law

This annual discussion will connect a recently published book (to be selected) to issues affecting librarians, communities, and personal well-being.

Program 7A | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Creating On-Ramps to Help: Building Trust in Legal Research Support

MAALL Education Committee Roundtable; moderator(s) to be announced

People do not always recognize when a law librarian can help, understand the value of legal research support, or feel comfortable asking for assistance. This roundtable will explore how libraries across settings can create clearer and more welcoming on-ramps to their services. Participants will discuss trust, outreach, relationship-building, service design, and communication strategies that make librarian expertise more visible and easier to access.

Program 7B | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

DEI Committee Roundtable

Moderator: Matt Timko, Northern Illinois University College of Law (on behalf of the MAALL DEI Committee)

Join the MAALL DEI Committee for an open and candid discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues affecting members' states, institutions, and libraries. Participants will share successes and setbacks, consider ways to pursue DEI outcomes in challenging environments, and exchange approaches for supporting colleagues and other libraries in their efforts.

Saturday, October 10