MASL 53 Annual Conference 2026: Full Schedule

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7:30am EDT

Friday October 30, 2026 7:30am - 9:00am EDT

Prompts for How to Teach I'm Sorry You Got Mad
Have you used I'm Sorry You Got Mad with your students? Do you want some ideas directly from the author? This session will both provide you with some ideas and will give you a chance to share your own.

**Breakfast is served at 7:30 am with presentation and book signing immediately following. NOTE: This is a ticketed event -- pre-registration/payment is required.

Authors

Kyle Lukoff

Kyle Lukoff is the author of the middle grade novel "Too Bright To See," the Stonewall-award winning picture book “When Aidan Became A Brother,” "Explosion at the Poem Factory," and many more. While becoming a writer he worked as a bookseller for ten years, and then nine more... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 7:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grande Ballroom

Authors

Conference Strands Literacy Resources
Interest Level All

9:15am EDT

Breakout Session - Engaging with Critical AI Literacies

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT

West 1

What relationship do we want with AI? How can we best incorporate AI - or not - into equitable learning? In this workshop, we'll explore these questions together with activities inspired by Critical AI in K-12 Classrooms by Budhai and Heath. You'll walk away with critical perspectives to incorporate into your own practice, as well as practical strategies to use in your practice.

Speakers

Danielle Peck

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
West 1

Sessions

Conference Strands Curriculum & Programming, Management & Administration
Interest Level All

9:15am EDT

Breakout Session - I Will Become a Little Boy: Reading Trans Narratives in Beloved Classics

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT

Conservatory

Children's books often use metaphors to get at deeper issues of identity. This presentation will consider both contemporary and older examples, and provide a fresh way of looking at a familiar text.

Authors

Kyle Lukoff

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
Conservatory

Sessions

Conference Strands Curriculum & Programming, Literacy Resources
Interest Level All

9:15am EDT

Breakout Session - MackinVision: The LMS that Welcomes Everyone!

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT

West 3

In this session you’ll discover MackinVision, a cloud-based library and resource management system built for today’s schools. Explore how its student-centered design unifies print, digital, and multimedia materials in one easy-to-use platform. In this demo you will see powerful age and language adaptive tools like STAR, an interface to support visual searching. The Teacher's Library Portal for classroom circulation lets teachers manipulate their classroom libraries. See how MackinVision streamlines library management, supports classrooms, and enhances the student experience.

Speakers

Lisa Maharry

Educational Sales Consultant, Mackin Educational Resources

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
West 3

Sessions

Conference Strands Management & Administration
Interest Level All

9:15am EDT

Breakout Session - Michigan Authors & Illustrators: A Teaching Tool with a Huge Cast of Characters

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT

West 2

Michigan Authors and Illustrators Online is a powerful tool for librarians and teachers to use for teaching and research purposes. This session will strengthen the knowledge of Michigan as a literary resource and provide ways to use this tool within the state curricula standards.This session will demonstrate the usage of MIAI in literary instruction with lesson ideas at various grade levels.

Speakers

Julie Harris

Information Literacy Specialist, Rochester Community Schools

Karen Becknell

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
West 2

Sessions

Conference Strands Collaboration, Curriculum & Programming, Literacy Resources
Interest Level All

9:15am EDT

Breakout Session - Plot Twist: From Research Tool to Everyday Classroom Essential with Gale

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT

Vanderbilt

Research projects aren't the only place Gale shines. Plot twist: Gale can become one of the most valuable instructional resources in your school. Explore practical, classroom-ready strategies that help librarians partner with teachers across grade levels and content areas using Gale statewide resources. From Claim evidence reasoning (CER) and inquiry to AI literacy, current events, bell ringers, discussion starters, and differentiated instruction, you'll discover ways Gale can play a part of everyday teaching and learning. We'll also highlight additional Gale resources that complement state initiatives. Leave with a ready-to-use Gale Classroom Playbook filled with ideas you can share with teachers tomorrow.

Speakers

Lindsey Dzyngel

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am EDT
Vanderbilt

Sessions

Conference Strands Collaboration, Curriculum & Programming
Interest Level All

10:15am EDT

Author Speed Dating

Friday October 30, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am EDT

Grande Ballroom

Friday October 30, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Grande Ballroom

Authors

Conference Strands Literacy Resources
Interest Level All

1:00pm EDT

Breakout Session - Beyond the Stacks: Boosting Impact with REMC

Friday October 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

West 2

School librarians are uniquely positioned to drive systemic change, but expanding your reach requires the right support. Discover how to leverage free resources, frameworks, and professional learning from the REMC Association of Michigan to increase your capacity and position yourself as a vital district leader. This session will explore four key ways REMC resources can boost your district-wide impact. Learn how to support administrative staff and teachers with ADA Compliance and Accessibility Toolkits, partner with tech departments using Student Data Privacy initiative and TSES framework, and directly support classroom teachers through project such as Promoting STEM Through Literature (PSTL) and Tabletop Games for Critical Thinking. Attendees will walk away with free toolkits that save prep time, support diverse learners of all ages, and provide an actionable plan to maximize their library's impact throughout the school year.

Speakers

Melinda Waffle

Professional Learning Coordinator, REMC Association of Michigan

Melinda Waffle, who has a masters in Educational Technology, taught high school before moving into a district technology coordinator role in 2003 which was solely responsible for helping teachers rethink their classroom and curriculum through technology use. After eight years of serving... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
West 2

Sessions

Conference Strands Advocacy & Leadership, Collaboration, Curriculum & Programming
Interest Level All

1:00pm EDT

Breakout Session - Intellectual Freedom and the Law: A Practical Toolkit for School Librarians

Friday October 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

West 3

School librarians are often on the front lines of intellectual freedom issues—yet many feel underprepared when concerns escalate into legal or policy-based challenges. This toolkit-style session grounds intellectual freedom in its legal foundations while keeping the focus practical and school‑appropriate. Participants will explore the constitutional principles, court decisions, and policy structures that shape intellectual freedom in K–12 libraries. Through real‑world scenarios and ready‑to‑use tools, attendees will learn how to respond confidently to challenges, communicate professionally with stakeholders, and protect both students’ rights and their own professional responsibilities. This session is designed for school librarians at all levels and emphasizes what librarians can rely on legally—even when community pressure is high.

Speakers

Jaclyn Martin

Friday October 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
West 3

Sessions

Conference Strands Advocacy & Leadership, Management & Administration
Interest Level All

1:00pm EDT

Breakout Session - Starting a Friends of the School Libraries Organization in Your District

Friday October 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

West 1

In 2024, a group of parent and community advocates formed the Friends of the Ann Arbor School Libraries to promote equity across libraries, facilitate volunteers, raise money for specific actions, advocate for libraries in the community, and help to address financial challenges. Working with the Library Services Department chairs as well as librarians across the district, the Friends group has since coordinated large-scale, community-wide book covering events, represented and promoted school library programs at broader community events, and increased awareness of and support for school library programs across the district. In this session, parent organizers and school librarians will share lessons learned and advice for starting a similar group in your district, including presenting sample mission statements, by-laws, and legal organization documents.

Speakers

Jennifer Colby

Teacher Librarian, Ann Arbor Public Schools

Rachel Goldberg

Friday October 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
West 1

Sessions

Conference Strands Advocacy & Leadership, Collaboration
Interest Level All

2:00pm EDT

Closing Keynote with Amy Hermon

Friday October 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Grande Ballroom

School Librarians Are Leaders
Not by title, but by the trust we earn every day in our school communities, classrooms, and hallways. Let's explore what that looks like at every level of our work: in daily interactions with students, staff, and families; as the trusted colleague other educators turn to; and as the informed voice guiding our buildings through the rapid rise of AI and technology. But leadership doesn't stop at the building door. Michigan's school librarians have a responsibility to carry that same leadership into our professional home, MASL, through committee work, volunteer roles, and active participation in shaping the future of the profession. We already have the skills – what's left is the initiative to answer the call. It's time to fully embrace our role as leaders, both in our school communities and across the profession statewide.

Speakers

Amy Hermon

Featured Presenter, Closing Keynote Speaker, School Librarians United

Library Media Specialist
Wayne State University
Amy Hermon, a library media specialist for more than 18 years, is the host of School Librarians United, a weekly podcast for and by school librarians. During the pandemic she recorded several episodes addressing the challenges of virtual programming in school libraries and provided a platform for presenters whose conferences had been cancelled. The podcast, created by Hermon in 2018... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Grande Ballroom

Keynote

Interest Level All

3:15pm EDT

MISelf in Books

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm EDT

Grande Ballroom

Come celebrate the big reveal of the 2026 MISelf in Books list. Attendees will learn the purpose for the diverse book list, criteria for book selection, how to access the list, and a highlight of the favorite titles from this year's list. There will be plenty of book giveaways, so be sure to stay for the duration of the conference.

Speakers

Lauren Henderson

Media Specialist, Hamilton Elementary School

Lauren Henderson is the Media Specialist at Hamilton Elementary in Troy, Michigan. She has also taught 4th grade and worked as a public librarian. Lauren is passionate about books, making, and inclusion. She enjoys sharing her passion with her team to find opportunities to merge maker-centered... Read More →

Amanda Davies

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm EDT
Grande Ballroom

Sessions

Conference Strands Literacy Resources
Interest Level All

7:30am EDT

9:15am EDT

9:15am EDT

9:15am EDT

9:15am EDT

9:15am EDT

10:15am EDT

1:00pm EDT

1:00pm EDT

1:00pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

3:15pm EDT

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