Accessibility

We plan to make all presentations available both in person and via Zoom, and to facilitate social spaces both in person and via Zoom as best we can.

There are spaces for both presenters and attendees to alert the planning committee to specific needs or preferences you have when you submit your proposal or register for the retreat. The registration form also has space to note any dietary restrictions.

For questions about accessibility specifically regarding Zoom, or for suggestions, please reach out to Miranda Kispert at mirandakispert@weber.edu.

For questions about accessibility at the University of Utah and/or the Marriott Library, visit https://accessibility.utah.edu/ or reach out to Shane Wallace at Shane.wallace@utah.edu.

Registration and Travel Costs

Registration for the Professional Development Retreat is free for employees of UALC member libraries, with a few exceptions — some institutions don’t pay for student employees to attend, for example.

Registration for the in-person Retreat experience costs $20 for non-UALC attendees and those whose UALC institutions don’t cover their registration. Registration for the in-person Retreat includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and will close on September 15.

Registration for the virtual Retreat experience is free for all, and will close on October 11.

Travel costs are not included in registration, but may be covered by individual institutions — for details or confirmation, reach out to your supervisor.

Presentation Proposals

Proposals for presentations will be accepted until July 31, 2023 at https://forms.gle/2Gzvvhxaj2Pifa9R6, and speakers will be notified in August or as soon thereafter as possible.

We recognize the value of lived experience in addition to other forms of expertise, and encourage creative proposals from all library personnel, including student employees and members of traditionally underrepresented groups.

Sessions may be in person or virtual, and may be conducted in a variety of formats including lightning talks (15 minutes), traditional presentations, moderated discussions, activities, open forums, workshops, or panel presentations of 25 or 50 minutes.

The theme of “Checking In” can be interpreted broadly, and we hope you will be creative with it!

What to Expect

The UALC Professional Development Retreat is like a mini-conference for academic libraries in Utah (and other libraries!). In 2022, attendees had a selection of 12 presentations to choose from, including the keynote speaker. There were about 70 in-person attendees, and we hope to build on that this year!

Presentations often address issues specific to Utah, including the incredible work happening right here at home, but nothing is off limits. This year’s theme, “Checking In: Responding To & Inspiring Change,” is deliberately broad. So much has happened lately, we want to leave room for all of our speakers to share the things that resonate for them.

The retreat typically also includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, and time to socialize and network. If you’ve never come to the retreat before, we hope you’ll join us this year!

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed here, or if you find broken links or other problems with this site, please feel free to reach out to the planning committee and we will respond as soon as we are able:

Miranda Kispert, Chair

• mirandakispert@weber.edu

Shane Wallace, University of Utah Marriott Library representative

• shane.wallace@utah.edu

Lydia Howes, University of Utah Eccles Library representative

• lydia.howes@utah.edu

Wendy Holliday, Executive Committee Liaison

• wendyholliday@weber.edu