MLA '26 is coming up fast. The Local Arrangements Committee just had its last preconference meeting and things are getting launched.
I’ll be honest: last year was my first MLA, and I spent a good chunk of it feeling a bit like an outsider. It seemed like everywhere I turned, everyone already had their "squad" and knew exactly who was who. If you’ve ever walked into a conference lobby and felt that sudden flash of uncertainty, you know exactly what I mean.
That’s a big part of why I’m handling things differently this time around. Instead of just attending, I’m volunteering for a little bit of everything. If you’re looking for a way to meet people but "networking" feels like a chore, volunteering is actually a great hack. All the shifts are paired with another colleague, so you’re naturally working alongside someone new. It takes the pressure off making small talk because you actually have something to do together.
Plus, if the cost of registration is a hurdle, the conference offers a pretty great trade: if you volunteer for 6 hours (and they don't have to be all at once), you get free registration for one day.
You can check out the volunteer spots on the Sign Up Genius here. (You might be able to guess that I'm on the Volunteering and Hospitality group for LAC. 😉)
What I’m Looking Forward To
When I’m not helping out, there are several sessions I’m genuinely excited to see. My "must-watch" list is definitely leaning toward how we handle AI and how we support our residents and students in the clinical environment. A few that caught my eye:
The AI Transition: I’m curious to see the breakdown in Comparing AI Chat Tools and PubMed for Medical Literature Searches and how we should be looking at our library websites in this new "AI Age."
Clinical Support: The sessions on Neurocritical Care Rotations and Building Family Medicine Resident Research Capacity are right up my alley, especially as we look at how librarians can better mentor early-career researchers.
The Fun Stuff: I’ll definitely be at Making Library Statistics Collection and Reporting as Gouda as Possible. I’m a sucker for a lean approach—and an even bigger sucker for a cheese pun.
I'm excited to see the full program and plan out my days soon!
If you’re heading to the conference, please come say hi if you see me around. Whether it’s your first time or your twentieth, I’d love to connect and make the community feel a little smaller and more welcoming for everyone.
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