This practical session shares a proven, replicable model for offering knitting programs in libraries using two complementary formats: a structured Introduction to Knitting class and a supportive drop‑in skill‑building session. Attendees will learn how to plan and execute each format—from advanced planning through day‑of facilitation—while welcoming a wide range of skill levels and creating an environment that encourages repeat participation. We’ll also discuss how drop‑in style programming supports skill growth, peer connection, and sustainability over time. Participants will leave with adaptable templates and concrete strategies they can use to launch or refine knitting programs at their own libraries with confidence.
Adult Services Event Coordinator, Laramie County Library System
Geralyn Dyson coordinates adult programs at the Laramie County Library System, with over two years of event coordination experience and nearly a decade of knitting instruction.
Thursday October 1, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am MDT Wyoming Room B
Join Paige Bredenkamp, eresources & School Library Consultant at the Wyoming State Library, for a “tour de force” of the GoWYLD resources. You’ll hear about updates and enhancements to the eresources available. Come with questions and ideas and learn how you can use these in with your students and patrons.
In this session, attendees will hear from Wyoming Community Foundation staff about grant opportunities available to libraries across the state, including the Competitive Grant Cycle and Continuing Staff Education (CSE) grants through the WYCF McMurry Library Fund.
Alongside an overview of available funding opportunities, attendees will also receive practical Grant Writing 101 guidance designed to help libraries craft stronger proposals. This session will explore how to communicate impact, align requests with funder priorities, and tell meaningful stories about the role libraries play in their communities.
Scholarship and Grants Coordinator, Wyoming Community Foundation
Ben works at the Wyoming community Foundation as a Scholarship and Grant Coordinator. He also attends the University of Wyoming, where he is pursuing his Masters in Public Administration with a focus in nonprofit management
Thursday October 1, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am MDT Sheridan Room
"Program-in-a-Box" is a turnkey solution for library events. Each kit acts as a complete, pre-packaged toolkit containing both the plan and the materials needed to run an activity.
Essentially, they remove the prep work: instead of spending hours researching and shopping, staff can simply open a box and begin a high-quality session. They are designed to be "plug-and-play," ensuring that even a busy or new staff member can lead a professional, engaging program that appeals to the community’s curiosity and educational needs.
Youth Services Librarian and former teacher "booked" for life. Between co-hosting the PB&J webinar and writing The WY-YS Librarian Lowdown eNewsletter, I stay busy crafting youth-minded resources for librarians across Wyoming!
April Freeman is the Youth Services Librarian at Albany County Library. A storytime enthusiast, she focuses on building community and connecting local kids with great books.
With 18 years at Natrona County Library, Angel Capone Evans leads youth programs and storytimes, sparking curiosity and a love for literacy in the community.
Thursday October 1, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am MDT Wyoming Room A
Are libraries antiquated or quietly on the cutting edge? Are you doing meaningful, transformative work while struggling to measure impact? Do you want your library to build a lasting legacy, yet sometimes feel overlooked or invisible? This talk will explore the paradoxes at the heart of library leadership and how to address them in your own library.
Mandy Fabel is the Executive Director of Leadership Wyoming, a prominent leadership development program in the state. She lives in Lander, Wyoming and enjoys spending time in the mountains to hike, rock climb, mountain bike, hunt, and snowmobile. On weekends you will find her chasing... Read More →
Destination Imagination® (DI) is a global, volunteer-led nonprofit organization that encourages student participants to work together to solve open-ended challenges using storytelling, engineering, improvisation, art and critical thinking. Destination Imagination is a strong fit for library programming because it is inclusive, low-budget and encourages hands-on learning for a wide range of ages and interests. Learn about Destination Imagination and how to implement it into your afterschool and homeschool programming. Practice your own creative problem-solving skills with hands-on “Instant Challenges.” For the Instant Challenges, you will use everyday materials like straws, paperclips, and mailing labels to create STEAM-driven solutions (think building a bridge to hold pennies, designing a fish that could survive on Mars, etc.)
Youth Services Specialist (applying as a board member of Destination Imagination), Campbell County Public Library (applying on behalf of WACY-Wyoming Association of Creative Youth)
Stephanie Birr is a Youth Services Specialist at the Campbell County Public Library. She participated in Destination Imagination as a student and loves promoting it.
Thursday October 1, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm MDT Sheridan Room
Please take this opportunity to learn all about the Library of Congress (LOC) and how it can help us and our patrons thrive! The presentation begins with a quick history lesson on the LOC and the role it plays in the United States. The bulk of the presentation showcases helpful resources and trainings offered by the LOC that library workers in Wyoming can utilize to make their work a little easier. This part is especially useful for anyone that works in Tech or Adult Services. There is also a section that highlights services and activities that might be of interest to patrons, such as, the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, copyright services for local authors, and volunteer opportunities. The presentation concludes with everyone getting the chance to participate in a volunteer opportunity to transcribe a document for the LOC.
Last year, we unlocked the secret to making library data less boring and more joyful. This year, let’s put those numbers to work! Information enthusiasts know statistics aren’t just lists or numbers, they’re stories waiting for their time to shine. We’ll deep-dive into the practice of "data translation,” explore how to pair hard metrics (like circulation and door counts) with compelling community narratives, translate our discoveries for various audiences, and learn how to audit your current data for the strongest impact stories, bridging the gap between complex data and public understanding to ensure our libraries and communities continue to thrive together.
Research and Statistics Consultant, Wyoming State Library
Jessica’s time at the WSL working with national-level data peers has driven her passion for highlighting the impact of libraries and the communities they serve.
WYZE (Wyoming Zine Exchange) is a new statewide project inviting people across Wyoming to share pieces of everyday life through zines. Centered in libraries and community spaces, the project aims to build a recurring statewide exchange and archive that captures the textures of living here, from small-town routines and local traditions to quiet moments that might otherwise go undocumented. This session will introduce the structure and upcoming launch of the program, including participation options, exhibits, programming support, and educator resources designed to make involvement approachable for libraries of all sizes. We’ll also talk about why zines work so well for community-building, creativity, and connection, especially in local spaces, and invite attendees to help shape the program’s next steps and future growth.
Over the past two years, the University of Wyoming Libraries has seen a growing interest in zines that helped transform a small collection into an active, collaborative creative community. Built alongside students through workshops, internships, exhibits, classroom partnerships, public events, and low-barrier programming, the project tapped into a broader desire for connection, creativity, and personal forms of expression rooted in the real, physical world. This interactive session will explore how the community developed while also introducing attendees to simple, adaptable zine workshop models they can bring back to their own libraries. Participants will leave with practical strategies for facilitating accessible zine programming, fostering creative engagement, and building collaborative creative communities across a range of library settings.
Library Shark Tank is an interactive, game show–style session designed to showcase innovative, low-cost programming ideas while fostering collaboration across Wyoming libraries of all types and sizes. Participants will experience firsthand how collective creativity, supportive leadership, and shared resources can strengthen communities statewide. This session emphasizes that impactful ideas don’t require large budgets; just collaboration, adaptability, and a willingness to try something new.
We will talk about how to use the lending models to stretch your budget, how to set up your patron interest manager and smart lists, managing pre-order titles, maintaining the statewide holds list, how to deal with expired metered access titles with holds, finding and ordering items with high interest from your own patrons, and more.
Digest current research on burnout in service professionals, assess official advice to avoid, mitigate, and recover, and crowdsource peer anecdotes, practical tips, and support.
Adult Services Specialist, Laramie County Library System
Micah has two degrees in psychology, and will one day get a third, and is professionally and academically familiar with burnout among public service workers.
