Continuing Education
Continuing Education (CE) Workshop time and dates are subject to change. CE workshops are not included in attendee registration. Additional Fees apply.
Evidence Syntheses Services Essentials: Foundations of Review Selection and Search Design
Date & Time: 10/17/2026 ∙ 8 - 11 AM
MLA CE Credit: 3 Credit Hours, will likely qualify for MLA SRS Specialization
Fee:$50
Instructors:
- Margaret Foster – Director, Center for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses, Texas A&M University
- Dani LaPreze – Associate Librarian, Evidence Review and Synthesis Librarian, Texas A&M University
Class Description:
Evidence syntheses services are increasingly central to library research support, yet choosing the wrong review type or designing a weak search can derail a project from the start. This interactive 3‑hour course equips librarians with practical tools to confidently match research questions to the most appropriate evidence synthesis method and to design transparent, reproducible search strategies. Through brief lectures, case studies, and hands-on exercises, participants will practice review-type triage, question framing, and search design aligned with current standards. Attendees will leave with concrete workflows they can immediately apply in consultations and evidence synthesis services.
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
- Differentiate common evidence synthesis types (systematic, scoping, rapid, living, umbrella, etc.) and articulate when each is appropriate.
- Conduct a “reference interview for reviews”: identify the decision points that drive review type selection (purpose, scope, feasibility, timeline, team capacity).
- Match a research question to a review type and an appropriate question framework (e.g., PICO/PEO/PCS/PIRD) and guide clients to draft initial eligibility criteria.
- Design a transparent search approach: choose concepts, decide on controlled vocabulary + keywords, and structure a core database strategy.
- Select appropriate resources to be searched.
- Utilize tools (AI and more) as appropriate for designing a search.
- Describe how to improve strategy, including peer review, client feedback, and testing against identified relevant articles.
Active Learning by Design: Creating Engaging Library Instruction from Start to Finish
Date & Time: 10/17/2026 ∙ 8 - 11 AM
MLA CE Credit: 3 Credit Hours
Fee:$50
Instructors:
- Angelique Lackey, MEd, MLS – Director of Campus Partnerships, Texas A&M University
- Lauren Camarillo, MSLIS – Research & Education Librarian, Texas A&M University
- Melanie Sorsby, MLIS, AHIP – Research & Education Librarian, Texas A&M University
- Amy Martin-Klumpp, MLIS, MA – Research & Education Librarian, Texas A&M University
- Joseph Adam Anaya, MLIS – Research & Education Librarian, Texas A&M University
- Kathy Carter, MLIS, AHIP – Research & Education Librarian, Texas A&M University
Class Description:
Ever finish a library session and wonder how much actually stuck with your students? Active learning can make the difference between passive listening and meaningful engagement. This hands-on course explores practical ways librarians can bring more energy, intrinsic motivation, and interaction into their instruction. Grounded in research on learning and brain science, the session demonstrates why participatory teaching approaches improve learning and retention. Participants will leave with ready-to-use ideas and will have time to redesign one of their own instructional lessons using strategies introduced in the session.
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
- Explain why active learning improves student engagement and learning outcomes.
- Identify several adaptable active learning strategies suitable for library instruction.
- Use simple technology tools to increase participation and interaction in classes.
- Integrate active learning techniques with learning objectives and assessment strategies.
- Revise an instructional lesson to incorporate more interactive learning approaches.
Evidence Syntheses Services Essentials: Building the Service
Date & Time: 10/17/2026 ∙ 1 - 4 PM
MLA CE Credit: 3 Credit Hours, will likely qualify for MLA SRS Specialization
Fee:$50
Instructors:
- Margaret Foster – Director, Center for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses, Texas A&M University
- Esmeralda Rodgers – Assistant Librarian, Evidence Review and Synthesis Librarian, Texas A&M University
Class Description:
Evidence synthesis requests are growing fast—and without clear service boundaries, staffing models, and intake workflows, even experienced librarians can end up overwhelmed or under-credited. In this interactive 3‑hour workshop, librarians will learn how to design an evidence synthesis service from the ground up: defining scope, building intake forms and service agreements, assigning team roles, and creating sustainable workflows. Participants will practice real-world scenarios for setting expectations and advocating for appropriate recognition, including co-authorship aligned with established authorship criteria. Designed for solo librarians, and teams alike, you’ll leave with reusable templates, draft language, and a launch checklist you can adapt at your institution.
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
- Describe core components of an evidence synthesis service (entry points, scope boundaries, policies, workflow staging, and assessment touchpoints).
- Draft a service scope statement that clearly distinguishes consultation vs. collaboration levels and defines what the service will/won’t provide.
- Create a team role and responsibility model (e.g., coordinator/lead, search specialist, intake/admin coordination).
- Build or adapt an intake form that captures the information needed to triage projects (protocol status, review question, eligibility criteria, timeline, deliverables, prior searching).
- Write service policy that sets expectations for timelines, deliverables, communication norms, and attribution/recognition.
- Use negotiation strategies and documentation practices to advocate for appropriate recognition of librarian intellectual contributions (aligned with professional competency expectations).
Cultivating Sustainability: Applying Slow Librarianship to Community, Culture, and Collaboration
Date & Time: 10/17/2026 ∙ 1 - 3 PM
MLA CE Credit: 2 Credit Hours
Fee:$40
Instructors:
- Christina M. Seeger, MLS, AHIP – Medical Librarian, Sam Houston State Universit
- Melanie Sorsby, MLIS, AHIP – Associate Librarian for Research and Education, Texas A&M University
- Stefanie Lapka, MSIS, AHIP – Interim Head of Health Sciences, University of Houston
Class Description:
In a profession increasingly shaped by urgency, productivity metrics, and chronic understaffing, many librarians find themselves navigating a culture of perpetual acceleration. Slow Librarianship offers an alternative. Slow Librarianship is a philosophy and practice that resists hurried achievement culture and invites librarians to reorient their work toward relationship-building, reflection, collaboration, and sustainable care. Rather than striving to be all things to all people, Slow Librarianship encourages intentionality—focusing on meaningful impact over constant output. By valuing reflection and collaboration over traditional, high-speed metrics, we can build more equitable and humane workplaces centering community, culture, and collaboration. Together, we will consider how embracing reflective, relational practices can support both our stakeholders and ourselves—without sacrificing rigor or excellence. Participants will develop practical strategies for integrating slow principles into their own contexts.
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
- Learn about or increase their knowledge of Slow Librarianship as a practice
- Explore creative actions that promote more sustainable and humane workplaces.
- Create a collaborative toolkit of actionable strategies to foster slow librarianship practices into daily library operations.
AI: A Balancing Act
Date & Time: 10/17/2026 ∙ 3 - 5 PM
MLA CE Credit: 2 Credit Hours
Fee:$40
Instructors:
- Kay Strahan, MSLIS, AHIP – Northwest Campus Librarian, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Lindsay Blake, Ed.D, MLIS, AHIP – Clinical Services Coordinator, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Class Description:
The class will begin with an introduction to AI as used in clinical spaces, such as OpenEvidence or Doximity. Comparisons between popular AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Elicit, etc.) and clinical AI tools will help articulate the difference between tools optimized for clinical use and tools for the general population. There will be conversations surrounding ethical and nonethical usage of AI in clinical spaces, how and when to incorporate health information professionals into their workflow, and demonstrating the collaborative benefits of health information professionals in the clinic. The class will have a chance to practice with some AI tools, therefore laptops are required.
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
- Identify different types of AI platforms in order to prioritize content to instruct clinicians.
- Discern ethical and nonethical uses of AI in clinical spaces in order to provide clinicians with guidance surrounding its usage.
- Articulate librarian expertise in AI use in order to successfully implement librarian interventions in patron AI experiences.
- Practice using AI prompts to demonstrate when collaboration with health information professionals would be beneficial.
Navigating Federal Data Sources
Date & Time: 10/20/2026 ∙ 12:30 - 2 PM
MLA CE Credit: 1.5 Credit Hours, will likely qualify for MLA Data Services specialization
Fee:$30
Instructors:
- Ezra Pierce-Farrier – Assessment Librarian, University of Texas at Arlington
- Morgan Rowe-Morris – Multidisciplinary Librarian, University of Texas at Arlington
Class Description:
The last two years have seen rapid and unpredictable changes to the federal data system. Availability, content and methods of data collection have all changed – sometimes without notice or warning. This CE will cover data rescue efforts, alternatives to federal data sources, and advice on evaluating the utility of data sets in an evolving data environment. Participants should expect to gain a better understanding of the current data landscape and acquire tools to evaluate and use data in a changing environment.
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
- Summarize the scope, purpose, and cause for the data rescue efforts, and their current status.
- Review different health statistic resources from federal, national, archived, and non-government organizations.
- Evaluate health statistic resources for reliability, transparency, and longevity.
2026 Theme
Cowtown Connections
Make connections with libraries, partners, and administration representatives from across the region. |
Discover what medical libraries are innovating and come away with new insights. |
Hands on activities, educational panels, and sponsored activities. |
