www.mcls.org :: IN library leaders World Cafe

Indiana library leaders: join us for Sustainability & Resilience: Exploring Solutions

In August and September, the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) will host a multi-event engagement program, Sustainability & Resilience: Exploring Solutions, designed to bring together public library leaders in facilitated dialogue about the challenges and opportunities ahead. MCLS, a member-owned, non-profit library consortium serving Indiana and Michigan libraries of all types, invites you to attend one or more events listed below and offer your unique perspective.

We need input from public libraries of all sizes and geographic areas to make this effort an authentic representation of Indiana public libraries. You do not have to be an expert. We want you to speak openly and candidly from your point of view.

Each event uses The World Café methodology, a proven approach to inclusive, participatory conversation. Topics will focus on surfacing the diverse perspectives, experiences, and insights that exist across our library community — and on coming together to imagine bold, impactful solutions that support one another and move public libraries forward.

Your perspective is not a footnote; it’s foundational.

This method of dialogue accommodates large numbers of participants, so multiple library leaders from your system are welcome.

Registration is FREE and open on a "first come, first served" basis. Registration and a light breakfast with refreshments will begin 30 minutes prior to the start of each in-person World Café.

Dates and locations:

Marion Public Library, 600 S. Washington St., Marion, IN 46953
August 21, 2026
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern (local time)
Register for Marion >>

Brown County Public Library, 205 Locust Lane, Nashville, IN 47448
August 27, 2026
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern (local time)
Register for Brown County >>

Virtual Café, Zoom
August 28, 2026
9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern (8:30 am - 12:30 pm Central)
Register for the Virtual Café >>

Purdue Northwest Westville Campus, 1401 S US Hwy 421, Westville, IN, 46391
September 1, 2026
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central (local time)
Register for Purdue NW >>

Vigo County Public Library, 1 Library Sq, Terre Haute, IN 47807
September 3, 2026
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern (local time)
Register for Vigo County >>

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Why should you participate?

The legislative and funding changes affecting public libraries across Indiana are impacting everyone. That shared reality is exactly why your participation matters. You don't need to have all the answers — you just need to bring your experience, your questions, and your willingness to think boldly alongside peers who are navigating the same challenges. You don't need to arrive with solutions — you just need to arrive ready to build them together.

We need leaders of BOTH small and large public libraries in the room:

Small community public library leaders are on the front lines of what these changes mean in practice. Unlike larger library systems, you may not have resources dedicated to tracking and responding to policy shifts. Your experience, and the creative solutions you have developed, may not be heard in statewide conversations unless you are in the room.
Larger public library leaders bring organizational experience, policy fluency, and capacity that many of your peers across the state do not have access to. Leadership in this moment means more than managing change within your own walls — it means showing up for the broader library community and contributing your unique knowledge and insights to conversations that will shape how all public libraries move forward. It also means genuinely listening to peers who are navigating the same landscape with far fewer resources and letting their experiences challenge and deepen your own thinking.

Participating in these conversations gives you the opportunity to:

Be heard — and to truly listen.
Bring your whole experience to the table. Every library is different, and we all carry unique knowledge of our communities, their challenges, and what has and hasn't worked. That lived experience is the material these conversations are built from.
Gain perspective from peers across Indiana navigating the same challenges in different contexts.
Shape bold, impactful solutions that reflect the full diversity of public libraries in our state.
Build connections in a structured, supportive environment designed for genuine dialogue.

None of us has all the answers. That is precisely why we need everyone in the room — because the solutions we build together will be stronger, more creative, and more reflective of the real Indiana library landscape than anything any one of us could arrive at alone. Show up as you are, with what you know, and let's build something together.

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After each World Café Conversation, all outputs will be recorded. At the completion of all conversations, a themed report will be compiled and shared widely.

We look forward to connecting with you!

IN library leaders World Cafe