Indiana Libraries and Literacy Symposium

Libraries serve a critical role in citizens’ literacy development from birth to adulthood.  Each year, the Indiana Libraries and Literacy Symposium brings together professionals to explore a literacy topic and share practical strategies that can be implemented across learning environments.

Who Should Attend?

The Symposium Welcomes:

• Public Librarians
• School Librarians and Media Specialists (K-12)
• Academic Librarians 
• Educators and Instructional Staff
• Community Leaders
• University Faculty and Staff
• Parents and Caregivers
• Anyone interested in libraries, literacy development, and community engagement

Benefits for Attendees

The symposium offers:

• Free Registration
• Library Education Units (LEUs)
• Networking Opportunities with professionals across Indiana
• Free books to support your personal reading and skill development
• Digital Resource Toolkit featuring resources on the highlighted theme
   

2026 Program Agenda: 

Breakfast and Registration

Introduction and Welcome

Opening Remarks:  Ahmed Young, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Fund.

Session One: What the Land Teaches the Body: Somatic Literacy as Relational Leadership

This keynote explores multi-dimensional somatic literacy as a form of relational leadership cultivated through material-led practice and land stewardship. Rather than treating the body as a site of regulation alone, the talk traces how sustained relationships with plants, soil, and process train the body to perceive timing, thresholds, and ethical response. Through lived material practice, clarity, discernment, and authority emerge not through abstraction, but through repeated contact with living systems. The keynote invites leaders, artists, and institutional thinkers to reconsider how leadership capacity is shaped - by how the body learns to respond, to relate, and to remain in right relation over time.

Presented by Shamira Wilson, Farmer and Artist

Lunch & Exhibitors Break

Session Two | Cardboard Constructivism

Dive into a low-tech STEAM activity. Challenge yourself to craft unique cardboard creations as we explore the concepts of constructivist learning theory. In this hands-on, minds-on session, we'll work with simple materials to elicit innovative designs. Connect this experience to a broader understanding of strategies you can use to implement STEAM and making based learning experiences at your library. 

Presented by Kate Coyne, Adult Services, Area Resource Manager, The Indianapolis Public Library
 

Session Three | Intersection of Libraries and STEAM Literacy: Applications and Insights from the Field and Community

• Moderator: Jackie Huddle, Art + Design Librarian at the Herron Art Library
• Diane Rogers, Media Specialist for M.S.D Wayne Township
• Deana Beecher, Media Specialist at Decatur Central High School
• Robert Monroe, COO of NexGen Learning LLC
• Dr. Crystal Morton, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education; Founder and Director of Girls STEM Institute 

 [Optional] Field Trip to Herron School of Art + Design

Attendees are invited to a  field trip to the Herron School of Art + Design to explore their art resources and view the artist book collection. Sign up will take place day-of, with a shuttle available or the option to walk.

Parking

Attendees are encouraged to park in the Vermont Street Garage.  For easy access to the Campus Center, park in the east side of the garage. Access to the Campus Center is possible from the 1st floor southeast stairwell and the 3rd floor northeast elevator lobby. Parking will be validated at the registration table.

Previous Symposium Sessions