National Institute Education Programs

Click here to submit your Program Proposal!

All proposals are due by Friday, October 31, 2025 at 11:59pm CT. Late proposals will not be accepted.

ALSC National Institute provides a two-day professional development experience where attendees will "Play. Learn. Connect" - a weekend of embracing the library as a playful space, learning together, and connecting with colleagues from near and afar.

We invite thought leaders, practitioners, educators and more to submit a program proposal as part of our educational program slate for the 2026 National Institute in Buffalo, NY, October 1-3, 2026. We encourage both seasoned and first-time presenter to share their knowledge, experiences, ideas and research with their colleagues from across the country.

This year, National Institute will include education program tracks specifically for librarians in teen services and school librarians. Presenters will have an opportunity to note their programs' relevance to those tracks on the submission form.

Additionally, those who are interested in submitting an education program for Teen Services Development Day, a stand-alone event in conjunction with National Institute, can submit their program proposals through the same form.

Requirements

  • Presenters are required to register for National Institute. They will received a discounted registration rate of $249.
  • Presenters are required to grant permission for the recording of their presentation (audio and slides) for attendees' access; those recordings will not be made available outside of registered attendees.

The Proposal Form
To submit your program proposal, you will need to complete an online form. Please note: the form cannot be saved, and submitted information cannot be updated.

Program Submission Details

  • You will receive an email confirmation after submitting your proposal. Please contact Sarah Polen, ALSC Deputy Director, if you do not receive this email acknowledgment. Late proposals will not be considered.
  • The committee will begin discussions regarding the proposals over December and January. The Program Coordinating Committee will notify participations of program acceptance by late January 2026.
  • Presenters of programs at National Institute will receive a discounted registration rate.

  • Participants attending National Institute programs are seeking valuable professional development experiences and are critical of presenters or sessions that are self-promotional. The Program Coordinating Committee, which reviews and determines which programs are selected for presentation, will not select sessions that suggest commercial sales or self-promotion. Presentations should provide a valuable learning experience and avoid being too limited in scope; programs not submit by librarians, educators, or other experts should make every effort to include a librarian or librarian's perspective as part of their program.

    Other Important Information

  • All programs are no more than 60 minutes in length (inclusive of introductions and Q&A).
  • Please review the ALA Privacy Policy: http://www.ala.org/privacypolicy
  • Please review the ALA Personal Data Notification: http://www.ala.org/personal-data-notification

All National Institute Education Programs are designed to meet the ongoing and topical professional development needs of individuals serving children and families in libraries. Attendees and potential attendees can review the ALSC Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries to see which professional development competencies each education program meets.