2026 ARSL Conference

When: September 16-19, 2026
Where: Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, Montgomery, AL

About the Conference

#ARSL2026 is the conference for rural and small libraries. Our conference planners and presenters understand the constraints of shoestring budgets, small spaces, and limited staffing within small and rural libraries, as well as the unique opportunities for innovation and collaboration. Our conference is packed full of information you can take right back to your library—no scaling down required.

This year's conference theme is ROOTED IN COMMUNITY! This theme captures the strength, connection, and resilience that define small and rural libraries. We recognize the challenges our communities face, but we also celebrate the creativity and determination that grow from shared roots, empowering our libraries and communities to thrive together.

Join us September 16–19, 2026, in Montgomery, AL for networking, learning, and inspiration tailored specifically to your work in small and rural libraries.

#ARSL2026 Timeline:

Jan. 9 | Conference Session Proposal Applications Open
Feb. 13 | Conference Theme Announcement 
Feb. 18 | Conference Scholarships Open
Mar. 6 | Conference Session Proposal Applications Close
Mar. 10 | Conference Scholarships Close
Apr. 30 | Session Schedule announced
May 5 | Early Bird Registration opens
Jul. 8 | Early Bird Registration closes
Jul. 31 | Work Exchange form closes
Sep. 1 | Advance In-Person Registration closes

Stay tuned for more important dates & deadlines!

Early Bird Registration Is Open for #ARSL2026!

Join us September 16–19, 2026 in Montgomery, Alabama!

This year's program brings together an extraordinary lineup: Amanda Jones (That Librarian) on intellectual freedom, Laurie Halse Anderson on storytelling and access, and Yo-Yo Ma closing the conference with a celebration of libraries and the communities they serve. Plus, explore the history of the Civil Rights Movement firsthand on the Steps to Freedom: Dexter Avenue Walking Tour, led by Tracie D. Hall of the HBCU Library Alliance.

Don't miss the premier professional development event for rural and small library professionals. Early Bird rates run through July 8.

Read the press release | Book a hotel room

Register Today!

#ARSL2026 Keynote & Events

We are thrilled to announce our full 2026 ARSL Annual Conference keynote lineup!

Thursday Keynote

Amanda Jones, also known as That Librarian, will help us welcome everyone to Montgomery on Thursday morning. Amanda is currently the school librarian at the same school she attended as a child, where she has worked for the past twenty-three years. Amanda made national headlines in 2022 when she was targeted by extremists in her town for speaking out at a public library board meeting. She decided to fight back and took her harassers to court, while continuing to speak out at both the local and national level against the pro-censorship movement. Amanda chronicles what it is like being the target of white Christian nationalists and the importance of standing up for intellectual freedom, in her 2024 book That Librarian: Fighting Book Banners in Today’s America, and in her appearance in the 2025 documentary film The Librarians, which was screened at the 2025 ARSL Conference.

Friday Keynote

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author of many award-winning books, including the groundbreaking modern classic Speak — a National Book Award finalist translated into 35 languages. In 2023, she was named laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, given annually for outstanding contributions to children's and young adult literature. In 2009, she received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her significant and lasting impact on young adult literature.

A passionate advocate for intellectual freedom and diversity in publishing, Laurie has been honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English for her work championing the freedom to read. Mother of four, grandmother of dragons, and wife of one, she lives in Pennsylvania.

Join us Friday morning as Laurie sits down with a fellow rural librarian for a conversation about storytelling, access, and what it truly means to get the right book into the right reader's hands.

Thank you to Macmillan Publishers for sponsoring this session.

Saturday Keynote

Yo-Yo Ma will close the conference Saturday morning with a special celebration of libraries and library professionals, sharing reflections on their essential role in strengthening our communities, making meaning, and binding us together as a nation. One of the world's most celebrated cellists, Yo-Yo Ma has recorded more than 120 albums, earned 20 Grammy Awards, and performed for nine American presidents, most recently at President Biden's inauguration. He has received the National Medal of the Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and has served as a UN Messenger of Peace since 2006. Throughout his career, he has brought communities together to explore culture's role in society, engaging familiar and unexpected musical forms alike to stimulate the imagination and reinforce our shared humanity.

Steps to Freedom: The Dexter Avenue Civil Rights Walking Tour

Step into the heart of history on this powerful three-hour walking tour through downtown Montgomery—where ordinary people took extraordinary steps that changed the world. The “Steps to Freedom” tour invites you to walk the very streets where courage confronted injustice and a movement was born. Centered along historic Dexter Avenue, this immersive experience explores defining moments of the Civil Rights Movement.

Appropriate for all conference attendees and their guests. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or curious about how Montgomery, AL gained its reputation as the “Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement,” this tour offers a meaningful and unforgettable journey into America’s past as it celebrates 250 years of history.

This tour is led and organized by Tracie D. Hall, Executive Director of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Libra

#ARSL2026 Keynotes & Events

#ARSL2026 Preliminary Session List

Here's a first peek of some sessions you can look forward to at the 2026 ARSL Conference! 

#ARSL2026 Preliminary Session List

#ARSL2026 Merch is Here!

Get ready for conference season — the official ARSL 2026 Conference merchandise collection is now available in the ARSL Store! Explore three unique logo versions across more than 70 products, from t-shirts and hoodies to hats and tote bags. Whether you're attending the conference or simply proud to support rural and small libraries, there's a style for you.

Shop the #ARSL2026 Collection

#ARSL2026 Work Exchange

This program is available for all students enrolled in a library program, certification, or course and offers complimentary conference registration in exchange for approximately 10 hours of work at the ARSL Conference in one of the following work exchange positions: Photographer, Tech Assistant, Front Desk Support, Exhibit Hall Support, Room Wrangler, and Keynote Wrangler. Please note that this covers the cost of Conference Registration only, not lodging, travel, or preconference workshops.

This form closes July 31, but applications will be accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Work Exchange Application