“Homecoming & Harvest”
October 25 – 27, 2026
Tennessee State University
Avon Williams Off-Campus Instructional Site
Nashville, TN
Nashville here we come! Tennessee State University, Avon Williams Off-Campus Instructional Site, will host this year’s HBCU Library Alliance Biennial Membership Meeting, Oct 25-27, 2026. With the theme “Homecoming and Harvest” guiding our planning, we are delighted to invite every Alliance member library on every HBCU campus to attend the Alliance’s 25th Anniversary (2002-2027) kickoff at the membership meeting in Nashville this fall. Immerse yourself in learning, a tailgating party, and an HBCU Library Alliance Homecoming celebration at one of our nation’s lauded African American museums, as well as tours of Nashville’s historic HBCU libraries and campuses.
Take advantage of the Early Bird rates available until August 22.
The 2026 Biennial Membership Meeting will feature an outstanding program designed to inspire, educate, and connect our community. Highlights include:
- Nationally recognized keynote speakers and thought leaders exploring the future of academic libraries, higher education, cultural heritage, information equity, and innovation.
- Timely sessions addressing today’s most pressing topics, including artificial intelligence, digital preservation, archives, leadership, scholarly communication, student success, fundraising, and emerging technologies.
- A special Homecoming Reception at the National Museum of African American Music, celebrating our collective legacy in one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions.
Submit a presentation or full panel for consideration by using the button below.
The Program Committee invites proposals (that may take the form of papers, oral or multimedia presentations, project or technology demonstrations, or other innovative and participatory formats) in the following formats:
- Individual Presentations (10–12 minutes): Scholarly or practice-based presentations highlighting original research, innovative programs, institutional case studies, emerging practices, assessment findings, or lessons learned. Presentations will be grouped by theme, presented as a panel, and will be followed by a question-and-answer period.
- Panel Discussions (60 minutes): Moderated sessions featuring no more than four presenters that examine a significant issue, innovation, emerging trend, program case study, archive or special collection, or challenge from multiple institutional or disciplinary perspectives. Panel proposals should be interactive and offer opportunities for deeper investigation and/or practical steps for replication. Panels will be followed by a question-and-answer period.
Conference Themes
The Alliance welcomes proposals that address contemporary issues and emerging opportunities affecting HBCU libraries and the institutions they serve. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Leadership development, succession planning, and cultivating the next generation of HBCU library staff and leaders
- Student success, retention, persistence, graduation, and the academic library’s role in institutional effectiveness, supporting first-generation students through library programs and services
- Accessibility and Title III Americans with Disabilities Act funding uses
- Measures to advance Carnegie Research Classification
- Changing accreditation standards and the evolving role of academic libraries in higher education
- Black Male Librarianship in the HBCU setting
- HBCU Library services on small, rural, and community college campuses
- Celebrating HBCU library history, leadership, and collections
- Grant writing and fundraising
- Digital preservation, archives, cultural heritage collections, and community-based initiatives
- Artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and the future of HBCU libraries
- Expanding digital equity, broadband access, and information literacy
- Library publishing, open scholarship, and scholarly communication
- Demonstrating library value through assessment, outcomes, and institutional impact
- Developing pathways into librarianship through partnerships with K–12 schools, community colleges, and undergraduate education
- Library staff working at the Intersection of Technology, Innovation, and Commerce
- Transforming faculty, academic leadership, and campus administrators into strategic partners and library advocates
- Stewardship of public knowledge and Black cultural heritage
- Libraries as anchors of community engagement, public scholarship, and institutional transformation
- Leadership pathways for library and information professionals outside of libraries
- Innovative models that advance the visibility, sustainability, and national influence of HBCU libraries
The Program Committee also welcomes proposals that explore emerging issues not listed above but that contribute meaningfully to advancing the mission of the HBCU Library Alliance and strengthening the role of HBCU libraries as leaders in higher education, cultural stewardship, scholarly innovation, and community engagement.
Deadline to submit a proposal is Friday, August 21, 2026.
This year, we are excited to offer amazing pre- and post-conference experiences at no additional cost.
Pre-conference: Al Tools As Open Educational Resources: Empowering Librarians As Campus Leaders In Artificial Intelligence.
Sunday, October 25, 2026
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Dr. Robbie K. Melton is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for SMART Global Technology Innovation Strategies.
Dr. Melton has published and presented globally on the impact and value of mobile devices for education and the workforce and has acquired a new distinction as an “App-ologist” due to her study of the pedagogy and best teaching practices with mobile devices, quality standards for the utilization of mobile apps, and her creation of the Mobile App Education and Workforce Resource Center.
Read more about Dr. Melton here: Dr. Robbie K. Melton Bio
The TSU SMART Immersive Technology Center is a state-of-the-art center established to promote digital literacies, to inspire SMART connected innovations, and to provide education technology skills across the spectrum of education (PreK-Life Long Learning) and all disciplines, in preparation for the digital workforce and communities.
Learn more about the SMART Center:
https://ai-tnstatesmartcenter.org/
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Post-conference: Tour of Nashville’s Historic HBCU Libraries: American Baptist College, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College & Tennessee State University.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Post-conference: Tour of Nashville’s Historic HBCU Libraries: American Baptist College, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College & Tennessee State University.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Partner with the HBCU Library Alliance!
We invite institutions, organizations, and individuals to support the prelaunch of the HBCU Library Alliance’s 25th Anniversary year taking place at our biennial Membership Meeting, October 25 – October 27, 2026, in Nashville, TN.
Show your support for the Alliance’s mission, member libraries, and the communities they serve by becoming a sponsor or support our mission by purchasing advertising space in the commemorative meeting program booklet.
Support HBCU Libraries. Strengthen Partnerships. Increase Your Visibility.
Donations are tax-deductible.
Reserve your advertising space today and join the HBCU Library Alliance in advancing the success and sustainability of libraries at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Celebrate 25 years with us!
All sponsorships and advertisements will be included in the 25th-year commemorative booklet.
See you in Nashville!
Sunday, October 25 – Tuesday, October 27