Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of buildings & operations, leadership & management, metadata & collections, and technology. Core members play a central role in every library, shaping the future of the profession by striking a balance between maintenance and innovation, process and progress, collaborating and leading. Our members serve in every level of responsibility for the implementation and maintenance of core services, from the practitioners who keep things running day-to-day to the innovators going in new directions to those making funding decisions, as well as the library school students who will shape the future. For and by members, Core delivers mentoring, learning, networking, and leadership opportunities across library types and experience levels. We support each other through collective challenges by building and sustaining a more equitable and accessible future, one Core member at a time.
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Announcements
Preservation Week inspires action to preserve your collections. We believe that memories and treasures should last a lifetime and beyond, and that these physical and digital materials support both community and cultural identities. Focusing on preservation for a designated week every year raises awareness of the role libraries and other cultural institutions play in preservation, by sharing information to help make informed decisions that help your collections last for the future.
The 2024 Preservation Week theme is Preserving Identities.
Registration will open soon. Join the notification list to receive event announcements. Check the Core Forum website for program information and sponsorship opportunities.
Interest Group Week happens the first full week of March each year. It consists of 30 discussions and programs over 5 days, all free and open to everyone. Each session lasts one hour. Each year's schedule is posted the first week in February, and registration links are added as information is submitted by the individual interest groups. Recordings are posted the second week in March.
View our full list of interest groups to join year-round discussions and activities.Register for Best of Vo
Core is pleased to present the second “Best of Core Forum” webinar collection, starting on January 16, 2024. These webinars are based on programs presented at the 2023 Core Forum. The presenters are adapting the program content into live webinars to extend the reach of their sessions and expertise.
Registration will open soon for Fundamentals of Institutional Repositories, a new Core course running July 15 to August 12, 2024. Save the date!
To help our members learn new skills and software to grow their careers, we're excited to offer access to the Core OCLC WMS Sandbox. Any Core member can request a login for the sandbox to learn how to use OCLC's WorldShare Management Services (WMS) system and get hands-on practice at no additional cost. Even if your library doesn't use WMS, this unique learning opportunity gives library workers who want to learn new skills and systems the ability to work directly in a library management system.
Learn new skills and tools with our archive of free recordings exclusively for members
Find groups to join and activities to guide your Core journey
Registration is now open! Stay tuned for updates on Core programs and social events.
Why Join Core?
We know that staying current in your field is a top priority.
As a Core member, you have access to a wide array of resources, educational opportunities, and events focused on the topics that interest you most. Keep yourself informed with these Core benefits.
We know that learning new skills is a top priority.
Core members receive significant discounts on online learning opportunities in a variety of formats. Upskill with these continuing education benefits designed to meet your needs.
We know that connecting with colleagues is a top priority.
Your Core membership affords you diverse opportunities to network and collaborate with other members. Consider the following avenues for meeting more of your new community.
We know that volunteering is a top priority.
Core is sustained by an incredible network of member volunteers who support the division's work in every area. New members are welcome to select volunteer opportunities through which they can contribute their existing talents or develop new ones. The following are key ways you can serve Core while making the most of your membership.
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Our Books & Publications
Filling a gap in the literature, this volume provides librarians and catalogers with practical approaches to reparative cataloging as well as a broader understanding of the topic and its place in the technical services landscape.
Contributors representing a variety of contexts demonstrate the ways in which libraries can leverage their systems and resources to support the work of underrepresented, minoritized, or marginalized people to increase freedom, justice, community, and broa
Anthropology is arguably one of the most diverse fields in academe. It ranges in focus from archaeology to evolution and primate studies, to linguistics, and to observation of current cultural practices. Methodologically, it may include any combination of
Opening libraries to the exciting possibilities of Open Access, this book outlines both its strategic and practical aspects, showing librarians how to understand and support OA regardless of their organizational context or resources.