University of Pittsburgh Library System

Hillman Library
3960 Forbes Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Entrance off of Schenley Drive

Registration

Tansky Family Commons
Hillman Library
3960 Forbes Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Entrance off of Schenley Drive

Post-Occupancy Evaluation: Did Our Library Space Actually Work?

You designed it, built it, and opened the doors, but did it deliver? In this interactive pre-conference session, you'll get a hands-on experience with the tools and methods of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE): mapping real spaces, auditing your own data, stress-testing surveys, and hearing honest lessons from practitioners. You will leave with practical skills and a concrete plan to assess whether your library space is truly working.

Led by Berenika Webster (University of Pittsburgh) with Presentations by Susanna Cowan (UConn Library); Shan Jiang and Matt Plecity (GBBN Architects), Gili Meerevitch (Perkins Eastman); Jenn Moon-Chung, Lily Rasnake, Kornelia Tancheva, Berenika Webster (University of Pittsburgh), Alan Schlossberg (DesignGroup Architects), and Holt Zaugg (Bringham Young University - Provo).

340 Archives & Special Collections Instruction Room
Hillman Library
3960 Forbes Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Entrance off of Schenley Drive

Building and Maintaining Your Project’s Momentum During Leadership Transitions

Participants will share experiences about successfully (or not) advocating for a library project, examine approaches to leadership transition, hear valuable insights from guest speakers, and build strategies for communicating effectively, managing expectations, and sustaining momentum during periods of change. At its core, this session will focus on effective collaboration between the library, campus and community leaders, and the architects and designers responsible for broader planning.

Led by Greg Raschke (NC State University) and Elliot Felix (Buro Happold) with Presentations by Emily Daly, Kelley Lawton, and Lauren Rockart (Duke University); Frances Fox and Daniel Sheen (Cannon Design); and Kelly Miller-Martin, Bethany Nowviskie, and Stefanie Warlick (James Madison University) with Will Gridley (Robert A.M. Stern Architects).

University of Pittsburgh Campus History Tour (Optional)

Join University Archivist Zach Brodt for a walking tour through the University of Pittsburgh's main campus, exploring Oakland's rich history and architectural heritage alongside Pitt's own story, from the iconic Cathedral of Learning to the landmarks that shaped this vibrant academic neighborhood. Separate Sign-up Required.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main
4400 Forbes Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Entrance off Schenley Drive Extension

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main Tour #1

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main
4400 Forbes Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Entrance off Schenley Drive Extension

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main Reception

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main
4400 Forbes Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Entrance off Schenley Drive Extension

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main Tour #2

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Check-in and Continental Breakfast

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Welcome Remarks

Kornelia Tancheva, Hillman University Librarian & Director, University of Pittsburgh Library System, and Provost Joseph J. McCarthy, University of Pittsburgh

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Keynote One: How Biophilic Design Improves the Library Experience

Biophilic design strategies can measurably lower stress, improve cognitive function, enhance positive moods and encourage more pro-social behavior. These are outcomes of biophilic design; the process of bringing experiences of nature into the built environment. This presentation will explore research and case studies of biophilic and sustainable design for libraries and other spaces. It will focus on how to most effectively implement these strategies in your building projects.

Moderator: Kornelia Tancheva, Hillman University Librarian & Director, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Presenter: William Browning, Managing Partner, Terrapin Bright Green

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Learning from Biophilia, Designing Libraries for Connection and Wellbeing

Biophilic design principles can enhance library environments of all types and sizes. How does a space- based strategy focused on holistic wellbeing help manage stress and promote positive connections in a library environment? Which principles support physical, cognitive, social and environmental wellness? How can a biophilic workshop with your community define authentic connection to place for a library? These topics will be explored through case studies for Wellesley College's Clapp Library; Harvard Medical School's Countway Library; and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Cofrin Technology and Education Center.

Moderator: Kornelia Tancheva, Hillman University Librarian & Director, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Presenter: Janette Blackburn, FAIA, Principal, Shepley Bulfinch

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Lightning Talk: Designing for Wellbeing: Integrating Biophilic Design in a STEM Library Renovation

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Break

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

A Welcome from Chancellor Joan Gabel, University of Pittsburgh

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Creating a Media Ecosystem: From Vision to Creative Practice

Creating media production spaces requires balancing technology, flexibility, and long-term sustainability. Rather than designing individual spaces in isolation, the University of Pittsburgh Library System developed an integrated media ecosystem that supports the creative process, from equipment lending and a film collection that provides inspiration to media production and editing spaces that help students bring their ideas to life. This session explores the planning, development, and launch of the Hillman Media Labs and offers practical considerations for designing adaptable media environments that evolve alongside technology, pedagogy, and institutional needs. Faculty panelists will discuss how these spaces support and enhance teaching and learning, demonstrating how an intentionally-designed media ecosystem can turn library space into a catalyst for creative learning. Introduced by Aaron Brenner, Associate University Librarian for Research & Learning, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Moderator: Abigail Jacobsen, Head of Media Services, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Panelists: Tony Balko, Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Pittsburgh; John Cantine, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Film Production, Film and Media Studies Program, University of Pittsburgh; and Abigail Jacobsen, Head of Media Services, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Introduction to Discussion Activity

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Lunch

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Spaces for Engagement and Active Learning.

Moderator: Katherine Zwaard, Executive Director, Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)

Pierce Reading Room Transformation at Georgetown University: re-imagining a 20th century brutalist library for 21st century students

Built in 1970, Lauinger Library is a late brutalist building that functioned as an inward-focused monastic-like assemblage of inflexible reading rooms and book stacks. Despite its popularity as the preferred study place on campus, the Pierce Reading Room did not offer students supporting services like access to power, collaborative workspaces, or environmental comfort. This session will explore the design process, program development, and physical outcome of transforming Pierce into an inspiring contemporary library learning center – with access to print, digital, and artifact collections – that enhances the student experience at Georgetown University by introducing connections to its unique identity and landscape.

Presenter: Joseph G. Tattoni, FAIA, design principal, ikon.5 architects

Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery: Designing The Source At the Library of Congress

Developed with youth and expert advisors, The Source is a 4,000-square-foot experiential gallery situated in the historic Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson building that provides kids 8-15 with opportunities to participate in Library research. This talk covers the challenges of working within a historic building and designing for both walk-ins and class visits. Explore how experiential methods encourage active learning—from media zones with replica tools to researcher journeys and life-sized librarian video screens. We will examine how these analog and digital experiences showcase collections, and how staff-led programming turns random curiosity into deep dialogue, eliminating institutional intimidation for visitors.

Presenter: Shari Werb, Director of the Center for Learning, Literacy & Engagement, Library of Congress

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

From Renovation to Reinvention: Reopening the Posner Center for Special Collections at Carnegie Mellon University

In November 2025, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries reopened the Posner Center — a 20-year-old administrative and event space turned dedicated home for Special Collections. This talk traces that transformation: how a brief built around Special Collections' core activities (instruction, exhibition, storage, and research) became a building, in partnership with project architects Perkins Eastman. Drawing on that original brief and the design development process, I'll walk through decisions made and lessons learned. I'll close by reflecting on six months of active programming in the renovated Center, and consider how a special collections library can serve as a humanistic laboratory and site for discovery and innovation.

Moderator: Tom Hickerson, Conference Founder, Designing Libraries for the 21st Century
Presenter: Samuel Lemley, Curator of Special Collections, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Break

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Partnering for experiential learning: building a structure of collaboration in the library

At the University of Pittsburgh, the library has collaborated with several campus entities to develop experiential learning spaces within library spaces. While the partnerships developed over several years, the efforts were boosted by the opportunity to create purpose-built spaces in the renovation of Hillman Library. Now, several years in, the spaces and the people who work in them have been increasingly collaborating to create unique learning experiences that draw on a combination of expertise from faculty, library subject specialists, digital scholarship librarians, and makerspace and experiential learning specialists. This session will present a reflection on several years of collaborative work on spaces and service models, told through the story of a specific learning experience that bridged several locations and partnerships.

Moderator: Aaron Brenner, Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Panelists: Aaron Brenner, Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning, University of Pittsburgh Library System; Shannon Fink, Interim Co-Director and Operations Manager, Center for Creativity, University of Pittsburgh; Aaron Graham, Open Lab Manager, University Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Pittsburgh; and Dan Kaple, Digital Creation Specialist, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Lightning Talks

Moderator: Joan K. Lippincott, Associate Executive Director Emerita, Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)

Movable Type to Multispectral Imaging: Hands-On Learning in Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library
Presenter: James Fullton, Director of Library Space Strategy & Planning, Yale University Library

From Curriculum Lab to Innovation Hub: UNI's TEACH Studio
Presenter: Theresa Westbrock, Dean of Library Services, University of Northern Iowa

Takeaways from Academic Library Benchmarking Survey Regarding Emerging Technologies in Libraries
Presenter: Claire Breyen, Library Planner, CannonDesign

Tour Departs from Alumni Hall.
Hillman Library
3960 Forbes Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Entrance off of Schenley Drive

Hillman Library Tour (Optional)

Step inside the newly renovated Hillman Library and explore its transformed spaces—from vibrant collaborative study areas to state-of-the-art learning and research hubs—showcasing how Pitt's flagship library has been reimagined for the modern student experience. Prior sign up required.

Tansky Family Commons
Hillman Library
3960 Forbes Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Entrance off of Schenley Drive

Hillman Library Reception

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Continental Breakfast

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Keynote Two: The Library Is Larger Than the Building: Designing Chicago Public Library’s 82nd Branch at the Obama Presidential Center

What does it mean to design the first public library at a presidential center, and to make it unmistakably of Chicago’s South Side? Chicago Public Library’s 82nd branch began with 5,000 square feet, but the design moved beyond the footprint: into Jackson Park, the campus, and Chicago itself. It centered books and learning, argued for beauty as central to access, and created space to think about change as something people can shape. Programming became a form of architecture; partnership connected visitors beyond the campus to Chicago’s artists, institutions, neighborhoods, and knowledge. The ambition: a future of more human connection, not less.

Moderator: Kornelia Tancheva, Hillman University Librarian & Director, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Presenter: Chris Brown, Library Commissioner, Chicago Public Library

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Working with the Community Partners to Successfully Design and Program User-Centered Spaces

Moderator: Greg Raschke, Senior Vice Provost and Director of the Libraries, NC State University

From Student-Centered to Student-Driven: Designing Neuroinclusive Library Spaces

This presentation explores Elon University’s development of neuroinclusive learning spaces in Belk Library, a project shaped by student-led research on how physical environments support diverse learning needs. The session will examine practical design elements, including lighting, seating, environmental cues, and flexible zones, while also considering the partnerships that made the project possible. More broadly, this talk will consider ways that libraries can shift beyond student-centered design toward student-driven approaches.

Presenter: Brian Mathews, Dean of Libraries, Elon University

Building Bridges: Transforming Spaces for Mullins Library's Evolving Mission

In 1968, Mullins Library opened to serve 10,549 students. By fall 2025, University of Arkansas enrollment had reached 34,175 which was more than triple the campus the building was designed for. This session traces how University Libraries responded with a two-phase, $68M renovation reimagining what a modern research library should be, when print circulation has fallen and research, instruction, and technology look nothing like they did decades ago. Drawing on peer library visits, campus partnerships, and lessons from Kennedy & Violich Architecture, deMx Architecture, and Con Real, this talk shares how Mullins Library balanced new creative, technology-rich spaces with what makes the institution unique.

Presenter: Jason J. Battles, Dean of Libraries, University of Arkansas

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Lightning Talks

Moderator: Aaron Brenner, Associate University Librarian for Research & Learning, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Lay Bare the Pain Points: Grounding Design Work with a Preliminary Space Audit
Presenter: Susanna Cowan, Assessment Strategist, University of Connecticut

Designing for Signal: How Libraries Can Restore Human Attention
Presenter: Alex O'Briant, Design Principal, Steinberg Hart

Designing Together: What We Learned Building a 21st-Century Library
Presenter: Jessica Martorano, Assistant Director of Library Learning and Engagement, Stockton University

The Crimson Blueprint: Accelerating Progress at The University of Alabama Libraries
Presenter: Don Gilstrap, Dean of University Libraries, University of Alabama

Small Interventions: Preserving Flexibility for Larger Renovations
Presenter: Jorja Aulakh, Library Services Manager, University of Texas Medical Branch

Tower of Terror: Renovating Aging Library Towers
Presenter: Kelly Karpinsky, AIA, Principal, Shepley Bulfinch

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Break

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Limited Space, Unlimited Needs:  Balancing Stakeholder Input

Strategies for how to think creatively about addressing the needs of different stakeholder groups and work effectively with them to develop a successful program for a major library renovation project.  Using the near-complete renovation of the Johns Hopkins Libraries flagship building as a case study, this presentation will explore the process of working with various stakeholder groups, including faculty, students, and library staff to bring conflicting visions for the renovated library into a cohesive program that everyone could get excited about.

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

The Evolution of Libraries: A Decade of Lessons from the Charles Library and Hunt Library Projects

Moderator: Berenika Webster, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Organizational Effectiveness, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Hunt Library at Ten: What We'd Do Again, and What We'd Do Differently

When NC State's Hunt Library opened, it broke new ground for what an academic library could be. A decade later, what worked? This session shares candid, on-the-ground lessons from ten years of operating an innovative building: which design choices paid off, which needed rethinking, and what we changed along the way. Attendees will leave with practical insight for sustaining ambitious library spaces well beyond opening day and lessons for the future of library design.

Presenter: Greg Raschke, Senior Vice Provost and Director of the Libraries, NC State University

Seven Year Sitch: Living and Learning in the Charles Library at Temple University

Temple University’s Charles Library opened to excitement and acclaim in August 2019, operated through seven months of shakedown, then was mostly closed to public access during the Covid-19 pandemic from March 2020 through June 2021. Reactivating and realizing the full promise of took another year. Even so, the building has ultimately proven itself an energizing hub for learning and intellectual engagement for the Temple community. This presentation examines ways the building has revealed its strengths and capacities and reviews the features we have expanded or adjusted as we’ve observed and learned from our community along the way.

Presenter: Joe Lucia, Dean of Libraries, Temple University

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Closing Remarks

Kornelia Tancheva, Hillman University Librarian & Director, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Connolly Ballroom
Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Boxed Lunch

Prior ordering required.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main
4400 Forbes Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Entrance off Schenley Drive Extension

Falk Library, Health Sciences Library System
M722 Alan Magee Scaife Hall,
3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Hillman Library
3960 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Entrance of Schenley Drive

Posner Center for Special Collections, Carnegie Mellon University
4964 Margaret Morrison Street,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Tours

Prior sign up required.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main Tour
Discover the historic Main Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, a grand landmark and gateway to knowledge in the heart of Oakland since 1895.

Falk Library, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System:
Falk Library is the physical hub for the University of Pittsburgh’s Health Sciences Library System. Sign up to tour our newly renovated library and hear the stories behind key design decisions, the multi-phase renovation process, how the space is actually working in practice, and what we might do differently today.

Hillman Library Architectural Tour:
Explore how a modern, transparent intervention transforms a Brutalist building into a welcoming, inviting, and connected environment for the Pitt community.

Posner Center for Special Collections, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries:
Join this tour of CMU's newly renovated Posner Center for Special Collections, an $8 million transformation reopened in November 2025 that reimagines the space as both museum and working humanities lab. The tour showcases the building's key spaces alongside its inaugural exhibition, Rare Books & Ancestral Machines, which explores four centuries of scientific inquiry through computing, robotics, and AI history.