Spring 2026 Meeting
Location: Parma-Snow Library, Parma, OH
Program: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Please note the change in meeting format & time from previous meetings!
Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
Registration deadline: Friday, April 24, 2026
Click Here For Registration & Payment
NOTSL is pleased to welcome the following speakers and their presentations
Library Licensing ABCs: Accessibility, Bots, and Consolidation
Hannah Rosen, Director of Strategic and Professional Development, Ohionet
Libraries are constantly navigating a shifting licensing landscape. This presentation will discuss some of the most pressing issues to affect library licensing this year: accessibility expectations, AI bots, and consolidation, both within libraries and publishers/service providers. This session explores how AI-driven tools are influencing vendor offerings, workflows, and decision-making; how vendors and libraries are reacting to an accessibility compliance deadline; and how consolidation is redefining platforms, pricing models, and collection strategies. Through practical examples and emerging trends, we'll examine how these dynamics intersect, where risks and opportunities lie, and how libraries can respond strategically.
Hannah Rosen, MLIS is the Director of Strategic Purchasing and Professional Development at OhioNet. She has worked in library consortia for over ten years, first at Lyrasis and now at OhioNet, on a wide range of library focused services. These include pricing negotiations for paywalled content, negotiating licensing agreements across library types, organizing and promoting open access initiatives, developing in-person and virtual professional development programs, and publishing member focused research publications. Before working in consortia Hannah assisted various libraries, archives, and museums with audiovisual digitization projects at The MediaPreserve.
Direct from the Director: Licensing Films from Directors and Small Distributors
Kevin Bauer, Acquisitions Librarian, The Ohio State University
Video streaming platforms, distributor websites and social media allow students, faculty and librarians to discover films from every continent, including titles not available from the vendors academic libraries typically work with. Acquiring access to these films provides breadth to the collection and support for teaching and learning, but the process be more complicated than working with an established distributor. This presentation will cover how to successfully license, purchase and provide access to films acquired directly from creators or small distributors. Strategies discussed include: how to modify the acquisition process to work depending on the vendor; developing and managing the workflow; evaluating the resource commitment of acquiring films directly from creators and distributors.
Kevin Bauer is the Acquisitions Librarian in the eResources and Acquisitions unit at The Ohio State University Libraries. Previously, he licensed digital content at OSU, including single-title streaming media requests. Kevin developed his presentation and training skills in both Teen and Adult services at public libraries in the Columbus area.
Farewell & Welcome: A Challenging Change in Subscription Services
Louise Kidder, Head of Acquisitions & Resource Sharing, University of Houston
In 2025, the University of Houston Libraries Acquisitions & Resource Sharing Department embarked on a project to transfer the management of the bulk of our subscriptions from one subscription service agent to another. This was complicated by a concurrent financial records cleanup project, internal leadership changes, and communication challenges with one of the vendors. The project relied on close collaboration among staff members and assistance from the vendor representatives. This program describes steps taken, the impacts of the project on the work of the department, and lessons learned.
Louise Kidder provides leadership for the Acquisitions & Resource Sharing department within the Collections Strategy & Discovery portfolio of the University of Houston Libraries. Previously, she served as Head of Technical Services for the University of Texas Medical Branch and Acquisitions & Adult Services Manager at the public library in Galveston, Texas. Louise has presented and published on the topics of accessibility, collections budget management, discovery, e-resource management, and website usability. She earned her MLIS from the University of North Texas.
Public Libraries and Vendor Partnerships
Public Library Panel, facilitated by Robin Buser, Chair, NOTSL
Emily Keller (Reference Librarian, Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library), Megan Villano (Library Collections Director, Stark Library), Sandy Jelar Elwell (Acquisitions Manager, Cleveland Public Library), and Wendy Bartlett, Collection Development and Acquisitions Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library will discuss vendor relationships in public libraries.
How to Buy Books – Because You'd Be Surprised How Difficult It Can Be
Claire Eichmann, Senior Collection Development Manager, GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO
This presentation will provide a book vendor's perspective on the current ebook and print landscape, collection development tools for new title discovery, and the future of book buying.
Claire Eichmann has worked with GOBI for 9 years. Prior to joining the dark side, she worked as an Adult Services Librarian at a public library in central Ohio.
