Annual LAUNC-CH Conference at UNC: Serving Our Communities

The Library Association at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (LAUNC-CH) is holding its annual conference Monday, March 10 with the theme “Serving Our Communities.” The aftermath of Hurricane Helene and its devastating effects on western North Carolina made it clear that local communities are more important than ever, and libraries can serve a vital role in those spaces.

LAUNC-CH is a professional organization for librarians and library students at UNC-CH and provides professional development activities for its members and for other North Carolina librarians. The annual conference provides opportunities for librarians and library students to present their work, learn more about our professional, and connect with other librarians around the state and region.

The conference keynote speaker is Tarida Anantachai, NC State Libraries’ Director of Talent Management, who will be joined by UNC Libraries’ Outreach Projects Librarian, Karina Soni for remarks and a moderated conversation. They will discuss building and cultivating communities of belonging in libraries—particularly to help support and sustain library workers as we continue to navigate uncertain times.

While the keynote is hybrid – in-person in Wilson Library’s Pleasants Family Room and livestreamed over zoom – the rest of the conference is fully remote on zoom. Other exciting panels include a discussion of a Hurricane Helene oral history project, an overview of a community health project, vocational awe and North Carolina public libraries, developing copyright law training for librarians, using book art collections to reach more students, and many more. A schedule-at-a-glance and a longer schedule can be found at the LAUNC-CH conference website page.