Not every special moment happened on a stage. Hallway introductions between people from very different systems and roles turned into new contacts and allies. Communications leaders gathered for informal breakfasts each morning. Attendees met for dinners and took time to connect in the evenings. ULC CEOs and Executive Directors met in their annual closed-door session to speak openly about the realities of the role. As one director put it, those relationships mean having people across North America you can reach by text, call, or email whenever you need advice and perspective.

ULC Board Chair Heidi Daniel, executive director of King County Library System, spoke in depth about why this matters in her Chair address on Friday: Leadership can be deeply rewarding but also isolating, and “ULC gives us a place to be candid about what is difficult, and move from frustration to action.” Hundreds of these exchanges happened every day, and attendees left re-energized and knowing they aren’t alone.

Organizational culture was a thread through nearly every conversation. In a pre-conference session on Belonging, ULC Chief of Programs Michelle Hamiel explained that because internal culture shapes how libraries serve the community, leaders must intentionally build workplaces where all staff feel psychologically safe, including branch managers and other mid-level staff. Without that trust, people can feel unheard and operate in defense mode, and both staff and communities suffer as a result.

Library leaders spoke about how they have put that into practice. Hennepin County Library’s director Scott Duimstra spoke about instilling staff with the county’s values and leading with clear, impartial guidelines. Ottawa Public Library’s CEO & chief librarian Sonia Bebbington described a rebrand built on consistency over conformity, weaving “connecting with curiosity” into every interaction. Kansas City Public Library’s director & CEO Abby Yellman shared how creating a strategic plan that belongs to the community, rather than one that “just sits on paper,” built shared ownership and helped staff speak with one voice. The message from Hennepin to Kansas City was that alignment doesn’t require universal agreement, but it does require clarity.

Again and again, speakers asked a simple question: Is the library the first call? Three Las Vegas partners, joining a panel led by LVCCLD’s Kelvin Watson, suggested it can be. Kimberly Bailey Tureaud of Las Vegas Black Image Magazine said: “Without the library, we couldn’t reach the people we need to reach.” Aldo Lopez-Linarez of the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority noted that residents who might distrust government agencies engage when the library delivers the message. Dr. Ricardo Villalobos of Workforce Connections described an award-winning partnership that placed workforce centers where they’d be most impactful, recouping millions in taxpayer investment within months.

Attendees saw that value firsthand at a member reception and tour of LVCCLD’s new West Las Vegas branch. The evening brought together the glitz and fun of Las Vegas with a reminder of the historically underserved communities that settled in West Las Vegas. With a maker space, recording and podcast studios, and classes and programs closely tied to the patrons it serves, the branch is a living celebration of the people who built the city but weren’t always served by it. If libraries are more than books, West Las Vegas is more than a library.

The theme of communications was just as important. In “More Than Marketing,” Cordelia Anderson reminded attendees that impact messages, which explain how the library makes a difference, are among the most important to send, and that communicating well is everyone’s job, not just the marketing team’s.

ULC’s Senior Director of Civic Health & Economic Opportunity Shamichael Hallman closed the Forum with a keynote on making library value impossible to miss. Libraries often describe their work without describing its impact, he said, and being noticed is not the same as being valued. “Libraries possess the knowledge that comes from proximity.” He challenged participants to name one community issue where the library has something to contribute but isn’t yet top of mind, and to ask who needs to become a partner. One example shared was that libraries understand teens well, yet are rarely consulted by the city or police.