Program

Digipalooza ’23 will offer 1.5 days of educational programming, beginning with a welcome reception on Wednesday evening (Aug. 9, 2023) and ending mid-day Friday (Aug. 11, 2023). And following the popular format used in each Digipalooza, valuable sessions will include inspirational librarian panelists, knowledgeable industry experts, captivating speakers and your OverDrive team. Join us for useful insights, best practices and proven success stories that will enable you to create actionable plans to take back to your library.

Below is a planned list of sessions. A full schedule will be available soon.

Wednesday, August 9

11:00 – 2:00PM: Blue Sky Campus Open House
2:00 – 5:00PM: Conference Registration
6:00PM: Digipalooza Opening Reception

Thursday, August 10

8:15 – 5:00PM: Conference Programming
5:00 – 6:00PM: Office Hours
6:30PM: Digipalooza Party

Friday, August 11

7:50 – 1:00PM: Conference Programming

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Session Type

*Event times are in US Eastern Time zone. Use this calculator to adjust for your timezone. Timezone Converter

*We anticipate Digipalooza sessions will translate 1:1 into professional development hours (e.g., 30 minute session equals 30 minutes of PD time). Because professional development and continuing education credits vary by state, country, or even library or school, please consult those at your organization responsible for crediting PD hours.

11:00 AM ET(3 hr)

Blue Sky Campus Open House

Visit Team OverDrive’s world headquarters, Blue Sky Campus. Situated on top of the valley that overlooks the Ohio-Erie Canal and Cuyahoga River, this Leed certified building is the hub for all product and tech innovations from OverDrive where you’ll see wellness and recreation spaces, digital dashboards, and collaboration spaces. 

Join us for a complimentary lunch provided by local food trucks. Transportation from the convention center starts at 10:30am.

2:00 PM ET(4 hr)

Conference Registration

We’re excited to have you here in Cleveland, Ohio! Check-in with us and grab your name badge and swag bag.

3:00 PM ET(2 hr)

Office Hours

Visit with your OverDrive account team, who will be at the convention center and available to discuss your account, talk through options with your digital collection, and answer questions!

6:00 PM ET(2 hr)

Welcome reception

Welcome reception sponsored by Zinio. Connect and network with fellow librarians and your OverDrive team at this beautiful outdoor setting featuring delicious farm-to-table catering and an open bar with grand views of Lake Erie.

6:00 PM ET(2 hr)

Visit OverDrive’s Digital Bookmobile

Climb aboard the Digital Bookmobile and experience the touring bookmobile that helps new users experience your library’s digital collection for the first time and show experienced users tips & tricks to enhance their experience.

7:00 AM ET(90 min)

Conference Registration and Breakfast at the Convention Center

Start your day with a catered breakfast, where you can network with fellow librarian and industry partners.

7:00 AM ET(2 hr)

Visit OverDrive’s Digital Bookmobile

Climb aboard the Digital Bookmobile and experience the touring bookmobile that helps new users experience your library’s digital collection for the first time and show experienced users tips & tricks to enhance their experience.

8:15 AM ET(15 min)

Welcome

Get excited with us as we start day one of Digipalooza with opening remarks from Team OverDrive.

8:45 AM ET(45 min)

Take Your Collection to the MAX: On-demand access models boost your circulation without breaking the budget

Hear success stories from top performing libraries to produce the best circulation outcomes with your budget. Learn about the success of OverDrive Max and how it is becoming the preferred choice for reducing your cost-per-circ. Panelists will share how they use OverDrive’s growing catalog of On-Demand titles to achieve low-cost impact. This session will highlight the benefits of these models in reaching diverse patron groups and improving cost-per-circ with both mid and backlist titles.

Moderators:

Kristin Preyss

Kristin Preyss (she/her)

Account Manager III

OverDrive
Maria Fesz

Maria Fesz (she/her)

Team Lead, Public Library Collection Development

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Danielle Stanley

Danielle Stanley (she/her)

Electronic Resources Manager

Phoenix Public Library (AZ)
Diana Platt

Diana Platt (she/her)

Virtual Resources Librarian

Kansas City Public Library (MO)
Elizabeth Thomsen

Elizabeth Thomsen (she/her)

Member Services Manager

NOBLE Consortium (MA)
Kate Mutch

Kate Mutch

Assistant Director

Natrona County Public Library (WY)

9:30 AM ET(30 min)

Supercharge Your Libby Experience With Merchandizing and Discovery Tools

With the demand for captivating digital content always increasing, we’ve got the ultimate session to keep you ahead of the curve. Expert panelists will reveal their insights surrounding Libby customization and discovery tools that will help you curate materials and messaging that reflect your community, support your programming, and drive outsized performance for your library. Discover strategies that will supercharge your library’s programming and unleash unparalleled performance.

Moderator:

Emma Dwyer

Emma Dwyer

Product Trainer II

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Catherine Royalty

Catherine Royalty (she/her)

Collection Services Manager

Los Angeles Public Library (CA)
Kaitlin Booth

Kaitlin Booth (she/her)

Collection Development Specialist

Cuyahoga County Public Library (OH)
Kady Ferris

Kady Ferris (she/her)

Electronic Content Librarian

Multnomah County Library (OR)

10:00 AM ET(15 min)

Break

Take a moment before our keynote to stretch, grab a snack from our snack table, and chat with our exhibitors!

10:15 AM ET(45 min)

Keynote: Sarah Penner (she/her)

Sarah Penner is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary which has been translated into forty languages worldwide and is set to be turned into a drama series by Fox. Penner’s second book, The London Séance Society, released in March 2023.

A graduate of the University of Kansas, Sarah spent thirteen years in corporate finance and now writes full-time. She and her husband live in Florida. In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking, running, yoga, and cooking. She also sits on the Board of Directors at her local animal shelter, Friends of Strays.

Join hundreds of librarians on Thursday, August 10 to hear Sarah Penner share her stories as a writer and creative.

Sarah Penner Sarah Penner ©2020 Photographer: Laura Foote Photography

11:00 AM ET(60 min)

Access for All: Digital reading campaigns designed to reach underserved audiences

Solar benches powering wifi in city parks, QR codes on public transportation, and seamless classroom integration for students. Hear successful case studies of libraries bridging the digital divide by reaching underserved audiences in the most creative and effective ways.

Moderators:

Abbey Patton

Abbey Patton (she/her)

Team Lead, Public Library West Region

OverDrive
David Cooksey

David Cooksey (he/him)

Digital Library Advisor

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Amber Seely

Amber Seely (she/her)

Division Director, Collections & Technical Services

Harris County Public Library (TX)
Jennifer Lawson

Jennifer Lawson (she/her)

Collection Development Manager

San Diego County Library (CA)
Kelvin Watson

Kelvin Watson (he/him)

Executive Director

Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (NV)
Lisa Wells

Lisa Wells (she/her)

Executive Director

Pioneer Library System (OK)
Kacie Armstrong

Kacie Armstrong (she/her)

Director

Euclid Public Library (OH)

12:00 PM ET(75 min)

Lunch

Enjoy a delicious, catered lunch, sponsored by Sourcebooks. Get ready for our exciting afternoon programming, chat with fellow attendees and check out our exhibitor booths.

1:10 PM ET(30 min)

KAPOW! Harness the Power of Comics, Graphic Novels and Manga to Supercharge your Digital Catalog

Comics and graphic novels are outperforming other forms of fiction across all libraries – not just in checkouts, but in attracting and engaging new audiences. Not limited to fantasy and superheroes, comics now extend to nonfiction! Hear from the experts on what’s trending and how these materials can accelerate your digital collection’s performance. Learn which ages and audiences are BOOMing for this content.

Moderator:

Kenny Cruse

Kenny Cruse (he/they)

Digital Content Librarian I

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Valentino Zullo

Valentino Zullo (he/him)

Anisfield-Wolf Fellow in English and Public Humanities

Ursuline College (OH)
Eden Julia Sugay

Eden Julia Sugay (they/them)

Publishing Sales Manager

VIZ Media
Frederick L. Jones

Frederick L. Jones (he/him)

Publisher

Saturday AM

1:40 PM ET(30 min)

How Fast-Growing Libraries Reach More Readers: Proven strategies and creative insights to engage all parts of the community and onboard more customers

Join this session and be inspired by a panel of library experts who use social media, book clubs, paid channels, community partnerships, and other innovative marketing strategies to engage new readers AND significantly grow checkouts. The panelists will share success stories that drove record new user growth and significant circulation increases year-over-year. Take the best ideas back to your library, and watch your checkouts soar!

Moderator:

Rachel Mayfield

Rachel Mayfield (she/her)

Marketing Manager, Public Library Marketing

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Hope Harms

Hope Harms (she/her)

Digital Access & Cataloging Specialist

Johnson County Library (KS)
Joy Testa Cinquino

Joy Testa Cinquino

Assistant Deputy Director, Development & Communications

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (NY)
Janette Noe'

Janette Noe’ (she/her)

Collection and Digital Services Manager

Martin County Library System (FL)

2:10 PM ET(5 min)

Stretch

Take a moment to stretch and reflect on the day so far.

2:15 PM ET(45 min)

#UniteAgainstBookBans: Advocate for your community’s right to read

Get the latest updates from librarians on the frontlines navigating book bans and challenges in their communities. Gain insight in best practices and hear stories about librarians’ valiant attempts to protect access to reading. Use knowledge gained from this session as a guide to direct policies and procedures in your own community.

Moderator:

Brian Potash

Brian Potash (he/him)

Regional Manager, Education Sales

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Lisa Varga

Lisa Varga (she/her)

Executive Director

Virginia Library Association
Sara Gold

Sara Gold (she/her)

Consortia Manager

Wisconsin Public Library Consortium & Wisconsin Schools Digital library Consortium (WI)
Emily Drabinski

Emily Drabinski (she/her)

Critical Pedagogy Librarian, ALA President (2023-24)

City University of New York

3:00 PM ET(15 min)

Break

Take a moment to network, visit our exhibitor booths and grab a snack from our caterers.

3:15 PM ET(45 min)

Proven Tools and Strategies to Maximize the Diversity of Your Collection

Librarians have played a significant role in addressing underserved readers in their communities by making their digital libraries inclusive and relevant for all patrons. In this session, learn how to reach more of your community, more cost-effectively. Hear case studies on the use of collection development analytics and data to evaluate the gaps in your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.

Learn how to provide relevant and representative content for varying demographics with no upfront investment through the use of on-demand models. Hear how addressing the gaps in your DE&I initiatives can be done thoughtfully with results that matter.

Moderator:

Whit Arnold

Whit Arnold (he/him)

Manager, Library Product Support

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Alicia Gunther

Alicia Gunther (she/her)

Member Services Librarian

Monroe County Library System (NY)
Alicia Gunther

Hilary Lewis (she/her)

Coordinator, eResources

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (PA)
Alicia Gunther

Nick Glass (he/him)

Founder & Head

TeachingBooks

4:00 PM ET(60 min)

The Big Business of Audiobooks: Fastest growing book category may be the most important form of reading for your community

Listen up! Industry leaders will present the current state of play and thoughts on the future of reaching your library’s audience through spoken word. Esteemed panelists will share stories from publishing and the business of spoken word audio. Learn how your library can compete with other paid subscription services.

Moderator:

Michele Cobb

Michele Cobb (she/her)

Publisher

AudioFile Magazine

Expert Panelists:

Amanda D'Acierno

Amanda D’Acierno (she/her)

President

Penguin Random House Audio
Anthony Goff

Anthony Goff

President

Blackstone Publishing
Karyn Goodwillie

Karyn Goodwillie (she/her)

Collections Librarian

Parkland Regional Library System (Alberta, Canada)
Scarlett Fisher-Herreman

Scarlett Fisher-Herreman

Technical Services Manager

Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (KS)
Troy Juliar

Troy Juliar

Chief Content Officer

RB Media, Inc.

5:00 PM ET(60 min)

Office Hours

Visit with your OverDrive account team, who will be at the convention center and available to discuss your account, talk through options with your digital collection, and answer questions!

6:30 PM ET(4.5 hr)

Digipalooza Party

7:00 AM ET(2 hr)

Visit OverDrive’s Digital Bookmobile

Climb aboard the Digital Bookmobile and experience the touring bookmobile that helps new users experience your library’s digital collection for the first time and show experienced users tips & tricks to enhance their experience.

7:00 AM ET(25 min)

Breakfast

Start your day with a catered breakfast, where you can network with fellow librarian and industry partners.

7:50 AM ET(5 min)

Welcome Remarks

Join us to prepare for the day with a review of the agenda and final instructions to maximize the day of programming.

8:00 AM ET(60 min)

Librarian Roundtables

Join small group discussions with your peers organized by library service population. Conversations will be moderated by digital library experts to encourage dialogue and networking around common challenges and opportunities. A summary of findings and best practices will be collected and shared out with attendees after the conference.

9:00 AM ET(30 min)

Actionable Data & Insights: Deep dive into key reports

Learn about newly available reports: Patron Holds Behavior Diagram and the Holds Express Report, to help you gain insights into the behavior of reader holds. Data scientists and librarians will share proven strategies to increase your collection development success with data-driven decisions to operate like a top performing library.

Moderator:

Kate Connell

Kate Connell

Account Manager II

OverDrive

Expert Panelists:

Jennifer Fleck

Jennifer Fleck (she/her)

Selection Librarian

King County Library System (WA)
Susan Gross

Susan Gross (she/her)

Data Analyst II

OverDrive
Anne Kennedy

Anne Kennedy (she/her)

Library Consultant

State Library of Ohio

9:30 AM ET(30 min)

Forward Together: The future of your digital branch with the OverDrive Hub and Libby

Your digital branch is built on the contributions of all library staff. In this session, learn about early progress on the OverDrive Hub: our long-term vision for a new daily destination for everyone – from collection development librarians, to outreach services, data analysts, reference and circulation desk staff, marketing and events teams, and even your board of directors.

We’ll look at real-world scenarios demonstrating how you will use this growing suite of tools to:

  • Build your collection with a unified shopping experience in our major Marketplace upgrade
  • Communicate and collaborate with your patrons in Libby via the Newsroom
  • Use patron insights to monitor the performance of your digital branch with The Loop

With the OverDrive Hub, you can make Libby a space that uniquely represents your library, your staff, and your community.

Expert Panelists:

Katie Blachman

Katie Blachman (she/her)

Product Liaison

OverDrive
Ryan Fish

Ryan Fish (he/him)

Executive Vice President, Product Management & UI/UX

OverDrive
Heather Valentine-Gold

Heather Valentine-Gold (she/her)

Team Lead, Product Management

OverDrive

10:00 AM ET(15 min)

Break

Take a moment before the 10:15 session to stretch, grab a snack from our catered snack table, and chat with our exhibitors!

10:15 AM ET(30 min)

Maximize Patron Engagement with Video: Streaming video has become a must-have component of the library

With increased demand for streaming, video is a vital component of serving your community. As a result of new subscription and simultaneous access models, libraries are finding new ways to create more engagement using video. With creative curation, the promotion of moving stories, educational documentaries, and diverse characters, streaming video offers unique and in-demand content to take your collection into the stratosphere.

Moderator:

Jason Tyrrell

Jason Tyrrell

General Manager

Kanopy

Expert Panelists:

Wendy Crutcher

Wendy Crutcher (she/her)

Library Administrator, Technical Services

LA County Library (CA)
Alison Kuchta

Alison Kuchta (she/her)

Collection Development Librarian

Kent District Library (MI)
Janet Cox

Janet Cox

Library Technical Services Manager

Plano Public Library (TX)

11:00 AM ET(45 min)

Keynote: Eriq La Salle (he/him)

Actor, director, producer and author Eriq La Salle is best known for his award-winning portrayal of the commanding Dr. Peter Benton on the critically acclaimed and history-making medical drama, ER. Educated at Juilliard and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, his credits range from Broadway to film roles opposite Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, Robin Williams in One Hour Photo and Hugh Jackman in Logan.

In addition to his role on ER, La Salle has worked steadily as a director, taking the helm for HBO, Showtime, NBC, Fox and CBS. He serves as Executive Producer and director on Chicago PD in addition to directing episodes of Law & Order, and Law and Order Organized Crime.

Join hundreds of librarians on Friday, August 11 to hear Eriq La Salle share his stories as an actor, director, filmmaker and author.

Eriq La Salle Eriq La Salle ©2022 Crown Media United States LLC/
Photographer: Allister Foster

11:45 AM ET(45 min)

Crystal Ball with Steve

Join OverDrive Founder & CEO, Steve Potash, as he makes predictions for the coming year in ebooks.

Expert Panelist:

Steve Potash

Steve Potash (he/him)

Chief Executive Officer

OverDrive

12:30 PM ET(30 min)

Lunch

Enjoy a delicious catered lunch as we wrap up our time together at Digipalooza ’23. Connect with librarians, chat with exhibitors, and exchange contact information before heading home.