Final schedule, as of May 20, 2026 (6:25am)

LACUNY Institute 2026 : Vulnerability at Work and Beyond: How are We Managing?

Thursday, May 21, 2026

8:00 am – 9:30 am- Registration – NAC 2nd Floor Lobby 

8:00am-9:30am- Continental Breakfast –CCNY Libraries Staff Room, Cohen Library Room 5/337

9:30am-10:30am- Keynote Panel, CUNY DSI Room 2/202 (50 mins and Q&A)

(Gently) Walking on Eggshells: Embracing the Vulnerabilities of the Tenure Track Journey –Jeffrey Delgado, Kingsborough Community College, Diana Moronta, Lehman College, Mark Aaron Polger, College of Staten Island, and Sharell Walker, Borough of Manhattan Community College
(moderated by Prof. Rosemary Farrell)

10:30am-11:20am (3 concurrent sessions)(40 mins and Q&A)

Burnout Reconsidered: Cognitive Strain, Over-Engagement, and the Tenure-Track Experience -Madeline Ruggiero, Queensborough Community College, CUNY
Location: CUNY DSI Room 2/202
(moderated by Prof. Mark Aaron Polger)

Myth vs Reality: Vulnerability to durability in the digital archive -Riley Mang, City College of New York, CUNY, Bridget Day, Digital Archivist,  CUNY Office of Library Services, and William Casari, Hostos Community College, CUNY
Location: Cohen Library Room 1/340A 
(moderated by Profs. Derek Stadler and Eric Silberberg)

My Tracker: Building a Daily Practice of Documentation -Robin Naughton, Queens College, CUNY
Location: CCNY Archives, Cohen Library Room 5/301
(moderated by Prof. Nelson Santana)

11:20am-11:30am- coffee break CCNY Libraries Staff Room, Cohen Library Room 5/337

11:30am-12:20pm (3 concurrent sessions)(40 mins and Q&A)

Quiet, Collaboration, and Conflict: What Library Space Surveys Reveal About Student Needs and Librarian Vulnerability – Quintis Pinder, Queensborough Community College, CUNY
Location: CUNY DSI Room 2/202
(moderated by Prof. Mark Aaron Polger)

Legislating the Freedom to Read in New York State -Eric Silberberg, Queens College, CUNY
Location: Cohen Library Room 1/340A 
(moderated by Prof. Nelson Santana)

The ADHD Masked Librarian Unmasked -Sherri Farber, Hunter College, CUNY
Location: CCNY Archives, Cohen Library Room 5/301
(moderated by Profs.  AJ Pathak and Derek Stadler)

12:30pm-1:30pm- lunch CCNY Libraries Staff Room, Cohen Library Room 5/337

1:30pm-2:20pm (3 concurrent sessions)(40 mins and Q&A)

The Pedagogy of Real-Talk in Library Instruction: Vulnerability and Connection -Alayna Vander Veer and Megan Palmer, SUNY Oneonta
Location: CUNY DSI Room 2/202
(moderated by Profs. Rosemary Farrell and Mark Aaron Polger)

Some Interventions for When Things Get Bad: Medical Leave, Google Takeout, and Yours -Jenna Freedman, Barnard College
Location: Cohen Library Room 1/340A 
(moderated by Profs AJ Pathak and Derek Stadler)

Talking about our mistakes (and what we learned from them)- Catherine Carra- SUNY Oswego
Location: CCNY Archives, Cohen Library Room 5/301
(moderated by Prof. Dianne Gordon Conyers)

2:20pm-2:30pm-  snack break CCNY Libraries Staff Room, Cohen Library Room 5/337

2:30pm-3:20pm (3 concurrent sessions) (40 mins and Q&A)

Gifts of Silence: Exploring Vulnerability in Libraries with Object-Based Mindfulness -Roxane Pickens, New York University (NYU)
Location: CUNY DSI Room 2/202
(moderated by Prof.  AJ Pathak)

Repair work: Harnessing the courage to communicate across societal divides- Erin Prentiss, Augusta University-
Location: Cohen Library Room 1/340A 
(moderated by Prof. Dianne Gordon Conyers)

Vulnerability, Reflection, and Cultural Humility: Managing Uncertainty in Library Work -Eric Ely-Ledesma, University of Central Missouri
Location: CCNY Archives, Cohen Library Room 5/301
(moderated by Prof. Nelson Santana)

3:20pm-3:30pm- snack break CCNY Libraries Staff Room, Cohen Library Room 5/337

3:40pm-4:30pm – closing panel (40 mins and Q&A)

1. 1. Middle Management in the Grey: Strategies for Success in Public Libraries – Sophie McGrath, Brooklyn Public Library, Caroline Kravitz, Brooklyn Public Library, Nicole Davis, Brooklyn Public Library, and Traci Mark, Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO)
      Location: CUNY DSI Room 2/202
      (moderated by Prof. Jason Amey)