The Ex Libris Users of North America (ELUNA) and the Innovative Users Group (IUG) recently held their annual North American conferences, bringing together over 1,200 staff members and software users from Ex Libris and Innovative. The ELUNA conference took place in Los Angeles, California, while the IUG conference was held in Phoenix, Arizona.
The conferences featured a total of 271 sessions presented by library staff, as well as teams from Ex Libris and Innovative. The gatherings provided an opportunity for attendees to exchange knowledge and ideas, explore new technologies, and discuss the future of libraries in the evolving digital landscape.
The ELUNA conference commenced with Allen Jones of The New School, Chair of the ELUNA Steering Committee, emphasizing the importance of community collaboration and knowledge sharing. Yariv Kursh, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Clarivate, joined Vice President of Product Management Eyal Kirshner to discuss the future of libraries in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Kursh encouraged libraries to embrace proactive user engagement and continuous innovation.
Meanwhile, at the IUG conference, Chair Elect Jeffrey Campbell from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill welcomed participants after a day of pre-conference training sessions. He shared a video welcome from IUG Chair Wes Osborn, Executive Director at the Central Library Consortium. Tom Jacobson, Vice President and Executive Library Advocate and Strategist at Innovative, presented the company's vision for library solutions. Futurist Anat Baron delivered the keynote talk, discussing upcoming technological transformations and the need for optimism.
During the IUG conference, Innovative unveiled product developments, including new launches such as LX Starter libraries, Vega Promote Web for website building, redesigned Vega Discover Homepage, and the upcoming Vega Discover kids catalog. The event also featured an evening reception where attendees enjoyed axe throwing, air hockey, a doughnut sundae bar, and a special appearance by Sophie the mini burro.
The ELUNA conference concluded with a closing address by Marshall Breeding, creator and editor of Library Technology Guides, who shared insights on the conference themes of community, networking, strategy, Linked Data, AI, and product roadmaps. Bar Veinstein, President of Academia & Government at Clarivate, made a cameo appearance during the final session.
For those interested in joining a users group, more information can be found on the Ex Libris Users of North America website or the Innovative Users Group website. ELUNA also provided an Annual Meeting Online Highlights Session for Ex Libris users who were unable to attend the conference in person, offering four 3-hour events to recap the key highlights.
The successful conferences fostered collaboration, sparked innovation, and provided valuable opportunities for library professionals and software users to stay at the forefront of the ever-changing landscape of library technologies.
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