2026 Reaching Forward South Conference
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Regency Conference Center
400 Regency Park
O'Fallon, IL 62269
The 2026 Reaching Forward South Conference will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026. Reaching Forward South is an annual professional development conference for library support staff in central and southern Illinois. With a commitment to providing quality training and information, Reaching Forward South strives to be the premier professional development opportunity in the downstate area.
The Reaching Forward South Committee is accepting program proposals, which are submitted using an online proposal form. Incomplete proposals can be saved and revised at any time prior to the submission deadline. Check your email for a link to your submission portal.
The submission deadline is Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Selection notifications (distributed via Pheedloop from ILA) will be sent before Monday, December 15, 2025.
Financial Assistance Available
Financial assistance is available to offset registration fees for a limited number of speakers who would not otherwise be able to attend the conference. Librarians and library staff who have faced structural barriers to participation, including small and rural libraries, are encouraged to apply. Assistance is awarded based on the following criteria:
- Financial need
- Geographic diversity
- Speakers from underrepresented groups in the library profession
- First-time speakers
- Topic adds diversity to conference programming
Apply for Speaker Registration Assistance
Before applying for assistance, you must submit your program proposal. Previous recipients are not eligible to apply. Requests are considered by ILA staff during the window of proposal acceptance and the close of early bird registration. Questions about financial assistance can be directed to Kristin Pekoll at kpekoll@ila.org.
Submit a Program Proposal
The Reaching Forward South Conference serves library staff at all levels, with a strong focus on frontline and support staff. All program slots are 60 minutes. Programming is organized by the following tracks:
- Advocacy and Funding
- Collections and Technical Services
- Community Engagement and Customer Service
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Human Resources
- Leadership and Management
- Marketing and Outreach
- Personal and Professional Development
- Programming
- Reference and Readers Advisory
- Technology
- Wellness
- Youth and Young Adult Services
You will be asked to provide the following information about your proposed session:
- Speaker(s) information
- Session title and description
- Program track
- Speaker qualifications to speak on your topic
- Learning objectives for attendees
- Preferred time of day
- Preferred room setup
- Program experience level and format
- Additional information you’d like to share with the committee
To submit your program proposal, you will need to use the online form. The Deadline for submission is Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
The Reaching Forward South Committee will evaluate all submitted proposals using the following criteria:
- Do the proposed speakers appear to have the appropriate expertise to present on this topic?
- Does the program fit Reaching Forward's mission to provide professional opportunities for library staff to grow, learn, and connect with new ideas?
- Does the program offer practical suggestions that can be replicated at other libraries?
- Does this program showcase timely and creative solutions and/or provide leadership?
Questions? Email Kristin Pekoll at kpekoll@ila.org.
Need Some Help?
Have an idea for a program that's not fully formed? Looking for a co-presenter to bring in additional perspectives? Are you a first-time presenter and need/want some assistance putting together your first session? You can submit a request for speaker support and the committee will help you develop your program.
ILA Office Hours
Register to meet with Kristin (the ILA Conference and Continuing Education Manager) to ask questions, brainstorm, and generally get conference speaker support. Not available during any of the times listed? Email Kristin at kpekoll@ila.org to schedule a 30 minute chat.
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