Christi Weinzierl, WSL Communications and Grants Specialist, attended the 2025 ARSL Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in September.
From September 17-20, the Albuquerque Conference Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a bustling place full of library-focused learning and lively conversations between library professionals from across the U.S., courtesy of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) 2025 Conference–“Libraries Rise!”
Christi Weinzierl, Wyoming State Library Communications and Grants Specialist, attended conference sessions on data storytelling, social media best practices, and a variety of other topics relevant to libraries, including small and rural libraries. Many sessions were led by library professionals from small and rural libraries throughout the U.S., as well as a few prominent library professionals, including Shamichael Hallman, Rebecca Hass, and Mychal Threets.
Meeting author Dusti Bowling was an unexpected pleasure.
“This was my first library conference, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” said Christi. “However, I learned so much from both the speakers and from the other conference attendees. It was so inspiring to meet other library professional from other parts of the U.S. who all share the same goal of providing the best possible resources and services to their patrons, whether they come from a big city, a small town, or a rural area.”
Highlights included an exclusive viewing of the Sundance 2025 film, The Librarians, from Director/Producer Kim A. Snyder, a networking lunch during which conference attendees where grouped according to interest, and a book signing with Dusti Bowling, who signed advanced reader copies of her latest book, Holding on for Dear Life.
The energy was so positive and uplifting,” said Christi, regarding her experience at the ARSL Conference. “I’m so glad I was able to attend.”