The Health Science Librarians of Illinois (HSLI) is excited to announce our 2026 Annual Conference, taking place virtually Tuesday, September 29-Thursday, October 1.
Join colleagues from across the state for engaging virtual programming, valuable networking opportunities, and continuing education credits as we celebrate our history and look ahead to the future of health sciences librarianship.
We are planning a meaningful and memorable conference you won’t want to miss!
Registration now open!
Program Highlights
Tuesday, September 29
Keynote
Beyond the Infodemic: The Ongoing Evolution of Health Information Behavior, Emily Vardell
Speaker (MLA CE credit not available for this session)
Reclaiming Librarian Authority in the Age of Misinformation, Stephanie Nissen
Wednesday, September 30
Continuing Education Session #1
Getting Better at Everything You Do: Reflective Practice for Health Science Librarians, Jolene M. Miller
Thursday, October 1
Continuing Education Session #2
Defining the Bare Minimum: Challenges in Search and Data Archiving for Systematic Reviews, Mark MacEachern
Keynote
Tuesday, September 29
“Beyond the Infodemic: The Ongoing Evolution of Health Information Behavior.”
Dr. Emily Vardell is an Associate Professor in the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University. She is an award-winning educator, researcher, and leader whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of how people seek, interpret, and use health information. Her research focuses on health information behavior, health insurance literacy, and health-related decision-making, and her scholarship has appeared in leading publications including the Journal of the Medical Library Association, Journal of Documentation, Information Research, and the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science.
Continuing Education
Getting Better at Everything You Do: Reflective Practice for Health Science Librarians (1.5 HR MLA CE)
Defining the Bare Minimum: Challenges in Search and Data Archiving for Systematic Reviews (1.5 hr MLA CE)
Call for Lightning Talks
Each presenter will have 10 minutes to present their Lightning Talk with a small set of slides (7 slides maximum). Topics can include any area of librarianship. Incorporating this year’s conference theme is appreciated but not required. Student submissions are encouraged. If you have presented, or plan to present, a poster or lightning talk at another meeting this year (such as MLA or Midwest Chapter/MLA), recycling the content for HSLI is totally okay!
Presenting author(s) must register for the conference and be available virtually to present (exact time TBD).
Abstract Submission Instructions
For consideration, please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words using our submission portal: https://uic.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6tHML1JcVCcjHWS The deadline for abstract submission is July 20, 2026. Participants will be notified of acceptance no later than August 11, 2026. Once notified of acceptance, slides are due on September 10, 2026.
Any questions or concerns can be directed to Carmen Howard (choward4@uic.edu).