The pressure to prove value has never been higher
It came up in almost every conversation: library teams across every sector are being asked to demonstrate measurable impact to stakeholders who do not always understand what a library contributes. Budget decisions, headcount justifications, and strategic planning increasingly depend on data that many libraries struggle to produce quickly.
The gap between the work library teams do and their ability to report on it clearly was a consistent frustration. Liberty Digital’s reporting tools and illumin’s workload analytics came up regularly as practical ways to close that gap.
Small teams, bigger workloads
Resource constraints were everywhere. Teams are not growing, but expectations are. The question most people were asking was not how to get more staff, but how to get more out of the ones they have.
Automating routine tasks, removing duplicate data entry, and giving staff better tools to manage research requests and workflows were the practical priorities that resonated most.
AI: moving from curiosity to practice
Finding resources should not be the hard part
The conversation around AI has shifted noticeably over the past year. Attendees were less focused on whether AI belongs in library services and more focused on how to use it responsibly. Governance, accountability, and maintaining professional quality standards came up consistently.
Discoverability came up repeatedly, particularly for teams managing hybrid collections where physical and digital resources need to sit in one searchable system. Libraries invest significantly in resources that patrons struggle to find. That investment goes to waste if the catalogue experience does not match how people actually search.
What our team took away
Softlink IC’s Manager of Sales & Business Development, Suzana Petrovic, put it well during the event:
"Technology only matters when it helps librarians do their job better. Events like ALIA give us the opportunity to listen to what professionals need and where we can support them."
The conversations reinforced something we hear consistently: library professionals know exactly what they need. The challenge is finding tools that deliver it, and a vendor who understands the sector well enough to help them get there.
Let's continue the conversation
If we spoke at the conference, or if these challenges sound familiar, we would be glad to show you how Liberty Digital and illumin work in practice.
Explore Liberty Digital and illumin, or book a conversation with our team.
For more on the conference itself, visit the ALIA National website.
Looking Ahead
ALIA National 2026 reinforced the importance of staying connected as a profession. The exchange of ideas, challenges, and solutions continues to shape how libraries evolve.
Softlink IC remains committed to supporting library and information professionals as they adapt to new technologies with confidence.
Whether you’re exploring new ways to manage your collections, streamline research, or better demonstrate your value, the right tools and conversations make all the difference.
Explore Liberty Digital and illumin or book a chat with our team today to learn how we can support your library’s next chapter. For more information on the ALIA Conference, visit their website.