Friday, November 13, 2026
Theme:
Resilience and Renewal: Strengthening Libraries through Collaboration
Location:
The University of Tulsa
Allen Chapman Student Union
800 S Tucker Dr, Tulsa, OK 74104
Proposal Submission
Proposals must be submitted by 11:59pm on Friday, September 25.
We want to hear from library workers, students, faculty, and others across the academic library community (and beyond) in Oklahoma and the surrounding areas. We welcome talks from first-time speakers, long-time librarians, new practitioners, and everyone in between. We especially welcome proposals from speakers and perspectives that are underrepresented in academic librarianship. Our goal is to create a conference program representing a variety of roles, institutions, experiences, practices, and perspectives.
Keynote Speaker
Representative Michelle McCane
Oklahoma State Representative
Former Library Media Specialist at Tulsa Public Schools
2025 Recipient of the OLA Bill Lowry Champion Award
2026 Recipient of the OPEA Champion Award
Rep. Michelle McCane has served the people of District 72, which includes portions of Owasso, Sperry, Tulsa, and Turley, since her election in 2024. She currently serves on 6 committees: A&B Judiciary, A&B Education, Administrative Rules, Post-Secondary Education, Tourism, and Transportation. She received the Bill Lowry Library Champion Award from the Oklahoma Library Association for her advocacy for library services in Oklahoma in 2025 and was awarded the OPEA Champion Award by the Oklahoma Public Employees Association for her support of the state’s front-line workers in 2026.
A Tulsa Native, McCane attended Tulsa Public Schools, including Hawthorne and Bell Elementary, Carver Middle School, and following in the footsteps of four generations, Booker T. Washington High School. In 2003, at 15 years old, Michelle gave birth to her first child and chose to earn her GED.
She eventually became a Teacher Assistant in Tulsa Public Schools and graduated with honors from Tulsa Community College with an associate’s degree in Elementary Education. Following the birth of her second child, she continued working full time, raising her children, and pursuing her education. In 2014, she again graduated with honors and received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northeastern State University followed by a master’s degree in Library Media & Information Technology in 2018. These additional degrees allowed her to become a classroom teacher and eventually school librarian.
Following her participation in the Oklahoma Teacher Walkout in 2018, she became more active in education and political advocacy taking on roles within the local Democratic party and her teachers’ union, the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA). A proud union member, Michelle joined TCTA’s executive board in 2022. She became a frequent voice for educators and students, volunteering for local and legislative campaigns as well as regularly attending and speaking at local school board meetings.
McCane spent over a decade in public education, serving thousands of children across Tulsa before entering the Legislature. During her career in education, McCane was awarded Teacher of the Year at McLain High School in 2020-2021 and Traice Academy in 2023-2024. In 2023, then TPS board member Dr. Jennettie Marshall honored her as a District 3 Trailblazer for her teaching and education advocacy.
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