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The 48^th Annual Association of Architecture Librarians and Archivists Conference was held online from May 27-29, 2026. The conference serves as an important communication and training venue for members. AALA truly enjoys meeting with ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, but this year decided the virtual format would allow more members to participate. Indeed, there was a substantial increase in the attendance of new members. We were able to reach more librarians working in or interested in learning about architectural librarianship, including some unique aspects of the field.

The conference was designed to prepare members for addressing new and ongoing challenges.  Digital posters, presentations, virtual tours and open and topical discussions addressed a wide variety of topics ranging from instruction partnerships between faculty and librarians, the changing landscape of collection development, to the possibilities and issues presented by artificial intelligence.

Specific sessions included the librarian’s role in architectural education, which ranges from helping to prepare students for e-portfolios submissions to supporting design research. Designing spaces to help facilitate the research process was another topic covered.

Participants learned about options for collecting, accessing and using Materials Libraries. The keynote conversation concerned architectural archives and was presented bilingually. Speakers from CEPT University in Ahmedabad, India, the Museo de Arquitectura Leopoldo Rother in Bogota, Colombia, as well as the University of Texas at Austin spoke to the content of their collections, how they are used, as well as hurdles faced.

Pascale Sablan, FAIA, Chief Executive Officer of Adjaye Associates’ New York Studio, delivered an engaging lecture and discussion session on her recent book, . Sablan discussed her ongoing activism, including exhibitions held in over fifty locations.