NLISN Conference
See our dedicated Conference Page
NLISN Online Coffee Catch Ups
These Coffee Catch Ups will run every month and are an opportunity for you to meet with other members of the network online in an informal space with no agendas/CPD/set topics, but instead to create a space where we can get to know each other and have informal and supportive discussions. We have tried to vary the days and times each month as we know everyone’s availability will change depending on role, sector, and individual working pattern.
Based on feedback after running the sessions for a year, these catch ups will now be self-facilitated by whichever members of the network attend, rather than a member of the committee. However if you do feel we need to go back to committee member facilitators please do let us know, and you are also free to reach out if you have other questions or concerns.
The meetings are not recorded and we also ask that you do not make personal recordings or save transcriptions of the meetings due to the personal topics covered. The use of live captioning/transcription tools are fine and there is inbuilt live captioning in Teams itself, but please do not use tools like otter.ai which save transcripts or send tools like that to the meetings on your behalf. It is important that these coffee catch ups are a space for network members to speak openly without being recorded or captured. If you notice an AI tool in the participant list please remove it, anyone attending should have the permissions to do so.
Please feel free to accept the Team meeting invitations even if you are not sure you will be able to attend to ensure they are in your calendar. Individual attendance beyond total number of people will not be monitored at all, so accepting them does not mean you are obliged to attend.
2026 Coffee and Chat Dates
Links will be sent to the mailing list when set up, as well as monthly.
10th March 14:00 – 15:00
8th April 11:00 – 12:00
7th May 15:00 – 16:00
5th June 10:00 – 11:00
6th July 14:00 – 15:00
4th August 11:00 – 12:00
2nd September 15:00 – 16:00
8th October 11:00 – 12:00
6th November 10:00 – 11:00
7th December 14:00 – 15:00
Neurodivergence and Entry into the Library and Information Science Profession
Online
18th March 2026 10:30-2:30 UK time
NLISN are hosting an online event on the 18th March 2026 10:30-2:30 UK time on the topic of entering the LIS profession as a neurodivergent person. The event is aimed at students, recent graduates, early-career colleagues, those thinking about undertaking an MLIS, and those thinking of making a career change to the LIS profession. It is also open to LIS professionals with longer professional experience, who recruit or supervise new staff, and/or with perspectives from related fields and professions, who want to learn from the perspectives of newer professionals or current LIS students.
The event will consist of a mix of lightning talks and 30 mins presentations, there is now a full programme available.
10:30-10:45 – Welcome
10:45 -11:30 – Darren Flynn & Alison Hicks (Expectations vs. Reality: Higher Study in LIS)
11:30 -12:15 – Charlie Parkinson (My Experience of Entering the Library Profession )
12:15 – 12:45 – Joanne Fitzpatrick (Librarianship as a Second Career: How I Failed Completely at my First)
12:45 – 13:15 – 3 x Lightning Talks – Elsa Emanuel (Neurodivergent Networking); Andrew Walsh (Bonuses and drawbacks of neurodivergent freelancing); Claire Laybats (Your Next Chapter: Library and Archive Apprenticeships)
This is a free event, however you still need to book your place via Eventbrite in order to receive the event link. To book your place and see further information about the event please see the Eventbrite page below;
There is also a donation ticket option if you would like to support the work of NLISN. We have decided that all online events we run will be free, however a donation would support the costs of hosting the NLISN website, running in person events, and paying external speakers where a fee to speak would be required.
Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network 