Friday, October 30, 2026
Westminster Theological Seminary
You are warmly invited to join us for the SEPTLA Fall Meeting on Friday, October 30, 2026, hosted by Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA.
Our program will include a presentation focused on disability access and inclusion, followed by lunch, institutional and SEPTLA updates, interest group discussions, and an opportunity to tour Westminster’s library and new building.
Format
In person: Montgomery Library, Westminster Theological Seminary (details below)
Virtual: If you register for virtual attendance (link below), you will receive connection details via email prior to the meeting.
Registration
Please RSVP by October 15 and indicate any dietary needs.
Schedule
- 10:00 Arrival and gathering
- 10:30 Presentation (via Zoom) by Jess Schomberg (details below)
- 12:00 Lunch (there will be a cost for lunch; additional details will be provided soon)
- 12:45 Institutional updates and interest group discussions
- 2:00 Tour of library and new building
Location details
The address is 2960 Church Road, Glenside, PA, and there are two entrances. If you enter from the Willow Grove entrance, you will have to drive through campus to get to the library. If you enter from the Church Road entrance, the library is the building immediately on your right. Park in any open, unlabeled spot and use the front entrance of the library.
We will be meeting in the Craig Room which is on the same floor as the entrance but on the opposite corner. Feel free to ask at the circulation desk for more detailed instructions on how to get to the room. The library has recently undergone renovations so do not rely on signage as it may be incorrect.
Speaker bio and program summary
Jessica Schomberg is the Accessibility and Inclusion Librarian at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she provides reference, instruction, and collection development services in English, Consumer Science, and Health Science. Jessica’s work focuses on creating more accessible and inclusive library spaces, resources, and services and on understanding the diverse ways students engage with academic libraries.
User Research on Learning Spaces
For the past several years, Library Services at Minnesota State University, Mankato, has conducted user research and accessibility audits to better understand how students experience and use library spaces and services. Informed by universal design for learning principles, this work invites students from a diverse range of communities to share their experiences through interviews and focus groups. Accessibility audits draw on both the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and universal design principles. These ongoing inquiries have provided valuable insights into changing student expectations for library spaces, resources, and services. Jessica Schomberg will discuss lessons learned from this research and how they can inform more accessible and inclusive library practices. The presentation will also consider student preferences for online content and strategies for serving distance-learning students, extending the conversation about accessibility and inclusion beyond the library’s physical spaces.
Interest Groups
As part of our afternoon discussion, we will spend some time talking about SEPTLA’s interest groups, which haven’t met for several meetings. We would like to hear from members about which interests group(s) you would like to participate in, as well as your preferences for how the groups might function going forward. We hope to use your feedback to revitalize the interest groups for future SEPTLA meetings and make them a more useful opportunity for conversation and collaboration with colleagues who have similar responsibilities and interests.
Other SEPTLA reminders
SEPTLA Dues: Annual SEPTLA dues will be coming due soon. Please keep an eye out for the dues notice.
Atla Scholarship: Members are encouraged to apply for the SEPTLA scholarship to Atla Annual. Apply by October 15.
We look forward to seeing you at Westminster!
