HESTL EdCON 2026
June 9, 2026
HESTL EdCON is a statewide conference designed to elevate library services and instruction for K-12 youth, uniting school library professionals, their public library collaborators, and advocates for strong school libraries. Session topics focus on student-centered practice and reflect the five essential areas of the Colorado Department of Education’s Highly Effective Schools Through Libraries (HESTL) program: Planning, Leadership, Instruction, Management and Environment.
- Build your network of support by connecting with librarians across the state.
- Get inspired by keynote speaker Jennifer LaGarde.
- Immerse yourself in a day of professional learning.
To increase accessibility and offset travel costs, the Colorado State Library is committed to offering this in-person event at no cost to participants. Thank you to our generous sponsors for making this possible.
- Location: DCSD Legacy Campus, 10035 S Peoria St, Lone Tree, CO (click for directions)
- Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
- Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Keynote Speaker:
Jennifer LaGarde
Jennifer LaGarde is a lifelong teacher and learner with more than 20 years in public education. She is passionate about leveraging technology to help students build authentic reading lives, meeting the unique needs of students living in poverty, and helping learners of all ages discern fact from fiction in the information they consume. Jennifer is the coauthor, with Darren Hudgins, of Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking in the Age of Fake News (ISTE, 2018) and Developing Digital Detectives (ISTE, 2021). She is also a part-time lecturer in the MLIS program at Rutgers University, where she has taught courses including Emerging Literacies, Young Adult Literature, and Children's Literature. In addition, Jennifer serves as the Library-Literacy Mentor with Bookelicious and hosts the podcast “The Reader's Heart.” She currently lives, works, reads, and drinks lots of coffee in Olympia, Washington. You can follow her adventures at www.librarygirl.net.
