Librarians' Day
Friday, June 5, 2026
1000 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
ABOUT:
On the Friday of StokerCon, the Horror Writers Association (HWA) offers "Librarians' Day" -- a full day of horror-focused continuing education programming for all library workers. Topics include readers' advisory, programming featuring the conference's guest authors on timely topics, information on how you can work with the HWA, and more. Below you'll find this year's special program for the on-site conference. Librarians' Day ticket holders will have access to the dealer's room and other areas of the full conference throughout the day.
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Librarians’ Day
Friday June 5, 2026
8am-4pm
Librarians’ Day only ticket - $70
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Libraries registering 6 or more staff are eligible for a group rate of $60 per Librarians' Day ticket. For information about how to access the group rate,
please contact libraries@horror.org.
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Librarians’ Day is open to all StokerCon ticket holders. If you already have a regular ticket, we invite you to attend any of our programming at no extra cost.
Librarians’ Day Schedule for StokerCon 2026, Pittsburgh
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8 -8:25 a.m.: Welcome to Librarians’ Day!: Meet the Librarians’ Day team and fellow librarians from across the country while enjoying coffee and bites courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh Library System.
8:30-9:20 am: Brains! Brains! Brainstorming Ways to Engage Your Community, Moderated by Jocelyn Codner and Meghan Bouffard. Join HWA Library Advisory Council members in small group discussions to meet some of your fellow librarians, share experiences, and gather ideas for how to engage your community with the horror community.
9:30-10:20: How to Feature Horror at Your Library, Moderated by Corey Farrenkopf: Hear librarians from across the country share their experiences featuring horror at their libraries, from book discussions to writing groups to author events and more.
10:30-11:20: Buzzing About Horror Books, Moderated by Emily Vinci: Join librarians and book reviewers as they share the buzz about a slew of exciting new and upcoming horror titles. Come for the booktalks; stay for the free books and swag!
11:30-1: Lunch Break: Explore Pittsburgh and enjoy a nearby restaurant.
1-1:50: What Horror Means to Me, Moderated by Lila Denning: Join StokerCon 2025’s Guests of Honor for a lively discussion about why readers of all ages enjoy a good scare, from fictional frights to all-too-true terrors. Featuring Linda D. Addison and Rachel Harrison with more panelists to be announced soon!
2-2:50: The Past is Undead: exploring an American Vampire Canon, Moderated by Ben Rubin. The vampire lurks throughout the history of horror storytelling and serves as a powerful allegory for understanding history, culture, and social forces. Vampire stories frequently evoke imagery from their 19th century European literary texts of old castles, aristocracy, and Victorian moral strictures. But once we remove these stories from their European settings and examine the stories that emerged to reflect American culture and history, what new tropes and images best define the vampire canon? Join us as we explore the contours and features that help define the American vampire story and why these stories are essential for library shelves. Featuring Gwendolyn Kiste, Billy Martin, and Sarah Read with more panelists to be announced soon!
3:-3:50: Summer Scares: A Thrilling Summer Reading Program, Moderated by Yaika Sabat: Join Summer Scares current and past selected authors, spokespeople, and partners to learn more about the HWA’s popular summer reading program, how to get involved, and how to use Summer Scares resources to better serve your patrons. Featuring Jennifer McMahon with more panelists to be announced soon!
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