Matthew Kruntorad, Partner at MSR Design, will co-present alongside City of Columbus City Administrator Tara Visacek, Lincoln City Libraries Director Ryan Wieber, and Mark Bacon, Principal at BVH Architecture, at the 2026 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago.
The session, “From Stalled to Built: Navigating Library Capital Projects with Optimism and Consensus,” will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM.
Library capital projects are among the most transformative—and most challenging—investments a community can undertake. Whether new construction, expansion, renovation, or adaptive reuse, these efforts are shaped by escalating costs, political hesitation, deferred action, and growing expectations for sustainability, flexibility, inclusivity, and robust community engagement.
This session will provide a national perspective on the pressing issues libraries face when planning capital projects and share practical strategies for moving projects forward. Topics will include creative funding models, building political will, authentically engaging stakeholders, embedding sustainability goals, designing flexible future-ready spaces, and reframing libraries as multipurpose civic infrastructure.
Attendees will hear candid insights from library leaders who have recently guided their communities through major building projects, including how they navigated political and financial conversations, addressed cost escalation and skepticism, and turned setbacks into opportunities to broaden support. Participants will leave with concrete lessons, planning frameworks, and inspiration to apply in their own communities.
We’re excited to join library leaders and colleagues from across the country in Chicago for ALA 2026!
