2026 Mississippi LAMP
About this Event
Learn. Connect. Be Inspired.
Join librarians from across the great state of Mississippi on the 2026 Mississippi LAMP Tour. The agenda for this year's tour offers engaging professional learning designed specifically for K-12 School and Public Librarians. Whether you're looking for fresh programming ideas, curriculum connections, literacy resources, practical guidance for your library, or engaging with library vendors to learn more about products you can use to enhance your library program, this year's tour offers something for everyone.
2026 Locations:
📍 Oxford Conference Center – Mon., September 28
📍 Canton Multipurpose & Equine Center – Tues., September 29
📍 Ed Morgan Intermodal Facility (Train Depot), Hattiesburg – Wed, September 30
Important Information
Cost:💲 There is NO cost to register and attend this event. Plus librarians can earn FREE CEU Credit.
Registration: 📝 If you plan to attend, please Pre-Register for the location of your choice, then bring your printed ticket with you to the registration desk of that specific location for quick check in. For those who are unable to register in advance, On-Site Registration will be available beginning at 7:45 AM at each location.
Event Timeline: 🍎 This year MS LAMP will kick off a little later starting at 8:05 AM with workshop sessions concluding daily at 1:55 PM. Like last year, we will push through lunch to help you get back on the road sooner. Please plan to bring a snack to keep you going through the afternoon session.
Pre-Register today and choose the location that's most convenient for you!
********************************************************************************************
Stay Connected & Help Us Spread the Word
Share this event with other librarians, media specialists, and colleagues who may benefit from this free professional learning opportunity. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website and click on Conference Info:
🌐
Don’t miss this one day regional conference to learn from state leaders, discover new resources, strengthen your instructional impact, and leave inspired for the school year ahead.
Earn FREE Professional Development Credits
Attend the full day of workshop sessions and earn 0.55 FREE CEU credits while gaining practical ideas, valuable resources, and networking opportunities with fellow librarians from across the state.
Morning Elementary Sessions Include:
🌲 Spark Curiosity, Not Wildfires
Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Mississippi Forestry Commission during this engaging elementary librarian workshop led by Regional Outreach Officers. Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the newly released children's book Pip and the Mississippi Wildfire while discovering engaging ways to teach wildfire prevention, conservation, and literacy.
📚 Primary Sources That Bring History to Life
Mississippi Department of Education's K-12 Social Studies and History Director, Al Wheat, will demonstrate how librarians can help students and teachers incorporate primary sources into meaningful classroom instruction.
Morning Middle/High School and Public Librarian Session:
🏛️ Bridging ELA and Social Studies
Seraiah Lodge from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will share strategies for integrating Mississippi history with literacy instruction through rich historical resources.
🔍 Teaching Through Inquiry: Project-Based Learning with Mississippi History Day Across Disciplines
Join Bently Cochran and Al Wheat as they explore how librarians can support inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary projects using Mississippi History Day.
Late Morning ALL Librarian Session:
📖 MAGNOLIA Book Awards (All Librarians)
Back by popular demand! Learn about the Magnolia Book Award nominees for 2027 and discuss ways to incorporate the program into your school or public library, understand the voting process, and discover how the Magnolia Awards continue to inspire Mississippi's young readers to develop a lifelong love of reading.
Early Afternoon ALL School Librarians Session:
📊 Report Ready: Mastering Mississippi's Annual School Library Report (All School Librarians)
Finish the day with a practical, hands-on workshop led by the Mississippi Department of Education's Instructional Materials and Library Services Director. Learn how to confidently complete and submit the Annual School Library Report through the Accreditation Portal while gaining a better understanding of reporting requirements, documentation, staffing expectations, and how school libraries support the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards, Mississippi Library Learning Standards, and the Science of Reading.
Agenda
🕑: 07:45 AM - 08:05 AM
Breakfast & Registration (Registration Desk Area)
Info: For All Librarians
🕑: 08:05 AM - 08:15 AM
General Session / Welcome (General Session Room)
Host: Debbie Thurmon, MS LAMP Past President
Info: For All Librarians
🕑: 08:15 AM - 09:45 AM
Sessions for Elementary School Librarians (General Session Room)
Info: For Elementary School Librarians
🕑: 08:15 AM - 09:45 AM
Middle & High School and Public Librarians (Exhibit Hall)
Info: Exclusive time for Middle & High School and Public Librarians to visit the Exhibit Hall
🕑: 09:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Sessions for Middle & High School and Public Librarians (General Session Room)
Info: For Middle & High School and Public Librarians
🕑: 09:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Elementary School Librarians (Exhibit Hall)
Info: Exclusive time for Elementary School Librarians to visit the Exhibit Hall
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
MAGNOLIA Book Awards
Info: General Session Room for All School Librarians
🕑: 12:15 PM - 12:25 PM
Door Prizes (General Session Room)
Host: Suzanne Lewis, MS LAMP Coord.
Info: (General Session Room for All Librarians)
🕑: 12:25 PM - 01:55 PM
Report Ready: Mastering MS's Annual School Lib. Report (General Session Room)
Host: Elizabeth Simmons, MS DOE Inst. Mat. & Lib. Serv. Dir.
Info: General Session Room for All School Librarians
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
