The Innovative Users Group (IUG) Conference returned April 13–15 in Chicago, bringing together library professionals, the IUG community, and Clarivate teams for three days of product updates, peer-led learning, and practical discussion.
Pre-conference day began on April 12, with full-day workshops covering Polaris, Sierra, and Vega LX, alongside the IUG Hackathon and sessions focused on accessibility requirements and hands-on topics like SQL querying and managing patron data.
Winners of the IUG 2026 Hackaton:
Focus areas across this year’s conference
A clear focus throughout the conference was the practical work of managing shared systems, complex workflows, and evolving library services. Several sessions addressed environments and multi-branch operations, including “Strength in Consistency: A Consortium’s Journey Toward Uniform Settings” and “Strange New Worlds: Implementing Vega Discover in a Complex Consortium.”
Operational topics were also prominent, with sessions covering data management, reporting, system configuration, SQL-based workflows, patron imports, student cards, and bibliographic optimization within Vega Discover.
Product updates and platform direction
Several updates highlighted continued development across Polaris, Sierra, and Vega LX.
Vega Reports became available in early April, giving Vega Discover libraries dashboards to review search activity, discover trends, and use that data to inform collection and service decisions.
Polaris and Sierra 2026 roadmaps highlight continued investment in core workflows, including enhanced holds functionality, improved item management, and ongoing advancements in APIs and security infrastructure.
A new Vega Discover and Hoopla integration enhancement gives consortia additional control over the visibility of Hoopla records in shared catalog environments.
Vega Mobile Worklists for Sierra, released earlier this year, extends mobile workflow support for staff managing inventory, holds, item editing, and circulation tasks.
Recognizing library innovation
Clarivate Library Innovation Awards winner – Rochester Hills Public Library was recognized for developing a themed kid’s catalog using Vega Discover. The project was designed around how children browse, explore, and learn at different developmental stages, replacing more traditional search structures with a more visual discovery experience.
Finalists included Santa Clarita Public Library, recognized for its Library Express mobile library service, and Suffolk Public Library, recognized for extending access to a rural branch through its Open+ model.
Together, these projects showed how libraries are adapting services, spaces, and systems to meet specific community needs.
Community learning and collaboration
The IUG Hackathon returned as a hands-on opportunity for participants to develop Polaris and Sierra-based solutions over a 24-hour period, with project demonstrations and awards presented during the conference. This year’s winning team was Wes Osborn, Central Library Consortium and Bryan Yostos, Rochester Hills Public Library.
User-led sessions remained central to the conference, with libraries sharing practical approaches through sessions such as “Strength in Consistency: A Consortium’s Journey Toward Uniform Settings” and “Implementing Vega Discover in a Complex Consortium.” These discussions focused on areas like system configuration, discovery, and managing shared environments.
Listening to libraries
We also tried a simple, studio-style setup where we invited libraries to stop by for short, informal conversations about their experience with our solutions. It turned out to be a really nice, relaxed, and genuinely engaging addition to the event that helped us strengthen our connections.
Many libraries were happy to share their stories, giving us valuable insights and authentic quotes, while also providing them with a chance to highlight the work they’re doing. Overall, it was a great way to get to know them on a more personal level and capture real perspectives we can continue to build upon.
We’re already looking at how to take this further next year, so stay tuned.
Looking ahead
The work of the Innovative user community continues throughout the year through regional IUG meetings, the IUG online forums, and programs like the Member-Exclusive Enhancement Process (MEEP), where libraries directly shape product development and share practical solutions with peers.
The next IUG Conference is scheduled for April 1–3, 2027, in Boston.
The Innovative Users Group is an independent organization that supports the Innovative user community. Clarivate is a sponsor of the annual conference and an active supporter of the IUG community.