This issue of Ticker brings us two Conference Reports, two contemplative articles in the Opinions & Thought Pieces section, and an International Outlook article all focused in some way on the current state of business librarianship and how we develop both new librarians and emerging leaders in our field. In “Today’s Business Librarian: Updated Employment and Professional Development Trends – 2024” Laura Walesby and Angela Horne relay their initial findings from a 2024 survey intending to discover both new and persistent employment trends in business librarianship, focused particularly on our educational backgrounds, career paths and experiences with continuing education, mentorship and professional associations. Good news? Most of us enjoy our work. Bad news? Many of us still find ourselves in this career by accident and there are issues with both our career pipeline and the continuing education options widely available.

Perhaps some of the challenges with continuing education may be addressed by conference attendance? Our other Opinions and Thought Pieces article focuses on “Why business librarians still need in-person conferences.” In this piece, Steven M. Cramer and Kelsey Moore (an academic librarian and public librarian, respectively) offer their thoughts on the continued importance of in-person conferences and why they consider the decline of these offerings “an emerging problem in our profession.” While online conferences certainly have value, especially as regards access, accessibility, and affordability, what do we lose when we lose in-person opportunities to both learn and connect with our fellow business librarians? The authors briefly address what we might do to make in person opportunities more accessible, though they posit an interesting question as well: do newer business librarians still want to meet in person?

Our Conference Reports section suggests certainly all hope is not lost for in-person conferences. In “2025 Charleston Conference: Reviews and reflections from a long-timer” Steven M. Cramer offers us his insights as a longtime attendee of “Charleston” a unique in-person conference with attendance that is still growing in our increasingly constrained environment. Perhaps some of the continued popularity of this conference owes to the unique structure—only one day of Vendor Showcase followed by the opportunity for librarians, publishers, and vendors to all attend the conference together—or the fact that programming is both in-person and, two weeks later, virtual. The number of business librarians has averaged 15-20 the past few years with coordinated vendor-sponsored socials. If you’re interested to learn more, this article includes information on a number of highlight sessions from 2025, as well as the author’s view of the overall value of the conference.

Our other Conference Report focuses on the ACRL Information Literacy Immersion Program returning in 2025 after a five-year hiatus. In “ACRL Immersion 2025: Three Librarians Reflect on their Experiences,” Stephanie Morgan, John Paul Martinez, and Chuck Knight, all of Vanderbilt University, reflect on this premier continuing education experience in Chicago. They discuss the pre-work, the program, and feedback from attendees regarding the new, shortened format. Highlights include sessions on librarians as teachers, learning outcomes, and classroom assessment techniques.

Lastly, in our International Outlook section “Emerging Library Leaders’ Summer School for Asia-Pacific (ELLSSA): SMU Libraries’ Flagship Leadership Development Program for Librarians” allows us to hear from Rajen Munoo, Advisor, Learning Programs & Global Relations, and Sumita Govindan, Senior Librarian, both of Singapore Management University Libraries, as they discuss their annual five-day, in-person leadership development program. ELLSSA is still early in its development but highlights already include a “Shark Tank”-style event where participants pitch solutions to pressing institutional issues and a six-month mentoring program following the in-person event where participants are matched with a mentor intended to help with the institutional issue identified in the pitch event. This may be an example of exactly the kind of event we need to continue to start up and develop to address the continuing education gaps persisting in our profession.

Certainly this issue should provide plenty of fuel for thought. The issue will also bring to a close my tenure as Editor-in-Chief. Kelly LaVoice will be taking the reins and leading the journal forward from here. I would like to offer my very sincere thanks to our Editorial Board, our authors, and Kelly for allowing me to learn and grow in this role. I look forward to seeing where Ticker goes in the future!