LACONI

What LACONI does

LACONI (Library Administrative Consortium of Northern Illinois) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1954 that delivers continuing education, networking, and program support to library staff across Northern Illinois. The organization is structured around seven specialized sections — Circulation Services, Programs/Outreach/Promotion (POP), Recharge (staff wellness), Supervisors/Administrators/Managers (SAAM), Technical Services (TSS), Technology, and Youth Services — each of which independently organizes workshops, webinars, unconferences, and field trips. Section membership is open to any staff from libraries that hold institutional LACONI membership, and each section typically delivers roughly four professional development programs per year.

The association's core "product" is an institutional membership program under which a single library-level annual subscription grants unlimited staff access to all section events. Membership runs on a calendar-year basis (January through December), with payment processed via mail-in check or the Zeffy online payment platform. Some section programs are listed on Eventbrite, where ticket fees may apply to non-members or to cover event-specific costs such as meals. LACONI also operates an annual Trustee Banquet, a YouTube archive of past event recordings, and a newsletter.

LACONI's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: it acquires members through library networking events, partnered programs with the Illinois Library Association (ILA) and Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), and academic collaborations with College of DuPage and Northwestern University. Revenue comes almost exclusively from recurring institutional membership dues supplemented by modest event-related fees. The organization has no parent company, no venture backing, and no public listing, and operates as an independent member-supported nonprofit under a governing board. Recent strategic activity has been incremental — Recharge merged into LACONI in 2024 as its seventh section, RASS combined with POP in 2022, and new content tracks have been added in AI literacy and staff wellness.

Name

LACONI

Legal name

LACONI

Website

https://laconi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LACONI is a nonprofit library consortium founded in 1954 that delivers professional development, continuing education, and networking events to library staff in Northern Illinois through an institutional membership model organized across seven specialized sections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Library Professional Development Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Library professional development
• Continuing education services
• Library staff networking
• Professional association membership
• Workshop and training programs

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Dues: Libraries pay annual membership fees to join LACONI. Once a library holds institutional membership, any number of staff can attend programs at no additional cost. Memberships follow the calendar year (January - December).
2. Professional Development Events: Events are offered free to staff from member libraries. Some events may have ticket fees through Eventbrite for non-members or to cover specific costs like meals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LACONI is a nonprofit professional library consortium that provides institutional membership-based professional development, continuing education, and networking opportunities to library staff in Northern Illinois. Its core offering is organized around seven specialized sections (Circulation Services, Programs/Outreach/Promotion, Recharge, Supervisors/Administrators/Managers, Technical Services, Technology, and Youth Services), each delivering workshops, webinars, unconferences, and field trips that are free to staff from member libraries.

Product overview

LACONI (Library Association of Chicago and Northern Illinois) is a professional library association founded in 1954, not a technology product company. It operates as a unified organization offering a membership program and organizing seven distinct sections: Circulation Services, Programs/Outreach/Promotion (POP), Recharge, Supervisors/Administrators/Managers (SAAM), Technical Services (TSS), Technology, and Youth Services. Each section delivers its own professional development programs, workshops, and networking events. The association also hosts a calendar of events and an annual Trustee Banquet. While LACONI does help libraries learn about and integrate technologies like AI, it does not develop or sell its own software products or have product integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LACONI TSS: Technical Services Section of LACONI, providing continuing education and networking for Technical Services Librarians
• LACONI YSS
• LACONI Technology
• LACONI Recharge
• LACONI POP
• LACONI SAAM
• LACONI CSS

Products and services

• Institutional Membership Program Annual institutional membership enabling all staff from member libraries in Northern Illinois to attend LACONI workshops, webinars, and networking events at no additional cost. Membership runs on a calendar year basis (January-December).
• Youth Services Section (YSS) LACONI section providing youth services librarians and staff with networking opportunities and workshops on youth programming, children's services, and teen engagement. Holds four informational workshops per year on Fridays in February, April, September, and November. In odd-numbered years co-presents the two-day Illinois Youth Services Institute (IYSI) with the Illinois Library Association.
• Technology Section LACONI's section specifically devoted to technology issues for library staff, offering four continuing education programs per year for tech novices through IT Managers. Covers topics like AI literacy and emerging library technology.
• Technical Services Section (TSS) Section created in 1991 to provide Technical Services Librarians and other interested persons opportunities for continuing education, professional development, and networking. Meets the first Friday of February, April, September, and November.
• Supervisors, Administrators & Managers Section (SAAM) Section dedicated to creating learning opportunities for library leaders in leadership roles as well as those considering leadership. Programs presented quarterly in both hybrid and in-person formats, covering leadership training, management skills, strategic planning, and board governance.
• Circulation Services Section (CSS) Section offering programs designed to enhance skills and knowledge of library circulation staff. Provides continuing education and professional development for circulation department personnel.
• Programs, Outreach & Promotion Section (POP) Section providing information, inspiration, and connection for library staff who deliver adult services, programs, outreach, library marketing, and communications. Provides four professional development events each year.
• Recharge Section Section focusing on the well-being of library staff at every level and role, offering networking opportunities and addressing workplace challenges including mental health first aid training and staff wellness programs.
• LACONI Events and Webinars Calendar of continuing education and networking events including webinars, field trips, unconferences, and workshops offered free to staff from member libraries. Events span topics including career development, leadership, programming, accessibility, technology, and staff wellness.
• Annual Trustee Banquet Annual event uniting community leaders, donors, and supporters to celebrate LACONI's accomplishments and further its mission of providing continuing education for library professionals and networking opportunities for library trustees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Four professional development events per section per year

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Illinois Library Association (ILA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLACONI partners with ILA in odd-numbered years to present the two-day Illinois Youth Services Institute (IYSI). Look out for IYSI in 2027.
• Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAILS co-presents events with LACONI including Technology section programs. Multiple joint events on AI literacy, Library of Things, and other topics.
• College of DuPage (COD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOD partners with LACONI TSS for Technical Services Unconference and archival/processing workshops, providing educational collaboration.
• Northwestern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Stephanie Boron from Northwestern University co-presents the Inclusive Minds: A Neurodiversity Workshop for Library Professionals.
• NAMI Metro SuburbanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAMI Metro Suburban co-presents Mental Health First Aid Training and workplace wellness programs for library staff.
• Peer ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeer Services presents Narcan Administration training to help library staff recognize and respond to opioid overdoses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS): A regional library system serving northern and west-central Illinois. RAILS co-presents technology and AI-literacy events with LACONI and serves overlapping member libraries with professional development offerings.
• Illinois Library Association (ILA): The statewide professional association for Illinois library staff and trustees. LACONI co-presents the biennial Illinois Youth Services Institute with ILA, indicating direct functional overlap in serving the same Illinois library professional audience.

Broad incumbents

• American Library Association (ALA): The largest U.S. library professional association. Comparable as a national membership body delivering professional development, conferences, and advocacy for library staff, though at a much larger scale and broader geographic remit than LACONI.
• Special Libraries Association (SLA): An international association for information professionals in specialized settings. Comparable as a membership organization providing continuing education, networking, and section-based programming for library and information professionals.
• Public Library Association (PLA): A division of ALA focused on public libraries, offering continuing education, conferences, and resources for public library staff. Comparable in serving a similar member persona (public library workers) with programming and networking.

Regional players

• Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS): A regional library system serving southern Illinois. Comparable to LACONI as an Illinois-based library consortium providing continuing education and shared services to member libraries, though in a different geographic territory.
• Chicago Public Library Foundation: A nonprofit supporting the Chicago Public Library system. Comparable as a Chicago-area library-focused nonprofit, though focused on fundraising and advocacy rather than staff professional development.

Emerging players

• Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA): An association of state library administrative agencies. Comparable in serving the library governance and leadership community through convening and information-sharing, though at the state-agency rather than individual-library level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCONI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LACONI