Why you should participate in the IUG Hackathon

[EleanorC (Eleanor Crumblehulme)]

Are you curious about the IUG Hackathon, but not sure it is for you?

This is what previous Hackathon attendees have to say about what made participation a valuable experience for them:

Making connections and networking:

• The Hackathon provides opportunities to work with colleagues from other libraries, working in a variety of positions, as you collaborate over a project. This can lead to lasting relationships and further connections.
• Innovative product managers and engineers are frequent guests at the Hackathon and are eager to hear perspectives, ideas, and use-cases from attendees. Having the opportunity to interact with the real stars of Clarivate in an “organic, low-barrier way” often results in a more meaningful relationship with the products and development teams.

Creativity and problem-solving:

• Explore ideas and functionality beyond the confines of your day-to-day work.
• Discuss other libraries’ day-to-day problems and learn from the "clever, practical ways they’re tackling them.”
• Blue-sky thinking and an opportunity to push the boundaries of current system functionality.
• Take a cool idea and turn it into a proof-of-concept with the help of new friends.

The Hackathon is free! It takes place on April 12 (pre-conference day) with presentations and awards during Happy Hour on April 13. Coding and other specific techie skills are not required! The project groups benefit from a variety of perspectives and experiences. If you have already registered for the conference and want to add Hackathon registration, you can go to your membership page and click the link to your registration portal to edit the details.

“For me, the biggest takeaway is that the Hackathon encourages curiosity, extending the system beyond its original intent and treating every question mark as an answer waiting to be found.”

• Victor Zuniga

“The Hackathon is where the sausage is made.”

• Bob Gaydos

Thank you to Bob Gaydos, Victor Zuniga, Jason Tenter, and Gabrielle Gosselin for their thoughtful comments about the Hackathon!

[bgaydos (Bob Gaydos)]

I am responding to the Hackathon article in today’s IUG July 2026 Newsletter.  I felt that many of the Hackathon projects this year arrived nearly fully baked and some had already been implemented at individual library systems.  While sharing projects like this is undeniably valuable to the IUG community, I don’t know that the Hackathon is the right venue for completed projects.  As encouraged as I was by the outstanding participation level, perhaps there should be a separate division for in-progress projects which are enhanced or completed during the Hackathon.

[evieyr (Emily Vieyra)]

Also responding based on July 2026 newsletter!

I have lots of ideas (Sierra user, cataloging manager) but don’t have the technical skills (SQL, Python, coding, whatnot!). For me to participate, I think I’d need to know I could be part of a team that could supplement what I’m lacking - while also thriving from what I do bring. Maybe the Hackathon could include a team/idea sign up forum: someone can share an idea and the skills they have, and others can sign up to join the team/idea who bring skills that would be useful.

[vzuniga (Victor Zuniga)]

One idea that might help the Hackathon continue to grow is to create a dedicated Hackathon section within the Idea Exchange.

One challenge for potential participants is that they may have the technical skills and enthusiasm to contribute but not necessarily a project idea to work on. A Hackathon category within the Idea Exchange could serve as an incubator for those ideas throughout the year.

Community members could submit Hackathon-sized ideas, discuss them, and vote on the ones they find most valuable. By the time the conference arrives, the highest-voted ideas would naturally rise to the top, giving participants and teams a curated list of projects they could choose to work on during the event. This would lower the barrier to entry for first-time participants while ensuring that projects are rooted in real community needs.

As projects are completed, they could be linked back to their original Idea Exchange entries so the community can see the outcome, review the code, and continue the conversation after the conference.

If, during discussion or implementation, an idea proves to be too large or better suited for the standard product development process, it could simply be converted into a regular Idea Exchange enhancement request and continue through the normal voting and prioritization workflow.

This wouldn’t replace or limit participants from bringing their own ideas to the Hackathon. One of the event’s greatest strengths is the creativity and spontaneity that emerge when people pursue projects they’re passionate about. Instead, the Hackathon Idea Exchange would simply provide an additional source of inspiration for those looking for a project, encourage broader community involvement throughout the year, and help connect participants with ideas that have already demonstrated community interest.

One additional thought may be worth exploring if conference logistics allow. The current presentation and awards schedule leaves teams with a relatively short window to polish their projects and prepare their demonstrations. If feasible, shifting the presentations and awards to later on the second day or even the morning of the third day could provide teams with a bit more time to refine their solutions and deliver stronger presentations. I realize the overall conference schedule is already very full, so this may not be practical, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Overall, I think these ideas would help create a stronger bridge between the Idea Exchange and the Hackathon, make it easier for new participants to get involved, and continue fostering the creativity and collaboration that have made the Hackathon such a successful part of the IUG conference.