Better and Better: Workplace Wellness in Technical Services

Event: PTPL 101st Annual Meeting

When: April 17th, 2026
Where: Rachel M. Schlesinger Center | Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus | 4915 East Campus Driver, Alexandria, VA 22311 (parking information)

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM: Arrival, Registration, and Badge Pickup

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM: Keynote:  Topic: "Resourcing Ourselves with Each Other"/ Nisha Mody

How do you feel resourced when you lack resources? Nisha Mody's opening keynote answers this question by exploring what it means to be resourced and tools that can support you, especially in times of despair. Most importantly, she shares how you don't have to navigate these waters alone.

Nisha Mody (she/her) is a certified Liberatory Life Coach, Facilitator, and Writer who supports people in cultivating as much compassion for themselves as they do for others so they can stop shrinking themselves to be liked and start showing up for relational liberation. With a background spanning consulting, recruiting, speech-language pathology, and librarianship, Nisha inspires others to stop shaming themselves and start belonging to themselves. In all her work, she centers growth, relationship, and liberation as pathways for personal and societal transformation. Nisha coaches clients one-on-one and in groups. She also offers workshops, coaching, and consulting services to organizations. You can find Nisha on Instagram @healinghypegirl, on her website at www.nishaland.com, and you can get the latest updates from her by signing up for her newsletter at https://bit.ly/notesfromnishaland.

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM: Business meeting, Elections, and Scholarship Presentation

Winners: Sushena Jammi and Katie Loveless

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Discussion Roundtables

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM: Lunch

12:30 PM - 01:15 PM: Presentation: Topic: "Work Is Infinite; You Are Not: A Guide to Sustainable Productivity" / Mike Kastellec

Modern service roles create an infinite task list, making rigid productivity systems difficult to implement and accelerating burnout. This talk introduces a modular, iterative framework for sustainable work, empowering you to strategically shift your focus from emptying an impossible list to choosing which struggles are truly worth your limited time and energy.

Mike Kastellec is the Assistant Director of Information Technology at NC State University Libraries. With two decades of experience in library technology, he has led major initiatives in infrastructure, systems administration, virtualization, and high-tech learning spaces, while managing technology budgets and cultivating equitable, customer-focused teams. His expertise spans DevOps practices, data center operations, service delivery, and organizational change. Mike has published and presented nationally on IT strategy, organizational change, and digital preservation. His current talks explore productivity, focus, and sustainable self-management practices for library staff working in complex, interrupt-driven environments. He holds an MLIS from Valdosta State University and a B.S. in Science, Technology & Culture from Georgia Tech.

1:15 PM – 2:00 PM: Questions, Passing of the Gavel, and Adjournment

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