StokerCon 2026

Meet the Librarians’ Day team and fellow librarians from across the country while enjoying coffee and bites courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Join HWA Library Advisory Council members in small group discussions to meet some of your fellow librarians, share experiences, and gather ideas for how to engage your community with the horror community.  

Hear librarians from across the country share their experiences featuring horror at their libraries, from book discussions to writing groups to author events and more. 

Join librarians and book reviewers as they share the buzz about a slew of exciting new and upcoming horror titles. Come for the book talks; stay for the free books and swag! 

Join StokerCon 2026’s Guests of Honor for a lively discussion about why readers of all ages enjoy a good scare, from fictional frights to all-too-true terrors.  

The vampire lurks throughout the history of horror storytelling and serves as a powerful allegory for understanding history, culture, and social forces.  Vampire stories frequently evoke imagery from their 19th century European literary texts of old castles, aristocracy, and Victorian moral strictures.  But once we remove these stories from their European settings and examine the stories that emerged to reflect American culture and history, what new tropes and images best define the vampire canon? Join us as we explore the contours and features that help define the American vampire story and why these stories are essential for library shelves.

Join Summer Scares current and past selected authors, spokespeople, and partners to learn more about the HWA’s popular summer reading program, how to get involved, and how to use Summer Scares resources to better serve your patrons.  Featuring Jennifer McMahon with more panelists to be announced soon!