8:30 – 8:45 Welcome and Introduction
8:45 – 10:00 Keynote Address
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 11:15 Breakout Sessions #1
11:15 – 11:30 Break
11:30 – 12:30 Breakout Sessions #2
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch Break
1:30 – 2:30 Breakout Sessions #3
2:30 – 3:15 EBSCO Presentation and Closing Remarks
Click on the title of a session to see the full description
Breakout Session #1:
Breakout Session #2:
Breakout Session #3:
EBSCO Presentation:
Keynote Bio: Mark Aaron Polger is an academic librarian and information literacy instructor who has been working in libraries since 1992. He received his MLIS degree in 2000 and has worked as a librarian in public, hospital, and academic libraries. Currently, he is the Coordinator of Library Outreach at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York (CUNY).
At the College of Staten Island, his responsibilities include coordinating the library’s marketing and outreach activities, engage in campus community partnerships, and assists in the assessment of library services and resources. Mark also teaches LIB 102 (Beyond Google: Research for College Success), the information literacy course taught in the department.
Polger’s research interests include library marketing, outreach, and UX (user experience) design. He is most interested in how users interact with the library’s physical and virtual touch points; specifically the web site, terminology, signage, and promotional materials. He has written and presented on topics ranging from library marketing strategies, faculty outreach, library marketing campaigns, library jargon, and library signage.
Since 2014, he has been co-chairing the Annual PR Xchange Awards Competition, part of the Core division of the American Library Association. He was part of the founding committee of the Library Marketing and Communications Conference (LMCC) from 2015-2019. Currently, he is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the open-access, peer reviewed journal Marketing Libraries Journal, which was launched in Fall 2017.
He is the author of three books; Library Signage and Wayfinding Design: Communicating Effectively with your Users(2021), Library Marketing Basics (2019), and Engaging Diverse Learners: Teaching Strategies for Academic Librarians (co-authored with Scott Sheidlower)(2017).
Originally from Montreal, Canada, Mark holds a DEC in Pure and Applied Sciences from Marianopolis College, a BA honors in Sociology from Concordia University, an MLIS from the University of Western Ontario, an MA in Sociology from University of Waterloo, and a B.Ed. in Adult Education from Brock University.
Currently, he is a PhD candidate in the Graduate School of Education, University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY). He is completing his 7th year and working on his dissertation where he is studying faculty perceptions of academic librarians’ teacher identity. Polger moved to New York City in 2008. He is an avid cyclist and runner, loves studying street maps, and enjoys exploring the city by foot and on his folding bike.
A. Let’s Play Using Gamification in Information Literacy
Sonya Lockett, Coordinator of Public Services, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
Description: This presentation will introduce participants to using interactive games to reinforce student learning of Information Literacy and other library services. The John Brown Watson Memorial librarians established the use of these games to motivate and encourage learning in a nontraditional way. Interactive games such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and Family Feud promote student teamwork and collaboration. The games also teach students to communicate effectively with their peers to solve problems. These games have been utilized in face-to-face classes as well as through Zoom. /p>
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Mrs. Sonya Lockett is an Associate Librarian/Associate Professor at the John Brown Watson Memorial Library on the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) campus. She serves as the Coordinator of Public Services, a position she has held since January 2, 2008. Sonya was granted Tenure at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff in 2018. Sonya’s previous employment includes being the Library/Media Services Director at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, AR. She received her Master of Library Science Degree in 2003 from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Sonya is currently enrolled in the Master in Business Administration Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where her concentration is Hospitality and Tourism. She has an expected graduation date of May 2024. She is married to Mr. Bruce Lockett; they have one son Sha’mon and one granddaughter, Skylar.
B. Growing Organizational Marketing Strategies with Intention
Description: Marketing and communication efforts are often a challenge for academic libraries due to lack of resources and lack of expertise. We present a case study on how one library evolved their marketing and communication efforts over several years through intentionality, planning, and structure
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Donald Dow has been with the UNH Library since 2018 in an access services role. Prior to joining the library Donald worked for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the UMass Dartmouth Center for Women, Gender, and Sexuality.
Liz Fowler is currently the User Engagement & Student Success Librarian at the University of New Hampshire Library. Prior to this role, Liz worked for twenty years in circulation and reference at the University of New Hampshire.
Wendy Pothier has been the Business & Economics Librarian at University New Hampshire since 2016. Prior to this role, she worked as Director of Library Services at Maine Maritime Academy and Public Services Librarian at the University of Alaska Southeast.
Kimberly Sweetman coordinates library services, collections, and technology initiatives and translates library vision and goals into daily processes and operations for the University of New Hampshire Library. Prior to her time at UNH, Kimberly managed a large public services department at New York University.
C. Changing the Profession from the Inside Out: The Library Fellows Program at Simmons University
Description: The library profession faces a serious lack of diversity due in part to the length and cost of a master's degree; lack of a sufficient number of paid internships; a need to gain relevant work experience prior to graduation as many entry-level jobs require experience. This session will introduce the Library Fellows Program an initiative-in-development which aims to address several of these barriers by recruiting students from historically marginalized communities, providing each fellow with a significant; meaningful, paid work experiences; and a mindful mentoring program. The program administrator and academic library director who developed the initial program, along with one of the current Fellows, will offer an overview of the program, discuss its background and development; discuss the outcomes from the pilot; and look ahead to next steps. In an interactive portion, they will gather input from attendees on the model as they continue to revise and improve it.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bio: Laura Saunders is a Professor and Interim Director of the Simmons University School of Library and Information Science. Her main areas of teaching and research focus on information literacy and reference services, academic libraries, and LIS education. Her publications include the open access textbook Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers: An Introduction, co-authored with Melissa Wong. She is the winner of the 2019 Simmons University Provost Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching.
Vivienne Piroli is the Director of the Simmons University Library, with responsibility for strategic planning and initiatives, project management, assessment, library technology, information literacy and online teaching and learning. She has a strong background in teaching with adjunct experience in the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University, and holds board positions in the Oberlin Group of Libraries and the Fenway Library Organization.
Aijeah Hennessy is one of the inaugural Library Fellows at Simmons University, with a position focused on Collections & Access. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lewis & Clark College and has worked as a library assistant and a teaching assistant prior to coming to Simmons University.
D. Proportioning collection space and learning in an academic library: Collection performance indicators
Christopher Stewart, Discovery and Metadata Coordinator, University of Arkansas Little Rock
Louise L. Lowe, Student Success Coordinator, University of Arkansas Little Rock
Description: Assessment on university campuses increasingly emphasizes learning outcomes and student success. Academic librarians need to identify relationships between their collection spaces and the learning activities of the university in order to play a role in the environment of assessment. Measuring the proportions of discipline-oriented content of library collections and comparing those proportions to discipline-oriented learning activities produces collection performance indicators. Academic libraries can use collection performance indicators to assess how well their collection spaces correspond to student demand and student success using readily available metrics. This paper describes an application of collection performance indicators to evaluate the collection space at the Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas Little Rock.
Learning Objectives: After participating in the session, attendees should be able:
Speaker Bio: Christopher Stewart is the Discovery and Metadata Coordinator for the Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. His research interest is in the relationships between library spaces, library collections, and student success.
Louise L. Lowe is the Student Success Coordinator for the Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Her research interests are evidence-based practices, learning spaces, and student achievement.
F. "I was pretty appalled by this": Teaching students about the exclusive and exclusionary scholarly publishing ecosystem
Emily Porter-Fyke, Research & Instruction Librarian, Fairfield University
Description:This presentation is about the design and reception of a research lesson focusing on the importance of understanding biases that are inherent in the research and scholarly publication processes, and how students and faculty can be more intentional in their research process through inclusive language, asking critical questions about information, and thinking critically about research. The lesson provides foundational information about how the scholarly publishing ecosystem works and how it can (and does) exclude more diverse voices, and encourages students to think more deeply about their own identities and how those identities can affect the research they do. By providing transparent information about how scholarly publishing is a profit-driven industry, students are trusted to understand how information has value and the world excludes those who cannot afford to engage. By Rethinking one-shot library instruction sessions, this lesson has Refreshed our attitudes about information literacy and Renewed our librarians' interest in teaching. The presentation will include practical information about how the lesson was developed, how it has been received, and how it will be changed before its next run, as well as an examination of how it has helped our librarians to think differently about library instruction.
Learning Objectives: This presentation will discuss:
Speaker Bio: Emily Porter-Fyke (she/her) is a Research & Instruction Librarian at Fairfield University. Her research interests include Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) in academic libraries, critical librarianship, and creating a culture of care in libraries.
G. Leading Through Change: Managing Yourself and Others with Compassion
Lauren Slingluff, Library Director, University of New Haven
Description: Wherever you are in the organization - director, middle manager, or in an entry level position, YOU can enact positive change. Higher education and libraries in particular are facing unprecedented changes and challenges, and how we respond and craft positive and collaborative communities while caring for ourselves and maintaining balance is vital. Everyone can enact positive change for their organization and its culture as well as cultivate compassion and develop their leadership identity. This session will combine established best practices in change management, leadership, and mindfulness with lessons learned through professional practice and share case studies of both successes and failures.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Lauren Slingluff is the Library Director at the University of New Haven. Previously Lauren has served as the Associate Dean of UConn Library, and both the Associate and Interim Dean of Library Services at Wheaton College. Her professional areas of interest are change management, assessment practices, and communications as it relates to organizational health. Lauren holds a MSLIS from Simmons College and completed her undergraduate degree at St. Lawrence University with a major in Religious Studies and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Outside of work, she owns and operates a fiber farm and enjoys a highly caffeinated life.
H. USF's Florida Environment & Natural History Collection: Rethinking Collections to Inspire Lasting Environmental Change
Description: The University of South Florida Libraries’s strategic Florida Environment and Natural History (FLENH) meta-collection leverages post-pandemic expectations for library pedagogy by including digital humanities tools, virtual events, and new outreach methods. To compliment trained archivists and librarians working on the collections, the Special Collections team has expanded in innovative ways to include a trained research biologist and interdisciplinary student workers. This panel will discuss three projects related to the broad scope of the FLENH collections to illustrate how the team has collaborated to contextualize and make discoverable resources on climate change, hard science, history, intersectional activist movements, and sustainable art in a way that is approachable to users outside of the trained library science realm. At the core of these practices are library goals of encouraging an expanded patron base for Special Collections materials, including making the materials accessible for K-12 and university students, faculty, and the general public.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Erin Peel is a Coordinator for the University of South Florida Libraries Florida Environment and Natural History collections. She has a B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, an M.S. in Marine Biology, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Library and Information Science. A biologist by training, Erin has multifaceted experience with birds, aquatic systems, marine animals, pathology, and scientific communication.
Sydney Jordan is the Coordinator of LGBTQ+ Studies for the Special Collections Department of USF Libraries. She holds an M.A. in Library and Information Science and, in her current role, she engages cataloging, archival processing, programming, outreach, patron services, and instruction. Her research interests include conscious editing, reparative metadata, LGBTQ+ library services, climate justice, and open educational resources.
Jenna Gatley is a Student Assistant Specialist for The Ecoliteracies for Climate Action in Florida Project. She has a B.A in English and in her current role engages with metadata, programming, and curating collections relating to the environment. She is currently pursuing her MLIS degree and her research interests include environmental activism, diverse perspectives, and animal representation throughout history.
I. Revamping STEM LibGuides for Current Student Needs
Description: LibGuides are a staple for libraries to guide students in navigating the world of information resources. What happens, though, when they are left to sit for too long? They quickly become outdated and unhelpful to our students. STEM fields are constantly evolving and it is especially important that our guides are up-to-date to meet the needs of our students. This session will discuss the early stages of the process of updating STEM LibGuides. The session will provide practical insights into the process of revamping LibGuides, including techniques for identifying relevant resources and ideal formatting methods. Readers will gain an understanding of how LibGuides can be updated to ensure that they remain an effective resource for supporting education and research. This project is both in-progress and iterative, as we seek to enhance the library’s ability to provide students with easy access to the most useful information resources available to them.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Leah DiCiesare received her MSLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2022 and shortly thereafter started as a STEM and Open Science Librarian at the University of Maryland. In this role, she works as a liaison librarian to the chemistry, mathematics, and several engineering departments.
J. Advocating for change in academic libraries: Supporting students through digital equity initiatives
Description: COVID-19 revealed the extent of the digital divide as businesses, health care, education, and other critical services moved to an online only model. Founded in January 2021 by the State Library’s Advisory Council for Library Planning and Development (ACLPD), Connecticut Libraries and Partners for Digital Equity (CTLPDE) works to advance the collaboration of libraries, community organizations, state agencies, and philanthropic groups to achieve digital equity by elevating community voices and the frontline experience of library staff in the state-wide conversation.
Join CTLPDE’s Academic Library Committee for an overview of the work completed to recognize and address the digital divide in Connecticut, to learn how CTLPDE is extending its work to assess the digital equity landscape in academic libraries and what academic libraries are doing to address the digital divide in their institutions, and CTLPDE’s next steps as we work to advocate the importance of digital equity in higher education.
Learning Objectives: Following this session, participants will:
Speaker Bios: Karen Tatarka is the Director of the UConn Hartford Library and current chair of the State Library’s Advisory Council for Library Planning and Development. She serves on Connecticut Libraries and Partners for Digital Equity’s (CTLPDE) Steering Committee and also on the CTLPDE Academic Library Committee. She holds a BA and MA in English literature from Fordham University and an MLS from Southern Connecticut State University.
Lisa Gugliotti has been the Digital/Systems Librarian at Middlesex Community College since 2019. Some of the duties she performs include reference services, cataloging all materials and configuring the Alma/Primo system and electronic resources to work smoothly for library patrons. She received her B.S. from UConn and her MLS from Southern Connecticut State University.
Susan Skaza is the Digital & Instruction Librarian at Norwalk Community College where she works to maintain the library website and online systems, manages their social media presence, and performs reference and instruction duties. She graduated with her MLS from Simmons University in May 2020.
Maria Bernier is the new Director of the UConn Avery Point Library. In her previous job in the CT State Library’s Division of Library Development (DLD), she worked with data, library construction projects, and DLD’s social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives. She has a BA in English and History from Amherst College, an MSLIS from Simmons University, and an MBA from Salve Regina University.
K. Using Universal Design for Learning to Explore UDL in Community
Description: Learn about the benefits of approaching Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in community and collaboration with other librarian instructors. Presenter will share experiences designing a three-part workshop series for librarians on using UDL to modify existing lesson plans and educational experiences. The workshop focused on using UDL principles in the sessions, building knowledge through collaboration, and grounding work in sustainability. Session will include time to share concrete examples of what has worked well for other instructors.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Anaya has 9 years of experience as an academic librarian serving distance students. She is interested in ways that scalable information literacy instruction can remain meaningful and relevant for students, and increasing the accessibility of the library and research services. MLIS, CPACC.
L. Charting a New Course: A Flexible Approach to Curriculum Mapping
Natalia Kapacinskas, Teaching & Learning Librarian, University of Houston Libraries
Veronica Arellano Douglas, Head of Teaching & Learning, University of Houston Libraries
Edward Gloor, Teaching & Learning Librarian, University of Houston Libraries
Jennifer Holland, Teaching & Learning Librarian, University of Houston Libraries
Erica Lopez, Teaching & Learning Librarian, University of Houston Libraries
Description: Identifying opportunities for information literacy integration is important to any teaching librarian's job. Higher education curriculum is constantly evolving, requiring librarians’ approach to information literacy integration to be flexible, adaptable, and sustainable. Curriculum mapping allows for the discovery of those opportunities and the ability to decide which to pursue. After an institutional restructuring, Teaching & Learning librarians at our academic library undertook a curriculum mapping project to understand the university’s undergraduate curriculum, the library’s role in supporting that curriculum, and our own existing teaching efforts. Our process was flexible rather than exhaustive, designed to accommodate both librarian workload and student needs. This intentional approach was more in line with our departmental emphasis on critical pedagogy than previous curriculum mapping styles focused on structured integration. Session participants will engage in reflection and discussion to support them in developing a curriculum mapping process that matches engagement opportunities with their values, capacity, and priorities.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
M. Refreshing Library Spaces: Using Assessment to Implement Meaningful Changes
Description: Librarians and staff at the Marydean Martin Library at Nevada State College conducted a mixed-methods assessment of library space usage and patron comment logs to better address concerns related to noise-level, way finding, and space use. The study took place in Fall 2022 and was part of a larger accreditation assessment initiative. Results from the study have been used to develop noise-reduction strategies and inform changes to library furniture and signage. This session will demonstrate a practical approach to making relatively simple changes in library space using multifaceted data.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Lauren has been the User Experience Librarian at Nevada State College since 2019. Her work focuses on assessments of library resources and services so the library can make evidence-based changes to better serve NSC’s growing community. She holds a BA in English and Theatre from Presbyterian College and an MFA in Creative Writing and an MS in Information Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
As Library Specialist, Nanci creates and maintains exemplary customer service at the service desk. She is also responsible for supervising student workers and managing the technology and device lending in the library. Nanci holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
N. When the Horse Dies, Find a New One: Mitigating Obsolescence by Ditching Dead Ends and Finding Opportunities for Growth
Description: Libraries, and library workers of all stripes, need to reinvent themselves on a regular basis to avoid stagnation and the perception of obsolescence. However, it can be difficult to identify the right path forward while also avoiding the tendency to get caught up in high effort initiatives that yield mediocre results. This also means that difficult conversations may need to be had with stakeholders as some people are reluctant to change.
Participants will be given a brief overview of challenges the presenter has faced in their academic library environment and how data was used to determine paths forward (e.g., research desk hours, instruction opportunities, and/or collection management). Examples of techniques for helping people plan next steps, and talking with stakeholders, will be shared. Everyone will then be given an opportunity to start looking at issues in their own environment and start working on plans for addressing them.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Ryan L. Sittler, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the Instructional Technology and Information Literacy Librarian, and soon-to-be User Experience Design Librarian, at Pennsylvania Western University - California campus. He has 21 years of experience in academic libraries, in a variety of positions, and is primarily interested in instruction and technology applications in library spaces and services.
O. Collaborating for Change: Integration of Information Literacy Through Faculty Development
Description: A combination of misinformation and the move to online learning during the pandemic has created an even bigger need for information literacy. At Nevada State College, one of the library’s approach to the integration of information literacy into the wider curriculum is through an information literacy faculty development workshop. The workshop focused on creating information literacy learning outcomes and opportunities that aligned with the information literacy rubric used in the Core Curriculum. This session will include an overview of the information literacy faculty development workshop, discussion of how to promote yourself as a partner for collaboration, and strategies for advocating for information literacy.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: As the Teaching and Learning Librarian, Yvonne supports student and instructor success through collaboration and integration of library resources and services into the Nevada State College curriculum. She holds a BA in History from Nevada State College and an MLIS from San Jose State University.
P. Collaborating Across Libraries to Advance Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice: A Profile of the CSCU Library Consortium’s EDI & SJ Team
Description: In 2020, the Library Consortium (https://www.ct.edu/libraries) of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) System adopted a strategic framework that centers library-led work to advance equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and social justice. The consortium then formed a team charged with fostering collaboration to support the CSCU libraries' efforts to be antiracist organizations as well as ensuring that the values of EDI and social justice are embedded in services, resources, policies, and practices. Led by and consisting of people working across the CSCU libraries, the team has engaged in a number of projects that aim to achieve positive changes. This presentation will discuss the team and highlight select projects.
Learning Objectives:
Speaker Bios: Patrick L. Carr is Program Manager for Library Consortium Operations for the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) System. In this position, he works in the Academic & Student Affairs area of the CSCU System to lead and support collaboration across the member libraries of the CSCU Library Consortium (https://www.ct.edu/libraries). He has previously held library leadership positions at the University of Connecticut, East Carolina University, and Mississippi State University.
Veronica Kenausis is Associate Dean of Library Services and Academic Success Programs at Western Connecticut State University, overseeing library operations, tutoring services, peer mentor programming, and instructional design services. Throughout her 30+ year career, she has held positions in nearly every aspect of library services, including interlibrary loan, reference, instruction, and systems.
Miguel García is a Creative Commons certified Reference and Instruction Librarian at Gateway Community College where he serves as Access Services Supervisor. In the summer of 2022, he was appointed as Co-Chair of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Library Consortium EDI & SJ Team by the CSCU Council of Library Directors. Miguel is also an adjunct Reference Librarian at Southern Connecticut State University, a part-time Research Librarian at Fairfield University, and a part-time lecturer in Humanities and Social Sciences at Gateway.
BiblioGraph
Description: Nancy Grimaldi and Kristie McElroy, your EBSCO representatives will join Lauri McIntosh, BiblioGraph product specialist, for a demo showing how BiblioGraph can expand the visibility of your catalog and collections by connecting with your students and researchers wherever they are on the web.<\p>
BiblioGraph is an innovative solution that transforms academic libraries' collections into linked data resources by utilizing BIBFRAME technology. It helps libraries increase the visibility of their resources on the web by connecting related people, items, publishers, and topics, making it easier for users to discover and access the library's materials online. BiblioGraph also provides automated reports that allow library staff to track usage statistics, providing insights into how often people use the library's resources. By using BiblioGraph, academic libraries can enhance their online presence and make their resources more accessible on web, where users are searching.<\p>
