C&RL News September 2017 444 conference circuit ACRL in Chicago ACRL programs at the ALA Annual Conference ALA’s 136th Annual Conference was held June 22–27, 2017, in Chicago. More than 22,700 librarians, library support staff, exhibitors, writers, educators, publishers, and special guests attended the conference. Ed. note: Thanks to the ACRL members who summarized programs to make this report possible. Fostering agility Bernard Banks chal- lenged the audience to think differently about how to cre- ate change in our libraries in the joint Presidents’ Program of ACRL and the Public Library Asso- ciation. Wa r n i n g t h a t change is more than creating a strategic plan, he affirmed Peter Drucker’s ob- servation that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He described ways an organiza- tion’s culture can negatively impact change efforts. To create an agile, change-ready organization, we need to alter that underly- ing culture by thinking carefully about how we reward staff, what we measure, and what we encourage staff to attempt. Leaders need to create opportunities for staff to risk and fail—because we often learn better through those failures. Banks equated the process of encour- aging failure and learning from it to the correct level of “tears” in a muscle while strength-building. If you do not exercise a muscle enough, it doesn’t change. If you exercise too much, you damage the muscle instead. Are we enabling our staff to make smart tears? Without tak- ing risks and failing, we stagnate. Foster- ing agility requires us to seek feedback, update our knowl- edge and expertise, take risks or allow others to stretch, discuss our mistakes with others, and, finally, collaborate across diverse back- grounds and perspectives so that we are continuously challenged. Three of his final questions were: To what extent does your culture value learning? What experiences are you creating, and how are you measuring them? What risks are you underwriting, and why? He recommended Assessing culture, by Edgar Schein (1992), and Triggers: Creating behavior that lasts—Becoming the person Bernard Banks at the joint Presidents’ Program of ACRL and the Public Library Association. September 2017 445 C&RL News you want to be, by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter (2015) as additional read- ing.—2017 President’s Program Planning Committee Visibility and engagement The Distance Learning Section sponsored “Visibility and Engagement: Design, De- velop, or Refresh Your Online Instruction,” a panel session moderated by Molly Mans- field (Dominican University) that presented four librarians’ successes and learning op- portunities in creating high-impact online instruction. Kelly Diamond (West Virginia University) shared her early-to-midcareer experiences from an “accidental instructional designer” to a librarian holding a graduate certificate in instructional design. She highlighted key points learned, including this valuable tech- nology insight: “Technology supports online instruction; it is not the focal point . . . clear design and pedagogical principles are the most important element.” Kristin Woodward (University of Wis- consin-Milwaukee [UWM]) detailed several principles of UWM Libraries’ information literacy design philosophy, including parity of online and face-to-face instruction, refreshing one-third of content annually, and partnering with faculty to create authentic learning ac- tivities. On keeping videos updated with web and database changes, she recommended, “Make sure every video has a concept at its heart. [This allows the students] to still learn the concept, even if the step-by-step has changed.” Claudia McGivney (Stony Brook Univer- sity) has been using reflective exercises in online information literacy instruction for several years. She discussed the challenges and successes, including moving students from summarizing to critically engaging, the adaptability of the exercises, and instructor insight into what students are struggling with. “Journaling can help students become more critically literate,” McGivney reported. Susan Wengler (Queensborough Commu- nity College-CUNY) detailed the solutions her team applied to improve an online informa- tion literacy course, including encouraging students to share anxieties about online learning, offering extra credit drop-in help sessions, assigning practice research topics, and mentoring students in the location and evaluation of sources. Wengler stated that “Online course shells can and should im- prove over time with reflection and revision.” Recurring themes from the panel included reflection, revision, assessment, and redesign. —Michael English, George Mason University, menglis7@gmu.edu Impactful partnerships The Education and Behavior Sciences Sec- tion and the University Libraries Section co- sponsored “Impactful Partnerships: Navigat- ing the Evolving Scholarly Communication Landscape With Faculty.” Members of the panel were Karen E. Gutzman (impact and evaluation librarian at Northwestern Univer- sity, Feinberg School of Medicine); Rachel Borchardt (Science librarian at American University); and Nicky Agate (head of Digi- tal Initiatives and manager of MLA Com- mons, the CORE repository, and Humanities Commons at the Modern Language Associa- tion [MLA]). They focused on their experi- ences with tracking scholarly output and resulting changes and adaptations to their current practices. All three stressed that this field is constantly changing for librarianship, a fact that practitioners, faculty researchers, and administrators should be aware of. The growing importance of altmetrics was also discussed, with each presenter explaining the areas of altmetrics they track and the burgeoning importance of a social media presence. Gutzman stressed librarians’ leadership role in explaining to researchers the impor- tance of establishing an online identity and strongly urged the use of open access for all scholarship. When faculty work is openly available online, it’s more likely to be down- loaded, and more exposure is always better. Borchardt discussed the need for librar- ians to contact early-career researchers and mailto:menglis7%40gmu.edu?subject= C&RL News September 2017 446 recommended an aggressive policy of out- reach to all incoming faculty. She described her Lunch and Learn events that feature a Metrics Game and told the audience to never underestimate the power of good food to promote library services. Agate eloquently informed the audience about the newest efforts of MLA to help its members establish their scholarly identity. She emphasized exposure and encouraged faculty to put their work online and to ac- tively engage in self-promotion. She also asked librarians and faculty to think deeply about why faculty are being measured and suggested that the focus of scholarly communica- tion should be on measuring what scholars value.—Ben- i t a S t r n a d , U n i v e r s i t y of Alabama, b s t r n a d @ ua.edu Collecting library data The panel “ C o l l e c t i n g Library Data: Policies and Data Management Procedures for Improvement” combined a focus on li- brary data capture and analytics with ques- tions and concerns about the ethical and practical issues with that data. Jenica Rogers described the data-gathering administrative tightrope that she walks as direc- tor of libraries at SUNY-Potsdam. While a quick colleague survey showed great interest in de- termining if use of library services correlated to GPA and an ease in gathering aggregate student search logs, a student survey pointedly showed that less than 10% were comfortable with any tracking data being attached to de- mographic information and 0% wanting their search logs tied to identifying data. Sara Mannheimer (data management librarian at Montana State University) spoke about libraries’ ongoing balancing act be- tween a desire to improve and serve, while maintaining patron privacy and confidential- ity. She reminded attendees about our ethi- cal standards for privacy and autonomy, but also noted how much data is already being captured—both within the library and by third-party vendors—and she emphasized the need for institutional responsibility. She noted the need for library privacy guidelines to address our internal practices. Kristin Briney (data services librarian at the University of Wisconsin- M i l w a u k e e ) a d d r e s s e d i s s u e s w i t h c u r r e n t l i - brary projects that leverage patron-identi- fied data. She pointed out the ways we can draw from research data management best practices, s p e c i f i c a l l y having data management and security plans. She encouraged the attendees to ask about data access, re- sponsibility, and retention periods. She also reviewed the challenges with truly performing data de-identification, remind- ing that this may put marginalized patrons further at risk. Panel coordinator Abigail Goben (asso- ciate professor at the University of Illinois- Chicago) led the panel through preplanned questions on addressing these issues when not in a position of power or avoiding an IT data-grab before opening it to the audience for an enthusiastic Q&A.—Abigail Goben University of Illinois-Chicago, abigailgoben@ gmail.com “From teaching to leading” presenters (left to right): Lauren Press- ley, Carrie Donovan, and Rebecca K. Miller. mailto:bstrnad%40ua.edu?subject= mailto:bstrnad%40ua.edu?subject= mailto:abigailgoben%40gmail.com?subject= mailto:abigailgoben%40gmail.com?subject= September 2017 447 C&RL News From teaching to leading In the ACRL program “From Teaching to Leading: A Learning-centered Management Bootcamp,” presenters Rebecca K. Miller (Penn State), Lauren Pressley (University of Washington-Tacoma), and Carrie Dono- van (Ferris State University) led participants through guided discussions surrounding the idea that many skills that instruction li- brarians gain through teaching experiences are transferrable to management and other leadership roles. Donovan started the workshop by stating that libraries need transformative leaders, and that teaching and learning librarians are particularly well-equipped to fill these roles. She articulated a number of examples of how instruction-related skills and practices transfer into management or leadership skills and practices. Backward design, for example, can translate into setting strong institutional out- comes. Donovan then asked participants to inventory their own skills that could translate into a leadership role. These included emo- tional intelligence, self-awareness, classroom management, setting expectations, public speaking, flexibility, relationship-building, and assessment. Miller discussed the way learning theories can provide philosophical or foundational underpinnings for successful library lead- ers. She spoke about the importance of developing a personal canon of theory that can inform behavior and decision-making, and shared her own, which included Vy- gotzky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Lave and Wenger’s Situated Learning Theory, Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory, and instructional design. She then shared how these theories can transfer into the leadership realm. For example, Transforma- tive Learning Theory can inform processes for helping professionals step into new, evolving roles. Finally, Pressley encouraged participants to develop an action plan for stepping into leadership roles, including inventorying their skills, personal canon, and learning opportu- nities. She concluded the session with a call to action, reminding participants that libraries now, more than ever, need learning- and people-centered leaders. Teaching and learn- ing library professionals fit this description and should consider the many ways that their skills, backgrounds, and experiences can prepare them to be transformative lead- ers.—Rebecca Kate Miller, The Pennsylvania State University, rkm17@psu.edu Libraries and the military/veteran population Librarians and Armed Forces veterans Sarah LeMire, Ingrid Ruffin, and Dawn LaValle presented on how libraries can better serve military veterans in “Libraries and the Mili- tary/Veteran Population: Transformative Service Through Cultural Competence.” They described the military as an insular, close-knit, and self-sufficient group who may hesitate to request or take advantage of government services to which their ser- vice entitles them or to use public services. Some veterans may have disabilities—like traumatic brain injury—may have experi- enced sexism or assault in the military, or may have been in positions of power in the military yet still face sexism or ageism in the civilian world, complicating their transition to post-military life. They may also avoid self-identifying as veterans to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Presenters suggested creating spaces where veterans who have been trained to be situationally aware can have a wall behind them, limiting study distrac- tions. Academic librarian Ruffin stressed the importance of providing training to help librarians work effectively with mili- tary populations. Academic librarian LeMire noted that vet- erans may have educational gaps from their time in the military, and may need support transitioning to civilian life. Having librarians who can connect veterans with organiza- tions that can explain their military benefits, like the GI Bill; make recommendations for doctors, dentists, or other experts; and help veterans translate the skills they learned in mailto:rkm17%40psu.edu?subject= C&RL News September 2017 448 the military to fit job requirements in civilian positions is vitally important. State Library Division Director LaValle also suggested librarians coordinate with lo- cal veterans organizations, such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, that provide services and programs. Also, giving veterans opportunities to share their experiences through library exhibits, writing groups, or other activities can help them feel more in- volved in the community.—Lorelei Rutledge, University of Utah, lorelei.rutledge@utah.edu Mentoring Mentoring continues to play a critical role in professional development for new librar- ians. The presentation “Men- toring: Blending Old and New,” presented by Michelle Carter and Lindsey LeFeber (both from the College of Lake County [CLC]), demon- strated that the tradition has evolved in ways that benefit both the mentor and mentee. Carter began by clarifying the title of their session, “Old equals experienced; new equals new to the profession. Mentoring has little to do with the age of the mentor or mentee.” Working together they have learned from each other to find new ways to connect with CLC students. Carter believes that mentoring is part of our role as professionals: in leadership devel- opment, in creating an improved workplace, and to ensure independent growth for both the mentor and mentee. For LeFeber, a mentor is “someone outside of your immediate circle who has the knowl- edge, sees your strengths, supports your goals, and pushes you just outside of your comfort zone to help you reach your goals.” Carter, who has more than 30 years of li- brary experience, is able to share institutional knowledge with LeFeber and offers advice on working with instructors at the college. LeFeber has been able to bring a fresh per- spective in student engagement, technology, and social media trends. Together they say that their relationship is best when they both keep an open mind. As Carter stated, “As a mentor, you have to remember not to say, ‘But we did that ten years ago!’ A new per- spective may yield positive results.” Humor also keeps their mentoring rela- tionship positive. “Laughing at myself has gotten me over a lot of hurdles,” Carter said. For both parties, Carter feels it is important to “Leave your ego at the door, and don’t presume you know everything!”—Donna MacCartney, College of Lake County, dmaccartney@clcillinois.edu Reframing the Framework for social justice In this presentation, Laura Saunders (Simmons College) made a case for integrating a social justice perspective into the ACRL Framework for In- formation Literacy for Higher Education.1 She suggested that the role of higher educa- tion could be seen as prepar- ing students to actively par- ticipate in a democracy and, as such, students must understand and be able to challenge the inherent power struc- tures within which information is created and disseminated. Saunders proceeded to move frame by frame, offering suggestions for integrating a social justice perspective into each of the six frames, along with occa- sional examples of activities or assignments related to those perspectives. For example, instruction on Information has Value could address issues of the commodification of information and how the cost of texts and technology impacts access. Saunders concluded with a proposal for a new frame, Information Social Justice, which could become part of the Framework or adapted by other interested parties. She argued that integrating social justice through- out the Framework presents a risk of having “Reframing the Framework for Social Justice” presenter Laura Saunders. mailto:lorelei.rutledge%40utah.edu?subject= mailto:dmaccartney%40clcillinois.edu?subject= September 2017 449 C&RL News that perspective get buried or overlooked, while a separate frame would highlight social justice aspects. The draft frame,2 available for comment on Saunders’ website, emphasizes students’ ability to critically analyze, ques- tion, and challenge sources of information and constructions of authority in order to empower them to act for change. During discussion, participants indicated interest in the topic but also acknowledged the challenges, including limited in-class time and the expectations of faculty about topics and outcomes covered. Participants also acknowledged the pressure on marginalized communities to constantly act as standard- bearers despite ongoing discrimination. Notes 1. “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education,” ACRL, last modified Janu- ary, 11, 2016, www.ala.org/acrl/standards /ilframework. 2. Laura Saunders, “Information Literacy Frameworks and Social Justice,” accessed July 27, 2017, http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs /lsaunders/information-literacy-frameworks -social-justice.—Laura Saunders, Simmons College SLIS, laura.saunders@simmons.edu Re-skilling librarians for a digital future As digital scholarship expands across the disciplines, librarians increasingly encoun- ter questions from users who pursue data- driven research and teach with digital tools. The ACRL-sponsored program “Re-Skilling for a Digital Future: Developing Training and Instruction in Digital Scholarship” fea- tured a panel of three speakers who dis- cussed their experiences in implementing training initiatives for preparing librarians to support digital scholarship. Nora Dimmock (University of Rochester) presented on the Mellon Foundation-funded Rochester Digital Humanities Institute, and described how they developed a digital humanities training program targeted spe- cifically for mid-career library professionals. She shared engaging anecdotes from their experiences in carrying out the training pro- gram, explained the lessons learned from their assessment data, and recounted success stories of librarians developing their own digital scholarship services after the Institute. Angela Courtney (Indiana University- Bloomington) then presented on Indiana University Libraries’ local training initiative called “Research Now,” which was designed to crosstrain public services librarians in areas of digital scholarship when the refer- ence desk was integrated into their Scholars Commons. She described how the two-year crosstraining project involved librarians from departments throughout the library, and how it resulted in librarians becoming engaged in multiple areas and new library initiatives. Harriett Green (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) spoke about the IMLS- funded project “Digging Deeper, Reaching Further: Libraries Empowering Users to Mine HathiTrust Digital Library Resources.” Green described how the project team has devel- oped materials designed to train librarians in text mining, and how their upcoming national series of workshops aim to build a commu- nity of practice and enable more librarians to support digital scholarship. An audience of 40 attendees subsequently asked questions about resources for digital scholarship and strategies for building digital scholarship services in their libraries.—Harriett Green, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, green19@illinois.edu Students lead the library This panel discussion, based on the recently published ACRL volume Students Lead the Library: The Importance of Student Contri- butions to the Academic Library, focused on four student-led initiatives in academic libraries. Moderator Sara Arnold-Garza (research and instruction librarian at Towson Uni- versity) introduced theoretical aspects of student-led initiatives, including peer and experiential learning, promoting relationships and interactions, and promoting the role of libraries in student engagement. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards /ilframework http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards /ilframework http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs /lsaunders/information-literacy-frameworks -social-justice http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs /lsaunders/information-literacy-frameworks -social-justice http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs /lsaunders/information-literacy-frameworks -social-justice mailto:laura.saunders%40simmons.edu%20?subject= mailto:green19%40illinois.edu?subject= C&RL News September 2017 450 Jamie Kohler (collection management librarian at Westminster College) discussed her library’s student social media takeover. Recognizing that the library’s target audience is the student body and that librarians use social media very differently than students, student employees now manage the social media accounts for Giovale Library. Despite early staff concerns about everything that could go wrong, the students at Westminster have proven to be wonderful representatives of the library. Sarah Sagmoen (director of learning commons and user services at University of Illinois-Springfield) discussed Brookens Library’s student employee program, which sees students as stakeholders in the li- brary rather than simply workers earning a paycheck. Students get opportunities for advancement by demonstrating teamwork skills, managing a broad range of tasks and increased responsibilities. Ashley Todd-Diaz (head of special collec- tions and university archives at Towson Uni- versity) discussed her time at Emporia State University Library’s Special Collections and Archives collecting undergraduate student experience artifacts. Special Collections and Archives worked with the Association of Stu- dent Government to establish the Leave Your Legacy program that encourages students to donate their personal papers. Carissa Tomlinson (assistant university librarian for access and outreach services at Towson University) discussed Albert S. Cook Library’s Leadership Institute, which empha- sizes student leadership by encouraging stu- dent employees to develop, plan, implement, and ultimately be held accountable for their own programs.—Sean Hogan, University of Baltimore, shogan@ubalt.edu Using a human library to create diversity conversations Sponsored by ACRL and presented by Nan- cy Goebel and Yvonne Becker (both from the University of Alberta-Augustana), “The Human Library: Contributing to Campus Di- versity” session described the concept of us- ing a human library on a university campus to enhance empathy, diversity, and under- standing among students, staff, and commu- nity members. After an initial survey of the attendees by the speakers regarding their fa- “ The Human Library ” presenter Yvonne Becker. “ The Human Librar y ” presenter Nancy Goebel. mailto:shogan%40ubalt.edu?subject= September 2017 451 C&RL News miliarity with the concept and organization of a human library, an informative summary on what a human library is was provided. Included was information that defined what human books and readers are, the breadth of human book topics, and some important how-to tips. Strategies used to in- corporate information literacy instruction by providing guidelines for citing human books, creating informal connections between hu- man book topics and course material and as- signments, and by encouraging further read- ing on human book topics, were presented. Integrating the human library with the cur- riculum was described through an example of an innovative undergraduate Women’s Stud- ies assignment on sex, gender, and sexuality. This assignment gave the students opportu- nities to “read” human books, complete an annotated bibliography on the book topic, and reflect on the two ways of collecting information: narrative and scholarly methods. To answer the question “Why offer a human library?” examples of responses to an assessment project showed that readers found value because, “You get to hear from first-hand experience in a personal setting,” “It is an interactive learning experience,” and “It helps me understand the lives of others.” Also, a human book responded that “Telling stories educates . . . the best way to reduce discrimination is to get to know someone different than you.” The lively Q&A that followed provided the attendees with practical information on the organization of a human library considering the experiences of 17 Augustana human li- brary events.—Nancy Goebel, nancy.goebel@ ualberta.ca, and Yvonne Becker, ybecker@ ualberta.ca, University of Alberta-Augustana From MLS to MLD The ACRL Library Education Interest Group sponsored a program focused on the need for design thinking to be taught in LIS edu- cation. Steven Bell (Temple University) be- gan by reminding the audience of his 2014 article in Library Journal, which proposed that librarianship is about designing servic- es rather than information science. A video provided the audience with a glimpse into how design thinking works in practice. Rachel Clarke (professor at Syracuse University) contrasted design thinking with science and humanities disciplines. Design creates what should exist in the world to solve a problem. Her position is that librari- anship has always implicitly created services that solve problems. The mindset now should explicitly draw on design tools and theories to support such activity. Michelle Frisque (chief of technology, content and innovation at Chicago Public Li- brary [CPL]) showed many concrete examples of redesigning services. Design begins with empathizing and connecting with users to understand their motivations and behaviors. Then, the design team tests a solution to the identified problem while being prepared to fail and try something different. Not every- thing works. She also told the audience about a publicly available toolkit designed by CPL with Aarhus Public Library. Lynne Howarth (University of Toronto faculty member) represented LIS education discussing work on designing curriculum with a focus on innovation, change, and prepara- tion for students to lead. She and two col- leagues have written an article in a 2016 issue of JELIS (reprinted with permission at http:// slis.simmons.edu/blogs/ourinformationfuture /jelis-paper ) and created a website (http://info- future.simmons.edu) to document their project. Reactors were Kate Marek (iSchool at Dominican University), Cinthya Ippoliti (Oklahoma State University), and Greg Diaz (CPL). They, and an audience of 50, made comments that lent support to the ideas in the presentation.—Nora J. Bird, University North Carolina-Greensboro, njbird@uncg.edu To teach or not to teach discovery tools Cosponsored by the ACRL Community and Junior College Library, Distance Learning, and Instruction Sections, “To Teach or Not to Teach Discovery Tools: Balancing Prac- tical Instruction and the ACRL Information mailto:nancy.goebel%40ualberta.ca?subject= mailto:nancy.goebel%40ualberta.ca?subject= mailto:ybecker%40ualberta.ca?subject= mailto:ybecker%40ualberta.ca?subject= http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs/ourinformationfuture/jelis-paper http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs/ourinformationfuture/jelis-paper http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs/ourinformationfuture/jelis-paper http://infofuture.simmons.edu http://infofuture.simmons.edu mailto:njbird%40uncg.edu?subject= C&RL News September 2017 452 Literacy Framework” was a panel discussion that examined the challenges of and best practices for information literacy instruction using discovery services in four- and two- year academic library settings, and in both face-to-face and distance learning formats. Joe Brewer (Pima Community College) shared how he uses discovery tools in his lower-level undergraduate instruction to en- courage topic development and exploration through the creation of “mind maps.” Sarah Clark (Rogers State Univer- sity) covered how discov- ery tools can help students gain a deeper understanding of threshold concepts, and how discovery tools can affect search behav- ior both online and in-person. Ellysa Stern Cahoy (Penn- sylvania State University Li- braries) shared the results of her $440,000 Mellon-funded research study on the information needs of faculty and upper-level graduate students. For them, she concluded, discovery tools are often not satisfactory substitutes for the native interfaces of databases. She also added that it might be preferable to integrate more library content with Google in order to reach researchers and students where they are currently searching for their information. For Nancy Fawley (University of Vermont and coeditor of the ACRL publication The Discovery Tool Cookbook), what is essential for instruction librarians to do is to consult with their institution’s IT or with the discov- ery service’s vendor to find out what can be customized or modified. Cleaning up the index and open discussion about the “back end” of the discovery tools can help instruc- tion staff share in the implementation and management of the tools, and can make the tools more effective for users. The Q&A session focused on techniques for teaching using the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy as a theoretical founda- tion, using limits, etc. to modify searches, and other topics.—David Oberhelman, Oklahoma State University, d.oberhelman@ okstate.edu Emotional Intelligence for professional success Many librar- ians of color face institu- tional and societal dis- c r i m i n a t i o n in varying degrees, in- cluding situa- tions that lead to emotional r e s p o n s e s — theirs or oth- ers’. During the ACRL Dr. E. J. Josey Spectrum Scholars Mentor Committee program “What They Don’t Teach You in Library School: Us- ing Emotional Intelligence to Succeed as Academic Librarians of Color,” Leo Lo (Old Dominion University) and Kiyomi Deards (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) offered a number of strategies to manage situations and plan for long-term success. Connect with peers. Lo noted that “Emo- tional Intelligence is the ability to make emo- tions work for you instead of against you.” Deards suggested that awareness of self, work culture, and geographic microcultures are all elements that can help prepare a per- son in advance of an awkward interaction. She recalled a past co-worker counseling her, “Don’t be offended if a person says, ‘What Presenters for the discussion “To Teach or Not to Teach Discovery Tools” (left to right) (top row): David Oberhelman (moderator) and Ellysa Stern Cahoy (bottom row): Nancy Fawley, Sarah Clark, and Joe Brewer. mailto:d.oberhelman%40okstate.edu?subject= mailto:d.oberhelman%40okstate.edu?subject= September 2017 453 C&RL News are you?’” In the face of these interactions, Deards suggested listen, observe, strategize, respond as a communication approach that can de-escalate emotional situations. Plan your career. “[S]uccessful people often have a vision for where they want to go, even when they are lost,” Lo offered. A deeper sense of purpose behind one’s work can be a crucial element for persevering. Additionally “career capital,” including rare/ valuable skills and specializing in more than one thing, helps a person be adept and transferrable. S u c c e e d a t your job. Final- ly, SMART goals (specific, measur- able, attainable, r e l e v a n t , t i m e - b a s e d ) f o r t h e near future, and creating habits, small and ridic- ulously easy at first, are two use- ful strategies, but also be “award a n d p r o m o t i o n ready” by docu- menting achieve- ments and notes for improvement, finding sponsors, and considering professional self-presen- tation. The presentation resources website can be found at https://www.leoslo.com/resources- ala2017-eq/.—Heather James, Marquette University, heather.james@marquette.edu Transforming our academic outreach practices The panel session “Transforming Our Ac- ademic Outreach Practices: Reaching Our Students, Faculty and Staff, and Adminis- trators,” sponsored by the Library Market- ing and Outreach Interest Group, was an informative discussion that included the perspectives and experiences of librarians from varying sizes of academic libraries. Jason Kruse (Northwestern University) spoke about the connections he has forged on his campus in “Marketing the Library Through Campus Partners.” Each partnership has been selected and maintained to benefit the library as well as the campus partner. Kruse gave practical advice about how to approach departments and begin to discover ways to work together. Stephanie Es- pinoza’s (College of Southern Ne- vada) presenta- tion, “Marketing From the Heart,” turned the fo- cus to creating a student-centered library. Espinoza creates engaging events and inter- active displays t o e n c o u r a g e students to feel at home in the library. Most of the events and displays that Es- pinoza discussed were low-cost and easy to scale up or down, de- pending on library-size. For example, a “six word story contest” invites students to submit stories online or in person that tell the most complete and compelling story with just six words. The last presentation was by Megan MacGregor (Penn State Wilkes-Barre). Her presentation, titled “Just Smile: A soft re- branding” offered useful advice for librarians on how to give the best customer service experience. By focusing on two key points, MacGregor was able to train library staff to support students and make them feel com- fortable in the library. The rebranding process prioritized two concepts, “Be friendly,” and “What They Don’t Teach You in Library School” presenters Kiyomi Deards and Leo Lo. https://www.leoslo.com/resources-ala2017-eq/ https://www.leoslo.com/resources-ala2017-eq/ mailto:heather.james%40marquette.edu?subject= C&RL News September 2017 454 “Be helpful.” New programs like an under- graduate research day and a student advisory board supported the vision that MacGregor created. Audience members contributed to the discussion with comments and questions about buy-in from administration, com- munication of services to colleagues, and training for student workers.—Amy Wainwright, John Carroll University, awain- wright@jcu.edu Perspectives on data publishing Publishing data. Standards for data. Peer review of data. Processing repository data. “Perspectives on Data Publishing: Oppor- tunities and Challenges,” sponsored by ACRL’s Publications Coordinating Com- mittee and Research and Scholarly Envi- ronment Committee, tackled these issues. Data publishing in libraries implicates libraries as partners in producing and sup- porting digital scholarship, and how they contribute to and support openness, argued Mark Newton (director of digital scholar- ship at Columbia University Libraries). Journals publishing data should establish data policies. Examples include: Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communica- tions and Tremor and Hyperkinetic Move- ments Journal. Wendi Arant Kaspar (professor at Texas A&M University and editor of College & Research Libraries), offered an editor’s view on data publishing, which College & Research Libraries is exploring. Journals have a responsibility to model quality and evolve alongside scholarly research. Moreover, peer review of data allows reviewers to pinpoint bias and evaluate authors’ findings, but finding reviewers is a challenge. Journal of Peace Research is an exemplary model. Next, Jared Lyle (director of data cura- tion services for Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [ICPSR)]), which curates and makes available data, presented ICPSR’s model. He discussed data curation and clean-up. One issue ICPSR faces is granting researchers access to disclosive data. They are considering cre- dentialing, where once researchers are cre- dentialed in responsible uses of disclosive data, they would not need to go a lengthy application process to access such data. Finally, Heidi Imker (director of research data services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library) discussed their approach at the Illinois Data Bank. She highlighted policy and technical issues, such as the 2 terabytes per year data de- posit allotment for faculty, assigning DOIs, and ingesting data using code. Challenges include the lack of domain expertise for review and curation, and data published in isolation from similar data or accompany- ing articles.—Emily Ford, Portland State University, forder@pdx.edu The best tool is you: Preservation and protest The message at the “Protest and Preser- vation” program was that libraries and librarians play an essential role in the preservation of nontextual knowledge, helping to create spaces beyond text and humanize important stories. The program, sponsored by the Politics, Policy, and In- ternational Relations Section and the An- thropology and Sociology Section with the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans- gender Round Table, explored the pres- ervation of knowledge generated through social activism by focusing on the specific works of the panelists: Richard Gilman- Opalsky’s research on social movements and the public sphere, Robert Camina’s documentaries, Upstairs Inferno and Raid of the Rainbow Lounge, and Sonia Yaco’s work on the Desegregation of Virginia Education (DOVE) project. Opalsky discussed the importance of revolt in society and encouraged libraries to open their doors to provide people the spaces for activism. He challenged the traditional com- mitment to paper and discussed the impor- tance of preserving and making accessible the non-textual elements of uprisings: oral mailto:awainwright%40jcu.edu?subject= mailto:awainwright%40jcu.edu?subject= mailto:forder%40pdx.edu?subject= September 2017 455 C&RL News histories, accounts, photos, and social media. Filmmaker Camina demonstrated how he is bringing text to life through emotional clips of his award-winning documentary films, which focus on significant events in the LGBT community. In his remarks, Camina emphasized how stories can be- come more relatable when text is human- ized through voices and images. He also reminded everyone in the audience that anyone with a smartphone capable of recording sound and images were docu- mentarians themselves. Yaco spoke about her work on the DOVE project, which seeks to create a new history and new understanding through oral histories, records, dialogue, and community building. As a librarian, she acknowledged the challenges faced by the profession in preserving the nontextual knowledge important to social justice and activism. In her discussion about finding the right tool, Yaco pointed out that in most cases, “The best tool is you.” For further information on the panelists, the program, and social activism and preservation, visit the pathfinder at http://libguides.naz.edu/ protest.—Katie Elson Anderson, Rutgers University, katie.anderson@camden.rutgers. edu Giving voice to diverse collections through digitization The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section’s panel “Giving Voice to Diverse Collections Through Digitization” focused broadly on the theme of how digitization and digital humanities projects can serve collections created by non-Anglo groups. Sarah Carl- son presented on the University of Minne- sota’s Umbra Search; Mike Kelly discussed the acquisition and digitization of Native American materials at Amherst College; Alex Merrill presented on Mukurtu, an open source content management system; and Brenda Sendejo discussed Southwest- ern University’s Latina History Project. Each presentation highlighted differ- ent aspects of this complex issue. Carlson noted that Umbra Search effectively dispels the first barrier of discovery because it serves as a central hub for African American resources, eliminating the need to use an “African American” keyword search. Kelly highlighted the importance of respecting the knowledge indigenous peoples want to share with the world versus what should remain secret, and Amherst does not pursue any unique or private material in order to honor these restrictions. The Mukurtu project also aims to give indigenous people control over their materials by allowing tribal representatives to select the content they want included in the system and deter- mining if any material should be restricted. Finally, Sendejo pointed out how valu- able students were to the Latina History Project. Working on the project gave them the opportunity to unbox and recover their own histories, and also provided a model to share with other students who might feel out of place at predominantly white institutions. Common themes in the presentations were the importance of upfront manual labor to large digitization projects, the importance of allyship between project leaders and indigenous groups, and how metadata can inadvertently obscure rel- evant aspects of a work. Hopefully these and other projects will show ways in which we can diversify the archival record and bring previously overlooked resources to light.—Elisabeth Brander, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, ebrander@wustl.edu OERs More than 100 librarians attended the Sci- ence and Technology Section program “OERs: Strengthening the Academy with Open Resources.” The panel was moder- ated by Sarah Crissinger (former leader of the OER Initiative at Davidson College). The first speaker, Merinda McLure (health and human sciences librarian, Uni- versity of Colorado-Boulder) discussed her previous work at Colorado State University mailto:katie.anderson%40camden.rutgers.edu?subject= mailto:katie.anderson%40camden.rutgers.edu?subject= mailto:ebrander%40wustl.edu?subject= C&RL News September 2017 456 (CSU), where she led the libraries’ OER efforts from 2015 to 2017. McLure high- lighted CSU’s stipend program, in which faculty received $250 stipends to attend OER workshops and review textbooks in their disciplines. In addition to leading workshops, librarians also facilitated op- portunities for faculty to share their experi- ences with one another. Nina Exner (researcher and grant sup- port services librarian, North Carolina Ag- ricultural and Technical State College) of- fered the unique perspective of a librarian who trains faculty to create OERs to fulfill science education grants. Exner also assists faculty in developing broader impacts sec- tions of grant proposals. She stressed the importance of using “grant jargon” (not library jargon) when communicating with faculty and campus research offices. The final speaker was Regina Gong (manager of technical services and systems, Lansing Community College), who collabo- rated with “faculty champions” to form a campus OER initiative in 2015. With ad- ministrative support, but no funding, Gong and her colleagues built a program that has impacted more than 10,000 students, saved more than $1 million in textbook costs, and inspired faculty to create their own OERs. She emphasized that creative, persistent faculty outreach is critical to building and sustaining OER programs. Although the OER initiatives represented in the program were markedly different from one another, all presenters identified collaboration within and across institutional boundaries as the ultimate key to success. More information about the panelists and resources mentioned in the program is available on the ACRL-STS Conference Pro- gram Libguide at http://acrl.libguides.com /STSALA2017.—Patricia Hartman, Auburn University, pjh0011@auburn.edu Feminist bookstores, past and present The Women and Gender Studies Sec- tion’s Program “Women and Women First: Feminist Bookstores, Past and Present” celebrated the history and current exis- tence of feminist bookstores. Four panel- ists discussed the founding and running of feminist bookstores in a variety of cir- cumstances. Speakers included Sandra Torkildson (owner of A Room of One’s Own Bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin), Lou Kaly (collective member of Bluestockings Bookstore in New York City), Ann Cristophersen (cofounder and co-owner of Women and Children First in Chicago), and Lynn Mooney (co-owner of Women and Children First). Torkildson began by describing what led to the formation of A Room of One’s Own Bookstore—simply, she and her peers wanted a place for women to gather that wasn’t a bar. The bookstore was founded with $5,000 and “nothing to lose.” Another goal was to create a store that introduced women to feminist publishers and small presses. The two principles behind the running of the bookstore were to create a space for women and to pay women well for their work. Christophersen discussed qualities that made Women and Children First in Chicago a cornerstone of the community. The store opened in 1979 and has survived ever since. While the bookstore was committed to serving as a gathering space for women, it was also fundamentally committed to being a feminist bookstore that sold books from feminist presses. Mooney continued the story of Women and Children First and emphasized her desire for Chicago’s young women writers to think of it as their bookstore. Kaly discussed a very different model of running a bookstore: as a collective, staffed mainly by volunteers. A lively Q&A highlighted ways in which feminist (and independent) bookstores are increasingly run as nonprofits as well as similarities and differences among feminist bookstores.—Nina Clements, California State University-Channel Islands, ninacle- ments@gmail.com http://acrl.libguides.com/STSALA2017 http://acrl.libguides.com/STSALA2017 mailto:pjh0011%40auburn.edu?subject= mailto:ninaclements%40gmail.com?subject= mailto:ninaclements%40gmail.com?subject=