Notes from the Trenches

Posted on September 15, 2023 by anitaslack

Ohio State’s Information Literacy Workshop Series

Since 2020, the Teaching & Learning Department in The Ohio State University Libraries has offered a range of virtual information literacy workshops open to instructors and librarians from both within and outside of Ohio State. The workshops have become a key component of the department’s instructor development program.

Building the Workshop Series

Early in the pandemic, I decided to organize a series of six virtual, synchronous workshops, with each workshop focused on one of the core information literacy concepts from the Framework for Information Literacy. Each workshop provided an overview of the concept, why it was important for students to develop an understanding of the concept, and examples of activities that instructors could use to teach the concept.

Initial participation was strong enough that I felt it worthwhile to offer the series again in the autumn of 2020, with only minor revisions. Again, participation was strong, and I decided to continue the series, but to branch out from the specific focus on the Framework concepts. I started to expand into other related topics, while still trying to keep things relevant and practical for participants. Recent workshops have covered topics such as Source Evaluation Myths and Identifying Unspoken Expectations in Research Assignments.

Some of my favorite workshops, and the ones that have been most popular, have been centered around issues of equity and social justice in relation to information literacy. For example, workshops on Information Literacy and Social Justice and on Inclusive Citation Practices have been well attended.

Collaboration and Promotion

The continued growth of the workshop series has only been possible with support from others both inside and outside of the University Libraries. I have also had the opportunity to co-present with a number of different partners. Within the University Libraries, I have presented with Amanda Folk (Head, Teaching & Learning), Hanna Primeau (Instructional Designer), Amanda Larson (Affordable Learning Instructional Consultant), Joshua Sadvari (Geospatial Information Librarian), Sarah Murphy (Data Literacy Librarian) and Michael Flierl (Student Learning Librarian). I also had the opportunity to partner with a representative from the Student Wellness Center to deliver a workshop on Digital Wellness & Information Literacy, and with a representative from the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing for a workshop on Information Literacy Reading-Writing Connections, as well as to co-present with librarians from Miami University and Northern Kentucky University.

Workshops are promoted through multiple channels, including the daily campus newsletter, our campus center for teaching and learning, and our library intranet, along with direct emails to past participants.

Fall 2023

New workshops are being offered this fall, including:

  • Faculty Development: An Overview for Librarians, Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 12:00-1:00. To register: Faculty Development
  • The Language of Research: Clarifying Academic Jargon for Students, Thursday, September 28, 2023, 12:00-1:00. To register: Clarifying Academic Jargon

For more information on the workshop series, contact Jane Hammons (hammons.73@osu.edu).

–Jane Hammons, ACRL Liaison, The Ohio State University

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 3 (Sept 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Member Spotlight

Posted on September 15, 2023 by anitaslack

Let’s shine the Member Spotlight on Jason Ezell from Miami University!

What is/are your role(s) in academic libraries?

I am a leader of learning and engagement programs in academic library settings. Specifically, I have just begun my role as Miami University’s new Head of Learning & Engagement. As I see it, in the pairing of engagement and learning, academic librarians work creatively and strategically to forge pathways between scholarly practice and personal, social, civic, and professional experience while also sparking connections across disciplinary silos. We do this work through our library instruction, consultations, programming, and outreach. It’s incredible and meaningful work!


What do you like most about academic library work?

Two main things. First, I enjoy facilitating communities of practice around library instruction, information literacy, liaison work, and our scholarship. I especially like seeing those moments of inspiration discovered in the process of librarians sharing, and reflecting on, what they do. Second, I also enjoy leveraging assessment to tell the stories of diverse learners whose paths have been informed by their collaborations with academic librarians.

I have been lucky to personally experience the value of libraries, so I like doing what I can to amplify the life-changing impacts of our profession.


What are some interesting projects you’ve been involved with lately?

I am excited to join the exciting work going on here at Miami U. For example, we are working with other academic support leaders and EAB Navigate to articulate the role of library engagement in wider student success initiatives. We are also refreshing our peer observation program for library instruction to be a pillar in our community of practice.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

Arthouse movie theaters are a home away from home for me. If I have a free afternoon, it’s a good bet that I’ll be sneaking in a matinee at a place like The Esquire Theatre.

Why did you join ALAO?

I could easily see the great work of my colleagues in the programming evident on the ALAO website. I am eager to join and discover new collaborators!

–Laura Birkenhauer, Membership Chair, Miami University

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 3 (Sept 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Membership Report

Posted on September 15, 2023 by anitaslack

The current membership of ALAO includes a total of 291 members consisting of 253 regular members, 6 retiree members, and 32 student members. We are excited to welcome new members who joined between May 31, 2023 and August 29, 2023.

Beronica Avila, Denison University Library

Sophie Barbour, Kent State University

Michelle Bradley, OhioNet

Janelle Burd, Cedarville University

Alexis Chandler, Cedarville University

Sheila Craft-Morgan, Ohio State University

Rachel Crane, Cedarville University

Alan Dupureur

Jason Ezell, Miami University, Ohio

Julie Flanders, Mount St. Joseph University

Patricia Frank, Ashland University

Marcela Gonzalez, OhioNet

Justin Kemp, Cedarville University

Crissy Ross, Cincinnati State Technical & Community College

Kenneth Saub

Michael P. Skor, Cleveland State University

Jordan Tardif, Ohio Northern University

Deb Thompson, University of Rio Grande

Anbarasan V, Netzealous

Jason Wardell, University of Dayton

Kiran Williams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rhonda Wiseman, University of Cincinnati Law Library

Nathan Wolfe, University of Rio Grande

–Laura Birkenhauer, Membership Chair, Miami University

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 3 (Sept 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

ACRL Liaison Report

Posted on September 15, 2023 by anitaslack

ACRL Chapters Council Report

The ACRL Chapters Council serves as a conduit for information and communication between ACRL national and its chapters. During 2022-2023, the Chapters Council met virtually on January 23 and June 15. As part of these meetings, the council hosted two guest speakers, Dr. Linda Miles of Hostos Community College – CUNY, who presented “One Chapter’s Strategic Planning Process: ACRL/NY’s Committee for a New Vision” and Kathryn (Katie) Kehoe of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, who presented “An Introduction to Digital Inclusion for Libraries.” The committee also published two issues of Chapters Topics. The spring 2023 edition featured an article written by ALAO president Gerald Natal, describing the chapter’s decision making process around the future of the conference: Hybrid Conference?: The Ohio Chapter’s Decision.

ALAO Plan for Excellence Submitted to ACRL

The ALAO Plan for Excellence annual report was submitted to the ACRL in June. Written primarily by ALAO President Gerald Natal, with contributions from ACRL Liaison Jane Hammons, the report highlighted the Annual Conference, workshops and webinars hosted by ALAO interest groups, as well as ALAO’s effort to expand access to the conference by providing additional grants to participants.

–Jane Hammons, ACRL Liaison, The Ohio State University

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 3 (Sept 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

People & Library News

Posted on September 15, 2023 by anitaslack

Bryant & Stratton College News

Joseph Dudley (Bryant & Stratton College) is contributing to ongoing collaborative term development discussions for the Homosaurus, an international controlled vocabulary project expressed as Linked Data and intended to enhance discovery of LGBTQ+ resources by serving as a companion to LCSH.

–Joseph Dudley, Bryant & Stratton College

Case Western Reserve University News

Daniela Solomon from Case Western Reserve University is part of the editorial team behind the newly released publication, Teaching and Collecting Technical Standards: A Handbook for Librarians and Educators. The book is geared towards educators and librarians in fields reliant on standards information literacy and it is published by Purdue University Press. Open access download and purchasing options are available here.  

–Marel Corredor-Hyland, Case Western Reserve University

Denison University News

Beronica Avila has been hired as the new Outreach and Engagement Librarian at Denison University. In this new position, Beronica will help bring fresh diverse and inclusive insight and initiatives to our current reference and outreach efforts.

Beronica received a Bachelor of Arts in Counseling Psychology from North Park University in Chicago, IL, and an MLIS and Certificate in Digital Curation from Dominican University, River Forest, IL.

She began her duties at Denison on August 1, 2023.

–Peggy Rector, Support Staff Interest Group Chair, Denison University

Oberlin College News

Alison Ricker, Science Librarian and Head of the Science Library, has retired after 40 years at Oberlin College. Alison served in multiple roles on the ALAO Board, including President and Newsletter Editor simultaneously for a short time, and received the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award in 2001.  The search for a STEM Librarian at Oberlin is underway.

–Alison Ricker, Oberlin College

The Ohio State University News

Ohio State Libraries wins Innovation in Instruction Award

The Ohio State University Libraries was awarded the 2023 Innovation in Instruction Award from the Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) of the American Library Association. Created to recognize a library that demonstrates innovation in support of information literacy and instruction, this year’s award recognizes The Ohio State University Libraries’ “Meaningful Inquiry Workshop,” which provides teaching-focused professional development for instructors, including faculty, graduate teaching associates, instructional designers, and librarians/library staff.

A collaboration between University Libraries (Amanda Folk, Jane Hammons, and Hanna Primeau), OSU-Newark (Katie Blocksidge), and Writing Across the Curriculum (Christopher Manion), the MI workshop combines scholarship in the fields of education, sociology, psychology, and library and information science with pedagogical best practices to support instructors in creating equitable and inclusive learning environments for students. The goal of the workshop is to have conversations related to information literacy with course instructors while foregrounding persistent equity gaps in higher education, highlighting the need to make information literacy expectations transparent to students and moving it out of the hidden curriculum.

One of the key criteria for winning the Innovation in Instruction Award is the ability of the program to be adapted by other libraries and educators, and the Meaningful Inquiry Workshop and its facilitation team are an exemplar of that criteria. Over the past four years, we’ve work with almost 100 instructors across more than 20 departments and 3 campuses at Ohio State, as well as presenting elements of the workshop to educational developers at the POD Network Conference, fellow librarians at the LILAC Conference and the European Conference on Information Literacy, and writing studies professionals at the IWAC Conference. 

–Jane Hammons, ACRL Liaison, The Ohio State University

University of Dayton Libraries News

Dean Kathy Webb will retire at the end of December, concluding a distinguished 30-year career as an academic leader and faculty member at the University of Dayton. Read the full announcement.

New Employees

  • Laura Barlow, University Archives Collections Processing Assistant.
  • Liz Grauel, Digital Pedagogy Librarian and Assistant Professor.
  • Mandy Shannon, Director of Teaching, Research and Engagement and Associate Professor.

New Roles

  • Bridget Retzloff, Visual Resources Librarian and Assistant Professor in the Marian Library. She previously held the Digital Pedagogy Librarian position.
  • Chris Tangeman, Special Collections Cataloger, effective September 18. Tangeman is currently an Interlibrary Loan Specialist.

Promotions

  • Amanda Black, Director of Access Services and Building Operations.
  • Kayla Harris, Director of the Marian Library and Associate Professor.
  • Katy Kelly, Assistant Dean for Strategic Communication and Outreach and Professor.

–Katy Kelly, University of Dayton

University of Toledo News

The University of Toledo Libraries South Gallery

The University of Toledo Libraries South Gallery is a 375 square foot gallery space located on the first floor of the William S. Carlson Library on the main campus. The South Gallery opened in 2022 with its first year of programming dedicated to the university’s sesquicentennial celebration. Beginning in August 2023, the gallery will be used to fulfill a mission to showcase works from students, staff, faculty, and the greater Toledo community.

A regular schedule of six exhibitions is planned through April 2024. The first of these is a Local Artist Exhibit, followed by the inaugural UToledo Employee Art Exhibition, Art Student Showcase, a retrospective of the photography of Art Weber—Director of Photography at the Toledo Metroparks, an Undergraduate Film Festival, and a photography exhibit concentrating on the phenomenon of eclipses.

Accompanying the exhibits will be The University Libraries Carlson Conversations Lecture Series; this year, four lectures will cover a wide range of topics from history to astronomy to the paranormal. Such programming has proven successful at sustaining the library’s position as a cultural, as well as an academic, center on campus. More information on the gallery shows and lecture series can be found here.

–Gerald Natal, Past President, The University of Toledo

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 3 (Sept 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

President’s Report

Posted on June 14, 2023 by anitaslack
Gerald Natal, ALAO President

Recently ALAO and other library organizations held elections to refresh their governing bodies, which generated a multitude of reminders to vote. Wishing to be an informed voter for the ALA elections, I went about the task of viewing the bios for the candidates in the various positions. I watched a video of the two candidates for ALA president talk about their philosophies and answer questions submitted by ALA members. The first question was “How do you view volunteer engagement in a profession whose responsibilities and workload continue to increase?” Being responsible for ALAO’s board elections, I found this to be a very interesting question, and I have given considerable thought to volunteerism and how the ALAO membership might view it. I imagine many of my colleagues in librarianship can relate to shrinking staff numbers, increased workloads and the stress that comes with it. I would like to relay these words of encouragement from the two presidential candidates: Cindy Hohl believes volunteering is an opportunity to “grow your network, expand your skill set, and feel good about the organization;” Eric Seuss states that volunteering offers a “chance to explore areas we are passionate about” and “learn from and value the experience brought to us.” Past President of ALA, Julius C. Jefferson Jr. said in a recent panel of ALA presidents that volunteering for positions of leadership is an important way to exercise your professional voice. I am sure there are many other reasons to get involved, but as Past President Jefferson pointed out, the most important is that without members and member participation, we have no organization.

Knowing that our colleagues may be volunteering their time and energy while navigating heavy workloads and attending to the details of their personal lives makes their contributions that much more admirable. If you are not already involved in ALAO, please have a look at what the organization has to offer; consider how your strengths and skills can help to keep ALAO strong and show appreciation and support for your colleagues by voting in ALAO elections. More on the ALAO board elections coming in this months’ newsletter…

Board Meeting Report 4-21-23

2023-2024 ALAO Executive Board Election Results:

I am very pleased to announce the candidates who will be providing leadership on the Executive Board for 2023-2024. Join me in congratulating:

  • Vice President/President Elect: Sara Klink
  • Board Members-at-Large: Tracey Overbey, Allen Reichert, Jaclyn Spraetz
  • Public Relations Coordinator: Christine Rigda

A big THANK YOU to ALL the candidates who offered to serve by placing their names on the ballot, and to all those currently serving who will be coming off the board in July. I deeply appreciate your willingness to serve.

Recognition goes out to the members of the Nominating Committee and their fine work for this election cycle:

  • Laura Birkenhauer (Co-chair)
  • Clayton Hayes
  • Alison Ricker
  • Jason Wardell (Web Manager)
  • Lynn Warner

[I especially would like to thank Alison Ricker—a 2001 Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award recipient who embodies the spirit of service to ALAO. Congratulations on your retirement, Alison!]

Conference Update:

Planning for the 2023 annual conference at Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center is on schedule—see the Vice President/President Elect’s report for details.

Conference Site Selection Committee:

A Conference Site Selection Committee is exploring potential spaces in which to hold ALAO’s 2024 conference, which marks the 50th anniversary of annual conferences for the organization. The committee conducted visits in the Columbus area, and a finding service supplied other options for consideration. The committee intends to find a facility worthy of the special occasion.

Executive Board Retreat:

Planning is underway for the Executive Board Retreat scheduled for July 21st. The retreat will be at OhioNet’s new facility in Westerville. [A meeting between the current Vice President, the new President-Elect, and myself took place recently to discuss items for the agenda and strategic planning for the coming year.]   

Indigenous Peoples Land Acknowledgement:                                                                                          

In keeping with ALAO’s commitment to social justice, a land acknowledgement statement is under development for the organization with attention paid to existing guidelines developed by members of Indigenous organizations. Additionally, Dr. Barbara Alice Mann, a writer, educator, activist of Seneca descent, and author of several works of indigenous scholarship, was consulted for more information and input. This statement is only a first step and requires action on the part of ALAO. The plan is to augment the statement with additional educational information and suggestions for acting in support of Indigenous peoples

The next meeting will be the board retreat, scheduled for July 21, 2023.

Other News of Interest

Immediate opportunities for service:

The ALAO Diversity Committee—a particularly important committee for the organization—is seeking dedicated individuals to act as Co-chairs. If you have a passion for furthering the causes of DEIA and would like to gain valuable leadership experience, this is a terrific opportunity. You can find out more about the work of the committee by contacting Gwen Short at short.67@osu.edu or visiting https://www.alaoweb.org/committees/diversity/index.html.

The Research and Publication Committee (RPC) is looking for two members. Interested ALAO members wishing to serve on the RPC should express their interest by contacting Sarah Nagle at pricesb@miamioh.edu. For information about the position visit https://www.alaoweb.org/committees/researchpub/index.html.

Please consider a position on the board in future elections to infuse our organization with current ideas and perspectives. But why wait—see what ALAO has to offer:

PayPal Replaced:

Anyone making fee payments for ALAO events can now do so through the organization’s membership management platform, Wild Apricot. This should improve the process for fee registrations and membership renewals.

Grants:

The 2023 Conference Planning Committee is proposing expansion of grants to provide additional opportunities to attend the 2023 Conference.

SB 83:

As have several organizations across the state of Ohio, The American Historical Association has issued a letter in opposition to Senate Bill 83 “Enact Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act” (https://www.historians.org/news-and-advocacy/aha-advocacy/aha-letter-to-ohio-senate-opposing-higher-education-bill-(april-2023). While ALAO considers official action, I would urge all to voice your opposition to Ohio legislators: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 2 (June 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vice President/President Elect Report

Posted on June 14, 2023 by anitaslack

Registration for the 49th Annual Conference is almost here!

Conference Date: November 2-3, 2023

Conference Location: Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center, Lewis Center, Ohio

Online ILS Forum & Mini-Conference: Friday, Oct 27, 2023 via Zoom

ALAO put out the call for Conference programming from our Access Services, Technical Services, and Support Staff colleagues, and they have answered with gusto!  Half of the session programming this year will address topics in these areas of librarianship.  These and other sessions will appeal to the full range of library specialties and interests, providing an excellent opportunity to learn more about how our work and activities intersect.  Reflecting on these connections will be especially important as we head into the ILS migration process this Fall and continue to find balance with transformative academic library trends.

Mark Eddy, Vice President/President Elect

As mentioned in the March Newsletter, we’ll be offering some new programming and attendance opportunities this year:

  • A Online ILS Forum & Mini-Conference

This year’s Conference features an online event one week prior to the in-person program.  On Friday, October 27th ALAO will host a morning virtual forum (*free of charge) and an afternoon mini-conference.  By October, Ohio academic libraries will be fully immersed in the ILS migration process.  The morning forum will be a good opportunity to compare notes on our local library ILS project planning efforts, and to review best practices for helping our colleagues across all library departments navigate the process.  Forum panelists will include representatives from OhioLINK and other Ohio academic library associations who, together with our attendees, will address these and other related issues.  That same afternoon ALAO will host a mini-conference with virtual lightning talks and thematic, audience-driven discussion sessions presented by Support, Access and Technical Services professionals.  Topics will include both ILS-related and other issues impacting these professional communities.

  • A Hybrid Session Conference Track

Our in-person Conference programming at Nationwide on Friday, November 3rd will feature a “hybrid track room” where sessions will be simulcast live online throughout the day.  Each of these sessions will feature presentations by Support, Access and Technical Services professionals on a variety of topics that impact services and activities across all library departments.

  • Live Simulcast of the Conference Keynote Presentation

This year’s keynote address will be simulcast for all online attendees.  Our ALAO 2023 Conference Keynote Speaker, Trevor Dawes, currently serves as Vice Provost for Libraries and Museums and May Morris University Librarian at the University of Delaware, and as Vice President/President Elect of the Association of Research Libraries.  Drawing upon his leadership experiences and professional background in circulation/support services, Mr. Dawes will share his reflections on the exciting professional landscape for next-generation library workers.

  • Expanded Conference Packages & Discounts

The 2023 ALAO Conference registration fee structure is designed to make programming affordable and accessible for all academic library professional communities.  There will be programming packages for both in-person and online attendees, as well as discounted registration for session presenters.  Additionally, the Planning Committee is working to provide new and expanded Conference attendance grant opportunities for librarians and students.

Registration, program information, and schedules coming very soon!

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 2 (June 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Member Spotlight

Posted on June 14, 2023 by anitaslack

Let’s shine the Member Spotlight on Lauren Reder from University of Cincinnati!

What is/are your role(s) in academic libraries?

As a member of the Content Services Team at the University of Cincinnati, I receive and catalog items so they can be added to our collections. Specifically, as the primary cataloger for our Classics and Modern Greek materials, I collaborate with the Classics Library staff to handle issues and ensure discoverability for our patrons. I review our bibliographic records for accuracy and perform various QC routines. I’m also heavily involved with creating procedural documentation and maintaining internal LibGuides.

What do you like most about academic library work?

If I’m being honest, one of my favorite things about my job is that I learn something new every day! It’s also very rewarding to know that my work as a cataloger makes our wonderful collections more accessible and helps to connect our students and faculty with the resources they need.

What are some interesting projects you’ve been involved with lately?

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to catalog several unique books received by the Classics Library as gifts from a scholar in Albania, which was really neat. I’ve also enjoyed being involved in our unit’s recent discussions regarding AI and its place in academic libraries.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I love being outdoors and spending time at our local parks. I’m very adventurous and, as a wheelchair user, I’m always looking for new ways that I can participate in recreational activities. I’m forever on the hunt for new accessible trails, and when none can be found, I have been known to do a bit of off-roading in my chair!

Why did you join ALAO?

As an early-career librarian, I joined ALAO for the professional development opportunities. I believe that continuing education is a non-negotiable in our community of practice, especially at a time when technology is evolving so rapidly. I’m looking forward to participating in the webinars offered by ALAO and possibly attending the annual conference.

–Laura Birkenhauer, Membership Chair, Miami University

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 2 (June 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Membership Report

Posted on June 14, 2023 by anitaslack

The current membership of ALAO includes a total of 282 members consisting of 247 regular members, 5 retiree members, and 30 student members. We are excited to welcome new members who joined between March 2, 2023 and May 30, 2023.

Molly Bevan, Kent State University

Tina Craft, Ohio Christian University

Tamiko Denise Davis, Sinclair Community College

Lucy Duhon, University of Toledo

Emily Gibson, Sinclair Community College Library

Ashton Kimbler, Columbus State Community College

Paige Kinzer, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Christine Liebson, Case Western Reserve University

Alea Lytle, Cleveland Public Library

Aly Nahra, Case Western Reserve University

Miriam Nelson, Ohio University

Tracie Pickett, Student

Hannah Plank, Student      

Lauren Reder, University of Cincinnati

Sierra Rios, Kent State University

Stevo Roksandic, Mount Carmel Health System

Rachel Stott, Case Western Reserve University

Karla Strieb, Ohio State

Anne Trenholme, Case Western Reserve University

Toni Vanden Bos, Wright State University

–Laura Birkenhauer, Membership Chair, Miami University

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 2 (June 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Notes from the Trenches

Posted on June 14, 2023 by anitaslack

Academic Library Highlights from the Medical Library Association/Special Library Association Meeting

On May 16-19, MLA and SLA held a joint meeting in Detroit entitled “Looking Backward, Forging Ahead.” Having a joint meeting was intriguing; it’s been decades since I’ve thought so much about taxonomies and controlled vocabularies beyond the National Library of Medicine’s medical subject headings and Embase’s Emtree.

Some presentations of interest to academic libraries:

  • “Changing Internal Budget Models: An Opportunity to Reconnect with Library Users,” presented by Clare Keating and Derek Wilmott from the University of Toledo.
  • “Patron and Librarian Perspectives of a Long-standing Health Science Liaison Librarian Program,” presented by Hannah Norton, University of Florida-Gainesville, Health Science Center Libraries.
  • “Forging Ahead After the Shake-ups” by Sheila Green and Stephanie Fulton, Texas A&M University Medical Sciences Library (As you might know, Texas A&M eliminated faculty status for their librarians in 2022.)
  • “Improving LibGuides at a Health Sciences Library Using Feedback from Focus Groups and User Experience Testing,” presented by Lydia Howes and Elizabeth Frakes, Eccles Library, University of Utah.

There were also presentations on gamification of instruction (which is on my learn-more to-do list): Rachel Whitney, MUSC Library, presented on her use of games to teach literature searching in a pharmacy program; and Julia Esparza, LSUHS Library, presented on their use of a virtual escape room to teach and assess epidemiological and biostatistical knowledge in med students.

Craig Robertson, Ph.D., gave the annual Leiter lecture based on his book, The Filing Cabinet: A Vertical History of Information. A fascinating look at a tool that is so ubiquitous that we don’t think about it (unless we are trying to rid our library of the ones we no longer need).

There were also a number of sessions on the role of libraries and librarians regarding the NIH data management and sharing requirements, as well as management of systematic review services. For more information, the official conference program (PDF and online) is available here: https://www.mlanet.org/mla23 You will have access to abstracts and author information if you want additional information on any of the presentations.

–Jolene Miller, University of Toledo

Posted in Vol. 41 no. 2 (June 2023) | Tagged | Leave a comment