Session Description:
This paper focuses on IMLS-funded research we have done around the practices and needs of psychology instructors considering adopting or creating OER. Over the past year, we have gathered information and developed a plan for creating a subject-specific, scalable open textbook toolkit that will meet the needs of instructors looking to adopt, adapt, or create OER. In this paper, we will provide actionable recommendations for support of OER in psychology courses, as well as guidance for applying these results in other fields. It will also provide a framework for librarians to develop their own research agenda in this area.

Session Description:
Academic LIS researchers have inconsistent research responsibilities and support depending on their institution and position. Some are offered time, mentorship, and professional development funding in order to accomplish goals, while others are asked to conduct research on their own. This paper will identify gaps in our profession’s support for those interested in pursuing, developing, and publishing library research. Presenters will also share the process they went through and lessons learned from creating an online community for new LIS researchers called LibParlor.

Session Description:
In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, academic institutions have seen an upsurge in challenges to academic freedom. Academic librarians have faced a choice whether or not to speak out more about how the current political reality impacts patrons, organizations, and librarians themselves, but these free speech actions have had consequences. Our paper explores how academic librarians have navigated challenges to academic freedom, how their social identities may have influenced their experiences, the push back they may have encountered, and what we can do to protect intellectual free expression in order to authentically engage in our communities.

Session Description:
When a book goes missing, a librarian needs to decide whether it is better to replace the item or use the money to purchase a new item. Circulation data and user-initiated requests offer insufficient information to make this decision, but by using Google Analytics one library was able to automatically generate a report that measures user interest of missing items. This process requires little staff resources and offers a novel source for decision making in collection management. This conference proceeding shares the results of our study and explains how to adapt this approach for your library.

Session Description:
The engaged, prolifically-publishing professional librarian can be typecast as a tenure-track scholar. But what if non-tenure-track librarians step up to the audition? What challenges would they face? In this presentation, we will report on the factors influencing professional participation by non-tenure-track librarians specifically, and their feelings regarding those factors and challenges. Through this nationally-distributed study, we propose a recasting of academic librarian identity outside of the tenure process. Based on our results and our own experiences, we will offer best practices for better inclusion of non-tenure track-librarians in professional activities while also presenting starting points for further discussion and examination of this topic. 

Session Description:
In the face of increasing rates of anxiety among college students, how should instruction librarians respond? This session will raise awareness about the prevalence of anxiety among the college student population, discuss potential social forces behind the increase of anxiety, and share information about alternative pedagogical approaches that can help instruction librarians be more responsive to anxiety in the classroom.