Session Description:
Libraries across the country are in the midst of a paradigm shift, and institutions are doing their best to adapt to changes. It is critical to not only analyze how the physical building impacts and supports the library’s mission but also contributes to campus and community transformation. This session explores a building project in depth to demonstrate how strategic planning and execution recast the narrative for all users of the building and amplified the role of the library. Following this session, you will be able to more effectively strategize changes to your own facility and articulate the benefits to administrators.

Session Description:
What if research could be more fun? Research Parties are drop-in consultation sessions that provide students with a social research support environment. Like the reference desk, librarians provide in-person help to students from different classes at various stages of the research process, but like the hands-on portion of instruction sessions, librarians assist multiple students at once. This panel will present the experiences of librarians from three different colleges who have successfully used the Research Party model with graduate, undergraduate, traditional, and non-traditional students to increase student success and connect students with librarians and their services.

Session Description:
Librarians are assuming larger roles in managing research data and other aspects of research support, and our institutions are taking a much greater interest in the data about the research. Managing all that information involves aggregation, curation, and utilization of metadata: all areas ideally suited to the skills librarians already have. In this panel discussion, practitioners in the emerging field of Research Information Management (RIM) will talk about the different motivations that led to implementations of RIM systems on their campuses and how their libraries are leading the way.

Session Description:
Change is an essential part of recasting, renewing and revitalizing libraries and librarians’ roles. Focusing on themes of idea generation, project management, affordability, and marketing, a group of four panelists from two different academic institutions share stories of revitalization of facilities, programming, and collections. By using a combination of storytelling and audience participation, the group will provide attendees with practical ideas on how to make changes achievable, affordable, and effective.

Session Description:
In order to recast and reframe library residency narratives, the session will discuss how residency programs are both a part of the changing library landscape as well as a model on how the profession can adapt and transition to new roles. Panelists will speak to the the full life-cycle of a residency program by defining residencies and critically examining best practices to create programs that prepare academic library professionals for the 21st century. Attendees will be provided with practical benchmarking information, tips for framing residency conversations with stakeholders, and lessons learned from those who have the residency experience.

Session Description:
Outreach is an important way that libraries convey messaging about services, collections, and programs to stakeholders. However, outreach is often conducted in an ad hoc manner. Librarians from three universities will discuss how they improved outreach programs by developing a community of practice and increased planning, intentionality, and efficient use of resources. Panelists will discuss findings from three recent research projects exploring how libraries plan and assess their outreach. They will also share practice-informed strategies for assessing outreach to improve quality, ensure messaging is strategic and intentional, and demonstrate the value of outreach to library and campus administrators.