Session Description:
Leadership development institutes, seminars, workshops, academies and courses have been popular within librarianship for decades. Also for decades we’ve faced critiques about diversity within the library profession. How has library leadership professional development attempted to raise up persons of color in the profession? Do library leadership professional development experiences perpetuate diversity issues within librarianship? Join a researcher on the topic and a panel of providers of these experiences for a lively discussion.

Session Description:
For many librarians, demonstrating their scholarly impact is complicated and difficult to accurately reflect to other constituencies across their institution. Debates about what qualifies as scholarship are as varied as the scholarship itself, and appropriate metrics to demonstrate impact at times seem to rely more on cultural understanding than official guidelines. This panel will discuss the research and scholarly impact of librarians in higher education and the evaluation of academic librarianship. Based on research into current practice and disciplinary comparisons, a new model for the evaluation of academic librarians will be introduced. Audience participation will be strongly encouraged.

Session Description:
Are you interested in developing a reading program, but intimidated by the common read? Join us to learn how to overcome staff, budget, resource, or size constraints and create an impactful community reading program highlighting diversity and inclusion. Unlike traditional common read programs, the Reading Without Walls challenge invites participants to choose and read books about characters who don’t look or live like them; books about topics they don’t know much about; or books in formats or genres they don’t typically read. Reflect on, discuss, and adapt our activities, curricular connections, campus and community partnerships, and events for your context.

Session Description:
“You’re a librarian, you must love reading.” As academic librarians, we spend a lot of time pushing back against the idea that books are all we do. However, as academic librarians, we also bring a unique lens to the ways students experience reading and using information sources critically. In this presentation, panelists will illustrate how information literacy barriers students face are often related to reading. Panelists will present teaching and curricular strategies used to facilitate critical reading practices in a range of settings, including different disciplinary contexts and using varied media.

Session Description:
Come meet the editors of ACRL’s publications and learn about all the different opportunities and processes for proposing, writing, editing, and contributing to ACRL’s many writing outlets. Ask questions, discuss ideas, topics, and trends, and meet fellow writers. Beginners to publishing pros are welcome!