Session Description:
Set in the cities of Akron, Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles, five individuals failed by America’s higher education system fight for a second chance at opportunity. In the US less than 50% of students who start college ever finish, making America’s college completion rates among the worst in the world. Now there are more than 35 million Americans who started college but never finished, leaving them saddled with debt, and behind their peers in earning power. Featuring interviews with LeBron James, Howard Schultz, and our nation’s leading voices in education, this penetrating and personal new film investigates America’s college dropout crisis through the lives of five diverse students as they fight for a second chance at opportunity and highlights the innovators reimagining higher education for the 21st century. The movie is 1:45 minutes and will be followed by a brief 15 minute discussion.  www.unlikelyfilm.com

Session Description:
Learn about ACRL’s new research agenda for scholarly communications and the research environment. Developed over the course of a year with a high degree of community involvement — particularly historically underrepresented groups — this powerful new action-oriented agenda encourages the community to make the scholarly communications system more open, inclusive, and equitable by addressing issues concerning people, content, and systems. It outlines trends, encourages practical actions, and clearly identifies the most strategic research questions to pursue. Learn how to apply for an ACRL research grant to investigate timely and substantial research questions, developing solutions that will move the community forward.

Session Description:
This workshop introduces participants to the concept of being an ally. Participants explore how it’s possible, and why it’s necessary, to work toward equity, diversity, and inclusion in all parts of our profession—even from our positions of privilege.

Session Description:
•    Are you or your colleagues experiencing change fatigue? •    Is your library stretched so thin with operational needs that “leading change” falls to the bottom of the list?   •    Do you wrestle with integrating equity and inclusion into your library’s core strategic goals? •    Are you looking for more than a “workshop” to help build organizational capacity for change? •    If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. This session will preview Be the Change: An Integrative Program for Personal and Professional Transformation, a new program for academic libraries and people who work in them. Participants will be introduced to new ways of thinking about and approach to personal and organizational change. DeEtta Jones and Associates brings decades of experience supporting academic libraries’ professional development needs. From the Library Managements Skills Institutes (LMSI’s) to strategic planning and organizational culture-building, we have been trusted advisors and partners. We have also received many requests for professional development that builds upon the LMSI’s and provides scalable and sustainable tools for organizational change. Be the Change is designed built upon the assumption that personal well-being expands one’s ability to be effective professionals and change leaders.  Participants in this session will leave with tools for immediate application and sharing.