Session Description:
Drawing from the disciplines of psychology and social work, this panel discusses the applications of relational-cultural theory (RCT) to librarianship. Adopting RCT in librarianship provides a framework by which library workers can center the relational activity that academic libraries’ collaborative service and labor models inherently depend upon. In doing so, we appropriately emphasize, practice, and value the affective nature of our work. Participants will learn how to cultivate a more feminist, egalitarian practice of librarianship that centers relationship and connection and helps foster cultural humility in order to develop meaningful relationships with diverse communities and colleagues.

Session Description:
Supporting and even leading OER initiatives demonstrates academic libraries’ commitment to the evolving nature of higher education. This session is for librarians who recognize their library can advance the use of open educational resources, but aren’t sure how to get started. Panelists will help you identify the best point of entry for your OER work and share strategies for starting conversations with the right audience. Who is helping faculty find resources to save their students thousands of dollars? Who is compiling and analyzing OER impact data? Who is educating students about skyrocketing textbook costs? (Hint: maybe it could be YOU!).

Session Description:
This discussion focuses on the challenges and opportunities that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) creates in academic libraries.  In this panel, attendees will learn about the latest research from an IMLS funded study, practical perspectives from a library administrator at a major university, and perspectives of employment from a librarian on the spectrum. We’ll discuss the need for acceptance of neurodiversity at academic libraries, strategies for positive change in designing the library experience for students on the spectrum, and improving the hiring process and employment for librarians with autism. Join us, bring your questions, and we look forward to the conversation. 

Session Description:
Two very different universities in a major metropolitan area are pursuing several initiatives with local K-12 schools to better prepare students for the transition to college. Even as state funds for educational media services in secondary schools decrease, the Common Core and College Board AP curricula place increasing value on research skills at all levels. Academic librarians must adapt to this changing environment. Outreach initiatives also support institutional priorities to improve recruitment, retention, and engagement with our community. Participants will leave the panel with fresh ideas on how to forge new partnerships with local schools.

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:
With academic freedom and higher education values under threat worldwide, our university library has partnered formally with NGO Scholars at Risk to provide a hands-on program that is integrated into our library services. The collaboration works with library staff, students, faculty, administrators, and other campuses worldwide to develop meaningful initiatives and engagement on behalf of human rights and social justice. The panel will discuss the origin of our collaboration, how it works, and how other university libraries might be able to form similar partnerships.

Session Description:
Are there gaps between what your users need and what your current discovery search system allows? This panel will discuss the different UX research methods we have used to customize and improve the discovery search user experience for different library user populations. We saw the assessment of discovery search as a natural opportunity for collaboration between Research and Instruction, Access Services, and User Experience (UX). Speakers from each department will discuss their perspectives on our assessment efforts.

Session Description:
How can your library become a more just place? In this session, panelists will share the story of one undergraduate library’s movement toward an embrace of non-neutrality and social justice as core operating values. Inspired by an historic in-library protest during finals week, the library’s staff strives toward putting our profession’s stated commitment to social justice, diversity, and equity into action. We will share our challenges, failures, and successes with you and create space for you to share your own.

Session Description:
Students are increasingly creating their own jobs and supporting their communities through both commercial startups and social entrepreneurship. Campuses across the country are adopting mandates to support entrepreneurial thinking and cross-campus entrepreneurship education. Libraries are at the center of such initiatives, with librarians helping students find their paths and make a difference. In this session, you’ll hear from four librarians supporting entrepreneurship in a variety of ways on diverse campuses. Topics will include outreach, instruction, campus and community engagement, and collection issues. We will ask audience members to contribute their own ideas, successes, and challenges with campus entrepreneurship.