Notes from SLA Conference – July 31-August 2, 2022,
Charlotte, NC
July 30 – attended meeting of Military Libraries
Community (MLC) Board meeting. Currently
serving as Secretary for MLC.
Seize the Data! Census Bureau Resources
for Librarians: presentation by three experts from the
U.S. Census Bureau.
The U.S. Census Bureau provides a fresh portrait of
America’s people and is a leading source of quality data for your patrons. Key
data from the 2020 American Community Survey and Decennial Census are now
available through data.census.gov and other tools. Join this session for a live
demonstration of the recently improved navigation on data.census.gov to learn
how to access data you need for your research. This session also features an
overview of the American Community Survey, and a segment on census geography.
You will learn the basics of geography hierarchies, relationships, and
easy-to-use geography reference tools that enable you to visualize boundary
changes over time and find geographies for a particular address.
Learning Objectives:
·
Access data from the decennial census and
American Community Survey (ACS) on the recently updated data.census.gov
·
Understand the difference between ACS and
the decennial census
·
Visualize the latest geographic boundaries
and Census data
·
Retrieve a list of geographies associated
with a particular address through the Census Geocoder
Leveraging Library Infrastructure in
Community-Centered Projects, presentation by Jennifer Garcon,
PhD, Librarian for Modern and Contemporary Special Collections, Princeton
University
Dr. Garcon discussed the complex position that
institutions like Libraries, Archives, and Museums encounter when they engage with
community partners. She explored how to engage mindful and intentional design
in developing ethical partnerships that avoid, rather than re-enforce, harm and
disenfranchisement. Dr. Garcon described a project she conducted with the local
African American community in Philadelphia.
She told us how she integrated partnership practices to leverage library
infrastructure for community use, foreground inclusion and equity, navigate
power disparity between institutions and communities, and embarks on models of
community-centered practices and shared governance.
READY, Set, Change! Simplify and
Accelerate Organizational Change – presentation by April
Callis-Birchmeier, CCMP, PMP, CSP, CEO/President of Springboard Consulting
Ms. Callis gave a dynamic presentation on change
management using the mnemonic tool R.E.A.D.Y
R – relevant and relatable. She used an example of Walmart as a one-stop
shop to demonstrate the benefits of a multi-access database at a university.
E – engage leaders – get them on board and get them to
be part of the messaging. Get them to motivate
and encourage others.
A – advance communication – let people know what’s
going on early and update often. Current
studies indicate that people need to hear something 9-16 times before they
begin to understand that it applies to them.
Tell stakeholders what we know when we know it!
D – develop and support – Market with intention. Don’t overwhelm your audience. Manage expectations. Use clean graphics. Target what is in this for the
audience.
Y – The Why – don’t forget why you are making the
change.
To me, the key take away is the reminder to understand
and address the concerns of the stakeholders.
The perceived benefits of the change, the perceived loss, and the
perceived fears.
Marketing Success Stories – presentation by a panel of
librarians on their successful marketing of library services and resources.
Key in this was focusing on what the library is doing
for the organization. The return on investment,
the cost-savings, and getting people into the library to learn what the library
offers.
Covid presented new challenges, but they persevered
with outreach through Zoom training and lunch meetings.
They weren’t reporting naked library stats but
reporting in the context of how the resources in the library helped the
organization achieve their goals.
Finding Data: Teaching Science and
Technology Data Information Literacy Skills to Researchers –
presentation by Jay Bhatt, Engineering Librarian at Drexel University, and
Lynnee Argabright, Research Data Librarian, UNC-Wilmington
This presentation provided tips on finding data for researchers,
students, and scholars in science and technology disciplines. The session showed
how to develop a methodology for teaching students and researchers how to find
and evaluate appropriate data sets.
Disinformation and the Literacy Landscape
– a presentation by Nicole A. Cooke, PhD, Augusta Baker Endowed Associate
Professor, University of South Carolina
Dr. Cooke gave an outstanding presentation on
Disinformation, Misinformation and Malinformation, and explained the
similarities and differences.
We are now living in an age of “fake news,” which is
not a new phenomenon, but this latest iteration has highlighted the various
dimensions of how people interact (or do not) with information - information
consumption is so much more than people's immediate cognitive processing.
Dr. Cooke’s talk addressed our continued and
collective battle against misinformation and disinformation, and the related
literacy concepts that can influence our interactions with information and help
us intellectually thrive in a post-truth society.
What's New and Exciting in Privacy Law
– presentation by Eugene Giudice, Librarian, Dentons US, LLP, and Brian Focht,
Cybersecurity Attorney, Charlotte, NC
Overview of recent developments in Privacy Law and
Privacy Rights legislation.
Hanging Up Your Shingle: Becoming a
Successful Information Consultant – presentation by two independent
research consultants on the ins and outs and challenges of going independent.
The Resilient Info Pro: Building personal,
professional and institutional agility in the face of uncertainty
– Mary Ellen Bates, Bates Information Services.
Mary Ellen shared some of the best strategies and
approaches to help info pros succeed in today's environment.
Learning Objectives:
·
plan strategically in an uncertain
environment
·
build a career that offers continuing
growth and new opportunities
·
support strategic decision-makers in a
highly dynamic environment
The talk came out of three blog posts on https://www.copyright.com/blog
In her talk, Mary Ellen drew from Kim Dority of Dority
Associates and author of Rethinking Info Careers
Adaptive competence:
·
Ability to adapt to new circumstances.
·
Ability to recognize new threats and opportunities.
·
Ability to pivot from a threat and toward
an opportunity
Learning on demand:
Own your professional development. No one else will care as much about your
professional development as you will (should).
Mantra – I know how to learn new things!
What new skill would the library world value now? How can I get it? Continuing education, micro-degree, library
carpentry…
Volunteer to learn to new skills – Mary Ellen gave the
example of volunteering to create webinars for a professional association so
she could learn how to create better webinars.
Info pros have always been info leaders.
Mentally prepare for unexpected pivots.
Our essential skill is being information adept.
Practice response scenarios:
Think about possible changes coming up. Build mental agility.
How might I respond if that happens? How might I position myself now to prepare
for that scenario?
Professional Equity:
Conduct an annual professional equity assessment.
·
What I know:
o
What have I learned?
o
What do I need to learn?
·
Who do I know?
o
How have I built a community of
colleagues?
·
Who knows what about me?
o
How have I built my reputation?
Who is mentoring you?
Every therapist has a therapist!
Should be someone who does things unlike what I
do. Should be someone at a different
stage in their career.
Ongoing Legal Issues for the LGBTQ
Community – a panel of attorneys gave an overview of recent
changes in law, both court decisions and legislation.
The Role of Information Professionals in
Crafting a Gender Inclusive Future, presentation by Travis
Wagner, PhD, University of Maryland
Dr. Wagner described the push towards gender inclusion
and how it requires a continued confrontation with what normative presumptions
we possess about gender in our daily lives.
It is an issue whose change requires a paradigm shift
at the social level.
They explored how information professionals can serve
as advocates and allies in working towards gender equity. They provided
guidance on what it means to think inclusively about gender by reflecting on
the ever-expanding and intersecting forms of gender identity under the umbrella
of queer and trans.
Dr. Wagner started from an assumption of understanding
gender-diverse identities and included relevant definitions and concepts for
those requiring such information.
They explored how various special librarians can
engage in work that not only decenters cisnormative presumptions but highlights
and elevates trans and non-binary voices.
Various facets of the work of information
professionals, which can be adjusted to be more inclusive of gender diversity.
These facets include
·
metadata practices
·
organizational policy
·
institutional communication concerning
gender diversity
Dr. Wagner gave tangible ways to champion the work of
queer and trans activists and highlighted what skills an information
professional can bring to the already occurring work of LGBTQIA+ activism.
