This year as never before, we are all being called upon to reset our assumptions on search techniques and approaches. From Google's frequent algorithm changes that affect our search results to new sources of both open source and fee-based information, as well as new expectations from clients and patrons, information professionals need to re-examine all their search practices. Info pros have a unique skill set that gives us the ability to own the search space. But equally important is the ability to challenge our assumptions about search and hone our search skills.

This practical, full-day workshop provides the latest tips, tricks, and techniques for unlocking the “black box” of search. Our search experts reveal what you need to know today to perform better and more effective searches, analyze search results to surface value, teach others good search practices, and remain on top of search innovations.

There's always something new to be learned from these leading-edge info pros. Whether you're a novice or expert searcher, you come away with a new understanding of innovations in search, new resources to share with colleagues, and more search tools for your professional toolkit.

Our experts cover these topics:

• What's New in Web Search: Learn about new developments in search engines that affect how, why, and where to search to get the best results.

• Savvy Search Strategies: Strategize your research to accommodate new technologies and techniques for increasing sense-making.

• Resourcefully Yours: So many resources, so little time! We introduce a number of new, different, and changed resources to turbocharge your research.

• SWOT for Search Professionals: Take a fresh look at where search professionals can make the biggest impact to most effectively leverage your expertise.

New technology and services are fundamental to libraries today, but which technologies and/or services make sense to implement and which make sense to avoid? Based on our presenter's recent book and building from a framework drawn in the overlap of design thinking with best practices of emerging technology and library practice, this workshop introduces simple but powerful tools that can help the practitioner navigate the rapidly changing tech landscape. Using real-word examples of success and failure from across academic, public, and special library types, participants learn methods they can employ to more successfully and sustainably select and implement technology-innovating practices and services while ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.

In this half-day workshop, technology expert Marshall Breeding moderates a discussion of key technology problems and challenges facing libraries today. He begins with a look at the fundamental areas to be included in a technology plan. He incorporates recent information about the issues and developments of the technologies, products, and services that are relevant to the building of a technology plan as well as the topics of interest to workshop participants. This workshop focuses on real-world technology strategies, so come prepared with the topics and issues of interest within your organization. What are your library and community challenges in today’s uncertain world? Bring them to this informed facilitated discussion, get tips and techniques for planning, and take away some new ideas!

Be amazed at what technology can do to assist libraries with their marketing! Reduce the time and effort it takes to create exciting and engaging marketing pieces for your community. Using AI tools to generate tweets, posts, articles, pictures, and even videos as your digital assistants will be a game changer and time saver for your library. Get hands on experience and practice to be up and running when you return to your library.

Participants in this workshop are introduced to the concepts of personal knowledge management, linked data, mind maps, and how they can all be combined for use in libraries. It offers many opportunities to try new software and explore new concepts with nothing more required than a web browser and some curiosity. Expect discussions and lots of examples about how to use these concepts and software packages in your library.

Most libraries invest more than 60% of their budgets in staffing costs. People are a library’s most important resource, and its managers, team leaders, and department heads have the essential role of developing these resources to their full potential. This is why on-the-job coaching is such a critical skill for all those who are accountable for employees. Coaching brings out the best in individuals, with positive impacts for all those involved, including the coach and the entire organization. Join us to practice the basics of coaching—from the power of listening, questions, challenging, and supporting to the game changer of accountability. Quoting a Harvard Business Review study: “Asking questions is a uniquely powerful tool for unlocking value in organizations: It spurs learning and the exchange of ideas, it fuels innovation and performance improvement, it builds rapport and trust among team members.” This interactive half-day workshop is packed with actionable, thought-provoking techniques and experiences designed to help you, your colleagues, and your library grow.

Do you have space issues in your library? Or challenges due to the recent pandemic? This workshop focuses on designing spaces for changing technologies and flexibility. How do we step up our digital transformation in uncertain times and keep our members safe? How do we incorporate new gadgets, apps, and technologies to engage our communities in new and exciting ways? Get some insights and ideas from our experienced librarians for planning successful future library experiences for your users.

In this workshop, you learn the basics to start your analytics journey. Using a free analytics platform, we’ll have hands on exercises exploring the fundamentals of analytics in information organizations and how to properly prepare and clean data for analysis. Once we’re familiar with the basics, we delve into the world of visualization to demonstrate findings and discoveries to make more effective cases for our advocacy efforts. Finally, we dabble in some machine learning techniques as a means for obtaining deeper understanding into patterns and trends that lie within the data we collect. Participants will need to provide their own laptop and engage in a bit of prework to prepare their machine for the workshop.

3D scanning may be riding on the coattails of 3D design and printing technologies, but it also has a long history of useful applications. For example, the Innovation Lab, a community-driven solution space located in the Seminole Community Library at St. Petersburg College, has worked on a variety of projects for local museums to import and export 3D scanned objects into virtual/augmented reality spaces, bringing vinyl records to life, digitizing real dinosaur fossils to be shared as holograms to augment traditional learning opportunities, and more. In this workshop, see what exciting things can be done with 3D/volumetric scanning, holograms, virtual reality, web-based AR apps, and other technologies. Attendees will also do collaborative, hands-on work to create a 360-degree tour and play with drone aerial video/imagery in our "technology playground for XR” to potentially make something useful for future promotional reuse!

Technology has changed the face of libraries and is continuing to change how we work and how we deliver services to customers. In fact, the past year has pushed us, or, in some cases, made us scramble, to discover and experiment with new technologies and tools, to train our staff and community, and to look for new ways of doing our core activities. This workshop introduces emerging technology trends and shows how those trends are reshaping library services. Examples show how to incorporate these evolving trends into libraries. Attendees ID what trends to look for, find out the difference between a technology trend and a fad, learn how to adapt what others are doing into their communities, and get ideas on how their library can respond to technology as it emerges.

The integrated library system (ILS) plays a central role in every library’s operations. Depending on how well it’s configured, the ILS can positively or negatively impact operations, including the workflows and processes involved. This half-day workshop provides ILS administrators and users with a practical guide for getting the most of their library’s ILS and optimizing their library’s platform for reaching users. They discuss system security, how to plan and conduct an audit of the ILS’s configuration, tips for documenting important settings, methods for cleaning up field values, and techniques for documenting and optimizing staff workflows. Speakers share a case study conducted at their library—eliminating overdue fees. Get lots of tips and ideas!

The LibGuides CMS is a versatile and easy-to-use web platform that consists of an array of features including LibGuides, which is primarily used to develop structured subject and research guides with efficiency. In addition to these features, LibGuides can also be used to design and manage a library’s website. Using the Bootstrap framework and custom CSS can add a modern and sleek feel to the structure provided by LibGuides, making it your own to the point that even you will not be able to tell that it is a LibGuide. In this workshop, Samuel explores how to use LibGuides to build your library’s website while using the Bootstrap framework. LibGuides subscribers will receive a template to complete their mission of turning their LibGuides into “LibGuides in disguise” as a foundation for their library’s website.

Get hands-on tools to use the global goals in your everyday work, supporting your community in new ways, providing learning opportunities for your community, and growing skills to work actively with projects that impact the global goals such as climate change. Learn how to showcase good examples from your community, provide basic skills in this area for your community, and use global goals as a strategic framework for your library. Holmquist shares best practices from around the world, and creative group learning techniques and activities and generates ideas for libraries using design thinking. Filled with tips, practical tools, and techniques for learning by sharing as well as supporting community learning, this workshop will spark your imagination and provide tools for community innovation.

This knowledge management (KM) workshop is designed for librarians who want to take a more active role in KM projects within their organizations and libraries. Bring an idea for a KM project to the workshop, or be inspired with one by our experienced KM instructor. The KM concepts introduced help participants develop a full-fledged business case for their KM projects with a defined scope and understanding of the driving forces for KM at your library/organization. According to Ian Gamble (Making the Business Case: Proposals That Succeed for Projects That Work), a business case is a recommendation designed to lead directly to a decision; supported by an analysis of its benefits, costs, and risks (compared to realistic alternatives); and accompanied by an implementation plan. A business case requires that one gathers and presents data to support the project's purpose statement. Contextual information acquired by conducting a knowledge audit, along with the design of a pilot, assures success for a KM project. This workshop features collaborative and group work, practical exercises, and an extensive resource list for further reading and relevant case studies.

Protecting privacy and security while leveraging technology to accomplish positive change is becoming a serious challenge for individuals, communities, and businesses. This workshop, led by expert leaders and practitioners, covers personal and organizational privacy as well as top security issues for libraries and their communities. If you don’t have a security plan in place, are unsure of where to even start with making sure your library is secure, or have an existing plan in place but want to cross your T’s and dot your I’s, come to this interactive workshop.

This workshop focuses on new types of programs and services that libraries are providing for their communities—makerspaces, innovation labs, and an assortment of studios that give users the tools to be creative and gain experience with emerging technologies. Filled with tips and techniques, our experienced speakers give you all you need to get started and to move into an innovative, customer-centric learning space based on STEM education, which also thrives around solving problems while being curious and inventive. Come explore new community engagement possibilities that provide learning experiences for jobs of the future and the latest bleeding-edge technologies. Learn how they all work together to create engaging experiences in your library and beyond its walls as our world becomes increasingly digital. Full of practical insights and techniques from experienced and knowledgeable innovators, this workshop provides a road map for building or taking your exciting new program to the next level. It discusses the challenges (e.g., dealing with technology issues and funding shortages) while presenting real-world examples to help inspire you to explore the amazing opportunities these types of initiatives offer.

Join our award-winning futurist for a discussion of the outlook for academic institutions and their libraries, current landscape of academic programs and services, and more.  Bring your issues, challenges, and questions to discuss with your colleagues and our futurist and enjoy this casual interactive atmosphere.

Do you want to know how AI works best for humans? Join this fast-learning, entertaining, and inspiring interactive workshop about the interesting world of AI and how we, as humans, have a big influence on what it can mean and do for us. People think that AI is something from the last decades of mankind, starting in 1950 when Alan Turing did his groundworks. But AI has been here much longer. It started with the myths by the old Greek and Romans. In modern-day life, AI is everywhere, from your smartphone and your vacuum cleaner to your news platform. It can make our lives better, but there are worries. What if an AI system becomes smarter than us? Why should it leave us alive? Or is an AI-system more biased than we are, and, if so, what does that mean for decisions being made by that biased system? In Europe, human-centric AI is designed to address all these issues. This workshop does a flyover and deep dive into these intriguing questions. It addresses the fears, enables learning more about AI, and comes up with solutions. The findings will be used by the biggest European scientific institutions to design human-centric AI. The workshop requires no math or tech skills, uses interactive design and QA (quiz-like) to bring up the best, and is fun and informative. Everyone helps the world to make AI the best for humans.

Join our gamers and gadget lovers for an evening of fun, playing, learning, and networking. See how you can transform your thinking, your programs, and your spaces with the latest games, gadgets, and ideas! Share with a poster about what your library is doing with creative making and makerspaces. This event will start off your conference experience with lots of learning and laughing! Refreshments included.

AI is increasingly being used by governments and organizations to make important decisions that have a major impact on our lives. In 10 years, most of those decisions will be made by artificial intelligence (AI). That requires a good understanding of what AI can do, how its algorithms are created, and what the consequences are. It also requires input from people themselves. In the Netherlands, it was decided not to develop AI for people but by and with them, or what is better known as human-centric AI, in which the well-being of people is central, not that of organizations or government; everyone should be involved. In the Netherlands, AI stands for “all inclusive” in line with UNICEF's Sustainable Development Goals. In order to enter into a conversation about AI with the entire population, the most accessible institution, the public library, was chosen. For more than a year, a large part of the population will be involved in a national debate on AI, the AI PARADE. This parade consists of a traveling circus that explains about the good and bad of AI through discussions, exhibitions, workshops, and a national AI course. This will be inspiring and challenging. The findings will be used by the government and organizations to develop a human AI policy for the Netherlands. Hear more about this journey from our popular digital pioneer, who has created the “best library in the Netherlands,” arranged many reading campaigns, and champions data collection.

Digital equity in itself will not result in significant improvements in quality of life unless tightly linked by local leaders to corresponding efforts to dramatically improve educational and economic opportunity, health outcomes, and other key social impacts. Additionally, investments in digital equity initiatives in underserved communities without full integration of systemic solutions will not yield impactful change. What value are “cheap boxes and wires” for low-income learners, families, communities, and wage earners if these resources aren’t tied deliberately and thoughtfully to concurrent efforts to open up pathways to STEM and other living-wage careers? Librarians are perhaps the single most important profession of the digital age. Their training, expertise, and desire to serve as guides to all aspects of digital content and tools make them incomparable partners and leaders in a community’s efforts to make sure that all users’ most pressing needs for relevant, trustworthy information are met. Please join Dr. McLaughlin to learn how libraries can play a greater role in delivering and supporting a systemic approach to digital equity.

Sponsored by

Don’t miss one of our most popular sessions for the last 25 years of Computers in Libraries! Our knowledgeable speaker is always reinventing and transforming the world of search and delighting customers. Bates is a super searcher, an annual favorite whom attendees flock to hear as she continues to surprise and impress with new strategies, techniques, tips for getting the most out of web research, and making an impact in whatever information community you are affiliated with. The host of Searchers Academy (where she and her colleagues share even more secrets), Bates provides an up-to-the-minute and jam-packed-with-valuable-tools-and-tips talk that’s always a hit! Bates tells us she takes days to research this session, so take advantage of her knowledge, and gather tips and tools to share with others!

Are you the intelligence officer for your organization or community? If not, find out how to do this job from our popular and knowledgeable speaker. Each day, Price curates thousands of news items and reports to publish online briefs that thousands of people depend upon for reliable, usable information. He shares how to build an open web resources database that suits your clients. He elaborates on the latest tools and techniques he uses to build a timely collection and gives you a road map to build your own! In addition, he shares cool tools you will want to try, no matter where you practice your info pro skills!

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have affected the search technologies that power search engines. Google’s use of ML continues to be a bit of a black box, and newer entrants, such as Consensus and Brave, rely on AI technologies. The promise of AI and ML for search revolves around increased relevancy as the technology determines intent of a search query, looks for patterns to uncover previously undiscoverable information, understands nuances in language, and recognizes contextual cues. What it doesn't do is Boolean logic. Ojala explains the basics of AI-driven search and why it differs from traditional search and presents insights gleaned from searches using multiple search engines across several disciplines, comparing the search capabilities and results.

You’d like to be at the center of API (application programming interface) implementations at your organization, but you’re a librarian, not a computer programmer. The good news is that librarians can play an active role in these initiatives! In this session, learn how to position yourself as the go-to liaison who will make API implementations happen. Affelt discusses how you can bring together such disparate groups as the data vendors, library, IT, and data users, and serve as the conduit who explains the types of data needed, negotiates the contracts, and keeps everyone on-task, ultimately becoming the key contact for data updates going forward. DiCicco will take us through the basics of APIs and translate the lingo, making sure we know which questions to ask and what infrastructure we need to get into place. Get ready to wave your wand and make API magic!

Many library users believe that when they use a search engine, they are always getting factual, unbiased, and objective results. But search engines and the algorithms that power them are not neutral. This session explores some of the racial and gender biases found in search and looks at how these biases impact search results. By examining the idea of search neutrality, we can gain a better understanding of how human beings influence, for better or worse, the creation and ongoing maintenance of search algorithms. Through examining bias in search, we can help our patrons improve their search and online information literacy.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Computers in Libraries 2023 Exhibition with tasty bites, drinks, and live music. Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibits offer visitors a choice of products in all aspects of library technology, including web-based products and services, integrated library and information systems, online services document delivery services and more.  

Are you responsible for designing your library’s website, catalog interface, and other discoverable online content? Learn how to apply user experience (UX) design thinking to improve the customer journey through your library’s web ecosystem in order to increase access to materials and improve strategic metrics in alignment with your organization’s goals and objectives. Hear how developing intentional online user experiences can be designed to amplify library customer discovery in alignment with organizational strategy. Lots of tips are included!

Libraries know their websites are a primary form of engagement with their community. A website is an investment, which asks for continual improvement. Many helpful online guides outline steps to improve a website, but, without context, it can be hard to know which steps matter most. This presentation cracks open some website mysteries, filling in details on website analytics, performance, and SEO. Get lots of tips, ideas, and insights from our speaker.

Developing a website that meets branding guidelines, sets student-focused user needs as a priority, and caters to library professional user quirks can be tricky and, at times, downright impossible. This session explores redesigning a library homepage, including the process of planning, building, implementing, and assessing a new library website. A robust resource list is provided to help start the redesign process along with guidance on developing a unique website schema and layout. Conflict between university branding guidelines and EDU platforms is discussed. Attendees with zero coding experience, those with little to low budget for web redesign, and those from small libraries are all encouraged to attend.

Protecting the privacy of patrons as they access the resources and services of the library is one of the fundamental requirements for the library profession. Despite the general absence of privacy in the consumer sphere, many vulnerable individuals rely on libraries to not reveal sensitive information regarding their research and reading. Libraries have always valued the protection of patrons to ensure that data related to access or use of library materials or services remain confidential. While libraries generally follow practices for the circulation of physical materials optimized for privacy, web-based services have often lacked the basic mechanisms needed to ensure the privacy of patron access to library-provided resources. Breeding shares his latest research related to the proportions of libraries using HTTPS to encrypt communications and discusses the use of tracking tags related to advertising and other critical issues with implications for patron privacy.

Public library website visit numbers may be strong overall, but this might not be the best metric to measure the success of your library website. Get an understanding of why numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, then use specialized tools to get an accurate reading of your library website’s performance. These findings can help you make changes that notably improve user experience, even with little to no budget. Get benchmarking data for public library websites across the United States and “hidden insights” from our speaker, who has extensive experience with analytic tools and has worked with a number of public libraries. He illustrates how the data can improve your online user experience and shares digital catalog (OPAC) performance data for several commercially available systems for the first time with the public.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Computers in Libraries 2023 Exhibition with tasty bites, drinks, and live music. Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibits offer visitors a choice of products in all aspects of library technology, including web-based products and services, integrated library and information systems, online services document delivery services and more.  

Library digital collections have grown by leaps and bounds since the early days of ebook lending and now include digital magazines, audiobooks, and streaming music and movies. Our experienced practitioner examines the current state of library digital collections before addressing the unique challenges and opportunities that lay ahead of us.

Libraries generate a lot of data—patron usage, customer satisfaction, cardholder profiles, financial and employee information, and more—but many don’t have systems in place to use it for decision-making, program improvement, or to support DEI initiatives. How do you decide which products or tools to choose, what to collect, and how to handle sensitive information, as well as where the data management role sits in the organization? Speakers share their experiences with implementing data management systems, from spreadsheets to cloud-based data warehouses.

The library technology industry has become increasingly consolidated via ongoing rounds of mergers and acquisitions. A smaller number of companies are now responsible for the strategic technologies used by libraries. The last 2 years have seen some of the most aggressive changes. The acquisition of ProQuest by Clarivate represents the boldest move ever in the industry. How has this merger brought about changes to Ex Libris, Innovative, and ProQuest? Our leading industry watcher explores the impact that this consolidation has had on the number and types of products available to libraries, discusses how consolidation facilitated or impeded the development of new and innovative technologies for libraries, and shares data collected from a variety of sources to provide insights about the library technology industry.

This session discusses innovative attempts to begin to decolonize and diversify collections and information through the art of storytelling. The founding of this novel program includes the endowment of a storytelling professor, storytelling contests, events, and the digital curation and celebration of all KFL-created content. The emphasis is on centering the narratives and lived experiences of diverse communities through storytelling. It’s interactive dialogue touches on the process, outcomes, and the future of decolonization of information within academic research libraries.

Zastrow discusses the importance of addressing environmental sustainability as related to the climate crisis in how we create, collect, manage, and preserve digital archives. Current digital preservation strategies rely heavily on servers and cloud storage. Given the extraordinary amount of electricity required to operate server farms (not to mention the water for cooling), is this environmentally responsible? Strategies such as LOCKSS—Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe—worked fine in the dawning age of the internet and digitization, but 30 years on, we are drowning in data and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions resulting from its preservation. Zastrow discusses the environmental cost of digital preservation and provide suggestions for sustainability going forward in the future.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Computers in Libraries 2023 Exhibition with tasty bites, drinks, and live music. Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibits offer visitors a choice of products in all aspects of library technology, including web-based products and services, integrated library and information systems, online services document delivery services and more.  

Libraries are being called upon to reinvent their role as the great equalizers of society. Libraries are physical and digital “places” that support education for all ages. The library district our speaker represents has a focus in its Strategic Playbook 2026 that it will continue to forge powerful partnerships to create innovative programs that provide equity and access to all and address the digital divide in society. The district is “Reimagining the Library of the Future” to emerge within the community virtually, providing the tools for access, discovery, and delivery of knowledge—the evolution of a library so it is a continued vital member of the community. Get tips and ideas for doing the same in your community.

Get tips on how to stay up-to-date with what’s happening in your organization and your community, techniques for looking at the landscape around your program, and how to align with it. Hear what could be in store for universities and other communities as our futurist shares secrets from his just released new book!

Our global library design practitioner shares tips, insights, and innovative ideas around libraries as third spaces and spaces for all, with examples from such libraries as the U.K.’s British Library, Storyhouse, Culture House, Ramallah; numerous libraries in the Netherlands; a mostly underground downtown library in Australia, and more. You will definitely come away with lots of ideas, big and small, inexpensive and flexible. Join our popular speaker for an exciting global design tour.

The session provides guidance on how to focus your digitization decisions through the grant-writing process. Sheila McAlister, director, Digital Library of Georgia (DLG), shares her insider knowledge about how to set digitization priorities and successfully apply for a grant. McAlister is joined by Rachel Evans, University of Georgia Law Library, who discusses her experience working with DLG to decipher, define, develop, and contribute a curated digital collection. This is an interactive session and includes an opportunity for you to ask your specific questions about prioritizing and focusing your own digitization efforts. Speakers openly discuss how to obtain grant funding to produce discoverable collections that will be of broadest community interest.

Marshall Breeding points out repeatedly (and even in other parts of this very program) that using Facebook as a library website is not a good idea. Jessamyn West talks about making your peace with the rapid pace of change within the social media landscape and suggests tips for keeping your communities engaged. King recently looked at how a pretty stable social media channel like Twitter faltered, addresses whether libraries should continue using Twitter, and shares his suggestions. Pichman just created a Mastodon hosted on libraryland.social stream, LibraryLand Mastodon, so if you are a library, librarian, or other similar entity, this could be your new home away from home! Join us for a rousing look at social media and libraries.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Computers in Libraries 2023 Exhibition with tasty bites, drinks, and live music. Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibits offer visitors a choice of products in all aspects of library technology, including web-based products and services, integrated library and information systems, online services document delivery services and more.  

An important part of good information-seeking practice is understanding the influences within a search strategy. This means one of the main barriers to implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-driven systems is the black-box phenomenon. The challenge is that end users typically do not get enough information from the system to understand why the machine presents one answer instead of another. These technologies, however, have great potential to benefit libraries and their patrons in multiple ways. The big question is: How can AI-based library systems address the black-box phenomenon and build the necessary trust among librarians? This question triggered the startup Keenious to conduct a series of workshops with librarians from different European university libraries to brainstorm how and what kind of information could help students make more informed decisions when working with AI systems in a library context. Hear the main insights from the project and recommendations to facilitate trust in AI-assisted library technologies.

Understand the strategy behind and the implementation of an automated support service in a regional hospital library network. Using a popular commercial customer support product-encompassing contact database, online ticketing system, and multichannel communication features, a regional health science library with limited resources is able to develop a deep understanding of its patron base, track information needs and behaviors, and leverage multiple communication channels through a single online interface. The presentation encourages library managers to consider integrating standard business software products into their libraries to offer higher-quality features.

Connecting to patrons has always been at the heart of the LC. In support of its mission to increase access and engagement with collections, the Geography and Map Division has shepherded a machine learning pilot project to unearth the LC’s cartographic hidden gems. Learn how the LC is working to make 1 million records, with minimal level description in the form of handwritten folder labels, available for patrons to browse online and at their point of need. Join our speakers as they share the details of an experimental project to test and compare three widely used and economical handwritten text recognition (HTR) tools for converting the handwritten labels into machine-readable text. Three machine learning API services are described and compared, as well as potential implications for large-scale transformation of handwritten metadata into fully searchable, machine-readable text.

Natural language processing (NLP) is one of the fields in machine learning that has the ability of a computer to understand, analyze, manipulate, and potentially generate human language. It is widely used for machine translation, text simplification, sentiment analysis, and many language processing situations. With the power of NLP, researchers can analyze and extract useful information from digitized, word-based data, such as online library service chat transcripts. This case study is an experiment of applying NLP-related technologies for online chat transcripts analysis. In the library field, researchers can apply the findings in multiple aspects, such as building an auto-answering chatbot, improving virtual reference services management, and facilitating library instruction topics to address the frequently asked questions. In the future, there should be more data collected, such as in-person reference conversations, to help expand the research outcome.

Libraries adjust their services to support their patrons as soon as new or upgraded technologies are available. With the ubiquity of digital content produced in academic institutions, the need to implement and manage electronic (e) systems capable of providing easy access, long-term collection procedures, and preservation to these digital contents is inevitable. It is hard for small academic libraries, where there are two professional librarians or less, to provide and support such e systems. Hear how a librarian in a small college/university manages and provides access to some of its publicly available digital contents using affordable and open source systems.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Computers in Libraries 2023 Exhibition with tasty bites, drinks, and live music. Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibits offer visitors a choice of products in all aspects of library technology, including web-based products and services, integrated library and information systems, online services document delivery services and more.  

AI is increasingly being used by governments and organizations to make important decisions that have a major impact on our lives. In 10 years, most of those decisions will be made by artificial intelligence (AI). That requires a good understanding of what AI can do, how its algorithms are created, and what the consequences are. It also requires input from people themselves. In the Netherlands, it was decided not to develop AI for people but by and with them, or what is better known as human-centric AI, in which the well-being of people is central, not that of organizations or government; everyone should be involved. In the Netherlands, AI stands for “all inclusive” in line with UNICEF's Sustainable Development Goals. In order to enter into a conversation about AI with the entire population, the most accessible institution, the public library, was chosen. For more than a year, a large part of the population will be involved in a national debate on AI, the AI PARADE. This parade consists of a traveling circus that explains about the good and bad of AI through discussions, exhibitions, workshops, and a national AI course. This will be inspiring and challenging. The findings will be used by the government and organizations to develop a human AI policy for the Netherlands. Hear more about this journey from our popular digital pioneer, who has created the “best library in the Netherlands,” arranged many reading campaigns, and champions data collection.

Speaker:
Eppo van Nispen, Founder, Dok Library and Director, Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision

Digital equity in itself will not result in significant improvements in quality of life unless tightly linked by local leaders to corresponding efforts to dramatically improve educational and economic opportunity, health outcomes, and other key social impacts. Additionally, investments in digital equity initiatives in underserved communities without full integration of systemic solutions will not yield impactful change. What value are “cheap boxes and wires” for low-income learners, families, communities, and wage earners if these resources aren’t tied deliberately and thoughtfully to concurrent efforts to open up pathways to STEM and other living-wage careers? Librarians are perhaps the single most important profession of the digital age. Their training, expertise, and desire to serve as guides to all aspects of digital content and tools make them incomparable partners and leaders in a community’s efforts to make sure that all users’ most pressing needs for relevant, trustworthy information are met. Please join Dr. McLaughlin to learn how libraries can play a greater role in delivering and supporting a systemic approach to digital equity.

Sponsored by

Take a deep dive into the artificial parade with van Nispen. Just for Summit attendees. 

Let’s begin with a real challenge: emotional labour. Emotional labor (spelled in U.S., British and Canadian English) has been acknowledged and addressed for those in healthcare, education, and other roles that are people-intensive and often predominately female-dominated since the late 1970s. What has been frustrating is that the tactics for easing and managing this rather intangible labor have called for managers to better support employees and provide more autonomy and training. These are all quite valid for every employee. Managers and leaders at all levels are also employees. Who is supporting and training those in senior leadership roles? Let’s explore practical supports for you.

Candid conversations with Summit Sponsors including Computer in Libraries diamond sponsors EBSCO, Communico, and OCLC.

Now that we’ve addressed the supports leaders need emotionally, let’s look at the strategic challenges you face. As leaders, we’re expected to make decisions and help people craft solutions. Yet in the current context of exponential change and uncertainty, the decisions and solutions can’t always be based on past experiences. Asking powerful questions prompts us to reframe situations and connect what may seem to be unrelated concepts into the appropriate solution. Powerful questions lead to powerful thinking, strategies, and actions. So, what strategic questions should we be asking?

There is a deep interdependent relationship between library staff, services, and resources. The continually changing format and nature of these resources are challenging us on many fronts, including how we refer to them: Are they collections? Content? Information objects? Curated materials? We consider the factors, realities, and developments of digital, print, multimedia, open access, intellectual property, self-publishing, repositories, curating, pricing and financing, and ownership. Then we take a well-deserved break.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Computers in Libraries 2023 Exhibition with tasty bites, drinks, and live music. Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibits offer visitors a choice of products in all aspects of library technology, including web-based products and services, integrated library and information systems, online services document delivery services and more.  

ChatGPT and other similar large language models have captured the imagination. Our news is flooded with developers curating these models to more closely represent historical figures and/or experts on topic areas. And the news is not always so good. This talk explores the role of librarians in the age of AI. Who better than librarians to trust to determine which datasets, which books, and which speeches to use to train the ontologies that power our AI? Let our expert gamer, techie, and AI specialist paint the picture of possible futures.

Hear how libraries are engaging with their communities using new and exciting technology.  Whether it’s a town or region or an educational campus, libraries are finding innovative ways to connect with their customers, users, and students. Get ideas to try in your community.

Sponsored by

In 2022, the Colorado Library Consortium migrated 22 Colorado Department of Corrections libraries onto Koha and Aspen Discovery. During the migration process, it became clear that there is no ILS designed to the unique needs of a prison library environment. Utilizing open source software, adapting, and developing have been key to finding solutions to the type of dilemmas that are not found in any other kind of library. Despite the unique circumstances of these libraries, this group of patrons is deserving of a well-functioning library, and open source solutions are aiding in that aim. Using this technology to solve these problems has applications well beyond prison walls.

Darien Library launched a new catalog (catalog.darienlibrary.org) using ByWater Solution's Aspen Discovery in 2022. The library was able to completely overhaul and customize the default appearance using CSS and JavaScript to allow the discovery layer to more seamlessly integrate into its website. These changes are easy to implement for anyone who understands the basics of CSS. The session breaks down the changes made, the user experience considerations, how user testing was done, and some behind-the-scenes tweaks that were done to make a more holistic experience for staff and patrons alike.

In this popular CIL event, Breeding relates the latest events and trends in the library technology industry. He authors the annual Library Systems Report, published in American Libraries, which covers strategic technology products used by libraries and the vendors that develop and support them. Following the rounds of consolidation in recent years, technology products and strategies have evolved according to new priorities. Open source products are well-established and continue to have a major impact on the industry. Breeding shares a preview of the industry trends and events covered in the latest Library Systems Report to be published in May 2023.

Get top tips and a framework based in design thinking with best practices of emerging technology and library practice. Our author and experienced practitioner shares simple but powerful tools that can help libraries navigate the rapidly changing tech landscape. Illustrated with real-word examples of success and failure from across academic, public, and special library types, you get lots of valuable insights to take home and practice in your community.

Although ILS implementations vary from vendor to vendor, at their core, all ILSs provide the same suite of functionality: an acquisitions module for ordering materials, cataloging tools for describing a library’s physical and electronic holdings, circulation functions for loaning materials to patrons, and a web interface that patrons can use to browse a library’s collection. Get top tips for optimizing your ILS by creating good documentation, optimizing staff workflows, and reviewing key system settings as well as techniques for building a strong relationship with your ILS vendor.

Public library buildings have sturdy reputations as places to learn, explore, and be entertained. Public library websites, conversely, may be seen as limited, outdated, or counterintuitive. Our UX specialist has seen many libraries try to fix their confusing or underwhelming online experience with features and functions when they should instead start by analyzing their content. She has developed a “content-forward” approach to website (re)design that helps libraries focus on the qualities that matter most for their unique goals and operations. Learn the recipe for that “secret sauce” and see how the right content mindset can drastically improve your library website as well as how to multiply this success with actionable ways to increase inclusivity. This session is filled with tips and tools you can start using today, no matter the age or state of your current website.

In 2019, the U.S. Air Force Academy, McDermott Library, did a comparison of library website usage data with other service academy libraries and discovered the McDermott library homepage was severely underutilized. The academy conducted a research study in 2020 that explored why usage was so low by collecting open ended feedback, confirming with data what user experience problems existed to inform better design updates, and comparing different library websites in a task-driven user experience observation study to determine which design features work with its undergraduate student body. In 2021, the academy utilized the study’s findings to initiate two parallel changes: launch a major homepage and navigation redesign using Springshare’s LibGuides as a mobile-friendly framework that replaced the on-site catalog and user account-focused homepage with a dedicated portal to e-resources, library guides, and services; embedded tools to contact subject-specialist librarians; and ramped up outreach of library orientation instruction for incoming student orientation and embedding library instruction in core course classrooms. In 2022, the same tasks from 2020 were used to provide metric changes in task success and failure rates as well as speed of completion, essentially a measure of intuitiveness of the design changes. This had some interesting results, which our speaker shares: successful design changes with the library community, analysis and resolution of pathfinding behavior, value of intermediary explanatory text, importance of consistent navigation, and the impact of library instruction. Get lots of tips and lessons learned.

Have you wondered if your library's website needs some work? How do you decide that, without being subjective? How do you know what to measure, or how to measure it? There are many current standards for content, images, navigation, usability, and more that can be readily applied to your website, allowing for a more objective analysis of what you currently have. A website audit can provide a valuable framework, especially before beginning a full or even partial redesign of your library's site. Learn about data-based principles that can guide your future work and discover some tools that can provide concrete specifics for elements that may need attention.

The University of Central Florida (UCF) recently migrated to a new discovery service that has an unfamiliar user interface and different back-end and admin capabilities. Along with opportunities to improve old shortcomings in the discovery journey came a slew of new challenges and stumbling blocks. Despite months of preparation by the consortia and by our own library, at go-live we observed that aspects of the implementation caused confusion and problems for all users—students, faculty, and librarians! We needed to act quickly to refine the configuration to better serve UCF’s users and better fit UCF’s philosophy on content discovery. How better to rethink and redesign than through collaborative usability studies? Hear how the team collaboratively developed and quickly conducted a study to test the usability of key points on the user journey to library content. Technical services librarians administer the configuration of the discovery service, but the day-to-day, hands-on experience with users and instruction lies with public services. By partnering together to design and conduct usability studies, we incorporated direct engagement by users, technical expertise, and broad knowledge of user needs and behaviors. Insights from the study informed several immediate improvements in the discovery system, signage changes, and more rapid-fire usability studies. The team members continue to collaborate for ongoing improvements to the discovery experience and more studies and this session shares the study processes, findings, some specific changes that were made (and why), and user responses to the changes. Get lots of ideas on how to quickly conduct your own study to gain user feedback in a collaborative process.

Having an understanding of both cognitive disabilities and the user experience will help you to develop virtual content that is both accessible and easy to use for people who interact with it. When it comes to accessibility, cognitive disabilities are often overlooked and hard to address because of the challenges of creating content that meets people’s needs. Patterson discusses the challenges that people with cognitive disabilities have when reading content online and its relationship to user experience principles. He shares information to help improve the user experience for everyone, regardless of their challenges.

On Sept. 1, 2021, an EF2 tornado ripped through Upper Dublin Township, Pa., leaving devastation in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Overnight, the priorities for library staff shifted from delivering library services to offering solace and support to the township staff and community in their recovery. The library promptly responded to the necessary relocation of the Upper Dublin Police Department, who converted a mothballed 8,000 square feet of the library into a long-term temporary police station. All scheduled meetings of the Township Boards and Commissions were relocated to library meetings spaces, in effect, aligning the UDPL with the work of local government for the foreseeable future. The library also proactively responded to community needs, developing and hosting a series of support group meetings with area clinicians for those affected or displaced by the storm and holding a children’s book giveaway to restock personal and public school bookshelves. While adapting to these sudden changes was in no way easy, a year later, we are seeing unexpected and lasting benefits to both the library and the community. Explore the lessons learned during the days and months after a disaster and get a model to help establish community relationships before tragedy strikes your community. While the library may not be the first emergency agency people think of when it comes to disaster response, a library’s existing relationships with both members of the community and municipal agencies make it uniquely positioned to facilitate disaster relief. Get tips and insights for preparing your community.

With sponsorship from OCLC, our speakers have created a game/demo that should spark ideas for the library community!  See how librarians can choose datasets to train their own bots for a singular purpose, e.g., gardening expert, online dating coach, sustainable energy, campus instruction, or research, etc. This experiential (and experimental) demo introduces attendees to the pivotal role librarians have as the trusted curators of worldviews represented in AI models. Through play, speakers highlight the realm of the possibility using a next-generation conversational AI powered by Ontological Natural Language Processing. Get the basics, then see more at the OCLC booth in the exhibit hall.

There may be an app for everything, but how many apps do people really use on a regular basis? With so much competition for attention, how can the library stay top of mind? Learn how libraries can stand out to build a connected and engaged patron base using their mobile app. Speakers share mobile app trends, how they keep the library top of mind, even when patrons are on the go, ways to build their audience and promote the app, and how they use the app at their library.

Our presenters from the U.S. and Denmark share, easy hands-on tips on how to get started in your library with community sustainability and maintain its focus. Filled with lots of ideas and practical examples to take back to your community, as well as projects and resources that IFLA and library associations have created will definitely inspire attendees. What we all do makes a difference, so our libraries can certainly foster awareness and a better environment for our communities.

Hear how this librarian spearheaded Princeton's Personal Librarian Program in 2017 and leveraged technology to strengthen and grow the program. Welber talks through the program's genesis, addresses the pitfalls encountered along the way, and reveals the solutions that led to its huge success among Princeton’s undergraduates. She also shares some exciting refinements and expansions to this robust outreach, including a subset of the program focusing on student athletes (requested by Princeton’s Academic-Athletic Affairs Department) and wildly successful "anti-procrastination" events. Get lots of concrete tips and ideas.

While augmented reality (AR) can often feel like a thing of the far-future, the technology has experienced incredible growth over the last few years. As AR becomes widely available, what are the practical uses within a library setting? Our speaker explores its impact on collections, programs, and services.

From user research, to strategy, to getting support and fund raising, to making it happen, the team at this Rochester university found a way to create a collaborative and innovative space for the many extended reality (XR) researchers on their campus. Hear their story, get insights and ideas, and see what might be possible in your community.

Extended reality (XR) includes AR and VR (augmented and virtual reality) technologies that are leaping ahead in every industry, especially in a world riddled by health and other crises. Libraries are taking advantage of the wave in a big way. Hear the latest about the technology and what's on the horizon. Learn about the types of programs being offered in libraries and be inspired by our innovative and imaginative speaker.

This session addresses the importance of digital literacy within our libraries and the communities we serve. Speakers will discuss the importance of getting tech gadgets into the hands of underserved, underrepresented, and marginalized communities in order to help bridge the technology gap. Emerging and leading-edge technologies allow us to engage with and bring greater value to our communities. When users develop knowledge, competencies, and confidence in these areas, more educational and professional opportunities become available. Investing in digital literacy promises sustainable, long-term impacts for our staff and patrons, and enriches technological engagement for all our communities. Join us to see how this library is engaging its community by developing regional technology access and providing training for library staff to better plan, program, and support our growing community.

Join our panel of practitioners and thought leaders for the latest XR experiments and predictions of what's to come in the future!

Our inspiring librarian shares his experiences moving from the super creative world of youth services in libraries to the still creative but not the same kind of creative world of leading a library. He discusses the pros and cons of moving into leadership and managing teams and how to use your creativity to engage your team and community.

Hear about our speakers’ adventures in teaching young ladies a variety of computer-related technologies. Through a program called TechGirlz, they have been running workshops designed to inspire the next generation of young women to get and stay interested in STEM, to help bridge the gender gap that exists in these fields today. They show off how they were able to incorporate into the TechGirlz workshops the latest Microsoft technologies such as Office 365, Kodu, Visual Studio Code, Power Apps, and Teams, so that these young ladies would not only be learning technology, but gaining current, relevant, and valuable skills.

Library associations are no longer the strong networking and community-building organizations they once were, so how do we develop the skills, find new solutions for our challenges, and locate jobs now? This session looks creative ways for building relationships and communities, developing next-level skills, and identifying new roles and positions.

Technology skills assessments are tools used by supervisors and managers to gauge competency in key subject matter areas. These assessments can be powerful tools for identifying common skills gaps, allowing libraries to make objective decisions on how best to close those gaps. These gaps are often related to proficiencies in areas with large impact, such as cybersecurity and cloud computing, so by utilizing technology skills assessments, libraries are able to take factual data into account when deciding how to best train their staffs. Speakers share their experience in conducting pre-training technology skills assessments for library staff in several libraries, identifying the common gaps of knowledge among staff members, providing free training and follow-up post-training technology skills assessments to ensure that staff increased their knowledge. Staff reported that they felt more comfortable helping patrons and students with their technology issues, and supervisors reported that they had more confidence in their staff’s ability to both use technology and assist patrons and students with their technology needs. Get sample technology skills, a list of resources for free technology training, and lessons learned using the assessments.

This session looks at the many aspects of learning and shares the experiences of a number of libraries and learning institutions. Get ideas to try in your community.

ChatGPT and other similar large language models have captured the imagination. Our news is flooded with developers curating these models to more closely represent historical figures and/or experts on topic areas. And the news is not always so good. This talk explores the role of librarians in the age of AI. Who better than librarians to trust to determine which datasets, which books, and which speeches to use to train the ontologies that power our AI? Let our expert gamer, techie, and AI specialist paint the picture of possible futures.

Speaker:
Phaedra Boinodiris, Principal Consultant Trustworthy AI, IBM

Hear how libraries are engaging with their communities using new and exciting technology.  Whether it’s a town or region or an educational campus, libraries are finding innovative ways to connect with their customers, users, and students. Get ideas to try in your community.

Sponsored by

Speaker:
Paul Quelch, CEO, Communico

Take a deep dive into the impact of AI for libraries with Boinodiris. Just for Summit attendees.

The word for the last couple of years was “pivot,” which makes some people now gag. To a great extent the library sector did not have the digital strategies that had been discussed for years before the pandemic. What trends and low signals should we be watching, and what strategies should we have in place for next time? Because there will be a next time. Let’s take a hard look and consider some hard questions.

With more than 65% of most library and information department budgets invested in people, libraries truly are people organizations. This discussion addresses the issues confronting library staffing, particularly recruiting and retaining talent, as well as the incredible opportunities for people in the sector. What is the right balance of competency, capacity, and capabilities for today and the near future?

Disruption “for good” was part of the early credo of digital innovation. But in today’s context we need to re-evaluate our feelings and our basic understanding of digitality, disruption, and the tension between change and continuity in our libraries and communities. Disruption is impacting the sector in forms we did not anticipate (book bans; anti-library activism; infowars; and in museums, young climate protesters are defacing cultural treasures to put a spotlight on societal inaction). Edson, a passionate practitioner in the museum and tech industries, shares models and insights to consider as we think through and clarify how to move our organizations forward, with flexibility and resiliency, in challenging times.

What has resonated in the Summit discussions, and what is troubling? Let’s document our individual and college key outcomes and next steps to ensure we recoup our Summit investment.

Highlighting community activities, engaging and supporting citizen historians, supporting the teaching and understanding of local history, and working with local museums and archivists are all part of this library’s role in its community. Get tips and ideas from this talk.

The last few years have created muddy waters for program and event organizers.  Which type of event works better? Live, online, or hybrid? How do you decide? Join our experienced guide for a short program on how you can have your chocolate (live), peanut butter (online) or combo (hybrid) program with minimal stress and maximum impact. Get lots of tips and ideas!

We have all seen examples of bad artificial intelligence—nonsensical prose and weirdly distorted faces—but ChatGPT is one free AI platform that has real-world applications for librarians and search professionals. Bates shares what kinds of ChatGPT queries can provide useful support in your search process.

Twitter has been around for 16 years, and our speaker has been working with it for almost that long.  Hear his thoughts and recommendations about the future for this social media platform.

This cybertour shares a game demo that libraries could use in their digital platforms.  Hear more and get ideas for the future!

The Valencia County Archival Collaborative (VCAC) is a grant-funded collaborative initiative among six libraries and museums across Valencia County which are interested in preserving and connecting the historical records of the many diverse cultures and histories of our residents. Relationships with community researchers, historians, and families across central New Mexico have enabled them to promote a participatory historical experience. Get tips to use in your community and hear their plans for a digital space to highlight the individual collections, and more.

Google says it’s been carbon-neutral since 2007 and plans to run on carbon-free energy at all of its data centers by 2030. Newer web search engines, such as Ecosia and Ekoru, reward searchers by contributing to ecological, charitable initiatives. Commercial database producers, including Clarivate and Springer, trumpet their support of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Hear how search, both free and paid, is becoming more sustainable and how this relates to the sustainability of library research.

Are chatbots run by AI revolutionizing our world?  What does it mean for libraries? Join the vibrant discussion of the last few months, hear about experiments with this app, and more.

The landscape of social media is ever-changing, especially among teens who often are on the leading edge of this space. A recent Pew Research Center survey of American teenagers 13–17 finds TikTok has rocketed in popularity since its North American debut several years ago and now is a top social media platform for teens among the platforms covered in this survey. Some 67% of teens say they use TikTok, with 16% saying they use it almost constantly. Meanwhile, the share of teens who say they use Facebook, a dominant social media platform among teens in the Center's 2014–15 survey, has plummeted from 71% then to 32% today. YouTube tops the 2022 teen online landscape among the platforms, as it is used by 95% of teens. TikTok's 67% is followed by Instagram and Snapchat, which are both used by about 6 in 10 teens. After those platforms come Facebook, with 32% and smaller shares who use Twitter, Twitch, WhatsApp, Reddit, and Tumblr. Our popular and entertaining speaker uses Pew research to look at how libraries can continue to engage their communities with continually changing technology and platforms.

This session looks at where libraries and information professionals might go in the future as our world changes, with more digital collections, resources, and platforms; evolving community needs; and more. It looks at how libraries are inseparable from computing and are everywhere in the tech world; for example, how many people are using TikTok as their “library” for recipes? A single TikTok account can act as an infinitely scaling recipe book, where TikTok users can dog-ear pages by saving content to different collections. Our food industry pro and trained librarian shares how information is changing the way we think about food, where/how we spend our money, and how our libraries can approach food issues in our communities. In addition, Romaniuk looks at the latest happenings in the tech sector, speculates on where things might go next, and discusses how libraries can take advantage of the coming trends. Get lots of tips on how to generate groundbreaking ideas for your community, prioritize which ones to go after, and bring them to life.

Prior to COVID-19, the library and Campus Technology Support Services were working together to test using the library management system (LMS; used to manage asset circulation and cataloging; as well as membership management) to better track radios, phones, and other low-value portable items issued to staff members. With the arrival of the pandemic, we were tasked with making ready more than 50 laptops that could immediately be checked out to faculty, staff, and students. Shortly into this process, inventory control from our parent institution implemented specific requirements regarding inventory of laptops. This compelled us, along with our local campus inventory control staff, to develop an additional process to satisfy them. Since then, the library has been asked to make ready for checkout an additional 350 laptops and eight monitors, as well as many keyboards, mice, styluses, docking stations, audio/visual equipment for the digital arts classes, and pottery wheels for various pottery classes. This session shares some of the more challenging aspects of using an LMS for inventory control of items that are not traditionally found in a library setting and discusses the unexpected partnerships that arose from this new service.

Measuring effectiveness has always been a challenge for libraries, and medical librarians have some history of tackling the key question: What is the impact of medical librarians on evidence-informed medicine? We know that clinical outcomes are informed by library resources. The Rochester study from 2013 (Marshall et al.) surveyed 16,000 physicians, nurses, and residents, with 75% reporting that they “definitely” or “probably” handled patient care differently as a result of using library resources. The healthcare professionals used library resources—ranging from accessing one article to using the library website to consulting with a librarian—to search for information on a specific clinical case. This landmark research—repeated from earlier research conducted in 1992 by Marshall et al.—is incredibly important to demonstrate the value of hospital libraries. Richardson wants to focus on the impact of librarians. Some research on embedded clinical medical librarians has already been undertaken, but this research project is still evolving. Join the discussion and get ideas for similar studies or how to collaborate with this one!

Our boundaries are the limits we set on what we’ll tolerate and not tolerate. As Jayne Hardy advises in Making Space, healthy boundaries we set at work, socially, and in relationships all create space in which we can feel safe and confident in who we are and what we want. Boundaries aren’t selfish. In fact, clear, communicated boundaries are kind to others and to ourselves. Come talk with us about how we’ve each established boundaries in our very different lives, how we’ve revised those boundaries as our worlds and the intersection of different worlds evolve, and what we’ve learned about keeping boundaries in ways that generate a sense of well-being, belonging, and confidence in ourselves and others.

Change is inevitable, yet it is one of the most difficult things to readily accept. Understanding the stages of change and reactions associated with those stages will assist leadership, colleagues, and public interactions to embrace change rather than dread it. The COVID pandemic changed our lives drastically, and adjusting to this new world has been difficult for many. Remote work technologies were thrown at us, and we adjusted quickly because of need, not because of want. Post-pandemic work scenarios have made many workers not want to return to face-to-face interaction, as virtual interaction has become increasingly accepted as the norm. Wolford discusses various change management principles, understanding generational difference, various modes of communication, and simple exercises and tools to assist those working through change. Post-pandemic issues related to change are discussed, as well as ways to support the acceptance of change and motivate all involved to reach successful project outcomes.

Learn about the collaborative efforts of the library and curriculum teams at an entirely online university. Hear about the trials and tribulations to first prove library ROI through resource use analysis, survey data, and other sources. Then find out the library invested in the idea of being a strategic asset to the university, with the curriculum development team as the most obvious place to accomplish this. The library team leveraged the university’s curriculum model in order to create a workflow that has saved thousands in textbook costs for students and the university and increased the library’s reputation as a reliable, valuable source at the university.

While some libraries might be tempted to spend resources on developing a presence at Like Second Life, there are practical and ethical reasons why we should avoid it. Get the latest insights here.

Is Mastodon viable? Will it replace Twitter? Will it be useful to libraries and communities? Get the facts, possible applications, lessons learned from experienced users, and more. Join the discussion and see if this app is for your community.

As librarians and educators, we all want to cultivate and grow the innovators and change-makers of the future. Change the World campaigns tend to drip with optimism, represented by a tiny world cradled in a child’s hand. The truth is that real, lasting change can be slow. Backslides happen. Real change is messy. True innovators face-plant hard, then get up and try again a little differently. Sweet discusses The Meaningful Impact Hub, a portal she developed to help people live a meaningful life. Here, innovation and change centers on identifying what you want to change and how: connecting with the organizations already collectively making a difference, improving your technology and innovation toolbox to learn the levers for change, and getting your mind right to tackle a hard journey. Libraries can help people explore opportunities, experiment with tech, grow as human beings, and connect with people who can help. Get lessons learned and lots of ideas to share with your community.

OCLC’s Reimagine Descriptive Workflows project, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, explores inclusive and reparative metadata efforts to improve descriptive practices, tools, infrastructure, and workflows in libraries and archives. Our speaker shares her insights on the framework of guidance and how it can help contextualize institutions’ local priorities and areas for change, including illustrative examples to inspire work. Learn more about how you can be a catalyst for change in this important area for libraries.

Not just a buzz phrase, data science is rapidly becoming a critical operational component in our work as information professionals. Cervone explores some of the fundamental concepts of data science and looks at what resources are of most value both to you and your user community.

Working with chief data officers to implement a data catalog, establishing data governance processes, and developing programs for data literacy while engaging data stewards, users, and owners in the process are definitely new activities for enterprise librarians. Hear how our speakers are using their skills in the broader field of data management.

Hear from the SharePoint intern for Smithsonian Institution’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, who created an interactive organization chart in SharePoint so users can find information on all the Smithsonian units in one place. She goes in depth on using SharePoint web parts, HTML/CSS, and JavaScript to create an image map with modals to display each unit’s information and the obstacles she faced with the customizations.

There is definitely a substantial emotional burden for leaders in any field today. In a recent article, Harvard Business Review authors outline practical strategies for those in management and for organizations: 1) Recognize emotional labor as labor; 2) promote self-compassion from the top down; 3) provide training on handling others' emotions; and 4) create peer support groups. As the adage goes and the research proves, it's lonely at the top. By recognizing emotional labor and providing training and support, organizations can help leaders effectively handle this essential but often overlooked requirement of their role. Hear what our library leaders have to say on this topic and get some ideas to take home.

Stakeholder management is tough and, unfortunately, it's not one size fits all. The goal of this session is to provide insight into who stakeholders are and how to identify them based on your project. From there, Camacho dives into why this is important to all organizations (especially libraries, which typically have a lot of folks involved), how to identify the needs and expectations of different stakeholders, and the tactics that are available to manage said stakeholders. She discusses the approach, tactics and examples used based on varying stakeholder sizes for library projects that lead to the satisfaction of people with varying degrees of interest in the project. Lots of real-world examples of success in library projects are shared.

The “Cybrarium” opened in Homestead, Fla., in 2022 with a collection of books for all ages, a stage for presentations and study rooms for the public but it had one thing that was the first of its kind in public libraries - a dedicated room and equipment for 10 virtual reality (VR) stations. These stations have sparked imagination, along with a flood of people who visited the library just for the modern equipment. VR works together with creative architectural design and complementary technologies to inspire innovation in the community. Features, such as the two-story “Book Mountain,” augmented reality (AR) murals, and interactive touchscreens throughout the building, offer a unified approach to merging technology and space in libraries. Hear more about the Cybrarium project from conception to execution with a focus on how to establish virtual reality as full-time service in libraries. Additional advice on the creative use of consumer technologies highlights how high- and low-cost equipment can work together to build an inviting, technology-focused space. Learn how to establish a scalable VR service with recommendations for hardware and software that incorporate VR with traditional library programs, such as STEM workshops, use touchscreen technology for public use in a library setting, and encourage innovative library spaces with a technology-first mindset.

From Chattanooga Public Library as his first creative library in 2013 to 2 years working in New Zealand, Hoenke has come to learn that all areas of library service in the 21st century need creative thinkers and doers to continue to push the boundaries of what a library can be to a community ahead. Learn how to connect with, hire, and manage creative types; realize that everything we do in libraries these days involves some form of creativity or makerspace-type thinking (scissors=makerspace); see what it's like to lead the first ever makerspace in Wellington, New Zealand, and more!

Webb’s research delves into the different models for library creative spaces, which include data visualization labs, digital humanities labs, makerspaces, media labs, and knowledge markets, but focuses primarily on academic libraries. These labs are spaces for students and professors to receive assistance from trained librarians and IT experts in the use of digital research tools, software, hardware, and emerging methodologies. Webb discusses what makes a lab a lab, how to frame the lab as a studio space for active creation of new content, scholarly output, and research, as well as new trends that are happening now. Get tips for building a lab within your library along with examples of proven engagement strategies and concrete suggestions on how to build an audience of researchers.

Makerspaces are now regularly found in libraries of nearly every kind. These spaces provide access to equipment and resources our patrons may have never had previous exposure to. While this is what makes the whole thing exciting and worthwhile, it can present challenges in providing sufficient training, both to staff and users. This training is important not only to ensure safety, but also to help create a sense of self-efficacy in our community. These challenges only increase as the number of users grow. The makerspace team at the DeLaMare Science & Engineering Library addressed this challenge by utilizing the existing learning management system (Canvas) to develop a flipped learning experience where future makers engage with online training prior to accessing the physical space. Efforts have been made to ensure the training is as engaging as possible while providing all essential information, as well as maintaining full web accessibility. The program, first launched with student employees, has resulted in more consistent knowledge transfer and quicker onboarding. It has now been rolled out to the general makerspace population.

Makerspaces are in a continuous state of evolution and do not have to be challenging or expensive, so think about meeting your population at a starting point and creating a rewarding experience together. Get tips and lessons learned from our experienced librarian, who is all about customer engagement. Following the opening of a new makerspace/creative space, hear the library’s plans for how to manage and market it.

This session discusses how to encourage library staff to really embody the policies of security and privacy in their library (and how to get those in place if your library doesn't have them). Get lots of tips and insights from our experienced speaker.

Hear the results of a focus group study conducted as part of the National Forum for Privacy Protections in Public Libraries funded by the IMLS National Leadership Grant (IMLS-NLG) program. The focus group study consisted of interviews with 33 IT professionals working with public libraries, conducted in smaller groups during 10 virtual sessions between June and July 2021. Results reveal that library staff often struggle with the conflict between providing customer service and protecting patrons’ privacy. Other challenges reported indicated that library employees lack technical knowledge and that they do not receive training or have access to privacy-enhancing technologies and services. Also get preliminary results of another pilot study conducted in collaboration with Marshall Breeding, the founder of Library Technology Guides, which examined privacy and security vulnerabilities in public libraries’ websites. Initial findings indicated numerous libraries are not adopting standard security/privacy practices. For example, more than 1,000 U.S. public libraries are using social media platforms such as Facebook as their main online presence, rather than managing their own websites. Our speaker also discusses future research directions such as creating automated tools that can assist library employees in implementing up-to-date technical/policy strategies to preserve patron privacy

Given the rapid increase in cyberthreats and new governmental requirements related to ensuring the privacy and integrity of many types of information, all organizations need to have plans in place to react to security and privacy issues. Learn what planning you need to do to put together a security program for your information organization as well as what protections you must put into place to address legal requirements related to privacy.

In order to promote accessibility within the Library of Congress, the accessibility team provides internal outreach and training. The team launched a new initiative in October 2022. This year-long program centers on a single theme as a way of encouraging staff engagement and conversations around the topic. This year’s theme is the Year of Keyboard Accessibility. which includes these topics: why supporting keyboard accessibility is a foundational part of overall accessibility; the importance of focus indicators and page order; how to plan, design, build, and test for keyboard accessibility, and how assistive technologies rely on the keyboard focus. From October 2022 to September 2023, the team is holding fun activities and competitions to get people thinking about keyboard accessibility; promoting tips and success stories in internal publications; updating and creating new resources around keyboard accessibility; and providing training to improve staff skills in this area. Speakers share the details of this effort to allow other organizations to host a similar activity.

Twenty-three years after the campus library building was completed, a local bond made funds available to replace the original thread-bare and worn-out carpet in the 10,000-square-foot facility. Since everything was going to have to be moved, staff members were able to systematically replace, reorganize, and re-envision spaces, processes, and collections. During the project, they incorporated the reference collection into the regular stacks and created a special collection for local legal resources, among other substantial changes. Old reference shelving was repurposed to create “cafe” seating areas throughout the library. By making longer stack ranges, they were able to create more open spaces for student seating. Planning consisted of everything from moving around scale model pieces of paper representing stacks and furniture to moving around actual stacks and furniture to see how it looked. It was an extremely tedious, iterative, and exhausting process. In the years since the completion of this project, staff have continued to change spaces and needs as circumstances (COVID) occur. This session shares lessons learned on the project, its planning and implementation, and what’s been done since its completion.

What is Mastodon?  Should libraries and their communities care? Is it viable? Will it replace Twitter? Get an understanding, look at possible applications, and see if this app is right for your community.

Keeping up-to-date with technology requires your library team to be current with technology skills, aware of current trends, and prepared for the technology challenges that libraries face. To stay in touch with an ever-expanding universe of technology and tools, a good approach to this process is having a clear strategy. Evaluate the needs of the library community, communicate with your library staff, evaluate tools, and share them with everyone to determine if the tool is right for your library. Get tips from our long time IT director.

Our experienced librarian and consultant shares case studies about how a city, a religious community, and a retail founder’s estate have used connections and partnerships with universities and other institutions to organize and plan to provide digital access to their historical origins. Get tips and ideas from his experiences.

Our industry watcher shares the technologies, library applications, and innovations that she is tracking. Get ideas to apply within your library and community.