With AI and misinformation at the top of our minds this year, 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, including searchbots, 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.

This half-day workshop guides participants through the strategies related to retaining or replacing their core resource management systems and discovery services. Migrating to a new system represents a massive undertaking for a library as well as a substantial financial investment. The workshop discusses current issues and trends related to products and vendors, aligning the library's technology systems with its strategic priorities, setting reasonable expectations for the benefits of a new system. and the efforts involved in migration. It is guided by the scenarios and topics raised by workshop participants and focuses on what you need to know now.

While AI holds tremendous potential for libraries, it also comes with significant concerns and the potential for harm. We find ourselves sailing uncertain waters; there are few guardrails governing AI's use. Even as we acknowledge this truth, we must also note that library staff are already experimenting with the use of AI chatbots (most commonly ChatGPT), generative AI design tools (like Midjourney), and other variations of AI technology. In short, we have great potential, pitfalls, and a total lack of clarity. It is only through the thoughtful development of policy, procedure, and professionals that we can hope to articulate a vision for the ethical use of AI in our libraries. Join this conversation about new disruptive technology, take a deep breath, and get to work laying a foundation of policy guidelines and staff development to navigate the uncertain road ahead.

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 librarian 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.

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 few years have 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 within their communities, and get ideas on how their library can respond to technology as it emerges.

This interactive and hands-on workshop allows you to play and experiment with new tools which will spark ideas for the future of your library and community activities. It focuses on OpenAI’s API and how to get started building personalities in AI. It explores various tools to create AI images, videos, and more. Filled with tips, it will definitely be fun!

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, especially the implications of AI. If you don’t have a security plan in place, are unsure of where to even start to make 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.

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.

Hospital libraries have been supplying their communities with services for many years, but things are definitely changing with AI, the speed of research and change, and more. Public libraries have been working on community strategies to keep their members healthy and forming partnerships to do so. Academic libraries need to consider not only the wellness of their staff but that of their campuses too. Join this interactive discussion workshop for ideas and inspiration to move your library and information service to the next level with respect to health and wellness.

The unprecedented uptake of ChatGPT has overshadowed the inclusion of AI in tools being employed by libraries and researchers each day. AI will soon impact every aspect of library work as well as the lifecycles of research and publication. This workshop addresses how AI tools can be adopted, from collection development and readers’ advisories, to online tutorials and social media posts. Incorporating AI into the work of libraries includes ways to encourage (and caution) others on how they might use AI in teaching and scholarly output. Participants are encouraged to bring their own devices: smartphones, pads, and laptops. Teams will assess an array of AI tools, comparing and contrasting several for each purpose/library activity, and identify “the best” in each category.

This year’s networking event focuses on STEAM programs for schools, libraries, and other community venues. It highlights tools, techniques, and lots of ideas for supporting hands-on practices to excite our learning communities. Keerthi Vijay, STEAM for Libraries Co-Founder, Team STEAM, and freshman at NYU Stern, and Amanda Sweet, technology innovation librarian, Nebraska Library Commission, join our leader, Brian Pichman, for a fun evening of bringing science to life and engaging kids at an early stage.

During the last 100 years, technology has changed our world. Within the next decade, it will transform our reality. We are entering a new technological age in which AI and immersive media will transform society at all levels, mediating our lives by altering what we see, hear, and experience. Powered by immersive eyewear and driven by interactive AI agents, this new age of computing has the potential to make our world a magical place where the boundaries between the real and the virtual, the human and the artificial, rapidly fade away. If managed well, this could unleash a new age of abundance. If managed poorly, this technological revolution could easily go astray, deeply compromising our privacy, autonomy, agency, and even our humanity. Hear what our early pioneer of virtual and augmented reality, technologist with more than 300 patents, and CEO of an AI company has to say about our future in the metaverse!

Floyd explores the evolution of BIBFRAME and FOLIO, the frameworks for organizing and sharing bibliographic data and an open standard that frees the library catalog and allows for the creation of enriched, connected resources. FOLIO is an open-source library services platform with a data model that is designed to work with both electronic and print resources to provide a path from traditional bibliographic tools into the future of BIBFRAME. Hear about the power of using FOLIO and BIBFRAME together to help libraries highlight and expose their collections to users on the open web and how EBSCO is reimagining library cataloging with BIBFRAME and the FOLIO library management system to do so.

Don’t miss one of our most popular sessions! 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.

From a fake news standpoint, AI is a game-changer. The widespread adoption of ChatGPT upped the ante for online databases and search engines and clarified what librarians and information professionals have known all along—we must remain hyper-vigilant about ensuring the veracity and quality of the information that we provide, while at the same time understanding how these tools work and how we can best use (or not use) them. You'll leave this session with a better understanding of the AI landscape; the role of AI in mis-, dis-, and malinformation; and strategies you can use to position yourself as the go-to expert in your organization, ready to advise on the use and misuse of AI.

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.

This session features two independent case studies occurring within the library at Queen’s University Belfast. The goal of both activities has been the exposure of research content—assisting online users to access content relevant to their research and free at the point of access. One project chose open source software; the second selected a subscription model. Speakers share the details for both, the considerations that led to these decisions, how the technical infrastructure for these activities shaped outcomes, and the implications. Hear about university research in the form of e-theses and datasets using an existing commercial repository current research information system called PURE (commercial/subscription model), in which the innate discoverability of this content improved through metadata enrichment, but also some content was restricted by the limitations and options set out by the system. Learn about the move to born-digital official publications, creating a bespoke open access repository using DSpace. Collaboration was central to the delivery of legal deposit requirements of libraries, under contract, from where records are shared through data to transform from DC to MARC. The sustainability is centered around in-house expertise and third-party cooperation, driven by research need and the public good, and all at no financial cost. Both case studies, both open access, reference metadata standards in a repository context. Speakers highlight recommendations beyond the specifics of these projects, drawing upon the sustainability of repositories, collaborative and cooperative endeavors, and, crucially, the education/careers of library staff and allied professionals who, increasingly, cannot escape metadata, but must find the means to be excited by it.

In today's digital age, libraries face new challenges in reaching their communities and engaging with patrons. With the majority of information-seeking happening online, it is crucial that libraries establish a strong digital presence on search engines. This session aims to equip librarians and information professionals with the knowledge and strategies to navigate the complex world of search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing to effectively showcase their libraries' resources and services to a wider audience. It explores the importance of search engines as gateways to knowledge and discoverability and delves into the key principles of SEO and its direct impact on driving traffic and enhancing visibility for libraries. From understanding the fundamentals of keyword research to optimizing website content, metadata, and page structure, it provides practical tips and techniques for librarians to establish a robust online presence. It discusses the role of user experience (UX) in search engine rankings and explores how libraries can create seamless and intuitive digital experiences that keep users engaged and coming back for more. It looks at the significance of mobile optimization, voice search, and emerging trends in search engine algorithms that librarians should be aware of to stay ahead of the curve. Attendees get a clear understanding of how to enhance their libraries' visibility on search engines, improve website traffic, and ultimately increase patron engagement. Whether you are a librarian, library administrator, or information professional, this session provides valuable insights and practical strategies to establish a compelling digital presence for your library in the virtual realm. Join us as we unlock the power of search engines and empower libraries to thrive in the digital age.

Join us as we celebrate the grand opening of the 2024 Computers in Libraries Exhibition.

Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibition offers 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.

Welber started Princeton University Library’s “Personal Librarian Program” in 2017, randomly pairing each undergraduate with a member of the library staff for all 4 years. The program, along with its associated in-person outreach events, has continued to increase in popularity among students and recently gained the notice of other campus partners. Two years ago, the dean of student services reached out to request a personal librarian for several athletic teams needing extra support. This proved so successful, the program has begun creating other “identity cohorts,” such as the Freshman Scholars Institute, which supports first-generation/low-income students. The library has found that assigning students a personal librarian in this way strengthens the efficacy of the program through connections among cohort members and their adult support system (mentors, leaders, coaches). This shift in emphasis has also strengthened the DEI aspect of the program, contributing to the culture of support and belonging that the library strives to provide. Welber explains the technical aspects of implementation and tips for making a program successful in your environment.

In this popular regular CIL event, Marshall Breeding relates the latest events and trends in the library technology industry. Breeding 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, the competitors seem set to solidify, and each is executing their vision of what technologies will help libraries succeed. Open source products have made incredible advances and fully participate in this competitive arena. This session gives a preview of the industry trends and events covered in the latest “Library Systems Report” to be published in May 2024. Come hear about the latest news on Clarivate, EBSCO, OCLC, SirsiDynix, and the other major forces producing library tech systems, and get a glimpse into the latest trends on linked data, BIBFRAME, and AI.

Myers discusses a custom online catalog developed for the Brooklyn Public Library. It includes a walk through the design/UX decisions and functionality unique to its online catalog, including FRBRized results, ebook integration, event integration, online resource integration, and the software's Progressive Web App capability (a web app that can be installed as a mobile app).

Does your library have limited tech support? Are you interested in building your knowledge of your library’s broadband and IT resources? Hear about the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit– a free, self-service guide to help libraries become better equipped to improve IT and broadband services and become a stronger advocate for your library's broadband infrastructure needs. The toolkit walks you through cataloging current library computer equipment, evaluating your broadband connection speed, starting advocacy and community support, and creating a funding plan. Attendees can conduct a speed test and learn how to create a wireless connectivity heat map. Research is supported by an Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded grant.

Authentication is crucial for ensuring electronic resources accessibility for patrons. This session provides valuable insights on transitioning to OpenAthens authentication and implementing OpenAthens in Alma, Canvas, and Springshare. Leffler also discusses Liberty University's challenges during onboarding and provides resources to address these issues to ensure a smooth transition process. Learn how to maintain a strong authentication system through OpenAthens and improve user experience while strengthening security measures.

Join us as we celebrate the grand opening of the 2024 Computers in Libraries Exhibition.

Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibition offers 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.

This session takes you on a journey as innovating Library of Congress staffers transformed the user experience and provided access to the library’s diverse collections through digital storytelling. In 2017, the Geography and Map Division launched a pilot project to increase access and user engagement with its collections and to increase awareness of its lesser-known “hidden treasures.” Learn how this imaginative project used new technology to create interactive digital stories and how its success led to its expansion into a library-wide program. Get highlights of the program from conception to widespread adoption, including its use by the library’s Poet Laureate. Hasier shares details of how the program started from the ground up, using widely available tools, and how they were able to create products that reflected the diverse nature of the national library’s collections.

Imagine that a person walks up to a library reference desk and asks, "How do I get a building permit?" I imagine the reference librarian would look up the answer and point the patron in the right direction. So, what is the difference if this question were to be asked virtually? The Napa County Library has developed a partnership with Napa County to support community members in connecting them to information and resources through managing the website's inline chat software. This session discusses the implementation and workflows to launch an online chat tool on the county website as well as the role this tool took on during declared disasters and the challenges experienced.

In 2013, the Daviess County Public Library partnered with a local filmmaker named PJ Starks to launch a film series called Unscripted: An Indie Film Experience. Each night of the event, short films are screened twice; once as-is, then again accompanied by the filmmakers giving a live commentary and answering audience questions. A film school component was added the second year that teamed patrons with filmmakers to produce two shorts and one feature-length anthology. Johnson shares how the series came together, making the film, and relaunching Unscripted after a 2-year break. King discusses recording studios, project studios, and video labs, which are popping up in libraries around the world. He explains the different types of recording spaces, shares examples of libraries that have them, and provides reasons why your library needs to offer multimedia creation spaces for your community.

Our speaker is fascinated by how people work together to do the impossible. It’s like a good underdog movie. Solve the climate crisis? We got this. Affordable housing? Yep, we have a plan. Poverty? It's getting better over time. Sweet has to be optimistic because reality would never encourage people to try the truly hard things in life. The truth is that all of these big, pressing problems require a dizzying complex ecosystem of organizations to address the problem. This session talks about how to map ecosystems, break down silos, and get people on the same page through community building and targeted resource sharing and then how to help them navigate those newly established ecosystems. It's not always easy. The world is messy, and people are even messier. But it is possible. Learn how the library can house the right resources to drive innovation and address those massive community problems that dangle precariously over our heads. Take a deep breath. We got this.

In 2020, we made a rushed transition to providing as many services virtually as possible, including our public computer classes. During the last several years, we have learned valuable lessons about what works and what doesn't with online education, how recorded classes differ from in-person ones, and how to draw eyes to our programs. This session discusses the equipment needed, staff time considerations, how to measure success, and matching the format with the topic. Get lessons learned from our speaker to apply in your library.

Join us as we celebrate the grand opening of the 2024 Computers in Libraries Exhibition.

Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibition offers 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.

Generative AI has seen incredible interest in the last year. This technology has become a key concern in education and research, with institutions at all levels struggling to adapt policies and practices. What are acceptable ways that students and researchers can make use of text and images produced through generative AI services? What is the impact of these technologies on discovery and online reference services offered by libraries? Will some types of library roles be made redundant through the automation now possible through AI? This session explores these pressing issues that have great potential to disrupt libraries.

In a time when the use of generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), is becoming increasingly more prominent among students and researchers, there is an ongoing discussion about how best to integrate and manage this technology on an institutional level. Early in 2023, there was limited information available about librarians' perspectives on these questions. As a company already developing AI for libraries, our speakers were motivated to better understand librarians' perspectives on generative AI to establish a more informed direction for our future development. This session shares information gathered from five workshops involving 52 librarians and information specialists from 21 different institutions across nine countries. The qualitative analysis of the feedback gathered in these workshops surfaced 24 unique themes. Learn about these findings as they hold broad relevance, not just for their own work but for the wider library community as well. Most of the themes expressed concerns about adopting generative AI technologies in library settings. These concerns ranged from ethical challenges like user data privacy and potential misuse due to illiteracy to practical issues such as system transparency and the environmental impact of large-scale AI operations. Notably, the data also revealed concerns about the potential drawbacks of not embracing AI technologies in libraries. Hear the valid arguments both for and against the adoption of generative AI in libraries, emphasizing how complex and dependent on specific circumstances these decisions can be.

Allow our speakers to introduce you to the Recommendation Station: Scan a book barcode, browse read-alikes, check local availability, and print shelf locations—from a touchscreen kiosk with a built-in barcode scanner and receipt printer. All in the guise of a fun fortune-telling book genie. Learn the motivation behind the project. Hear how Worthington Libraries leveraged the Novelist and Polaris APIs to build the software. Find out how it branded and promoted the new kiosks. Discover insights on how the new technology service has impacted the library.

Experimenting and learning from those experiments is definitely important in the new AI world. Here’s one example of a community effort, an AI poetry project, creative writing using ChatGPT. Our speaker collaborated with a professor, the current poet laureate of Kansas, and a local writer to use ChatGPT and generate some AI-written poetry. They wanted six poems, which included a sonnet, a sestina, and some Kansas prairie focused poems. It turned out to be more challenging than they anticipated. Hear the story of their progress, which culminated in a state-wide article, and get some great ideas for your community experiment.

In November 2022, OpenAI revolutionized AI with ChatGPT and its API, enabling global developers to create new projects. Zayed University Library in the UAE leveraged this to develop a custom library chatbot, with a prototype ready by February 2023. This project, detailed in a June 2023 journal article, became the first documented GPT-based chatbot for academic libraries. Utilizing Python, a vector database, and the LangChain framework, the bot draws on the university library's resources and external tools such as Google and Wikipedia to enhance user interactions. It supports multilingual responses, reduces AI hallucinations, and recently added voice features. This presentation discusses the bot's development, user survey results, and future plans, highlighting its potential to revolutionize library services with personalized, efficient support.

Join us as we celebrate the grand opening of the 2024 Computers in Libraries Exhibition.

Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibition offers 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.

Based on research by the Pew Research Center and Elon University, Raine shares predictions about the best and worst changes in digital life that will occur by 2025. The experts have deep concerns about the overall well-being of people and society. But they also expect great benefits in healthcare, scientific advances, and education. They were invited to make predictions about five areas of life, and many had both positive and negative insights about the impact of digital trends on human-centered development of digital tools and systems (AI), human rights, human knowledge, human health and well-being, human connections, governance, and institutions. Since Rainie understands libraries very well and has shared his perspectives over the years with our audience, his insights for preparing for the future are critical.

Hear from our worldwide traveler and active library association speaker, who has a pulse on the worldwide picture of libraries. She shares library innovations, challenges, potential partnerships, and more. Be inspired and get lots of ideas from this presentation.

Our speaker and author was a senior editor in The Boston Globe newsroom for 30 years and spent 3 years in science communications at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Her first book, ChemoBrain, was recognized as the consumer health book of the year, and her new book looks at news deserts and possible community solutions such as partnering with libraries. She is also co-chair of the Brookline. News steering committee and is working with Brookline residents to launch an independent, nonprofit news outlet covering all aspects of the community's 65,000 people on Boston's border. Get her insights in working in an information-intensive environment, weeding out fake news and finding reliable information, finding community and enterprise partners, opportunities for libraries, and more.

What are our library leaders thinking about the future? Boekesteijn interviewed many library leaders from around the world and Lankes shares their words and insights while facilitating discussion. Get ideas and inspiration from interviews shared by our worldwide travelers and amazing storytellers along with wonderful, forward-thinking library leaders including Lidewij Edelkoort, Trend forecaster, publisher, humanitarian, design educator and exhibition curator; Charlotte Grün, Ontwerper, (design) researcher en Creatief Strateeg Studio; Gene Tan, Chief Librarian & Chief Innovation Officer, National Library Board, Singapore; Sandra Hirsh, Associate Dean, Academics College of Professional and Global Education, San Jose State University; Jane Cowell, President Australian Library and Information Association; Nick Poole, Chief Executive of CILIP, UK. 

What are our library leaders thinking about the future? Boekesteijn interviewed many library leaders from around the world and Lankes shares their words and insights while facilitating discussion. Get ideas and inspiration from interviews shared by our worldwide travelers and amazing storytellers along with wonderful, forward-thinking library leaders including Lidewij Edelkoort, Trend forecaster, publisher, humanitarian, design educator and exhibition curator; Charlotte Grün, Ontwerper, (design) researcher en Creatief Strateeg Studio; Gene Tan, Chief Librarian & Chief Innovation Officer, National Library Board, Singapore; Sandra Hirsh, Associate Dean, Academics College of Professional and Global Education, San Jose State University; Jane Cowell, President Australian Library and Information Association; Nick Poole, Chief Executive of CILIP, UK.

Join us as we celebrate the grand opening of the 2024 Computers in Libraries Exhibition.

Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibition offers 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.

During the last 100 years, technology has changed our world. Within the next decade, it will transform our reality. We are entering a new technological age in which AI and immersive media will transform society at all levels, mediating our lives by altering what we see, hear, and experience. Powered by immersive eyewear and driven by interactive AI agents, this new age of computing has the potential to make our world a magical place where the boundaries between the real and the virtual, the human and the artificial, rapidly fade away. If managed well, this could unleash a new age of abundance. If managed poorly, this technological revolution could easily go astray, deeply compromising our privacy, autonomy, agency, and even our humanity. Hear what our early pioneer of virtual and augmented reality, technologist with more than 300 patents, and CEO of an AI company has to say about our future in the metaverse!

Speaker:
Louis Rosenberg, CEO, Unanimous.AI and Author, Our Next Reality: How the AI-Powered Metaverse Will Reshape the World

Floyd explores the evolution of BIBFRAME and FOLIO, the frameworks for organizing and sharing bibliographic data and an open standard that frees the library catalog and allows for the creation of enriched, connected resources. FOLIO is an open-source library services platform with a data model that is designed to work with both electronic and print resources to provide a path from traditional bibliographic tools into the future of BIBFRAME. Hear about the power of using FOLIO and BIBFRAME together to help libraries highlight and expose their collections to users on the open web and how EBSCO is reimagining library cataloging with BIBFRAME and the FOLIO library management system to do so.

Speaker:
Chappy Floyd, VP, SaaS Innovation, Corporations & Government, EBSCO

Adaptive leadership is vital in today's world, where change is constant and challenges are complex. It offers a practical and principled approach to leading and driving adaptation, innovation, and resilience in organizations and communities. It is an approach that emphasizes collaboration, empathy, and a commitment to learning and growth. We kick off the summit by diving into why adaptive leadership is a useful framework and what principles it builds on. Discussion includes the use of worksheets to help develop your skills as an adaptive leader who is able to take people outside their comfort zones and assess and address the toughest challenges.

What is your most crucial current leadership consideration? Or should we do partnerships?

To what questions (or problems) in your community is the library the answer? As the world and our various communities—campuses, municipalities, hospitals, schools, corporate and nonprofit enterprises, governments, and more—spin with change, what issues and trends do we see? What will be the right way to respond to these shifts for us, our libraries, and information and knowledge programs? We learn from each other and find similarities and differences across the different types of libraries and initiatives that we represent.

Libraries and information professionals have a tradition for meaningful partnerships with other organizations, community groups, associations, internal departments, specialists, and more. In this discussion, we explore good examples and inspire each other in how to develop these partnerships that benefit the library, the partner, and the community. We discuss tactics and techniques for finding new, meaningful partnerships for the future.

Join us as we celebrate the grand opening of the 2024 Computers in Libraries Exhibition.

Featuring leading-edge companies, the exhibition offers 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.

Preserving history and engaging our communities are important parts of our future. Hear about how the Library of Congress is using innovative techniques, such as machine learning for generative bibliographic data and engaging with new communities from leaders in the field. Learn about the direction of digital innovation for the next few years and the library’s strategic plan, lessons learned that will help libraries as they navigate their futures, and areas that libraries can excel in within their communities with respect to AI and technology.

Communico CEO Paul Quelch wants the latest library intel, so have your cellphones ready to take a quick survey! Share your thoughts and insights on customer usage data, marketing campaign partnerships, and relationships with commercial enterprises. This will be exciting and illuminating!

Is your library facing budget cuts to collections and/or services? Are you seeing or expecting an increase in interlibrary loan? Learn how the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) ventured into the world of Alma/Primo as a consortium of 18 university libraries. Oldham focuses on how Primo/Alma enabled new ways of sharing resources across a consortium, and how it was able to leverage functionality within Alma to revolutionize the way it does resource sharing … slowly.

FAQ knowledgebases are common website components that empower users to find answers to frequently asked questions. If designed well, they reduce user frustration and confusion. The LibAnswers FAQs platform enables librarians to easily provide a searchable and browsable knowledgebase for students and community users to access 24/7. Libraries’ usage of this platform rose in importance during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the fluent nature of services and information and user needs for reliable and up-to-date information. Considering a year-long website redesign and the student perceptions survey, a large community college examined the information architecture, user interface, and content of its FAQs site with the aim of improving discoverability and content depth. Pain points identified included inconsistent application of topic categories, ineffective keyword tagging, and an overall disconnect between the redesigned website terminology and organization of the FAQs knowledgebase. In consideration of these barriers, the information architecture of the FAQs site was reimagined to ensure students can efficiently search this knowledgebase and succeed in locating answers to their questions about the Learning Commons resources, services, and related topics. Changes to the FAQs site embraced updates to grouping terminology, revamped strategic keyword application with the aim to improve search relevance rankings using consistent and more descriptive topic labels. It also resulted in better-informed decisions about types of FAQs content for inclusion in the site. This presentation offers practical solutions to improve existing FAQs organizational structures and content to better meet the needs of users.

This session focuses on expanding awareness and access to historical materials in library collections using a combination of tools while enhancing experience and expertise of library staff and contracted services. Hulser shares experience and tips working with Los Angeles Public Library wall maps.

Beberweil explores the theme of Computers in Libraries and emphasizes the importance of making collections and resources accessible to a wide audience through outreach services. She shares a video series, travel grant program, historic library treasures, and a digital archive of tax materials from around the world. Gonzalez addresses the funding inequity faced by Tennessee State University (TSU), the only state-funded HBCU in Tennessee. The Brown-Daniel Library at TSU needs renovation due to the increase in student enrollment. To free up physical space and make objects more accessible, TSU Libraries & Media Centers is using photogrammetry to preserve objects digitally and create
augmented reality exhibitions. Chen explains how Postman and Python are used for the AS Representative Item project in ArchivesSpace (AS). He demonstrates the use of AS API in Postman to identify digital objects and add representative items using Python. Mweemba discusses the importance of information management and the use of platforms such as DSpace for content management. He focuses on the creation and implementation of a digital repository at the Examinations Council of Zambia Library, highlighting its impact on self-archiving and information accessibility.

Beberweil explores the theme of Computers in Libraries and emphasizes the importance of making collections and resources accessible to a wide audience through outreach services. She shares a video series, travel grant program, historic library treasures, and a digital archive of tax materials from around the world. Gonzalez addresses the funding inequity faced by Tennessee State University (TSU), the only state-funded HBCU in Tennessee. The Brown-Daniel Library at TSU needs renovation due to the increase in student enrollment. To free up physical space and make objects more accessible, TSU Libraries & Media Centers is using photogrammetry to preserve objects digitally and create
augmented reality exhibitions. Chen explains how Postman and Python are used for the AS Representative Item project in ArchivesSpace (AS). He demonstrates the use of AS API in Postman to identify digital objects and add representative items using Python. Mweemba discusses the importance of information management and the use of platforms such as DSpace for content management. He focuses on the creation and implementation of a digital repository at the Examinations Council of Zambia Library, highlighting its impact on self-archiving and information accessibility.

There are a lot of web-based tools and services that can help library staff get their jobs done ... without purchasing a lot of expensive, desktop-based software. King shares some tools and services that his library uses, including tools for graphic design, image storage, password managers, project management, brainstorming, and idea management.

Computers for public use are a service unique to libraries. To provide the best possible protection for the customers who use them and to maximize their availability, the tools need to be properly secured and maintained. Sherman, with the Nebraska Library Commission's computer services team, shares the process he uses to do this for the libraries he supports. Johnson discusses how the Daviess County Public Library suffered three separate ransomware attacks in 2019. Due to the severity of the situation, every computer in the building had to be wiped and the database had to be rebuilt. He covers the library's struggles, the rebuilding process, and the tools they implemented along the way to protect them from future attacks. Several tools—some free, some pricey—are demonstrated live.

In December 2021, Elon Musk made headlines by announcing his intention to buy Twitter for $44 billion, a move that stunned the tech industry and sparked heated debates about the future of the platform. In the months since the acquisition, Now known as X, the platform has undergone significant changes, both in terms of its features and its userbase. DeLooper explores the effects of Musk's purchase on usage through the lens of its effect on his library’s profile and draws lessons about the utility of social media, sharing the challenges of different platforms, and finishes with a discussion about the future of social media. Ferdinand discusses the harnessing of consortial power to rebuild microblogging. Technology providers such as universities, university library systems, and public libraries have an opportunity to build toward a free and open internet by taking on the microblogging mantle, moving away from power-hungry oligarchs and advertising and toward a platform available to everyone. Ferdinand proposes a "microblogging moonshot" where universities and libraries host Mastodon instances for X-like microblogging. Doing so at a mass scale can solve the problem of verification on microblogging services, reduce fake news and other disinformation through open development of the platform, and harness moderation tools at scale through investing in existing social media teams. It can create a new, near-real time alerting service through open APIs, the likes of which X can no longer be depended upon to provide. It can even replace the valuable tool of conference posting! by treating microblogging as a utility and building out a worldwide infrastructure to support it. Hear his ideas around an opportunity to create a tremendous good for our communities. Khatoon looks at social media and libraries connecting people across the globe with unprecedented ease. She shares examples of how social media tools for individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses disseminate information, engage with audiences, and promote services. She shares how libraries are using social media platforms as avenues for promoting their collections, engaging with their community, and increasing awareness about their services.

Ebooks Minnesota, the Minnesota statewide ebook program, has been around for almost 8 years. Its mission and scope have changed slightly since inception, as well as the platform, but the collection continues to grow with a focus on unlimited simultaneous access. While titles in the collection might not be the newest bestsellers, schools in the state are heavy users of this service with the addition of the Minnesota Youth Reading Award-nominated books. In this session, Staats discusses the history, funding, collection development, and issues around offering almost 10,000 ebooks statewide to Minnesota residents.

Many academic institutions have paired their library and technology support services into one physical space. In fall 2022, the ITS Help Desk at Union College moved from its departmental office on campus to the Schaffer Library Circulation Desk. Hathaway explores the factors motivating this decision, considerations for the move, implementation, and the impact on student success one year later.

Can libraries be the answer to ending health disparities? Technology-enabled libraries can serve as hubs for health information, empowerment, and equity. DeRouen explores how libraries, armed with digital resources and innovative tech solutions, can foster health literacy, bridge healthcare disparities, and empower communities to make informed decisions about their well-being. He discusses these key takeaways: libraries as tech-powered centers that can play a pivotal role in promoting health literacy and equitable access to health information; how digital resources and online workshops can empower communities to make informed health decisions and improve overall well-being; and how tech-enabled libraries provide a bridge for underserved populations to access valuable health resources. He also addresses healthcare disparities; how community engagement platforms create opportunities for collaboration and health-focused programs that positively impact local well-being; and how collaboration between libraries, healthcare providers, and technology experts is key to creating innovative, sustainable solutions for a healthier society.

Libraries have been playing a key role in helping patrons with challenges connecting to the digital world (barriers such as financial, language, age, etc.). With a once-in-a-lifetime wave of grant dollars for broadband improvement, there is an incredible opportunity for libraries to be at the table as digital equity plans are developed. There is a strong emphasis for digital equity in the $42 billion broadband grant program that will start to be available in 2024. Plans are beginning to be developed, and it is important for libraries to be part of the discussion. This session helps you understand the focus and timing of these grants to know how to be involved in the discussions that are or will be happening in your area so that you can be part of bridging the digital divide and receive funding to take those steps.

Technology changes so quickly, it can be difficult for individual libraries to keep up with new robots, drones, virtual reality headsets, and all the shiny tech people love. Sweet shares the ins and outs of her Tech Kits Through the Mail service designed to introduce communities across Nebraska to these Industry 4.0 technologies that are changing the way we live and work. Operating on a state level, tech kits are mailed out to libraries for 30-day increments, then mailed back. Libraries can check out a classroom pack to offer programming using multiple different technologies, or check out one or two kits to try them out and make informed purchasing decisions. Learn which tech gadgets she offers; explore tech guides and helpful support resources, programming, and event tips for different age ranges (including adults!); policy recommendations; circulation tips; and everything you need to replicate this service in your state library system or consortium.

Academic librarians are often called to provide library orientation, aka, “teach the databases.” While important, these sessions are far from the only thing we can provide. In this session, Kowalski showcases why academic libraries need to broaden their reach. This can include providing webinars and workshops on transferable skills covering subjects such as navigating information, career development, and personal archiving. She highlights how getting out of our traditional lanes can enhance student skills, promote lifelong learning, and strengthen the role of the library within the community.

In the contemporary digital landscape, effective marketing demands innovative strategies to attract individuals to your library. Enter Drew Vernon, a seasoned marketing expert renowned for guiding numerous brands towards broader reach and influence. Drew's insightful narratives offer valuable insights into optimizing your marketing approach. Learn more about his ideas that range from Prescriptions for Play or getting celebrities to promote brands.

AI is rapidly advancing, with the general public now able to access text-to-image generators, chatbots, and other AI-powered tools. Though AI remains in its infancy, the technology is already having a profound effect on information-seeking behaviors. What are the implications for access, media literacy, and intellectual freedom? What does that mean for our libraries? Get ideas and strategies of what libraries around the world are doing to get ready and to experiment with AI from IFLA president-elect, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Leslie Weir.

Kozak details a project that utilized conversational AI and natural language processing to gather qualitative data about staff technology usage and pain points. A chatbot was built using a large language model and deployed through a simple web interface. It engaged staff in natural conversations to uncover insights that traditional surveys may miss. The project aimed to capture a holistic view of technology needs to inform future planning. Kozak covers project goals, chatbot design, technical implementation, lessons learned, and next steps for applying insights. Join him and get an understanding of how conversational AI can enable more natural data collection.

AI has been around for many years. Recently, it has become more popular and is being integrated into various industries. Healthcare is one of those industries. Is that good or bad? Pullin discusses the good and dark side of AI in healthcare and how libraries can be prepared to help.

As generative AI gains traction within the realm of higher education, various stakeholders have begun to explore the associated responsibilities and opportunities. While some express concerns about the potential consequences of students and faculty using AI tools without proper training or guidance, others are eager to pioneer the adoption of toolsets such as Bard, ChatGPT, or DALL-E 3. For those within the library sector, finding our role in the discourse surrounding AI can be a challenging endeavor. We do not seek to dictate rules or set standards for AI usage, nor do we aim to become the foremost experts on all things AI. However, completely abstaining from the AI conversation would neglect our responsibilities as custodians of the information profession. Our speaker aims to demystify the landscape and pinpoint specific areas of interest for academic libraries in embracing generative AI within higher education institutions. Get prepared to engage your libraries in discussions about generative AI, establish a relevant AI-supported service model, and navigate the intricate dynamics of higher education when it comes to this emerging technology.

Algorithmic bias and bias in AI are not new subjects. Much has been written about the impacts of biased AI technologies in our everyday lives, from education, predictive policing, job hiring, and HR systems to medical systems. Fredriksson explores some of the history of bias in AI, grappling with how bias is introduced into large data models or programmed into algorithms. Does this bias find its way into generative AI? This presentation investigates just how prevalent racial and gender bias is in chatbots and image generators. By challenging the idea of technological neutrality and acknowledging bias, we’ll better prepare ourselves and our patrons for the present and future enmeshing of AI in our daily lives.

Hear how this group of state libraries plans to explore the varied roles state libraries play in the use of AI and in their support of efforts around workforce development in AI. They plan to gather data, build an environmental scan, and interview library staff to provide focused explorations of the topic with participating state librarians. They plan to equip state libraries to proactively respond to the opportunities and perils in AI, gain insight, and participant-specific ideas for projects and applications to better position them in growing efforts in AI workforce development, and in their own outreach and support missions. Hear more and get excited by their idea to create an “AI Petting Zoo” where state library staff can experiment with AI products.

Our library leader led the way for makerspaces in academic libraries, worked in public libraries, oversaw state libraries, authored a book, and more. He shares his lessons learned as well as his view of the future of libraries!

Creating a future for a vibrant library or information service in our fast-paced, technology-filled world requires out-of-the-box thinking, imaginative strategies, and experimentation. Our practitioner is no stranger to operating in this mode and shares tips and techniques for applying inventive and resourceful strategies when looking to the future for your service and community. As a librarian, teacher, and leader of a boutique facilitation company focused on problem solving and creative thinking, his insights will definitely help you plan ahead.

Ten years ago during his Computers in Libraries opening keynote, Rasmus shared research on the future of libraries. He has continued to use scenarios to drive innovation for libraries. Hear insights from our futurist and tech industry watcher as he re-examines his observations from a decade ago and puts forward new ideas to challenge your assumptions.

Preserving history and engaging our communities are important parts of our future. Hear about how the Library of Congress is using innovative techniques, such as machine learning for generative bibliographic data and engaging with new communities from leaders in the field. Learn about the direction of digital innovation for the next few years and the library’s strategic plan, lessons learned that will help libraries as they navigate their futures, and areas that libraries can excel in within their communities with respect to AI and technology.

Speakers:
Natalie Buda Smith, Director of Digital Strategy, Library of Congress
Leah Weinryb Groshgal, Senior Program Advisor to the Director, Digital Strategy, Library of Congress

Communico CEO Paul Quelch wants the latest library intel, so have your cellphones ready to take a quick survey! Share your thoughts and insights on customer usage data, marketing campaign partnerships, and relationships with commercial enterprises. This will be exciting and illuminating!

Speaker:
Paul Quelch, Founder & CEO, Communico

Adaptive leadership requires an openness to change and a willingness to adjust our strategies as circumstances evolve. What skills do we need as leaders in the changing world of today and how do we develop them? What is our strategy for ensuring that new learnings will be actionable in our work? How do we encourage continuous learning and ensure our staff are prepared for the new technologies required?

What skill set do we look for in our (future) staff to be the best libraries and information professionals for our communities? What skills do we need in the staff we hire?

What is it going to take moving into the future with the speed of change with respect to many things, but especially technology? This discussion considers many aspects and helps to frame the future for libraries as they develop skills and plans to move ahead successfully in their communities.

Bring all the learnings from the Library Leadership Summit into our last discussion as we look to the future of libraries. Let’s consider how we make sure new insights enter our everyday lives after the event, discuss our best learnings and how to take actions on them, develop individual action plans and the best ways to move forward, as well as how to keep in contact until we meet up again.

Get ready for an electrifying session that takes the classic TV game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? to a whole new level! In this exciting twist, we’ll explore the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence and pit our wits against the power of machine learning.  Join us as we embark on an adventure where human intelligence goes head-to-head with cutting-edge AI algorithms in a battle of brains. We look at AI's impact on libraries, education, and information access, all while having some educational fun. We examine how AI complements the invaluable role of librarians and the library community. It's a contest of knowledge, strategy, and quick thinking as we challenge our understanding of what it means to be "smarter."

Hall looks at using tabletop games to teach computer science. While programming can seem abstract and confusing, board games provide an excellent, tangible parallel for how it works. In the current golden age of tabletop gaming, libraries worldwide are adding board games to their collections. Get some ideas for different ways libraries can use these assets for education and outreach.

Our speaker shares strategies and ideas for communicating to stakeholders/patrons the value of your library. Be inspired and take home tangible ideas for impressing your community. 

While generative AI tools like Google Bard and ChatGPT are notorious for hallucinating answers, chatbots can provide useful support in your search process. Bates shares the prompts that have increased her efficiency and produced useful results.

Google has become the most common and dominant search engine in our culture. Students use it to find information about everything, including scholarly research. As teaching librarians, we have to ask: What do students use when not at school? More than likely than not, they will turn to Google to search. Because of this, we must teach them to become careful consumers of the information the Google algorithm produces. Relevance is a complex combination of advertising influence, proprietary interests, programmers’ language, and predictions (based off of prior search patterns). Schembri discusses how to recognize and report inaccuracies of marginalized groups, and how Google has worked to maintain a better, more neutral output for potentially inflammatory searches.

Get tips and tricks from a longtime searcher and the editor of KMWorld magazine.

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Get tips on maintaining your library website from a computer services specialist who reaches out to his community, specifically focusing on education initiatives for public computer classes, outreach programs to local retirement homes and disability organizations, a rent-a-tech program, and virtual computer classes. Hear how he supports these programs with the library website.

Lawley, professor of interactive games and media, calls generative AI the most influential technology she has ever seen as a teacher—even more significant than the internet, due to the pace of change. As an early gamer, internet researcher, librarian, and speaker at Internet Librarian, she has the perspective to reflect on where our libraries could, and perhaps should, go as they travel boldly into the future. At the top of the list: critical thinking and leadership for libraries. Be inspired, excited, and filled with insights from our speaker as she discusses library futures in a fast-changing AI world.

AI technologies continue to evolve rapidly and are likely to disrupt multiple aspects of the public sector and academic libraries. As stewards of scholarly content and guardians of research integrity and user privacy, libraries need to navigate the integration of AI into their core services with strategic foresight.

This presentation will delve into the application of AI within the library context, highlighting a successful case study of implementing an AI-powered academic coach, alongside insights into the Clarivate vision for responsible AI.

Join us for an exploration of the transformative potential of AI, outlining both the opportunities for enhancing library services, research, and educational outcomes, and the challenges it presents.

This session shares the Singapore National Library’s ‘What If’ scenarios for planning; Dysart provides a demo of ‘Standing in the Future’ and shares Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tools for life, including clear visions, never thinking small (confidence), and breaking your mirrors. Snowden shares tips on a new technique, future backwards, which was developed as a planning support method, a side-casting technique. It exposes a large number of perspectives that a group can take on any given issue or theme at a single point in time. Get lots of tips and ideas to support the plans for your library as it navigates and plans for the future.

Based on recent research with the Mesa Public Library, Rasmus shares his scenario-based education and innovation models to inspire further innovation across public, private, and academic libraries.

This session looks at how managers should approach the AI Revolution as far as empowering team members and positioning libraries and info pros as the go-to AI people in our organizations. Leading AI will provide lots of new roles for coaching and managing, so grab some tips, ideas, and insights from our speakers! Prepare for the future.

The Consortium of Metropolitan Libraries, better known by its acronym COBIMET, received a grant of $219,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to develop an open online asynchronous certification in digital competencies for librarians and other information professionals based on the DIGCOMP European Digital Competence Framework. The framework covers the skills necessary to be competent in digital environments: the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that must be possessed to use digital media effectively. Through five modules, the certification addresses skills such as information and information literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, and troubleshooting. Hear more about the program and how it has a Creative Commons License, allowing participants to use content in individual digital competencies programs in their institutions.

A reorganization at the University at Albany Libraries led our speaker to ascend to a new role with the title of library strategist, serving a function that had not existed in the prior organizational structure. This session provides insights into the role of a library strategist, such as the projects tackled (space planning, innovation project program, community engagement, staff focus groups, and more). It covers strategies leveraged to develop new library programs and services, engage staff, and partner with community stakeholders, along with change management approaches and project management milestones. Does your library need a strategist? Join this session and generate ideas for taking a strategic, holistic look at your organization.

As organizations consider the most effective strategy for administering and coordinating academic library websites, different models present unique opportunities for improving our web presence and enhancing stakeholder engagement depending on the needs and goals of the libraries. This session, presented by librarians in roles ranging from web development to public service, shares their experience in transitioning library website governance from a traditional webmaster to a decentralized committee model, and how they re-visioned this democratic approach to improve workflows, processes, and communication. In the past year, a small strategy team successfully redesigned the library website, a multifaceted, 12-month project that included UX testing, a content review, and infrastructure upgrades, all while working in partnership with library staff at all levels to ensure a shared vision for the website. While this work has presented challenges, the librarians’ experiences have led them to an innovative governance structure that may benefit the broader information community. Gain insights on how to improve website management to better address the needs of your organization, as well as your users, and new approaches for collaboration in your work.

A website is useful if it empowers users to find and accomplish what they need to do. As libraries, we pride ourselves on helping the people we serve explore and find the information they want. Because libraries serve a multitude of people with different needs and demands, figuring out the magic formula to designing a website delivering efficiency and satisfaction is a huge challenge. As our speakers took on their most recent website redesign, they challenged themselves to take a fresh look at the site through the eyes of their visitors. In this presentation, they share their process, from assessing the former website from a user’s perspective to their challenging internal conversations and questions to the final decisions, which led to the new website’s design and functionality. Through website analytics; staff input; collaborative and forward-thinking public services, IT, and marketing teams; and a partnership with an outside partner, the website was overhauled, setting the site up to be a vital communications and marketing channel for the public. It’s true: Your library website can do more than you think!

School libraries play a critical role in education, and their websites can be a powerful tool for driving instruction, fostering a school-wide culture of reading, and providing high-quality, user-friendly resources. This session shares strategies for accomplishing all three of these goals. Join Cowley as she delves into how Jefferson County Public Schools, a district with 150 school libraries, leverages a unified library website platform to establish consistency across all school levels, ensuring equitable resource accessibility for every student, all while streamlining the workload of dedicated librarians. Gain insights into the wealth of resources offered via the library media services department website, and learn about its efficient management practices. Take away reusable templates and ideas to implement on your website right away!

A library website may engage as many people as those who walk in the front door. How do people get there? Velikonja and Carson discuss how to understand and evaluate web traffic by interpreting Google Analytics acquisition data and comparing it across libraries as well as looking at online searches to understand in more detail how people arrive at library websites. Hear what these insights are telling us. Swackhamer discusses that while libraries carefully guard privacy about materials that users check out from our collections, do they consider the privacy of visitors to websites? She summarizes issues around corporate surveillance through website analytics, why libraries should try to minimize data shared with third parties about users of our websites, and steps we can take to achieve that. She focuses on the process UMD Libraries used to identify and evaluate possible privacy-protective analytics platforms, and eventually implement Matomo to gather site usage data to help us assess and improve our websites while safeguarding user privacy.

According to library and information science literature, there is a positive association between college freshmen’s use of library resources (e.g., research databases, electronic journals, ebooks, etc.) and their retention rate. For freshmen to use library resources, academic libraries must make their websites user-friendly for novice users. This study examined the usability of an academic library’s web portal through the lens of seniors at a high school. The results of their thinking aloud while performing a set of tasks shed light on areas needing improvement for new freshmen to effectively navigate the site and take full advantage of the library resources.

Learn how Nevada librarians are helping patrons see into the world of work and a new career. Through new VR, patrons can explore careers, virtually take a field trip to a lifelike work environment, and even job shadow. After all, once someone knows where they'd like to go, the idea of upskilling with the support of VR course companion materials seems possible and helps folks earn nationally recognized industry credentials of value to move from a job to a career. Mairn discusses how biomedical technology education is being revolutionized using extended realities (XR) to benefit the healthcare industry. He discusses how these technologies can be used to enhance medical education and training, explores the ethical and privacy considerations surrounding the use of XR in healthcare, and helps us understand how the patent system works to protect inventors.

Architect Williams discusses the potential of augmented reality (AR) in architecture and how it can revolutionize the way we design, build, and experience our communities, cities, and buildings. He shares the latest advancements in AR technology and looks at applications in the field of architecture, including how architects can use AR to visualize designs in real time, collaborate with clients and colleagues, and simulate building performance. Hohl discusses how AR can be used to enhance art in museums and libraries. Drawing from his experience working with various artists and institutions over the years, he showcases examples to demonstrate how AR can provide new perspectives and engagement opportunities to museum and library users. Get tips on the hardware and hear how all the magic happens!Architect Williams discusses the potential of augmented reality (AR) in architecture and how it can revolutionize the way we design, build, and experience our communities, cities, and buildings. He shares the latest advancements in AR technology and looks at applications in the field of architecture, including how architects can use AR to visualize designs in real time, collaborate with clients and colleagues, and simulate building performance. Hohl discusses how AR can be used to enhance art in museums and libraries. Drawing from his experience working with various artists and institutions over the years, he showcases examples to demonstrate how AR can provide new perspectives and engagement opportunities to museum and library users. Get tips on the hardware and hear how all the magic happens!

Learn how capturing and documenting events in XR can deliver a new dimension to storytelling. From immersive 360 video to 3D environments. XR and the Metaverse bring history to life allowing the learner to experience it as if they were there.

Join a panel of highly respected experts from various fields for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on how this innovative technology can be embraced and revolutionize learning spaces, enabling learners to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Join a panel of highly respected experts from various fields for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on how this innovative technology can be embraced and revolutionize learning spaces, enabling learners to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Design thinking is a process that designers use to identify the nature of a problem and then develop a solution. As librarians design services, resources, workflows, instructional activities, and more, we can use design thinking as a process to accomplish our work. How can we take design thinking beyond using it as a planning, decision-making, change-readiness tool in our libraries? How can it enhance our library futures and fundamentally change the way we think about our future work and the profession? How do we develop the skills to make that happen? Bell shares ideas about design thinking as a skill set and how libraries can evolve using design thinking.

Memory care is becoming a huge topic in libraries around the world. How do we support seniors and their caregivers affected by conditions such as Alzheimer's or dementia? This session explores tools, tips, and program ideas to enable your library to include these groups and empower them to use the library in a safe and inviting way.

Blyberg looks at where to start, then introduces browser-based tools that any library worker can use to test library websites, licensed resources, and free resources. She provides tips to ensure that what you provide to patrons adheres to the WCAG 2.x standards and provides techniques to identify and communicate accessibility issues with vendors. She also outlines how to understand vendor documentation. Get your sites and resources customer ready and fully accessible with insights from our experienced practitioner.

In 2022, the library's Center for Innovation embarked on an exciting journey to develop a program designed to leverage its new fabrication lab into a hub for small businesses and local makers. This program was designed to nurture and empower local makers and inventors from idea to production, providing them with the resources and guidance needed to transform their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. The heart of this initiative lies in leveraging the power of makerspaces and innovative library spaces to foster entrepreneurship and economic vitality. Libraries today are uniquely positioned to serve as hubs where individuals can not only conceive and develop product ideas but also receive invaluable support in navigating the intricate landscape of entrepreneurship. From business insights to market testing through small-batch production runs, this holistic approach fuels innovation and propels libraries into dynamic spaces that actively contribute to local economic development. Come explore how this innovative program serves as a blueprint for libraries looking to empower their communities, promote entrepreneurship, and become catalysts for economic growth. Discover how libraries can evolve into vibrant centers of innovation and entrepreneurship in the 21st century.

Our speaker, with many years of information service in the corporate environment, discusses lessons learned as a volunteer in library associations and public library boards. This includes upskilling; the transfer of skills; knowledge and experiences gained and shared; developing expertise; and providing new, unique perspectives, many from outside the info community. She touches on technology sharing, experimenting, pilots, and experimenting to test possibilities, as well as challenges such as being open to including new, different perspectives and how to work as a volunteer.

The last few years have changed how we all work. In October 2019, Maclin-Hurd started a new position as the Polaris sys admin for the WAGGIN Libraries. Serving 20 public libraries across three counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania, she had no prior knowledge of Polaris or Innovative products, and no previous tech background. In March 2020, the world shut down. Leaning into her previous experience as a “vendorbrarian,” she somehow managed to bring all 20 libraries through the worst of shutdowns, curbside pickups, and sick time, all intact. But how do you teach yourself new skills with no traditional support to speak of? Internet to the rescue! Maclin-Hurd discusses how she used Gale courses, sites like Stack Social and Tech Soup, signing up for every single webinar she could find, and attending virtual conferences and trainings to self-teach herself things like cloud computing, basic printer support 101, and SQL. It involved a lot of tears and a lot of tea. But now, she gets to joke confidentially, “Actually, yes, I do break our ILS on purpose.” Share her journey from complete library tech newbie to less of a tech newbie, and all the ways she did it.

Many school librarians are starting to use game-changing practices that empower them to rapidly design and deploy information-rich video games for district-wide classroom use. The innovative practice involves the creation of library dev teams implementing emerging technologies (i.e., Library Arcade Mod Toolkits) to open, mod (modify), republish, and deploy new versions of previously published educational video games. Newell discusses a best-practice approach to creating a library dev team for your school district; demonstrates a library dev team’s use of Library Arcade Mod Toolkits to open, modify, and republish a customized collection of arcade-style, puzzle-style, and VR games for information literacy instruction; and explains how library dev teams could use mod toolkits to design, publish, and implement a district-wide gaming collection for history, English-language arts, science, and math classes. Our second speaker discusses how communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving are important components of working together in any team-based environment. Team building activities can strengthen each of these skills and many others, but where does one start? Learn why team building is an important investment in your workplace and how to design and implement a successful workshop or event for a variety of different office environments. Morie provides a framework for planning a workshop, gives practical tips for implementing the plan, and shares how to evaluate the success of a workshop. Come away with creative and practical ideas for strengthening trust, boosting morale, and improving communication among colleagues through team building activities.

Team STEAM, a non-profit organization with a remarkable vision, was initially conceived and brought to life by Keerthi Vijay during her high school years. Today, as a college freshman, Keerthi remains committed to upholding the organization's noble mission. Her passion lies in empowering high school students to initiate and manage STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) programs in local libraries and community centers, extending the reach of these educational initiatives globally. Keerthi's dedication exemplifies the transformative potential of young leaders who are driving positive change within their communities and beyond.

Just because you are excited to help others doesn't always translate to the student learning new skills. You need to pull back on your helping nature to teach the student what they need to know, not what you want them to know. This session illustrates how to get down to their technological level and teach them the skills they need to be independent in this technology-centric world. Our second speaker discusses how digital literacy plays an imperative role in the success and impacts the ability to find, assess, utilize, and generate digital information effectively and ethically. Digital literacy is the set of skills and competencies that enable university students to achieve these goals. Whether a school-grade student, university student or scholar, they all require digital literacy skills to accomplish their daily tasks or assignments proficiently. Hear how Arab university students’ digital literacy skills were measured and more. 

Get ideas and insights for going beyond the traditional for teaching students and customers. Our instruction and outreach expert shares strategies, tools, and techniques.

Libraries can play an important role in teaching AI and its responsible use in research and writing. Hear about an active approach to ChatGPT framing misuse as an opportunity to build skills and name what we value: motive over summary and original ideas over formal “academic” language. Welber discusses two active learning exercises displaying how ChatGPT handles evidence, claim, and analysis and shows how to encourage students to critically evaluate the outputs of ChatGPT and identify areas where human intervention is necessary. Advento discusses smart prompting and how librarians can be “prompt engineers” to “chat” with AI in the same way they had to quickly master Boolean operators and controlled vocabulary. Input structures such as the RTRI method help get the most out of ChatGPT and Bing Chat, and prepared AI prompts are worth exploring. Both of these can help create new information literacy lessons, refresh older lessons, and deliver a variety of methods to impart information literacy concepts and skills to your students. Get lots of tips and ideas from this fast paced cybertour.

Our trends watcher shares insights on what’s happening with social media these days: its visual, top three platforms for libraries; thinking about experimenting with TikTok; making sure you have tools to help staff deal with social media; and more. Get great ideas from King!

Our industry watcher shares the technologies, library applications and innovations that she is tracking. Hear what she notes from this year’s conference and get ideas to apply in your library and community.