2023 Program
TUE (FEB 21, 2023)
Keynote (presentation + Q&A)
Wholehearted Libraries: Meeting the Needs of Community
(Michael Stephens)
Recording
We should bring our hearts to work, and qualities such as open-mindedness, emotional intelligence, and reflective action are all part of this process. Services steeped in humanism, compassion, and understanding should be the cornerstone of what we do, and why we do it, for all members of our communities, including the underserved. Not only do libraries need high tech, they also need staff who approach their work with a wholehearted attitude.
We should approach technology information work in all of its forms with an open heart. We need staff to lead with the heart and to see every interaction as an opportunity to improve someone's life -- remove a burden, give some pleasure, and help them grow, etc. The best library staffers make that emotional investment because they believe in the communities they serve.
Session 1
Innovating and adapting reference services to serve resident students incarcerated in Idaho
(University of Idaho)
Recording
In August 2021, Dr. Omi Hodwitz (Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Idaho) reached out to the University of Idaho Library about providing library services to resident students who are currently incarcerated at Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) facilities. These students had recently become eligible to take classes at the University of Idaho as part of the University’s participation in the Second Chance Pell Experiment (https://www.ed.gov/news/press-release..., and Dr. Hodwitz was seeking to create an alternative infrastructure across the University to support these students. Because of internet access limitations, content restrictions, and communication constraints, the Library had to create a new way for students to access approved library materials, while also ensuring that students had similar opportunities to search an actual catalog, request additional sources, and choose which sources they wanted to use in their assignments. We first partnered with our colleagues in Data & Digital Services to create a database for approved sources that could be deployed both online, via a whitelisted URL, and offline, as a folder on the facilities’ local computers. We then partnered with Second Chance Pell Experiment student interns to create a process for adding metadata to sources and including them within the database. Lastly, we developed a workflow for reference librarians to fulfill asynchronous reference/research requests from resident students, which involved further collaboration with project interns. In this presentation, we will discuss adapting this collaborative process to meet the needs of our resident students, the restrictions placed on our processes by IDOC, the ongoing privacy and sustainability concerns, as well as what we see as the Library’s next steps for supporting resident students.
Lightning Talk 1
Collaboration Station: Active Learning Experiences to Help Conduct the Reference Interview Using Google Jamboards
(Texas Tech University)
Applying Flipped Classroom Strategies to Virtual Research Consultations with History Students
(University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
Recording
Session 2
Service, Interrupted: Analyzing Chat Referrals
(Washington State University)
Recording
Washington State University (WSU) librarians analyzed approximately 3,900 chat transcripts from 2020-2022 to identify referrals and service disruptions (e.g., “I will get back to you later with the answer,” “Let me find someone who knows more about this,” “You need to fill out this form and someone will get back to you,” etc.), with the goal of further analyzing the interactions to create a better referral system and identify areas of training for reference staff. This project stemmed from the desire to ensure that inevitable service disruptions follow professional best practices and determine whether standards of practice across the WSU Libraries reference team are consistent. Our presentation will feature our preliminary results, including evaluations of the overall quality of virtual transactions, with a particular focus on the caliber of the service before and after the initial referral. We will outline differing kinds of virtual reference service disruptions and how these interruptions impact the success of the overall exchange. We will examine to whom queries are referred, and address whether a referral was needed in the first place. We will also provide an analysis of wait time throughout the referral process. We plan to share the process of analyzing referrals within virtual reference, including what worked, what didn’t work, and what we’ve learned. Presenters will discuss potential impacts of this project and next steps for improving our reference service, including a reference retreat where we hope to start conversations about service expectations, using evidence to create those expectations. Attendees will be able to see how a large-scale analysis of chat transcripts was done in order to perform similar analysis at their own institutions.
Lightning Talk 2
Research or directional? An Assessment of Chat Reference Transcripts at a Community College Library
(Washtenaw Community College)
Information Seeking with Grey Literature
(Answerland, Oregon Statewide VR Service)
Recording
WED, FEB 21, 2023
Session 1
AskMN Service-Learning Experience for MLIS Students
(St. Catherine University, Minitex)
Recording
St. Catherine University’s LIS 7040 Information Access Services course was designed with a service-learning component intended to give library graduate students real-life reference skills. However, since the pandemic students struggled to find the opportunities to meet this requirement. In the Spring of 2022, faculty from St. Kate’s MLIS program partnered with the AskMN coordinator to create a new service-learning opportunity to fulfill this need and introduce students to online reference services. Come to this session to learn more about the program, mentoring students in an online environment, and hear from one of the students that participated in this program.
Session 2
Miscommunication in Library Chat: How Conversation Analysis Can Help You Understand and Fix Problems
(Lansing Community College, Eastern Michigan University)
Recording
We have all experienced frustrating communication problems in library chat. Understanding the specific types of communication problems can empower librarians to identify, repair, and potentially prevent these problems. In this program, we will share the findings of a study that used a Conversation Analysis (CA) lens to identify common areas of miscommunication in library chat. CA, which originated as a branch of sociology, offers a research methodology that involves recording and analyzing naturally occurring everyday conversation and other forms of talk. Through this analysis, CA researchers have found that although on the surface conversation may appear random, conversation is in fact orderly. The study analyzed chat transcripts and looked at communication identified by patrons and librarians as problematic. This session will focus on two sources of problems and possible solutions to those problems. First, terms such as source, database, and website are ambiguous terminology that can cause miscommunication. Second, differences in expertise between patrons and librarians can also cause misunderstandings during chat. Then we will facilitate a training session in which participants will analyze chat transcripts, identify communication problems, and reflect on how to improve their own practices. Participants will also discuss how they can use this research-based approach to chat training to implement similar programs at their libraries. Analyzing chat transcripts in order to better understand textual communication provides a solid basis for adjusting and renewing our chat practices and can help us avoid frustration in future chats.
Session 3
Personalizing Virtual Reference: The Drive to Thrive
(Oklahoma State University, Colorado State University Pueblo)
Recording
Face-to-face reference can be a very personal service, but initially many virtual reference services were set up in a way that was impersonal. The increased isolation many felt during the pandemic created a longing for more personal virtual interactions. Much work and research has gone into providing virtual reference, like creating short answer videos or FAQs that can easily be searched, shared, or linked. Others are developing, or have recently implemented, visual online reference tools like Zoom, WebEx, or Teams as part of their virtual services, which does help personalize the service. But what about personalizing the services at a more fundamental level, such as using personal names in interactions or labeling services in a way that encourages increased usage? In this presentation, two librarians from separate institutions will present different practices in place for the naming of virtual reference services, and the use of names within the service. Using online interactive tools, participants will be invited to share the practices of their home institutions and how these practices were developed. The use of personal or system names in chat and e-mail reference will be explored as well as how these naming decisions may influence patron perceptions. Recommendations for the use of names will be provided and discussed based on the implementation at the two home institutions as well as conversations with librarians at a variety of different institution types.
Lightning Talk 1
Digital Relations: Creating Virtual Reference Tools for Gender Diverse, 2Spirit, and Indigiqueer Students
(University of Calgary)
Ready, Set, Oh No? Prepare for Possible Online Accessibility Issues Before They Arise
(University of North Dakota)
Recording
Session 4
Unconventional Partnerships: Building a Sustainable Methodology to Evaluate User Needs
(McGill University)
Recording
While remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic enabled the use of online collaborative tools, returning to in-person work has proven the importance of interpersonal relationships, especially when it comes to building strong inter-departmental partnerships. It has become clear that in-person serendipity fosters creativity. The story of this talk starts with a hallway chat; one between the VR coordinator and the Systems librarian. A discussion started around virtual reference chat interactions and from this came a question: how is virtual reference affected by library system changes? This is how an unconventional partnership started, one that would help the Virtual Reference coordinator to discover a new methodology and the Systems librarian to perceive the impact of all system changes that occurred in the past few years. A partnership and a project that allows both departments to improve their services. This presentation will discuss the methodology used throughout this project. The Systems librarian built a script that automatically reviews chat interactions and looks for sentences or word-combinations that would identify interactions about library systems. The process used will be presented, as well as the methods used for quality-insurance. The presenters will detail the different limitations they found while building this methodology and outline when and how to use it to improve user services, while remaining aware of these limits. Finally, this talk will summarize the results of the study to clarify how this novel methodology can be used. Are system changes impacting virtual reference? Can a peak be identified right after system changes? How can teams prepare to improve user services in transitional times? These are some of the questions we wanted answered. This talk should present some of the practical implications of this study, of the methodology developed, and the power of inter-departmental partnership and collaboration. It will also touch on how to create mutually beneficial partnerships at your institution.
Lightning Talk 2
Meeting Students Where They Are to Boost Your Stats!: Proactive Slide-out Chat for Point of Need Service
(Indiana University)
Psst, Wanna Chat? Using Signage to Increase Chat Traffic
(Montana State University Library)
Recording
THU, FEB 23, 2023
Session 1
Rebuilding a Sustainable Research Help Model
(Oakland University)
Session 2
You Served Us, How Can We Serve You? Targeted Outreach to Student Veterans to Increase Their Use of Virtual Reference and Other Library Resources and Services
(Montana State University)
Recording
Two Montana State University Librarians received funding to facilitate five focus groups of student veterans (20 students, total) in order to gauge their usage of and experiences with MSU Library resources and services, both virtual and in-person, as well as learn about desired library services and resources. The funding was a subaward of an IMLS Project at Texas A & M University Libraries, the “Libraries and Veterans National Forum,” designed to better learn from other libraries' efforts to support veterans and military families. Collaborating with librarians from academic, public, school, state, and VA libraries, the Libraries and Veterans National Forum project team gathered 250 librarians engaging in this work to share their success stories, brainstorm solutions to their challenges, and gain new ideas to bring back to their libraries. Subawards were granted to many libraries of all types in order to help grantee libraries to improve their services to their veteran communities. These MSU Librarians used their funding to purchase $50 gift cards to incentivize focus group participation among their student veteran population in collaboration with the Director of Veterans Services at MSU. This program will report on findings and share recommendations gleaned from student veterans for improving outreach efforts and marketing of virtual library services to this and other special populations in order to meet their library and information needs.
Session 3
An Investigation Into Library Virtual Chat Reference Software Features
(University of Toronto)
Recording
Chat reference service became prevalent in libraries starting in the early 2000s (Sessom,2008). Software such as LibraryH3lp and LiveEngage (formerly LivePerson) and QuestionPoint were the most popular from literature review or article in that era (Cassey 2004, Porter 2003). From Web 1.0 to Web 4.0 has enabled many design features in the user interface. From audio notification, asynchronous communications, file sharing, proactive chat and many more. How did chat service software evolve in libraries? Does the pandemic has sparked some ideas to provide more features? This presentation will investigate multiple chat service software to provide some insight on trends from 2000 to 2022 of library chat service features and possible upcoming one in the web 5.0.
Lightning Talk 1
Second Time Around
(Frankford Public Library)
Supervisor at a Distance: Supporting Undergraduate Reference Workers
(Salisbury University)
Recording
Session 4
DEI in 2023 Starts with Me
(Tennessee State University)
Recording
In June 2020, the American Library Association (ALA) and the Tennessee Library Association (TLA) released statements and agendas noting the position of these organizations in the history of racist structures in the U.S. and more specifically, in the library profession. While many may have seen such statements as pure rhetoric, some library professionals embraced such endeavors and vowed through their work experiences to be involved partners for equality amongst colleagues and patrons.
This presentation is divided into four parts:
(1) Narratives of three library professionals who are attempting to fulfill the charge of the ALA and TLA statements at a historically black university refining virtual reference services;
(2) Role play examples of DEI the “right” and “wrong” way through Zoom employment interviews;
(3) Sharing forthcoming virtual projects these library professionals are considering and the thought process – consciously and subconsciously of DEI expectations; and
(4) Reviewing the ALA and TLA DEI statements and suggestions of how to put them in practice virtually and in-person.
Lightning Talk 2
Google Meet a Librarian: Leveraging Technologies to Design Resilient Reference Services
(Bosie State University)
Virtual Reference is a Hybrid Reality Post-COVID
(Bridgewater State University)
Recording