Program

Please note: All times on this program are shown in Pacific Standard Time (PST)

TUE (FEB 25, 2025) 

9:00-9:05a Welcome

9:05-10:10a

Keynote (presentation + Q&A)

The Next Generation of Libraries: Looking Ahead to Library 2035

(Dr. Sandra Hirsh)


As we navigate the rapidly changing landscape of information and technology, the future of libraries is continually evolving. What will libraries look like by 2035? Drawing on key insights from library leaders in the recently published Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries (March 2024), this talk explores the lessons learned over the past decade, identifies key themes from the book, and forecasts the opportunities, strengths, and challenges that lie ahead.

Session and Lightning Talks

Session: 10:20-11:10a

AI is here. As an educator…what should I do?


In this session, Sara will discuss AI trends that are happening in higher education. She will touch on hot topics that are being discussed, ways educators can use AI in their lessons, and ways librarians can have informed and unbiased instruction about these programs in the classroom. Other things she will touch on is how to deter students from cheating in assignments using AI, techniques on how to introduce new programs to students and faculty, how to talk with faculty about the importance of AI in classrooms, and more. 

 AI has become a topic of concern in higher education, with concerns about cheating, concerns about it being a relevant use of technology that students need to know in order to succeed in their future careers, the ethnical ramifications of using technology like AI in general, and educators not knowing where to start when it comes to AI. 

 Sara Hack is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at St. Petersburg College with over a decade of experience in public and academic libraries and has done many information sessions on the use of AI. She obtained her MLIS from the University of South Florida and has a BA in Anthropology and Sociology from Florida International University.

Lightning Talks: 11:20-12:10p

AI in the Homework Club and the Writing Center


This 20-minute lightning talk will showcase how librarians can guide middle, high, and university students through the ethical use of AI tools in their homework and projects. There exists a phenomenon where students are coming to librarians to do their homework for them. This talk will help librarians provide their students with specific AI tools to help students in their own work. I will briefly discuss how image generators such as Midjourney and Dall-E can be used to create presentation images and project sketches, how chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini can create homework checklists and check citation structures, and how study tools like NotebookLM can help with research and studying.


Evaluating AI Research Tools: A Comprehensive Assessment Framework for Libraries


As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly prevalent in academic research and libraries, librarians need robust methods to evaluate these emerging technologies. This presentation introduces the REACT Framework, a systematic approach for assessing AI research tools across five critical dimensions: Relevancy, Ease of Use, Assessing DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility), Currency, and Transparency & Accuracy. Each dimension is rated on a clear 1-4 scale with specific evaluation criteria, enabling librarians to make informed decisions about implementing AI tools in their institutions. To demonstrate the framework's practical application, we will analyze Consensus, an AI research assistant that leverages Semantic Scholar's database of over 200 million papers to provide precise summaries and insights across scientific domains. This concrete example will showcase how the framework can guide technology assessment by examining Consensus's performance across all five dimensions. This lightning talk will equip librarians with an actionable evaluation method that considers not only technical performance but also crucial aspects like equity, accessibility, and transparency. Attendees will leave with a practical tool they can immediately apply to evaluate AI technologies at their own institutions, supporting evidence-based decision-making in our rapidly evolving digital landscape. The REACT Framework aligns with libraries' commitment to critical assessment while acknowledging the transformative potential of AI tools in academic research and reference services.

WED (FEB 26, 2025) 

9:00-9:05a Welcome

Session and Lightning Talks

Session: 9:05-9:55a

Take a closer look: The efficacy of dyslexia fonts


Fontypes designed for dyslexic readers are seeing increased adoption on social media, in the commercial sector, and even library database platforms, but how effective are these so-called accessibility tools? Starting with a brief description of dyslexia and common misconceptions about this learning disorder, we will explore how dyslexic readers process written text and the barriers they face. We will examine examples of fonts designed specifically for dyslexic readers and interrogate their origin and efficacy by reviewing empirical evidence. We will then review federal accessibility legislation, international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and recommendations from dyslexia advocacy groups to identify evidence-based practices, beneficial fonts, style guides, and layout considerations to support dyslexic readers. This talk will highlight common technological applications and third-party vendors that cater to academic libraries.

Session: 10:05-10:55a

Exploring repeat users: Insights from web and SMS chat transcripts


Repeat use of reference services has long been used as an indicator of service quality and user satisfaction in libraries (Durrance, 1995; Lankes, Gross & McClure, 2003); however, there are few studies that examine the behaviour of repeat users of a virtual reference chat service in particular. As virtual reference services have become more ubiquitous in libraries, a closer examination of user behaviours within the context of chat reference is important to understand the changing nature of reference and inform how we adapt to user needs. Our study uses anonymized transcript data to identify patterns in information seeking behaviour of repeat users of a consortium level chat service, with 17 partner schools across the province of Ontario. We analyzed a total of 1,180 web chat transcripts and 239 SMS transcripts from 360 unique users in the academic year 2022-2023. We defined a repeat user as anyone who used the service three or more times within that time frame. Our primary goal was to determine what types of reference transactions repeat users engage in, i.e. are they looking for citation help, research guidance, or do they have non-library questions. Our second goal was to determine if repeat users demonstrate signs of library anxiety. This session will summarize our methodology, our qualitative and quantitative findings, and the impact those findings might have on chat reference service provision.

Lightning Talks: 11:05-12:00p

Ticket Black Holes and Incessant Beeping: How a Chat Interface Impacts Reference Anxiety


Inspired by our observation of colleagues that expressed hesitation with contributing to a global cooperative chat service, three librarians at Washington State University and University of Idaho conducted a survey (361 responses) and follow-up interviews (11) of U.S. librarians that focused on anxiety that librarians experience while participating in a cooperative chat service. Our aims for this study were to identify common barriers to participation and aspects of cooperative chat librarians find the most challenging. A recurring theme in our responses was the chat system’s interface, including frustrations, features they wish were included, and system settings that would improve the user and operator experience. While this research study focused on librarians who use Springshare’s 24/7 cooperative, this presentation is applicable to all chat systems. This lightning talk will present research results on librarian anxiety surrounding cooperative chat and how our expectations of colleagues within a chat cooperative affect our feelings toward the system interface. Attendees will leave with questions and considerations to discuss with their reference team along with concrete suggestions for how to use your chat interface to the best of its ability. Our hope is that libraries can use the data to create better tools and support services surrounding librarian participation in cooperative chat, an increasingly crucial library service.



Cultivating Chat Expertise: A Year-Round Training Strategy


Training for chat staff often consists of a single onboarding session followed by an annual refresher. While these training sessions serve as a valuable foundation, they fall short in addressing the dynamic nature of chat which calls for continuous learning throughout the year. To address the need for ongoing professional development for a service at a large research institution covered primarily by library staff, an email training series was developed to provide regular training updates, address recurring issues, and highlight useful tools and best practices. In this session, we will discuss how the email series was developed and implemented, how it has been received, and future plans.

THU (FEB 27, 2025) 


9:00-9:05a Welcome

Sessions

Session: 9:05-9:55a

Lessons in Crisis Management from a Library Occupation


In spring 2024, the University Library at Portland State University faced an unexpected upheaval: the occupation of the library by protestors, leading to a months-long closure of the building for extensive repairs costing more than $1.25 million. The manager of reference services collaborated with access services to open a small pop-up library in the student union building, including what became a combined service area, following a month where chat reference was the library’s only consistent service point. We also dealt with some new kinds of reference transactions: inquiries from media and police; and many expressions of concern and offers of help from library patrons. And, throughout the occupation and the building closure, we saw extensive misinformation about the library itself, on the web, from our patrons, in the media, and on professional listservs from people outside our own library. In this session, the manager of reference services will share the lessons learned from this different kind of crisis, including working with new and familiar partners and navigating civil unrest in a politically charged climate, as well as suggestions for all librarians on ways to prepare for and manage the unexpected, including the traumatic reverberations that can last even when a building is repainted and reopened.

Closing Session: 10:05-11:00a

Liberated by AI: How Chatbots Can Elevate Library Staff Roles to Focus on What Matters Most


In 2021, the University of Calgary Libraries launched a multilingual reference chatbot by leveraging a commercial product that combines a large language model (LLM) with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technology. The chatbot is trained on the library’s own web content, including LibGuides and operating hours. University of Calgary Library staff will discuss their implementation of this chatbot and talk about one of the pleasant side-effects of the implementation; that the chatbot has shifted routine tasks away from library staff, allowing them to focus on more impactful projects like service design and delivery.