Program

9:05-10:10a

Keynote (presentation + Q&A)

Wholehearted Libraries: Meeting the Needs of Community 

(Dr. Michael Stephens)

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 and Lightning Talks

Session: 10:20-11:10a

Innovating and adapting reference services to serve resident students incarcerated in Idaho

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-releases/us-department-education-announces-expansion-second-chance-pell-program-and-actions-help-incarcerated-individuals-resume-educational-journeys-and-reduce-recidivism), 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. 

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Lightning Talks: 10:20-11:10a

Collaboration Station: Active Learning Experiences to Help Conduct the Reference Interview Using Google Jamboards

Have you ever had patrons that could not remember what was discussed during a consultation or reference interview? The following session will help the researcher feel collaborative. For example, the patron might have lost their notebook or could not remember what database was suggested or what keywords were used during the reference interview. The following session will demonstrate how to create and implement the usage of a Google Jam board while conducting the research interview. The goal is for the researcher to share their thoughts and ideas around their research question using post-it notes and other features to locate information further. The speaker will walk the attendees through pre-work, work during the consultations, and send data after the consultation. 

Each attendee will learn how to incorporate the following:

• Create a Google Jam Board using a provided template

• Providing sample research questions- walking each participant through the process

• pick out keywords together- using highlighted Jamboard features

• organize content during the consultation process ( what database to use the following and other information as it arises during the consultation). 

• Providing the researcher with a list of ready-to-go resources for their research journey.

 Overall, the goal is to provide research consultations in a collaborative way instead of a mini demonstration of database resources for each consultation. The process allows the librarian to understand the complete picture of the beginning stages ( where are you?),  middle stage (meeting you where you are), and where we go from there ( listing resources, keywords, databases, etc.). The digital whiteboard also gives the researcher a takeaway from the session and is a remembrance of what was discussed during the individual or group consultation session.

Applying flipped classroom strategies to virtual research consultations with history students

Librarians working with undergraduate history students can use a few techniques drawn from research on the flipped classroom to scaffold student learning in the context of a half hour, one-on one virtual research consultation. History students often need support from librarians along several facets of a research task - they may need to fill in key background information, identify and evaluate secondary sources, and even do some historiographical analysis while also trying to locate a collection of primary sources. In a virtual research consultation setting, it can be challenging to quickly recognize which elements a student has mastered. By creating a shared document from a template and asking the student to make notes about what they have found in advance of the meeting, this librarian has been able to structure online research consultations to prioritize which needs to address; the shared document leaves the student with key links and concrete steps for moving forward as well as a model that could serve them when preparing for future professional interactions. 

Session and Lightning Talks

Session: 9:05-9:55a

AskMN Service-Learning Experience for MLIS Students

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.

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Miscommunication in Library Chat: How Conversation Analysis Can Help You Understand and Fix Problems

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: 10:05-10:55a

Personalizing Virtual Reference: The Drive to Thrive

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.

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Lightning Talks: 10:05-10:55a

Digital Relations: Creating Virtual Reference Tools for Gender Diverse, 2Spirit, and Indigiqueer Students

Although libraries are frequently framed as “safe spaces” for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, recent studies have highlighted the ways that academic libraries might create discomfort for gender diverse students in how their physical and virtual spaces are organized (Yates, 2020; Wexelbaum, 2018). Libraries and Cultural Resources (LCR) at the University of Calgary has had a long history of meaningful student engagement, including a personal librarian program with designated library contacts to support LGBTQIA2S+ students, as well as a robust virtual reference program with significant online instructional tools to offer personalized aid. After meetings were conducted between the Gender and Sexuality Studies librarian, a library student assistant, and the University of Calgary’s Q centre- a student union group that provides the LGBTQIA2S+ community and their allies safe space and resources on campus- it became clear that there were ways LCR could improve their support to this community, namely in finding and utilizing library resources on topics relevant to their lived experiences and in utilizing the affordances of  online and virtual environments to create a safer space for browsing and learning in and beyond the library’s physical walls.

This presentation outlines the process of consulting, planning, and designing virtual reference tools for LGBTQIA2S+ students at the University of Calgary, with related tools for 2Spirit and Indigiqueer Students. We will discuss the virtual reference tools we assessed for use (AR tour, virtual interactive tour, Storymap) and our final platform in light of considerations around digital safety and privacy for LGBTQIA2S+ students that our consultations unearthed. This presentation will reflect more broadly on ways in which virtual reference and supporting online tools can be conceptualized to embrace and advance EDIA in academic libraries in unique and responsive ways, including a discussion of best practices for safety and privacy when designing an online resource for LGBTQIA2S+ students.

Ready, set, oh no? Prepare for possible online accessibility issues before they arise

Trying to make your online resources more accessible but aren't sure where the vendor's interface might cause problems? Do you collect Accessibility Compliance Reports (sometimes referred to as a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template or VPAT) and file it away without doing anything with the information contained within? Find out how the Online Resources and Services Librarian at the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences Library Resources has partnered with UND’s Equity Compliance and Education Manager to take accessibility compliance to the next level. We’ve augmented the basic University requirement to check a box into a more comprehensive process that ensures we’re proactively attending to our users’ current and future needs. We work internally and with vendors to identify and track the potential failing points of our online resources as identified in their ACR. We then, prior to purchase approval or renewal, develop a plan to mitigate the accessibility barriers within the platform and provide equally effective alternative access to the material. Once the resource is made available within our ILS, we inform users of known accessibility barriers and make sure they know how to contact us with questions or for assistance. In this lightning talk, we’ll discuss going beyond basic internal requirements to establish more rigorous measures that better meets users where they are and before they know they need help. You’ll discover how to identify and track potential problems, how to communicate to your users regarding accessibility concerns, and how to maintain contact with your vendors and publishers to advocate for your users.

Session and Lightning Talks

Session: 9:05-9:55a

Rebuilding a Sustainable Research Help Model

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, librarians at Oakland University evaluated methods of providing reference services in order to develop a more adaptive, sustainable model for research help. In this session, three librarians will detail their work in transforming their library's research help model, and will use their experiences to help others identify meaningful directions for their own reference services. Since virtual reference services have grown over the last several years, it was important to understand the efficacy of our interactions with patrons. Therefore, a project was undertaken to evaluate online chat interactions and identify opportunities to provide additional support.

Using this internal analysis, we developed direction for more clearly positioning our different research help service points to external audiences, and developed plans to implement and promote a more tiered reference model. Moreover, research help strategies were integrated into the library’s social media outreach, as well as the library’s physical space.

In addition to a cohesive external marketing strategy, library faculty worked to create a unified internal virtual reference presence through shared goals and best practices. We leveraged the features of our LibApps products and our internal systems to develop and share best practices guidelines, maintenance procedures, common messages, and structures for self-evaluation. A definition for successful virtual reference interactions, including an internal rating system for self-evaluation and reflection, was created to provide librarians an opportunity to review their interactions with users.

In positioning research help both internally and externally, we sought to provide more effective asynchronous research assistance through our tutorials and online learning objects. To evaluate whether these resources were appropriately useful and accessible, a pilot testing process was undertaken to review instructional content items and gain feedback about the user experience. These results were used to update existing library resources to better reflect the information needs and interests of library users, and to identify directions for future growth in this area.

As these changes have been implemented, data collection tools have been evaluated and updated to reflect the information needed to continue to evaluate these services. These projects comprise a sustainable, adaptable system that we have developed, and which we can use as we continue to revise or update our reference services. As a result of this session, participants will be able to identify areas where they can build (or rebuild) resilient structures to support the ongoing growth and renewal of their own library's virtual reference services.

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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.

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: 10:05-10:55a

An investigation into library virtual chat reference software features

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.

Topic: Adaptability, Service Evaluation.

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Lightning Talks: 10:05-10:55a

Second Time Around

As our profession starts to gray, library staff may find that they are ready to retire from full time work, enjoy their well earned retirement, but are not ready to completely stop working.  Learn how you can parlay your years of service into a part time position that nourishes your soul but also allows you time to do all the things you have dreamed of doing.  

Supervisor at a distance: supporting undergraduate reference workers

Salisbury University is a public university that serves about 8,000 students. As a former student employee in libraries (both in undergrad and graduate school), I try my best to support my current undergraduate student workers at the Research Help Desk. Even though they often do not go into libraries, the skills they gain and develop over their employment are easily applicable to most fields. They are trained to be adaptable, flexible, and calm under pressure – all things that they’ve been working towards already in these past few pandemic years. They are primarily responsible for staffing the desk on Sundays and evenings, with a few working Thursday and Friday mornings. Students are by themselves at the Research Help Desk, though staff and other students are next to them at the Circulation desk. Their job is not to know every answer under the sun; their job is to know where to look to find it, or who to contact for more help. In addition to taking in-person questions, they are the first line on chat when librarians aren’t available. They are also expected to log their interactions online via Gimlet. This lightning talk will detail my procedures in training, reviewing their work, and helping them develop professional skills to take with them after college when I do not work with them directly during their shifts.