Library Space for All Ages - speakers
Keynote Speaker: Lesley Farmer - lfarmer@csulb.edu
Session Time: 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. CST
Session Title: Optimizing Library Space through Data Analytics
Session Description: How do you optimize library space?
This session explains how to use data analytics to maximize impact. The session will discuss how to identify relevant data, instruments to gather data, data analysis, and resultant action plans.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Lesley Farmer is a Professor at California State University (CSU) Long Beach and coordinates their librarianship program. In addition, she manages the CSU ICT Literacy Project. Dr. Farmer earned her M.S. in Library Science at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and received her doctorate in Adult Education from Temple University. She has worked as a teacher-librarian in K-12 school settings as well as in public, special, and academic libraries. She chairs the IFLA's School Libraries Section and CSLA's curriculum and research committees. Dr. Farmer, a frequent presenter and writer for the profession, has won American Library Association’s 2011 Phi Beta Mu Award for library education and the 2016 International Association of School Librarianship Commendation Award. Her research interests include digital citizenship, information literacy, collaboration, assessment and data analysis; she is also a Fulbright scholar. Her most recent books are Library Improvement through Data Analytics (ALA, 2016) and Information and Digital.Literacies: A Curricular Guide for Middle and High School Librarians (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015).
Speaker: Grace Bentley - mgraceb@gmail.com
Session Time: 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. CST
Session Title: Off the Rails: How the Crazy Idea of Installing Real Outdoor Playground Equipment Inside the Library Led to a Rethinking of How Patrons Use Our Space
Session Description: In 2014, the Library Station (SGCL) found itself in the middle of a potential train wreck: we had to replace the beloved, unique, custom (read: expensive) train feature in the children's department. How would we replace this destination feature while staying within our budget and keeping patrons happy? The process led us to look outside the library world, and indeed outside the world of "indoor furnishings" altogether. The result? An enormous interactive train designed by an outdoor playground equipment company. This came with unexpected benefits and led us to take a hard look at what messages we send our patrons with the features we incorporate into our spaces. Learn how we changed our space without traumatizing our patrons, how we reduced problem behaviors by saying "yes" more often, and how we somehow convinced our director to let us install outdoor playground equipment in our children’s area!
Speaker Bio: Grace Bentley has recently become the Branch Manager of the Bluford Library in Kansas City, after working as Youth Services Manager at the Library Station in Springfield, MO for 5 years. She is focused on making library services, and spaces, accessible to all people.
Speakers: Sarah Timm - sarah.timm@tamusa.eduStefanie Wittenbach - stefanie.wittenbach@tamusa.edu
Session Time: 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. CST
Session Title: Small but Mighty! An Academic Library's Tale of Effective Use of Small Space for Multiple User Groups
Session Description: The Texas A&M University-San Antonio Library serves a population of 5,500 students in a space of 11,000 square feet on the second floor of the University’s central academic building. With the University's recent comprehensive expansion and rapid growth, along with the loss of the main campus computer lab, the library has seen increased foot traffic. These changes forced a reassessment of how our current space was used. The forthcoming addition of more computers and study tables, the conversion of the library’s special collections reading room into a quiet study room, and the preservation of several unique spaces for targeted patron groups (such as the makerspace and family study room) are some of the ways we have managed to use our small space effectively.
Speaker Bio: Sarah Timm currently serves as the Public Services Manager of the University Library at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, a position she has held for over three years. She has enjoyed being a member of the staff at the University Library for over five years. Prior to that, Mrs. Timm was the librarian at two privately owned career colleges in Alabama and Oklahoma where she helped to build both libraries from the ground up. She received her Bachelor's in Sociology from Trinity University and her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Speaker Bio: Stefanie Wittenbach is the founding University Librarian at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. She has worked primarily in management and administrative positions in research libraries in New Mexico, Texas, and California. Ms. Wittenbach has held adjunct graduate teaching positions at San Jose State University and the University of Arizona, teaching cataloging and collection development. Ms. Wittenbach is a presenter, consultant, and writer on various library topics. In 2010, Stefanie won one of ten national, “I Love My Librarian!” awards from the New York Times/Carnegie Foundation of New York/American Library Association. She received her Bachelor’s in English and her Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin.
Speaker: Heather Witherow - hwitherow@ontarioca.gov
Session Time: 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. CST
Session Title: After School Teen Drop-in
Session Description: We had hundreds of teens flood our building after school and until the late bus arrived around 4:00 p.m. Looking at our resources, it was decided that the meeting room would be opened for those, "louder teens," that needed to burn off some steam and provide a place for them to eat snacks (since eating is not allowed in any other part of the library). We put out board games, cards, and once a month we run a movie. We also allow them to play video games on a Wii-U about once a week. If we have extra crafts, we’ll put them out for them as well. By converting this meeting room, it allows us to still give them a space, and helps the rest of the library's community enjoy a reasonably quiet library in our small space. With the help of a large donation, we were also able to create a dedicated teen space with furniture and shift our YA books to one side of the library. This gave teens that needed more of a quiet space, a place to hang out. This space also includes a bulletin board that we do passive programs with, like posting questions such as, "why do you love your library," to "what would you like to see in your next president." This gives the teens a voice and a place to express themselves.
Speaker Bio: Heather is a Branch Manager with the Ontario City Library System. Ontario City Library System is a joint-use facility within a high school. She has extensive experience working in libraries for 20 years. Heather is a wife and mother of four adult children. In her free time, she loves to travel, decorate, take pictures, eat healthy, and volunteer for community outreach at her church.
Speakers: Elizabeth MacDonald - emacdonald@lindenwood.eduNancy Messina - nmessina@lindenwood.edu
Michael Fetters - mfetters@lindenwood.edu
Session Time: 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. CST
Session Title: Working Together to Create an Innovative Academic Library Space
Session Description: The new library building at Lindenwood University was designed to meet the needs of university students, faculty, and staff. The project has taken its shape from a vision of the changing nature of library services and the communities we serve. Elizabeth MacDonald, Nancy Messina, and Michael Fetters will tell the story of this new building. We will share the collaborative process that led to its current design and the innovative programmatic goals that we plan to undertake. The presentation will include the initial vision for the building, and the many decisions that have been made to create a space that caters to all elements of the university community. The presentation will also include our efforts at creating a consistent marketing message that conveys the changing nature and expectations for libraries and how this new space more than rises to the occasion.
Speaker Bio: Liz MacDonald is the Dean of University Library Services at Lindenwood University, and has served in that capacity since 2003. In 2011, Ms. MacDonald prepared a proposal for a new multi-use space using student and faculty satisfaction surveys, research by library staff, an ADA facilities compliance report, visits to libraries across the state of Missouri, and extensive collaboration with stakeholders across campus. She presented it to the University President in September of 2013 and it was approved by the Board of Directors in May of 2014. Since the approval of the project, Ms. MacDonald has worked on all aspects of the project in anticipation of the much awaited opening of the building in Fall 2017.
Speaker Bio: Nancy Messina is a Reference Librarian at Lindenwood University. Though she has only been at Lindenwood since September of 2016, she has worked at multiple universities either helping or running the library’s marketing and outreach efforts. At Lindenwood she works to market the new facility and library services to the university community.
Speaker Bio: Michael Fetters is the Digital Librarian at Lindenwood University, and has served in that role since 2013. Because of feedback from both students and faculty and revisiting initial research conducted by other staff on renovating the current building, Michael began researching proposals and cost comparisons for creating a new library building versus renovating the current building. His aim was to encourage Liz MacDonald to propose the building of an entirely new space for the library at Lindenwood University. Since the approval of Ms. MacDonald’s proposal in 2014, Michael has been involved in the development of the expanded Media Center capabilities, including the addition of a new makerspace and gaming center.
Speakers: Bill O'Bright - bobright@kirkwoodpubliclibrary.orgLisa Henry - lhenry@kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org
Session Time: 2:00 - 2:45 p.m. CST
Session Title: Playing Tetris: Molding Your Library to Fit the Modern Environment
Session Description: Finding space in a public library is becoming more difficult. Displays for library items, computers, study areas, and program rooms all need to fit in the same space that existed before the contemporary paradigm shift in library services. This presentation will explore Kirkwood Public Library's journey to create enough room, while maximizing modern library services. We will examine: finding areas of improvement, boosting function of allotted space, selecting and communicating with contractors, circulation improvements, and correcting an area’s appearance. By watching this presentation, we are hoping the viewer can use our attempt to get ideas for their own project.
Speaker Bio: Bill O'Bright is the Operations Assistant for Kirkwood Public Library. He graduated with great honors from Webster University with a BAS in History and has a background in the maintenance of historic buildings. His hobbies include tinkering with technology, playing video games, reading, and enjoying bad movies.
Speaker Bio: Lisa Henry has been with Kirkwood Public Library in Kirkwood, MO since 2005, and for the last ten years as the Director of Operations. She has overseen the renovation of the entire library, including the move to a temporary location for over a year, and is currently overseeing the renovation of the children's room. As Director of Operations, she is responsible for the building and grounds, all HR issues, and all financial transactions. She also serves as the bookkeeper for the Municipal Library Consortium and for the Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library. Currently she is also the Vice President for the Glendale-Kirkwood Kiwanis Club.
Speaker: Karen Bracken - kbracken@riversideca.gov
Session Time: 2:00 - 2:45 p.m. CST
Session Title: Makerspace @ Main
Session Description: We've taken an outgrown children's room and converted it into a teen space/makerspace at our Main Library. This space is housed with a collaboration table, a 3D printer, IMac's, IPad's, MacBook's, a recording booth, studio mixing equipment, and more! It's the ideal place for our teens to unleash their inner creativity (we also welcome our teens at heart)!! We based our space on a vision from our library director; a vision where all are welcome and everyone has something to contribute and/or learn. We designed this space with comfortable funky furniture where customers can work together, inspire each other, and expand their possibilities. With an anticipated relocation in our future, we chose fixtures and furnishings that can go with us.
Speaker Bio: Karen Bracken is the Digital Systems Specialist for the Riverside Public Library and System Administrator for Polaris ILS. She is responsible for the public library network which includes public PC's, the public Wi-Fi network, the OPAC, library website, and the library's makerspaces. Karen supervises technical support staff and serves as liaison with the IT Department.
Speakers: Dylan Martin - dtmgy5@mail.missouri.eduNavadeep Khanal - khanaln@missouri.edu
Hannah Salings - hkativ@gmail.com
Session Time: 3:00 - 3:45 p.m. CST
Session Title: Establishing the Digital Media Commons (On a Shoestring Budget)
Session Description: What do digital equipment reserves, drab study spaces, and a bucket of green paint have in common? For Ellis library on the University of Missouri – Columbia campus, the commonality was untapped potential. The E-Learning Librarian has been working with colleagues to develop a digital media commons at Ellis library by building on mostly pre-existing resources. While digital equipment such as cameras and audio recorders has been available for several years, until recently, there were no dedicated spaces for production or lighting modules. For students, this problem was confronted with a low-cost solution: by painting a wall in two study rooms green, the study spaces now accommodate a “green screen.” For library staff, a sizable storage room was transformed into a media production space. This transformative, albeit incremental, work indicates the power of taking initiative. There is now growing administrative support for the commons, and commitment to improve the acoustics of the bare-bones study rooms. This presentation will detail the process, strategies, and experience of establishing a digital media commons for internal and external users at a large, academic library, in a shrinking budget environment.
Speaker Bio: Dylan Martin is a graduate assistant at Ellis Library and graduate student in Library and Information Science at the iSchool at the University of Missouri. He also has a background in audio and video production, and currently works as the lead sound engineer at a live music venue in Columbia, MO.
Speaker Bio: Navadeep Khanal is the E-Learning Librarian at MU Libraries at the University of Missouri. He leads the libraries' effort to ensure that remote students and online users of the university have high-quality access to library services, information, workshops, and learning modules, by working collaboratively with librarians, faculty, instructional designers, and information technologists.
Speaker Bio: Hannah Salings is the E-Learning graduate assistant at Ellis Library and a graduate student in Library and Information Science at the iSchool at the University of Missouri. She writes tutorials, films and edits digital media, and designs instructional content for the library.