Keynote Speaker: Jennifer Baxmeyer - Princeton University Library - bax@princeton.edu
Session Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am CST
Session Title: Opening Keynote - Where Do We Go From Here?
Session Description: Events since early 2020 have prompted a reevaluation of how we approach our lives and work. In libraries, pandemic-related lockdowns necessitated a reexamination of all aspects of work, from reference services to acquiring, describing, and providing access to library material. Numerous racist attacks and acts of police brutality helped spark a renewed interest within the library community in reparative metadata and inclusive cataloging. As discussions about research data, artificial intelligence, and large language models became more ubiquitous, library administrators continued contemplating the impact of these developments on organizations and staff. As we enter our fifth year of reexamining and reframing library work in the context of recent events and the shifting information landscape, we must continue exploring creative new ways to accomplish our work within technical services. This keynote explores two questions: "What have we learned over the past few years?" and "How do we incorporate what we've learned into today's technical services operations while preparing for the future?"
Speaker Bio: Jennifer Baxmeyer is Assistant University Librarian for Metadata Services at Princeton University Library, where she has worked since 2004. Before 2004, Jennifer was the serials/electronic resources cataloger at the University of Cincinnati. Jennifer has taught cataloging and metadata courses for the Library of Congress and in the library and information science programs at Rutgers University and Wayne State University. She served as chair of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Policy Committee from 2019-2020 and was the inaugural chair of the PCC's Advisory Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, now known as the Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility. In 2021, Jennifer participated in OCLC's "Reimagine Descriptive Workflows" project as a member of its advisory group. Since spring 2023, Jennifer has been the lead volunteer cataloger for LiteracyNation Inc., a non-profit affiliate of the American Library Association whose mission is to provide literacy services to underserved communities of color and support diverse self-published authors and independent booksellers.
Speaker: Dawn Mackey - Kansas City Public Library - dawnmackey@kclibrary.org
Speaker: Debbie Stoppello - Kansas City Public Library - deborahstoppello@kclibrary.org
Speaker: Stephanie Roberts - Kansas City Public Library - stephanieroberts@kclibrary.org
Session Time: 11:15 am - 12:00 pm CST
Session Title: Request It: Collaborative Acquisitions
Session Description: Kansas City Public Library's Request It service won the 2023 Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator award for Operations & Management. Request It is a patron driven acquisitions model that includes a suite of services: 1) Potential Purchasing, where we add discoverable catalog records for unowned titles, enabling patrons to place holds that trigger purchases; 2) Suggest for Purchase, where we try to buy all requested titles with a streamlined process; and 3) Interlibrary Loan, which is used as a last means of acquisitions. Request It provides a positive patron experience, reduces internal costs and staff time, and fosters a robust community-informed collection.
Speaker Bio: Dawn Mackey is the Discovery Services Manager at the Kansas City Public Library, overseeing cataloging, materials receiving/invoicing, and Request It processes. In her 34 years of library experience, she previously worked in cataloging and book repair at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art library in Kansas City, along with other academic and public library experience. Dawn is active in the American Library Association and the Missouri Library Association. She holds a Master of Library Science from Emporia State University.
Speaker Bio: Debbie Stoppello is the Director of Library Collections, managing Collection Development, Virtual Collections, Discovery Services, Acquisitions, and Metadata. Her long public library experience includes direct public service, collections selection and management in public libraries and with a vendor working with hundreds of libraries, as well library design for collections.
Speaker Bio: Stephanie Roberts is the Collection Development Supervisor of an innovative and dynamic department. She comes from a reference librarian background that includes direct public service, selection, and technology instruction. Currently she works in project management, selection, and library design for collections.
Speaker: Joanne Romano - Texas Medical Center Library - joanne.romano@library.tmc.edu
Speaker: Chad Metz - Texas Medical Center Library - chad.metz@library.tmc.edu
Session Time: 11:15 am - 12:00 pm CST
Session Title: Success in Technical Services: The Collaborative Solution
Session Description: What can technical service/resource management departments do to improve their services to internal and external customers?
Reliability and efficiency with access points, authentication, discoverability, troubleshooting, and product functionality are crucial in supporting the research and education work of library users and staff. At the Texas Medical Center (TMC) Library in Houston, teamwork and communication with colleagues in and outside of our library, have led us to developing new and better ways of serving our customers.
This presentation shares lessons learned by the TMC Library resource management team in providing the best customer service possible.
Speaker Bio: Joanne Romano is the Head of Resource Management and Discovery Services at the Texas Medical Center Library in Houston. In her 16 years there, she has taken lead roles in significant projects, such as moving her library's catalog and discovery systems to Alma/Primo, as well as a migration from EZProxy to OpenAthens. Joanne shared her library's OpenAthens experience in an October 2021 issue of the Journal of the Medical Library Association.
Speaker Bio: E. Chad Metz is a 14-year library professional. Chad earned his MLIS from Louisiana State University in 2022. He is currently the Electronic Resources Librarian at the Texas Medical Center Library in Houston, TX.
Speaker: Elizabeth Berney - Kansas State University - berney@k-state.edu
Session Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm CST
Session Title: The Serendipity of a Coffee Break
Session Description: Collection development works well when expert opinions and good data are involved. Library liaisons are a typical collaboration as they are subject specialists. However, there are other areas within the library where having strong relationships is highly beneficial; user/access services, interlibrary loan, course reserves, scholarly communication. These areas are sometimes undervalued. Join me in a discussion on how inviting colleagues for a coffee can open doors to collaborations that can spark an new way to view collection curation.
Speaker Bio: Elizabeth Berney is the Content Development Librarian for STEM at Kansas State University, in Manhattan Kansas. Prior to this position, she was the Content Delivery Services Librarian at Northern Arizona University for 2.5 years, the Head of User Services at Duke University Medical Center Library for over 14 years, and 5 years with the University of Tennessee's Interlibrary Loan unit. Most of her 20-year library career has been spent curating, managing, and maintaining existing physical collections; public services management; organizational leadership; managing change; and being an expert in copyright and resource sharing. Shifting to e-resources and content development has been a rewarding addition to her library knowledge.
In Elizabeth's free time she enjoys creating art, and getting her Subaru Outback, Belle, very dirty on roads that are barely roads.
Speaker: Ann Kardos - University of Massachusetts - Amherst - annk@umass.edu
Session Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm CST
Session Title: Breathing Art Into the Science of Cataloging and Metadata
Session Description: Metadata work should not be only following and interpreting rules or reading policy statements. Thinking creatively about our work as catalogers and metadata librarians benefits us, our colleagues and our patrons. Using art as a tool helps us translate information into a format that others can engage with and understand easily. When metadata professionals make art about our work, we also enhance our own innovative thinking and problem-solving. But maybe more importantly, making art together can help librarians communicate with each other, bust stereotypes and collaborate in unexpected ways.
In 2022, Ann created and curated Unseen Labor, an international library community-organizing embroidery project and exhibit at University of Massachusetts Amherst. This session will talk about the experience Ann has had using art to tell the story of metadata professionals and our work and how it has grown far beyond the borders she imagined.
Speaker Bio: Ann Kardos is a metadata librarian at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she has worked since 2017. She is also an embroidery artist and has had original pieces shown in museums and galleries in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Belfast, Maine; and Holyoke, Massachusetts. Her research interests include librarianship as a creative pursuit, using art as a tool for innovation, communication and expression and supporting change acceptance in technical services. Following rules is definitely not her thing. She enjoys learning all the rules so that she can ignore or break them, and she encourages others to do the same.
Speaker: Catherine Sassen - University of North Texas - catherine.sassen@unt.edu
Speaker: Kevin Yanowski - University of North Texas - kevin.yanowski@unt.edu
Speaker: Sian Brannon - University of North Texas - sian.brannon@unt.edu
Session Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm CST
Session Title: Organizing a Successful Workload Analysis Project
Session Description: Although a workload analysis project can yield a wealth of valuable information for an administrator, it must be strategically organized to engage participants and provide useful results. This presentation describes how a department head organized and implemented a successful workload analysis project in the Cataloging and Metadata Services Department of a large university library. The goals of the project were to enable a new department head to understand the workload of each employee and to ensure that assignments were equitably distributed. Employees were heavily involved in planning the project, conducting the pilot study, and documenting their workloads. The results of the project were used to rebalance assignments in the department and determine cross-training needs.
Speaker Bio: Catherine Sassen (she/her) is Principal Catalog Librarian at the University of North Texas. She has published peer-reviewed articles on cataloging, assessment, career development, and mentoring.
Speaker Bio: Kevin Yanowski is the Department Head of Cataloging and Metadata Services at the University of North Texas Libraries and has been working in libraries since 2015. Kevin is a people-first leader with experience in big-picture decision making, organizational culture shifts, and change management. Kevin is also passionate about leadership education, library user experience, and having meaningful and interesting conversations.
Speaker Bio: Sian Brannon, Senior Associate Dean at the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries, has worked in academic and public libraries since the 1990s, and is an adjunct professor for Technical Services and Research Methods courses. In her role for the UNT library, she coordinates Collection Management, oversees library-wide assessment, and manages a $9M materials budget. Sian serves on multiple ALA and ACRL committees and journal editorial boards, and she maintains an ongoing record of scholarship with peer-reviewed publications and presentations on topics such as assessment, management, and collection development.
Speaker: Kortney Nelson - Highland Park Library - knelson@hplibrary.info
Speaker: Celia Mulder - Clinton-Macomb Public Library - cmulder@cmpl.org
Speaker: Melissa Ciavaroli - Cumberland Public Library - melissa@cumberlandlibrary.org
Speaker: Anthea Bailie - Markham Public Library - abailie@markham.library.on.ca
Session Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CST
Session Title: Classification Alternatives in Public Libraries: A Moderated Panel Discussion
Session Description: Across the country, libraries are finding new alternatives to the traditional Dewey Decimal System of classification. Whether BISAC subject headings for nonfiction collections, WordBased classification for children's materials, or localized solutions like Cumberland Public Library's Browse Method, these approaches can scale across library sizes, engage library users, and drive circulation. This moderated panel will include time to explore options and engage in discussion about what's next for public library approaches to classification.
Speaker Bio: Kortney Nelson is the Town Librarian for the Highland Park Harvey R. "Bum" Bright Library. Mrs. Nelson has worked in public libraries for over 17 years in a variety of roles within management, as well as children's and adult services, since receiving her Master of Library Science degree from Texas Woman's University. The position of Town Librarian allows her to combine her experiences and work with a wonderful staff and community to explore and implement ways to expand library services to meet the information needs of patrons.
Speaker Bio: Celia Mulder (they/them) is the Head of Collection Management and System Administration at the Clinton-Macomb Public Library in Michigan. They received their MSI in Library and Information Services from the University of Michigan in 2018. After starting in reference, they quickly transitioned to technical services where they enjoy discussing classification with anyone who will engage. They’ve served as the chair of the CMPL equity, diversity, and inclusion committee for the past four years.
Speaker Bio: Melissa Chiavaroli is the Head of Reference at the Cumberland Public Library in Rhode Island. She is the creator of The Browse Method, a 21st century library classification system that is freely available to any public library. She has a passion for librarianship, particularly studying the ways which we can best bring public libraries into the 21st century to serve today's digital society while still connecting our members to one another in a powerful way within our communities.
Speaker Bio: Anthea Bailie is the Manager, Collections & Technical Services librarian at Markham Public Library. She has over 15 years of experience in public libraries in various roles including children’s librarianship, branch leadership, and collection development. Anthea has been passionate about improving access to library content for the community throughout her career.
Speaker: Laura Sill - University of Chicago - lsill@uchicago.edu
Speaker: Peggy Griesinger - University of Notre Dame - mgriesi2@nd.edu
Speaker: Martha Hood - University of Houston-Clear Lake - hood@uhcl.edu
Speaker: Jill Crane - University of Dayton - jcrane1@udayton.edu
Speaker: Laura Ramirez - University of Houston - alramire@central.uh.edu
Speaker: Susan Vandale - Dickinson College - vandales@dickinson.edu
Speaker: Jodene Pappas - University of Texas Permian Basin - pappas_j@utpb.edu
Session Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CST
Session Title: Collaborative Learning in Academic Library Technical Services: A Moderated Panel Discussion
Session Description: An ever-expanding list of hot topics in technical services has led staff at academic libraries to explore new collaborative models for learning and professional growth. This session highlights two innovative models. At the University of Houston Libraries in 2018, a virtual Linked Data Study Group took root and grew to include a total of seven librarians from multiple institutions across the country. In 2020, the University of Notre Dame's Hesburgh Libraries developed a cross-organizational Metadata Community of Practice (MCoP), where staff across library units could focus on and explore the power of metadata for their institutions. The session will include time for attendees to discuss their current and desired models for collaborative learning in the technical services space.
Speaker Bio: Laura Sill is Head of Acquisitions at The Joseph Regenstein Library of the University of Chicago. From 2020-2022, Laura served as Director of Metadata Services at the Hesburgh Libraries of the University of Notre Dame. Over her career, Laura has held management and leadership roles within technical services and library systems. Laura believes that technical services staff have an adaptable skill set that positions them well for the broadening expectations within the field. Laura has a strong commitment to cross-sector learning and management models that facilitate partnerships and growth. Her work currently focuses on inventory and service management in acquisitions, cultivating vendor/library partnerships, and the diversification of collections in support of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Speaker Bio: Peggy Griesinger works at the University of Notre Dame's Hesburgh Libraries as the Interim Director of Metadata Services and Head of Metadata Initiatives. She has an M.L.S. and a B.A. in Classical Studies, both from Indiana University Bloomington.
Speaker Bio: Currently working at the University of Houston-Clear Lake as the Associate Director for Evaluation & Assessment, Martha began her career as a cataloger, working at both public and academic libraries. In January 2020, she became involved with assessment and planning, but is still very much interested in linked data and wants to share what she has learned.
Speaker Bio: Jill J. Crane is an experienced librarian, cataloger, and archivist, having worked in museums, libraries, and archives for many years. She began her secondary education at Michigan State University with a B.A. and M.A. in American Studies, then completed a Master's degree in Library and Information Science and certificate in Archival Administration at Wayne State University. Jill started her professional library career at Stephen F. Austin State University, then St. Mary's University (San Antonio, Texas) and currently works at the University of Dayton as the Coordinator of Cataloging & Metadata. Outside of work duties, Jill enjoys researching a variety of topics, gardening, bicycling, and working on family genealogy.
Speaker Bio: A. Laura Ramirez, MA, MSLS, is a Senior Library Specialist at the University of Houston Libraries. Her area of expertise is the creation of metadata for the preservation, discoverability, and visibility of scholarly works and rare and unique materials. She works regularly with controlled vocabulary, digital library, and institutional repository systems.
Speaker Bio: Susan Vandale is currently the Technical Services Librarian at Dickinson College’s Waidner-Spahr Library in Carlisle, PA, where she has worked since August 2019. She has 15 years of professional experience in cataloging and technical services. Her current responsibilities include cataloging, institutional repository management and shared system administration duties for Dickinson’s Alma-Primo VE environment. She is interested in a variety of topics, including linked data, and has welcomed the opportunity to learn collaboratively with other librarians.
Speaker Bio: Jodene Pappas is the Head of Technical Services at The University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas. She leads the team in library systems, collection development, acquisitions, electronic resources, cataloging, and serials, as well as the archives and special collections. Prior to working at UTPB, she was the cataloging librarian at Stephen F. Austin State University for 7½ years. Jodene has presented at TLA, ALA, and ASIS&T on her experience of learning about linked data. She has also published a book chapter on having OCPD and depression as a professional librarian. In her "free time" she likes to catalog her personal library in LibraryThing and spend time with her two male Texas Maine Coon cats, Zephyr and Saffryn.