The People-Powered Library - Conference Session Details

10:00 am CST Keynote Session
Libraries Work Because We Do: Nurturing Workplace Culture and Work-Life Balance in Libraries This conference keynote will celebrate the work of "The People-Powered Library" by recognizing that libraries only work because we do – and "we" are library workers who show up every day to provide services to the community. Beginning from the premise that creating a positive culture is the responsibility of everyone, from library page to library director, participants will be empowered with actionable steps to nurture and advocate for positive workplace cultures from any position, centering their own work-life balance. Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada \| lessalozada@gmail.com Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada is the Acting Director for the Glendale Public Library in Southern California and served as the 2022-23 President of the American Library Association. Through her leadership in ALA and other roles, including as the 2019-2022 Executive Director and 2016-2017 President of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Pelayo-Lozada has engaged with and promoted the work of library staff in academic, public, school, and special libraries. In 2022 she received the American Library Association Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award and was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in the advocacy category. A current board member of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature, much of her work focuses on advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion in libraries, librarianship, and children’s literature.

10:00 am CST Keynote Session

Libraries Work Because We Do: Nurturing Workplace Culture and Work-Life Balance in Libraries

This conference keynote will celebrate the work of "The People-Powered Library" by recognizing that libraries only work because we do – and "we" are library workers who show up every day to provide services to the community. Beginning from the premise that creating a positive culture is the responsibility of everyone, from library page to library director, participants will be empowered with actionable steps to nurture and advocate for positive workplace cultures from any position, centering their own work-life balance.

Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada | lessalozada@gmail.com Lessa Kanani' opua Pelayo-Lozada portrait

Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada is the Acting Director for the Glendale Public Library in Southern California and served as the 2022-23 President of the American Library Association. Through her leadership in ALA and other roles, including as the 2019-2022 Executive Director and 2016-2017 President of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Pelayo-Lozada has engaged with and promoted the work of library staff in academic, public, school, and special libraries. In 2022 she received the American Library Association Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award and was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in the advocacy category. A current board member of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature, much of her work focuses on advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion in libraries, librarianship, and children’s literature.

11:15 am CST Session
United We Onboard: Lessons Learned from a Collaborative Onboarding Process Join us as we share our library’s journey of rebuilding through a collaborative onboarding process. In September 2023, our team of three librarians faced a staffing shortage. By January 2024, we onboarded two new librarians, followed by a third in June 2024. This session features a conversation between five team members: two original trainers and two new hires who became trainers for the latest addition. They will reflect on their onboarding experiences, offering insights from both perspectives. Discover practical strategies for enhancing your onboarding process, fostering team cohesion, and ensuring smooth transitions for new staff. This session is a must-attend for hiring managers and onboarding coordinators seeking to improve their practices. Shawna Thorup \| sthorup@nwacc.edu Library Director Shawna Thorup earned an MLIS from UCLA in 1993. Shawna joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in 2016 and became director in 2023. Autumn Roberts \| aroberts18@nwacc.edu Systems Librarian Autumn Roberts earned an MLIS from University of Maryland in 2022 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in September 2022. Rachel Baack \| r3baack@nwacc.edu Access Services Librarian Rachel Baack earned an MLIS from University of Oklahoma in 2019 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in January 2024. Heather McCain \| h3mccain@nwacc.edu Outreach Librarian Heather McCain earned an MLS from Texas Women's University in 2020 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in January 2024. Patti Bruno \| p3bruno@nwacc.edu Technical Services Librarian Patti Bruno earned an MSLIS from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in June 2024.

11:15 am CST Session

United We Onboard: Lessons Learned from a Collaborative Onboarding Process

Join us as we share our library’s journey of rebuilding through a collaborative onboarding process. In September 2023, our team of three librarians faced a staffing shortage. By January 2024, we onboarded two new librarians, followed by a third in June 2024.

This session features a conversation between five team members: two original trainers and two new hires who became trainers for the latest addition. They will reflect on their onboarding experiences, offering insights from both perspectives.

Discover practical strategies for enhancing your onboarding process, fostering team cohesion, and ensuring smooth transitions for new staff. This session is a must-attend for hiring managers and onboarding coordinators seeking to improve their practices.

Shawna Thorup | sthorup@nwacc.edu Shawna Thorup portrait

Library Director Shawna Thorup earned an MLIS from UCLA in 1993. Shawna joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in 2016 and became director in 2023.

Autumn Roberts | aroberts18@nwacc.edu

Systems Librarian Autumn Roberts earned an MLIS from University of Maryland in 2022 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in September 2022.

Rachel Baack | r3baack@nwacc.edu

Access Services Librarian Rachel Baack earned an MLIS from University of Oklahoma in 2019 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in January 2024.

Heather McCain | h3mccain@nwacc.edu

Outreach Librarian Heather McCain earned an MLS from Texas Women's University in 2020 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in January 2024.

Patti Bruno | p3bruno@nwacc.edu

Technical Services Librarian Patti Bruno earned an MSLIS from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024 and joined the Northwest Arkansas Community College team in June 2024.

11:15 am CST Session
Rethinking Recruitment: The Need for an Inclusive, Candidate-Centric Approach Libraries are not only repositories of knowledge; they are active organizations for research, teaching, learning, technology, and collaboration. As such, the recruitment of skilled librarians is critical to the success of libraries and the institutions they serve. However, both librarians and library recruiters find the recruitment process to be challenging and at times frustrating. Some critics in recent years have described library recruitment as a dysfunctional process that is biased, unresponsive, and disconnected from the realities of the evolving job market. In this session, speakers will discuss their research into the library market and the recruitment process, having conducted a content analysis of job ads and surveys of both job recruiters and job seekers. The findings highlight the importance of candidate-centered practices in the recruitment process, as well as the creation of positions and work environments that are supportive of employee's personal wellness and values. JB Hill \| jbhill@ualr.edu J B Hill is Dean of the Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has an MA in Economics from Mankato State University and an MLS from Vanderbilt University. His research interests include library administration, and the delivery of library content and services. Louise Lowe \| llowe@library.rochester.edu Louise Lowe is Director of Learning Initiatives at the University of Rochester Libraries and former Student Success Coordinator for Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Louise has an MS in Information Science from the University of North Texas. Louise's area of interests include active and inclusive learning, experiential learning in libraries, evidence-based practices. Chris Stewart \| cstewart@ualr.edu Chris Stewart is Discovery and Metadata Coordinator of Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has a BA in Philosophy from Hendrix College and an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include social epistemology and knowledge organization.

11:15 am CST Session

Rethinking Recruitment: The Need for an Inclusive, Candidate-Centric Approach

Libraries are not only repositories of knowledge; they are active organizations for research, teaching, learning, technology, and collaboration. As such, the recruitment of skilled librarians is critical to the success of libraries and the institutions they serve. However, both librarians and library recruiters find the recruitment process to be challenging and at times frustrating. Some critics in recent years have described library recruitment as a dysfunctional process that is biased, unresponsive, and disconnected from the realities of the evolving job market.

In this session, speakers will discuss their research into the library market and the recruitment process, having conducted a content analysis of job ads and surveys of both job recruiters and job seekers. The findings highlight the importance of candidate-centered practices in the recruitment process, as well as the creation of positions and work environments that are supportive of employee's personal wellness and values.

JB Hill | jbhill@ualr.edu JB Hill portrait

J B Hill is Dean of the Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has an MA in Economics from Mankato State University and an MLS from Vanderbilt University. His research interests include library administration, and the delivery of library content and services.

Louise Lowe | llowe@library.rochester.edu Louise Lowe portrait

Louise Lowe is Director of Learning Initiatives at the University of Rochester Libraries and former Student Success Coordinator for Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Louise has an MS in Information Science from the University of North Texas. Louise's area of interests include active and inclusive learning, experiential learning in libraries, evidence-based practices.

Chris Stewart | cstewart@ualr.edu Chris Stewart portrait

Chris Stewart is Discovery and Metadata Coordinator of Ottenheimer Library at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has a BA in Philosophy from Hendrix College and an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include social epistemology and knowledge organization.

11:15 am CST Session
Expanding Opportunities for Teens: Longview Public Library’s Teen Intern Program The Longview Public Library's Teen Intern Program offers an opportunity for young people ages 13 to 18 to experience work in a library while building their resume or enhancing their college application. Learn about Longview’s recruitment and selection process, the opportunities provided to interns, and some of the strategies staff have used to grow this program in a smaller public library. Jennifer Eldridge \| jeldridge@longviewtexas.gov Jennifer Eldridge is Library Director at Longview Public Library, Longview, TX.

11:15 am CST Session

Expanding Opportunities for Teens: Longview Public Library’s Teen Intern Program

The Longview Public Library's Teen Intern Program offers an opportunity for young people ages 13 to 18 to experience work in a library while building their resume or enhancing their college application. Learn about Longview’s recruitment and selection process, the opportunities provided to interns, and some of the strategies staff have used to grow this program in a smaller public library.

Jennifer Eldridge | jeldridge@longviewtexas.gov Jennifer Eldridge portrait

Jennifer Eldridge is Library Director at Longview Public Library, Longview, TX.

1:00 pm CST Session
Being a Good Leader for Your People What do library staff and faculty want from their leaders in today's post-pandemic library organization? What skills and strategies are needed to be a good leader who can effectively create positive change in their libraries? This presentation shares a number of skills and strategies leaders need in today's environment, uncovered through a series of focus groups with academic library staff & faculty, as well as reflection from library leaders themselves, from across the country. The study underlying this presentation found that library leaders must adapt to changed workplaces, engage in strategic and visible advocacy, lead from a sustainability perspective, employ strategies for dealing with turnover and vacancies, approach change contextually, and develop new leadership competencies. Laura McBrayer \| mcbrayerl@uncw.edu Laura Wiegand McBrayer is Associate Dean of the Library at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UNCW, as well as an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. As Associate Dean, Laura provides leadership for four of the five library divisions: Academic & Research Engagement, Information Technology & Digital Services, Resource Description & Management, and User Services & Outreach, as well as the department of Building Operations and Security. Laura serves as deputy to the Dean of the Library as needed, and collaborate on budget management, strategic planning, human resource development, and library-wide operations.

1:00 pm CST Session

Being a Good Leader for Your People

What do library staff and faculty want from their leaders in today's post-pandemic library organization? What skills and strategies are needed to be a good leader who can effectively create positive change in their libraries? This presentation shares a number of skills and strategies leaders need in today's environment, uncovered through a series of focus groups with academic library staff & faculty, as well as reflection from library leaders themselves, from across the country. The study underlying this presentation found that library leaders must adapt to changed workplaces, engage in strategic and visible advocacy, lead from a sustainability perspective, employ strategies for dealing with turnover and vacancies, approach change contextually, and develop new leadership competencies.

Laura McBrayer | mcbrayerl@uncw.edu Laura McBrayer portrait

Laura Wiegand McBrayer is Associate Dean of the Library at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UNCW, as well as an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. As Associate Dean, Laura provides leadership for four of the five library divisions: Academic & Research Engagement, Information Technology & Digital Services, Resource Description & Management, and User Services & Outreach, as well as the department of Building Operations and Security. Laura serves as deputy to the Dean of the Library as needed, and collaborate on budget management, strategic planning, human resource development, and library-wide operations.

1:00 pm CST Session
Stepping Confidently into Leadership Development Are you seeking strategies for developing leadership training? Leadership in public libraries – or in any library – requires a mix of leadership of self and others and leadership in the library, in the community, and in the profession. Today’s new leaders bring their own expertise, experience, and dispositions to their growth journeys that can be built on and leveraged to strengthen all emerging leaders. New leaders can continue growing into leadership through collaboration, self-exploration, and experimentation. With experience developing leadership institutes, workshops, and informal learning for library professionals across several states and professional organizations, Dr. Morris will review successful leadership development strategies, current changes in the landscape, and tips for building or facilitating leadership development programs. Sharon Morris \| morris.sharon@gmail.com Sharon Morris has offered library professional development throughout the U.S. for over 20 years, including in-person and online webinars, workshops, conference presentations, and institutes. Currently a core instructor for the Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL), she recently retired as the Public Library Leadership Development Consultant at the Colorado State Library and has co-created leadership institutes in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as for the Association of Rural and Small Libraries. She holds an MLIS and a Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in Libraries. Dr. Morris' professional development covers a wide spectrum of topics, including organizational development, leadership, interpersonal communications, and library service excellence.

1:00 pm CST Session

Stepping Confidently into Leadership Development

Are you seeking strategies for developing leadership training? Leadership in public libraries – or in any library – requires a mix of leadership of self and others and leadership in the library, in the community, and in the profession. Today’s new leaders bring their own expertise, experience, and dispositions to their growth journeys that can be built on and leveraged to strengthen all emerging leaders. New leaders can continue growing into leadership through collaboration, self-exploration, and experimentation. With experience developing leadership institutes, workshops, and informal learning for library professionals across several states and professional organizations, Dr. Morris will review successful leadership development strategies, current changes in the landscape, and tips for building or facilitating leadership development programs.

Sharon Morris | morris.sharon@gmail.com Sharon Morris portrait

Sharon Morris has offered library professional development throughout the U.S. for over 20 years, including in-person and online webinars, workshops, conference presentations, and institutes. Currently a core instructor for the Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL), she recently retired as the Public Library Leadership Development Consultant at the Colorado State Library and has co-created leadership institutes in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as for the Association of Rural and Small Libraries.

She holds an MLIS and a Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in Libraries. Dr. Morris' professional development covers a wide spectrum of topics, including organizational development, leadership, interpersonal communications, and library service excellence.