Program & Conference Schedule

Ben Richards (Cleveland State University)
Gamifying Library Instruction with Generative AI

ABSTRACT

Generative AI has become a go-to tool for many when it comes to idea generation, brainstorming, drafting, and revising content. Even early on, librarians and library staff have experimented using it in the instruction planning process.

Librarians have also long sought to make their instruction more engaging for students, and recognized the benefits that games and play bring to the learning environment.

This session will focus on targeted use cases for generative AI to create games and interactive experiences for library instruction contexts, including creating game content, designing games, generating visuals, and even using chat bots as part of a game. Attendees will have the chance to experiment and evaluate using an AI tool to help develop a game or interactive activity in an instructional context.

Participants will:

• Recognize use cases for generative AI in the development of games and activities for library instruction
• Use generative AI tools to generate ideas, create content, or test a game idea for an instructional context.

Stephanie Gaskins, Colleen Duchon, & Brook Wyers (Northeast Ohio Medical University)
Professional Development Protocol: A Tom Cruise–Level Mission for Campus Success

ABSTRACT

This session spotlights a creative approach to professional development through a series of workshops led by library and writing center staff working collaboratively to support teaching, research, and campus connection. Topics range from artificial intelligence in academic work to copyright and fair use, statewide resource-sharing agreements, and strategies for increasing faculty research visibility. These sessions are designed to get people talking across departments, share practical tools, and build a culture of collaboration. Each one feels like a carefully planned mission—timely, targeted, and packed with takeaways participants can use right away.

We’ll share what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how we’ve kept things flexible to meet our community’s changing needs. The session will include insights on gaining support from leadership, keeping sessions engaging, and tracking participation and feedback. Attendees will leave with planning templates, promotional ideas, and session outlines they can adapt to their own campuses. Whether they're just starting to build campus programming or looking to refresh their current approach, this session will offer ideas and inspiration for turning everyday challenges into opportunities for shared growth.

Participants will:

• Develop a workshop plan that brings together different campus departments in order to support professional growth and collaboration. 
• Use shared tools and flexible strategies to design sessions in order to promote long-term participation and campus buy-in. 
  
• Identify timely, relevant topics for faculty and staff development in order to create programming that feels useful and engaging.

Stephanie Gaskins is the Scholarly Communications & Reference Librarian at NEOMED. Stephanie has over 13 years of experience in Academic Librarianship with a focus on affordable course materials, accessibility, copyright, and institutional repositories. She is working on implementation and management of the NEOMED scholarly communications initiative, including copyright instruction and support.

Colleen Duchon serves as the Reference Librarian at NEOMED, where she supports curriculum and research initiatives through tailored consultations, reference services, and instructional partnerships. With over 10 years of experience in health sciences and academic librarianship, she has worked extensively with students, faculty, and staff to enhance resource accessibility and engagement. Colleen’s accomplishments include leading collection development projects, implementing data-driven acquisition strategies, and building a medical model collection that increased circulation by 400%. Her work reflects a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the evolving needs of academic medical communities.

Brook Wyers is the SLL Writing Specialist. She obtained her bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Creative Writing from Kent State University in 2021. She went on to earn her book publishing certificate from The University of Denver as well as a master's degree in publishing from Pace University. When Brook is not in the Writing Center, you may see her participating as a Reflective Practice mentor or helping operate The Journal of Medical Science (JMS). She loves reading and has a passion for book and journal publishing, as well as a general love for the English language.

Madeleine Gaiser (University of Cincinnati)
A Fidget for Every Fidgeter: Building a Point-of-Need, Barrier-Free Study & Focus Tools Collection

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

• Identify potential perceived barriers and stigmas for specialized collections and kits
• Draft a survey about study and focus tools for their library users
• Plan their own study and focus tools collection

Mandi Goodsett & Melanie Gagich (Cleveland State University)
Librarian as Co-Teacher: A Case Study on Open Pedagogy in First-Year Writing

ABSTRACT

Open pedagogy is a newly emerging area of interest in the open education space. The open pedagogy approach emphasizes student agency and student creation of openly-licensed course content. Librarians can play a key role in supporting open pedagogy, which provides an opportunity to teach information literacy concepts that are challenging to address in more traditional library instruction.

This presentation examines an open pedagogy project co-created and co-taught by a First-Year Writing instructor and a Performing Arts and Humanities Librarian. We will discuss our process of co-developing content for a multi-week module of a First Year Writing course. We will also cover project steps, co-teaching strategies, the role of librarians in supporting open pedagogy, and takeaways from our experience. We’ll end by sharing some openly-licensed student artifacts with the audience and inviting discussion.

Participants will:

• Define open pedagogy and its relationship with information literacy in order to articulate its value to stakeholders
• Design an open pedagogy intervention in collaboration with a faculty member in order to provide engaging, impactful information literacy instruction

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Mandi Goodsett (she/her) is the Performing Arts & Humanities Librarian, as well as the Open Educational Resource & Copyright Librarian, at Cleveland State University. Her research interests include teaching source evaluation, sustainability in libraries, and open education.

Melanie Gagich (she/her) is the Director of First-Year Writing and Senior College Lecturer at Cleveland State University. Her research interests include multimodal composing, writing and AI, and open pedagogy.

Gerald Natal & Arjun Sabharwal (The University of Toledo)

Measuring the Invisible: Assessing Institutional Repositories to Launch Student Success

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

• Identify key assessment strategies in order to evaluate the teaching and learning impact of institutional repositories
• Clarify and analyze tacit and explicit data in order to surface hidden contributions of IRs to student success
• Acquire knowledge to design an IR assessment plan in order to strengthen the library’s strategic alignment with accreditation and institutional goals

Gerald Natal has worked in various staff and faculty positions in public, special, and academic libraries. He currently serves as Health and Human Services Librarian from the William S. Carlson Library at the University of Toledo. His current duties encompass reference and instruction; maintaining the Instructions to Authors database; co-advisor to the UToledo chapter of the Student Veterans of America; and Military Service Center board member. Research interests include all manner of library outreach.

Diane Schrecker (Ashland University)

Build, Brand, & Deliver: Launching a Video Series to Support Library Learning

ABSTRACT

Welcome to “Take 2, Take 5, and Take 20” —a video and webinar series designed to supplement library instruction and provide general library resource awareness through concise, learner-centered media. Hosted on the University’s Kaltura media site, the series supports students and faculty across academic areas through scalable, multimodal content delivery.

This session will explore purposefully designed video modules: “Take 2” are two-minute introductions offering quick tips for library tools and services; “Take 5” are five-minute tutorials focus on research strategies and instructional integration; and “Take 20” is a 20-minute hybrid webinar delivering targeted content to small groups in-person and online. Video series content is aligned with core instructional design principles that emphasize demonstration, application, and iterative planning, to support learner needs.

Learn more about the series from start to finish including consistent branding to enhance visibility, personalization of video content, and developing Kaltura sub-galleries to promote both just-in-time learning and sustained learner engagement. This multifaceted video series enables librarians to provide timely, accessible learning that reinforces instruction while supporting independent exploration of library services and tools.

Participants will:

• Identify opportunities to implement modular video instruction in academic libraries
• Gain insights into managing content, branding videos, and making the most of Kaltura or similar platforms for outreach and education
• Explore hybrid and asynchronous models that strengthen library engagement.

Amy F. Fyn, Julia K. Nims & Cassie Eide (Eastern Michigan University)

Balancing the Books? Library Personnel and Side Hustles

ABSTRACT

Despite the value that academic library personnel bring to their campus communities, the relatively low salaries of librarians and library staff as compared to other faculty and administrators don’t reflect this value, and many library personnel face financial challenges. To help bridge this monetary gap, some supplement their full-time library job with other work, or side hustles. Beyond the potential for monetary gain, some engage in side hustles for other reasons. The skill sets of library employees are versatile and valuable, and we were curious about the skills that are being applied outside of the stacks.

To answer our questions about who, what, and why, we surveyed staff and librarians in higher education about the side hustles they engaged in, what motivations prompted side hustles, and to identify patterns in professional and personal demographics. This presentation briefly shares our findings, spotlights the voices of participants who gave insight on their side hustles, and engages attendees in discussing their experiences and observations regarding how side hustles intersect with professional identity and career satisfaction in academic library personnel, and how those who engage in side hustles might be supported as a means to provide professional development and increase retention.

Participants will:

• Consider the impact of side hustles on the library employees within their library
• Reflect on how side hustles intersect with professional identity and career satisfaction in academic library personnel
• Identify potential institutional responses to support library personnel who engage in side hustles, including strategies for retention and professional development

Julia K. Nims is the Scholarly Communications Librarian at Eastern Michigan University. She previously served as Director of the LOEX Clearinghouse for Library Instruction and held instruction coordinator roles at Central Michigan University and Bowling Green State University. She holds an MLS from Indiana University Bloomington and an MA from Florida State University. Her current research explores the administrative and organizational structures of academic libraries.

Cassie Eide works in the Circulation Department at Eastern Michigan University, managing Course Reserves and the Automated Retrieval Collection. She holds an MM from the University of Michigan.

Jennifer Nyiri (The Ohio State University)
Visualizing Impact: How Students Use Data and Storytelling to Share Outcomes

ABSTRACT

Student employees serve critical roles at our Library in reference services, including internal professional development, classroom instruction, peer-coaching, data analysis, and much more. To foster ownership, professionalism, and pride in the work and impact of student employees in our department, each reference student employee works on an interactive “bulletin” every semester detailing their work. With this, our students can advocate and share their work with other departments and library staff in their own voice.

Students report feeling autonomous and independent in how they execute reference services and awareness of their impact with library users. Often, those doing reference work mark interactions for statistical purposes but do not have the opportunity to articulate why their work matters. Gathering data to tell a story means that those interactions are formally recorded and shows the impact on the student employees and the patrons served.

Participants will:

• Attendees will identify ways to support student autonomy and professionalism through student-led initiatives like semester bulletins. 
• Attendees will also identify ways student-led impact projects can cultivate transferable skills—such as communication, data literacy, and storytelling—that support both library goals and student career development.

Jennifer Nyiri, M.Ed. is the Ask Us Coordinator at the Ohio State University Libraries where she leads the planning, delivery, assessment, and promotion of reference services at Thompson Library. With 20 plus years of experience in libraries, she has provided and managed reference services, supervised a plethora of student employees, implemented assessment practices, and developed employee leadership efforts. She is currently pursuing her MLIS at Louisiana State University.

John Burke (Miami University Middletown) & Jessie Long (Sinclair Community College)
Student-Centered Solutions: Using Survey Data on Research Challenges to Design Learning Objects

ABSTRACT

Libraries play a pivotal role in supporting students' academic success. However, students often encounter challenges when navigating the vast and complex information landscape. To better understand and address these difficulties, this presentation presents the findings of a five-year survey study conducted with students at a university regional campus. Through analyzing student responses, key themes emerged, highlighting the most common obstacles students face in their information-seeking endeavors. The themes then became a guide for the creation and reorganization of instructional materials designed to increase student success. The presenters will share a series of guides, tutorials, and interactive learning objects that librarians developed to assist students in overcoming these challenges.

By leveraging the power of student feedback, this presentation aims to provide librarians with practical strategies for enhancing library services and empowering students to become more effective researchers. Librarians can utilize instructional design methodology to assess student research assistance needs, identify solutions, develop learning objects and instructional approaches, implement them in the learning management system and face to face instruction opportunities, and evaluate the results. The goal is to create a more supportive and inclusive learning environment where students can confidently find the information they need and achieve their academic goals.

Participants will:

• Apply a method to discover the common information-seeking challenges faced by students at their institutions.
• Create and implement effective instructional strategies to address student information needs.
• Understand the significance of centering student voices and providing accessible and inclusive resources to support all learners.

Jessie Long is a Reference Librarian for Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH. She received an MA in instructional design and technology from Miami University, an MLIS from Kent State University and a BA in anthropology from the University of New Mexico. Her scholarship focus has included online learning courses and tools, gamification and game-based learning, fake news and bias, and makerspaces. She has also authored and co-authored two book chapters that deal with gamification of the research process and interactive library orientations, respectively. In 2020 she co-edited the book Makerspaces for Adults: Best practices and great projects (Rowman & Littlefield).

Meris Mandernach Longmeier & Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros (Ohio State University)
If you are not making a mistake, it’s a mistake! Embracing Failure as part of the Path to Success

ABSTRACT

The traditional functions of libraries, such as managing collections and data, have historically emphasized and rewarded particular skill sets, such as attention to detail, perfectionism, and accuracy. These skills have been instrumental in serving users effectively. However, in today's rapidly evolving and complex environments, librarians must also possess the ability to adapt quickly, navigate ambiguity, and experiment with innovative techniques. These skills are especially important in advancing meaningful experimentation to embed inclusive excellence in libraries core services.

This workshop aims to introduce the concept of "provocative competence," as well as emphasizing the importance of psychological safety and the value of making mistakes as a means of fostering innovation and personal/professional development. Through the use of case studies and interactive activities, participants will learn to embrace mistakes as valuable opportunities for learning and growth. Case studies will share real-life examples of challenges in the libraries that resulted in opportunities for change. Participants will leave with guided questions to support reframing and learn to pair complaints with solutions (Comp-lutions).

Participants will:

• Learn about the importance of operating from a growth mindset to unleash creativity and innovation, as well as cultivate resilience
• Learn to go from complaints to comp-lution
• Leave with skills and tools to reframe library problems to action-oriented approaches

Meris Mandernach Longmeier is the head of Research Services. In this role she develops services for OSU Libraries to support the research endeavors of all faculty, staff, and students at Ohio State. She has been a library manager for over 20 years, and has failed countless times at proposals, offered services that did not hit the mark, and has modified approaches for more successful outcomes.

Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros is the Latin American Studies librarian at The Ohio State University. Pamela, an award-winning Associate Professor at The Ohio State University, has over 20 years of experience facilitating meaningful cultural exchange and community outreach. A Fulbright García-Robles Fellow, she holds a master’s in Positive Organizational Development, with distinction in leadership. Pamela makes mistakes on a daily basis, as they help expand the limits of her perspective, reinforce humility, and underscore the importance of prioritizing relationships over completing tasks.

Marsha Miles & Mandi Goodsett (Cleveland State University)
Mission: Thrive – Helping Library Staff Connect, Flourish, and Succeed

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

• Implement Thrive & Connect Guides within their institutions to foster inclusive communication practices, enhance a sense of belonging, and strengthen interpersonal connections among staff
• Apply multiple methods for gathering staff feedback on how they feel thanked, appreciated, and supported in the workplace

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Marsha Miles (she/her) is the Asst. Director for Collections and Resource Management at the Michael Schwartz Library at Cleveland State University. Her research interests include digital libraries, metadata, and scholarly communication.

Mandi Goodsett (she/her) is the Performing Arts & Humanities Librarian, as well as the Open Educational Resource & Copyright Librarian, at Cleveland State University. Her research interests include teaching source evaluation, sustainability in libraries, and open education.

Masha Stepanova & Rocki Strader (The Ohio State University)
Caring through Change: Wellness and Team Building in Technical Services

ABSTRACT

In a Cataloging department that has experienced significant leadership changes, the migration to a new Library Services Platform (LSP), and various personnel shifts, consistent team-building activities have proven to be crucial for maintaining departmental well-being. The efforts initiated by the Interim Department Head and continued by the new Department Head have ensured that staff members receive the necessary support throughout these transitions. This continuity has fostered a sense of stability and trust, allowing the team to rely on one another and cultivate a more cooperative and harmonious work environment.

The speakers will delve into specific strategies and activities designed to improve group cohesion within your department. They will share practical approaches to creating a safe and supportive atmosphere that not only enhances the well-being of your staff but also boosts their productivity and creativity. By implementing these techniques, you can foster a collaborative and resilient team that thrives even in the face of change.

Participants will:

• Be able to implement presented activities to enhance the group cohesiveness in their department
• Practice thinking creatively about wellness in order to foster a supportive work environment

Masha Stepanova is the new Head of Cataloging at The Ohio State University. She spent the last 19 years in Technical Services supervising cataloging processes. Her previous role was Coordinator of Cataloging at Miami University. Masha is interested in inclusive cataloging, teambuilding in Technical Services, and staff advocacy.

Rocki Strader is Catalog/Authorities Librarian at The Ohio State University and was Interim Head of Cataloging prior to Masha’s arrival. She has been with the Cataloging Department for 20 years. She’s been leading a team of 5 staff members in Western languages cataloging and catalog maintenance since 2012.

Diane Schrecker & Andrew Wrobel (Ashland University)
Mission Possible: Collaborative AI Literacy Workshop for Students

ABSTRACT

This session will share a successful collaborative workshop series designed to foster responsible AI use among students. Jointly developed and delivered by the Library, Instructional Resource Center, and Writing and Communication Center. “Practical & Responsible Use of AI" introduced students to the complexities surrounding use of generative AI.

The workshop series was structured to include three distinct session topics: Exploring AI (covering basics, terms, and chatbots), Projects & AI (focusing on effective prompting for assignments), and Prompts & AI (introducing advanced techniques such as the CLEAR framework). Core components woven throughout the series featured educating students on the university's official AI policy, demonstrating practical GenAI platforms when approved for use on assignments, and thinking critically about implications of academic integrity. Presenters will detail workshop activities, provide insights into building cross-departmental partnerships, share the workshop LibGuide, and address what comes next for this workshop series.

Participants will:

• Be able to identify potential topics for student workshops on the practical and responsible use of GenAI
• Discover useful strategies for developing cross-departmental partnerships
• Attendees will share and discuss topics surrounding the practical and responsible use of GenAI

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Diane Schrecker, MLIS, M.Ed, is the Curriculum and Instruction Librarian, Head of the Instructional Resource Center at Archer Library.

Dr. Andrew Wrobel is the Associate Director, Writing and Communication Center at Ashland University. He is an instructor for Ashland University’s College of Arts & Sciences.

Beronica Avila (Denison University), Janell Verdream (Kenyon College) & Eve Kausch (Kenyon College)
Engage and Adapt: Navigating Library Programming in a Changing Landscape

ABSTRACT

Outreach and engagement librarians from across Ohio colleges and universities will share mission-driven strategies for planning impactful library events in response to evolving institutional landscapes. This panel discussion addresses the varying interpretations of outreach and engagement across institutions and the challenges of aligning programming with library and institutional priorities. Panelists will provide mentorship and guidance, offering practical frameworks and actionable strategies for building connections, managing expectations, and balancing capacity. Whether attendees are new to outreach or seeking validation in their efforts, this session will present a roadmap for navigating the complexities of outreach work and fostering mission-driven programming that resonates across campus communities. Panelists strongly encourage attendees to share questions, but panelists will reference the following guiding questions, if needed:

Guiding questions:

• How do you define “outreach” and “engagement” in your university/college?
• How do you step into an outreach role and get to know your community?
• How do you manage expectations and capacity in outreach work?
• How can libraries without designated outreach librarians improve engagement efforts?
• What foundational strategies can provide a starting point for building mission-aligned outreach?
• How are you navigating SB1?

Participants will:

• Assess their capacity and develop a roadmap on how to approach outreach expectations in their role
• Identify outreach strategies to align library events with institutional goals amidst evolving policies
• Explore practical frameworks for planning mission-aligned events, partnership-building, assessing institutional priorities, and leveraging community feedback

Beronica Avila develops mission-driven outreach strategies that connect people with information, technology, and learning opportunities. With expertise in digital literacy, academic engagement, and strategic communication, she designs impactful programs that align library services with institutional goals. Her work centers on fostering critical inquiry, bridging library resources with campus needs, and equipping students and faculty to navigate an evolving information landscape. Through practical frameworks and mentorship, Beronica helps libraries articulate their impact, adapt to shifting priorities, and remain essential to academic and community success.

Janell Verdream (she/her) is the Campus Engagement Librarian at Kenyon College. Her past research has focused on college research readiness among first year students. In her current role, she provides instruction sessions for first and second year students, supervises reference desk student employees, and navigates engagement and social media within the library.

Tammy J. Eschedor Voelker & Danielle F. French (Kent State University)
“I Still Feel this Source is Appropriate for Use in this Assignment”: Analyzing Freshman Students’ Evaluation of Information Sources

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

• Identify key challenge areas for students in evaluating sources even after instructional intervention
• Uncover approaches to address student gaps in knowledge for their own source evaluation instruction

Danielle F. French has taught composition and literature at the university level for fifteen years, and she recently defended her dissertation, Representing Repair in Contemporary American Memoirs of Trauma, Illness, and Grief, and earned her PhD from Kent State University. Danielle teaches for the Department of English and the Honors College at Kent State, and her current research interests include trauma and grief studies, psychoanalysis, memoir genre studies, true crime, intersectional feminist pedagogy, and media literacy.

Kirsten Setzkorn, Jess Elder, & Nathanael Davis (Cedarville University)
The Researcher's Journey: A Transformative Approach to Dispositional Information Literacy

ABSTRACT

Drawing upon principles of transformational information literacy and concepts of intellectual virtues, we redesigned our instructional curriculum toward active, student-centered participation in the research process. Our First Year Instruction shifted from teaching the research process steps to reframing research as a journey that is transformative, dispositional, and grounded in our institutional core values and faith-based convictions.

Modeled after the hero’s journey, the curriculum invites students on an information literacy journey using metaphorical language that parallels both adventure and scholarship. Common trials were included so students may learn how to effectively anticipate, avoid, and overcome these obstacles.

What makes this revision distinctive is the integration of dispositions, affective attitudes of the mind. Each of the eight dispositions we developed are mapped to a step on the Researcher’s Journey. Through instruction, students simultaneously cultivate their scholarly growth while engaging their worldview in the research process.

This revision includes a suite of learning objects complete with slidedeck, LibGuide, worksheets, Canvas course with tutorials & quizzes, and a dispositions self-reflection assessment, all with a coordinated and compelling aesthetic. Faculty and student feedback was captured by survey.

Students come away well-equipped with foundational research skills and dispositional mindsets as they grow in their information literacy journey.

Participants will:

Kirsten Setzkorn serves as the Director of Library Public Services at Centennial Library. She serves as the library's First Year Instruction coordinator. Prior to her current position, she served as Humanities Librarian assisting the School of Arts & Humanities. Her passion is equipping students to become lifelong learners and discerning researchers.

Jess Elder serves as the Health Sciences Librarian. In this role, she provides research help for the students, graduate students, and faculty of the Psychology, Pharmacy, Nursing, Allied Health and Psychology, and Social Work departments and schools. Jess is passionate about the research process, preserving narratives, and championing literacy. She enjoys assisting others in becoming lifelong, informationally literate learners in all areas of life.

Nathanael Davis serves as the STEM/Business Librarian. In this role, she provides research help for the students, graduate students, and faculty of Science & Math, Engineering, Business & Communication schools. Nathanael is an avid naturalist and educator, classically trained as a biologist and environmental scientist with study focus in botany and ecology.

Patricia Frank & Daniel O'Brien (Ashland University)
Managing Migration Mania: Sierra to Alma/Primo VE)

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

• Learn from strategies for short-staffed academic libraries coping with the many demands of the migration process and implementation

Patricia ("Trish") Frank joined Ashland University in 2023 as Archer Library's director. Academic library career includes stints at Valley City State University, Rasmussen University, and as library director at North Dakota State College of Science and at Montana State University-Northern. Taught both urban and rural Elementary, Middle, and High School Special Education and English classes in Texas and Florida in addition to working as a librarian for the past 15 years in New York City, Florida, North Dakota, and Montana.

Daniel O'Brien joined Archer Library as an Electronic Resources Librarian in 2023 and manages and processes catalog records for print, eBooks, Government Documents, and Serials. Serves as faculty library liaison for relevant subject areas.

Emily Henderson, Mira Scarnecchia, Ryan Scott, & Sarah Fouts (Columbus State Community College)
Developing a Library Instruction Community of Practice: Fostering Collaboration, Innovation, and Comradery

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

• Analyze the utility of a community of practice centered around a critical work function for their professional context
• Identify how participating in a mutual reading experience paired with group discussion can foster collaboration, professional development, and the sharing of ideas amongst colleagues
• Plan logistical strategies for creating a community of practice relevant to work tasks or future goals to meet their institutional needs.

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Emily Henderson is an early career Reference and Instruction Librarian at Columbus State Community College. Emily primarily works at Columbus State’s Delaware Campus and the Dublin Regional Learning Center. She is grateful that she has the opportunity to introduce, advocate for, and teach students about the lifelong importance of information literacy skills, from the classroom to beyond.

Mira Scarnecchia is the Open Educational Resources Librarian at Columbus State Community College. She is an early career librarian and completed her MILS at Kent State University in 2022. She is passionate about ensuring students are aware of all that the academic library can provide and has enjoyed working on innovative strategies to connect students with the academic library’s staff and resources!

Ryan Scott is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Columbus State Community College. He has worked as a librarian in Ohio academic libraries for more than 20 years. He is excited by the classroom and the potential to help students better understand the world around them.

Sarah Fouts is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Columbus State Community College. Her professional interests include information literacy instruction, library outreach, and supporting student-parents/caregivers.

Lee Parker (Central Michigan University)
FAIrly Informed: Using AI to Teach about Fair Use in Information Literacy Instruction

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

• Understand the steps that were followed in developing an AI centered information literacy lesson in order to apply it in their own information literacy classroom environments
• Formulate a lesson/assignment using a specific artificial intelligence tool centered around their current information literacy needs in order to maintain the relevance of their information literacy instruction in the 21st century.

Lee Parker is the Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Central Michigan University. Prior to beginning his work at CMU, he had previously received his dual Master's in Library and Information Science/Archives Management and History at Simmons University. His research interests center around Autism in the Academic Library Environment and around the topic of strategies for information literacy instruction.

Vanessa Earp (Kent State University)
Academic Librarians and Academic Integrity Work: Collaborating with Campus Partners to Help Students Succeed.

ABSTRACT

How involved should academic librarians be in academic integrity work on their campuses? Many academic librarians include teaching citation styles and proper attribution as part of their information literacy plans. However, academic librarians are uniquly qualified and situated to be campus partners on academic integrity initiatives.

This presentation will focus on how one academic library has stepped beyond the traditional librarian roles and become a partner on campus regarding academic integrity work. Details about the library’s plagiarism remediation program and academic integrity outreach programs will be shared along with information on how more educational remediation opportunities are being developed based on feedback from faculty and students. The presenter will share their experiences over the last decade as they have become more involved in the university’s academic integrity activities.

Participants will:

• Be able to conduct a needs assessment in order to determine what their role could/should be on their campus relating to academic integrity work
• Engage their colleagues (within the library and across campus) in order to foster discussions on how the library can provide support for academic integrity work

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Vanessa Earp is the Academic Integrity Librarian and Subject Librarian for the College of Education, Health, and Human Services at Kent State University. She began her academic integrity work in 2011 when Kent State University Libraries started offering a remediation program for students who had been sanctioned for cheating. Her work in this area has expanded over the last decade and she serves on several university level committees dealing with academic integrity.

Jenni Royce (University of Findlay) & Cassandra Lagunzad Brown (Heidelberg University)
Deep Dive in the Archive: A Librarian's Essential Guide to Archival Management

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

Jenni Royce has been the Arts & Humanities Librarian at the University of Findlay since 2022. Born and raised in central Florida, she received an M.A in Classical Studies from Florida State University and her MSLS at UNC Chapel Hill before settling in Ohio. When not being a librarian, she can be found walking her dogs, knitting, or attempting to manage her long-running Dungeons and Dragons campaign that, yes, was cancelled this month.

Cassandra Lagunzad Brown has been the Library Director for Heidelberg University since 2023. She first started work at Heidelberg as the Evening Circulation Supervisor in 2014, she eventually went on to get her MLIS at Syracuse University. She enjoys video games, comics books, and nature documentaries.

MurALL: Connecting Community, Library, Art, and Experiential Learning
Amanda Hartman McLellan (Wittenberg University)

From neolithic cave paintings to modern murals and sculpture, art in public spaces has tremendous power to tell a story, evoke emotions, and to create a sense of shared belonging. Learn how one academic library partnered with their campus art department and provided a week-long experiential learning opportunity for ten students, touring the public art of three cities and then creating two murals in the library for current and future generations.

Dr. Amanda Hartman McLellan is the Director of Thomas Library at Wittenberg University. She is currently President of OPAL. She earned a Doctorate in Higher Educational Leadership from East Carolina University, an MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BA from DePauw University. She also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Illinois School of Information Sciences.

Seeking socially just information: Exploring adult learners’ knowledge application for critical algorithmic literacy
Catie Carlson (University of Cincinnati)

This research acknowledges the power, influence, and biases that information discovery algorithms hold. Information discovery occurs as we interact with online platforms that feed us information whether they are passive (e.g. social media scroll) or active (e.g. search results). Because information shapes thought processes and beliefs, the power, influence, and biases of these algorithms impact social justice movements. Using hermeneutic phenomenology, this research examines adult learners’ understanding of information discovery algorithms through their application of critical algorithmic literacy to inform future critical pedagogy methods. It presents key themes and conclusions found following participant interviews.

Catie Carlson is an Associate Senior Librarian at the University of Cincinnati.

Realities, not Hallucinations: Ohio Libraries & Their Generative AI Policies

Amy Rohmiller (Kettering Health) & Ruth Monnier (Mount St. Joseph University)

Generative AI is creating new frontiers, but are library policies, procedures, and practices keeping up? Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, CoPilot, Gemini, Claude, and Bard, begin being publicly released in November 2023 and the technology is still evolving. How have libraries codified (or not) policies and institutional practices around this evolving technology - both internal- and external-facing? This poster presentation explores preliminary data about libraries’ generative AI policies and institutional practices via survey data from Ohio library Deans and Directors as well as a content analysis of Ohio library’s public-facing websites. Participants will be able to understand types of generative AI policies in place within Ohio academic libraries.

Amy Rohmiller is the Medial Library Manager for Kettering Health. She was previously the Associate University Archivist at the University of Dayton and worked in local history services at the Ohio History Connection. She earned her MSLIS from Syracuse University and her master’s in public history from Middle Tennessee State University. Amy’s interests are library instruction, outreach, information-seeking behavior, and increasing access to information.

Ruth Monnier is the Head of Research and Instructional Services at Mount St. Joseph University. Previously, she spent five years in Kansas as a Learning Outreach Librarian and Associate Professor at Pittsburg State University. Ruth earned her MLIS from Kent State University after working in Ohio public libraries and K-12 education. Ruth’s interests are partnerships, library programming, open educational resources & access to information, and instruction.

Peer Mentoring with a Trauma-Informed Heart
Shelby Royal (The Ohio State University)

University libraries continue facing the stigma of being stuffy, intimidating or emotionally sterile. While untrue, these misconceptions can easily deter students, especially those suffering from trauma, from seeking the support they need. This poster explores how trauma-informed peer mentoring programs within academic libraries can actively dismantle these barriers and challenge the stigma surrounding library spaces. Peer mentors, who often share lived experiences with their peers, are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between students and library resources, humanizing the library experience and fostering trust. Embedding trauma-informed practices, such as empowerment, safety, and collaboration, into their training has helped craft a safe, inclusive environment where students from all backgrounds feel safe and inspired to explore academic curiosities.

Shelby Royal began working at Ohio State University in 2024 as the Research Coach. Since starting, her peer-mentoring workshop program has helped over 300 students. She graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and is currently working on a Masters of English through Ohio University.

Preserving Libraries’ Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work: a directory of projects for the present and the future
Ken Irwin (Miami University)

With recent attacks on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in higher education, it is important for libraries to retain our collective knowledge and build on efforts making our profession and our organizations more inclusive. In September 2025, ACRL's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee published a directory of EDI projects in academic libraries that can help retain and share this knowledge. Libraries and library workers are encouraged to share their own EDI projects so they may continue to serve as guides to libraries into the future. The web-based directory supports academic libraries, providing a central hub in which to learn about other libraries’ EDI projects, policies, and other initiatives. It offers inspiration and support for those continuing to advocate for inclusion, even in challenging times.

This poster will share information about the directory as well as strategies for contributing to our collective knowledge base even as libraries may be forced to retreat from specific programs. Even if your library has had to abandon one or more strategies for inclusion, your experiences may still benefit libraries in other states or in a less hostile future. The directory offers anonymity options for those who wish to share projects without identifying themselves or their institution.

Ken Irwin is a Web Services Librarian at Miami University and the the co-chair of the Libraries’ Inclusive Excellence strategic plan. He is committed to furthering the Libraries’ diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility goals. In his web-librarian hat, he is interested in developing open-source solutions to solve challenging library issues and to make the most of our resources. When not at the library, he's interested in mushroom hunting, contra dancing, and board games.

The library’s role in mitigating impostor phenomenon in graduate students

Micky Carignano (Western Michigan University)

Digitization is an important initiative that enables greater access to historical artifacts, yet the high cost in both time and resources can deter many libraries from even approaching this trend. Instead of purchasing an expensive high-quality book scanner or contracting the services of a vendor, a small academic library explored ways to develop their own tool using their support staff’s expertise. The poster will detail how library support staff collaborated to design and then build an open-face book cradle that fit their collection’s specific needs at a low cost, before moving on to describe how this tool enabled high-quality scans for various projects. The benefits and challenges of this approach will be compared against other alternatives so that attendees may consider how this tool may fit into their own institution’s digitization initiatives.

Micky Carignano is the Natural Sciences Librarian at Western Michigan University, where she also serves as liaison to the Graduate College. Before her work in libraries, she was a graduate student studying classical archaeology at Cornell University. Overcoming her own impostor feelings and figuring out how to research and write a dissertation on her own is what initially sparked her interest in teaching research skills to others.

All Means All: Collaborations Using Inclusive Health Data
Sarah Joseph (Grand Valley State University)

In 2023, our recently formed team of university Health Sciences Librarians embarked on a journey of discovery focused on one of the largest and most diverse biomedical datasets in the world. The All of Us dataset from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) collects data from over one million people living in the United States with the goal of improving health for all. We sought a health information source for our student researchers without expensive subscription fees and which included diverse data. All of Us fit the bill, given their focus on health data from individuals not always represented in studies.

How does helping our institution navigate sources of biomedical research lead to health care advances? How might libraries lead the way in providing training to students and faculty utilizing the All of Us resources? What collaborations might evolve from our engagement with this dataset? These were some of the questions we explored in this unique program through the NIH/National Library of Medicine. Our work included training sessions on dataset access and tools through an engaged cohort of library participants across the United States. This presentation highlights several of our campus engagement activities and the partnerships we formed.

Sarah Joseph is the Health Research and Data Librarian at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Prior to joining the field of librarianship, Sarah was a university gallery director and practicing artist for many years. She collaborates with Public Health, Biomedical Sciences, and Statistics faculty. She earned her MLIS from Wayne State University.

Preparing for Liftoff: Library Internships to Prepare Students for Career Launch
Stacy Chaney-Blankenship, Holly Birk, & Amanda Raab (Ohio Wesleyan University)

Our poster will discuss the value of working with campus partners to establish undergraduate student internships in a variety of fields, including library and information science. Our campus partners have included internship placements through our university’s career services as well as semester-long coursework with academic departments in Environment & Sustainability and English. For our part, library staff have learned aspects of project management and building syllabi to support these interns. Additionally, we will briefly highlight how all our student workers participate in intentional student employment opportunities. As one of the largest employers on campus, we have created a system of training, scaffolding, and feedback that helps our students gain valuable professional skills. The results are professional training for our students – and as a bonus, we have a wealth of information for writing letters of recommendation to help “fuel” their future success.

Stacy Chaney-Blankenship works as the Special Collections & Digital Initiatives Librarian for the Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries. Her professional interests include library instruction, special collections, outreach, project management, student employment, digitization, and collaboration.

Holly Birk works as a Public Services Librarian for the Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries with liaison responsibilities to the following departments and programs: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Environment & Sustainability, Health & Human Kinetics, Mathematics & Computer Science, Medical & Health Professions, Neuroscience, Physics & Astronomy, Psychology, and Public Health. Her professional interests include science information literacy, government resources, reference and user services, grey literature, and supporting faculty and undergraduate student research.

Amanda Raab is the Cataloging and Discovery Services Manager for the Ohio Wesleyan Libraries. She manages metadata creation, internal platforms, and public interfaces for library resources, along with monograph acquisitions and occasional instruction. Her professional interests include authority management, information architecture, and professional communications.

Dee Peterson is the Director of Libraries at Ohio Wesleyan University. Recent major projects include co-chairing a workgroup that examined campus-wide business practices/policies around clearance to effect positive change and improve retention, development of the library’s intentional student employment program, overseeing the transition to a distributed library model after a main building closure, and planning for a new library building. Dee received her MSLS from Clarion University and also has a background in material culture and museum theory.

Breaking Out of the Burnout Spiral
Dylan McGlothlin (Western Michigan University), Caitlyn Stypa (Lansing Community College)

The emotions in a state of burnout can be ineffable and disorienting, which makes it difficult to find a way out. Often, burnout is viewed as exhaustion caused by stress, but it can be defined more specifically as demoralization from a misalignment of personal values and shared workplace values. The misalignment of values creates an unproductive relationship between our identity and work culture known as vocational awe. At each point, burnout, misaligned values, and vocational awe, there is a counterpart to end the spiral in the form of self-care and self-love, a strong grounding in prioritized personal values, and a healthy separation of identity and work.

Drawing on personal experience, library literature, collective organizing strategies, and various interdisciplinary burnout experts, this poster will visualize the relationships between different components of library work that fuel burnout and their counterparts that dampen burnout. An accompanying digital tool-kit of resources and exercises will be provided to assist individuals in breaking out of their own burnout spiral.

Dylan McGlothlin (he/they) is the Humanities Librarian at Western Michigan University. His library research is focused on information literacy instruction and yogic philosophy. Their work is soon to be published in a chapter of Emergent Strategy in Library Instruction: Stories, Reflections, and Imaginings (anticipated publication date 2026). Dylan holds a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University and a Master of Music from Central Washington University.

Caitlyn Stypa (she/her) is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Lansing Community College (MI). She has worked in state, public, and academic libraries since 2016. Her favorite work activities include teaching, working with students at the reference desk, liaising with faculty, leading her library’s DEIA Team, and selecting books for the leisure collection. Caitlyn holds a Master of Library and Information Science and a Master of History from Indiana University Indianapolis.

Fly Me to the Moon: Creating our Own “Overview Effect” to Train First-Time Electronic Resource Employees
Michayla Nester & Rachel Krak (Denison University)

Training in electronic resources can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when you’re brand new to technical services. When a new Serials Coordinator joined our team, we wanted to try a different approach to onboarding. Focusing more on context and less on process, we created a curriculum that drew connections between different aspects of electronic resources management. Much like looking at the Earth from space, these modules focused on capturing the Big Picture in order to illuminate the details. In our poster, we will demonstrate how we came up with the idea for the initiative, review the framework and schedule we created, and elaborate on lessons learned. We will also share insights on how this methodology informed our approach to an LSP migration.

Michayla Nester, MLIS, is the Discovery Librarian at Denison University. In her role, she manages all aspects of electronic resources and technical services workflows, including processing and maintaining Denison’s electronic collections, supervising serials and cataloging employees, and serving as administrator of the library’s discovery platform. Her professional interests include user experience design, developing effective troubleshooting frameworks, and employee engagement.

Rachel Krak came to the world of academic libraries at Denison University from 10+ years in hospitality was quite the adjustment for Rachel Krak when she made the switch in 2019. After 3 years in circulation, she was eager to explore the world of technical services and electronic resources when the Serials Coordinator position opened in 2022. While her primary responsibilities are the current serials subscriptions, she has endeavored to (and thoroughly enjoyed) her education and adventures in electronic resources troubleshooting; including preparation for an LSP migration. She also enjoys her position as the chair of her library’s Events & Displays Committee.

Rooting for You: Nurturing Student Wellness One Plant at a Time

Katie Maxfield (University of Dayton) & Kristen Peters (Case Western Reserve University)

This poster highlights a low-cost, high-impact outreach event developed by an academic library to foster a sense of student belonging during the first six weeks of the semester. “Rooting for You” is an adopt-a-plant wellness event where students receive a free plant and connect with campus wellness resources such as student counseling and the library’s circulating wellness collection. What started as a creative way to manage overgrown library plants has blossomed into a signature event that students look forward to each fall. This poster outlines how the event was implemented with minimal costs and offers practical tips for launching a similar program to help students feel rooted in their campus community.

Katie Maxfield is an assessment librarian and the University of Dayton. 

Kristen Peters is a Collection Strategies & Analysis Librarian at Case Western Reserve University. She was formerly a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Wittenberg University.

Providing Library Instruction for an Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program course
Susan Ashby & Marilia Y. Antunez (University of Akron)

In the Spring Semester of 2025, two librarians collaborated to deliver in-person library instruction sessions for a section of an undergraduate communications course held at a women’s community correctional facility in Ohio. This section of the course was offered as part of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. This presentation will explore the unique challenges and innovative solutions involved in preparing and conducting library sessions in a non-traditional academic setting, which included both incarcerated students and university students.

Susan Ashby joined the University Libraries faculty at The University of Akron in December 1998 and currently serves as the Public Services and Government Information Librarian. Before transitioning to her current position in March 2024, Susan was Coordinator, Library Systems, and also acted as the Interim Head of Cataloging from 2006 to 2011. Prior to her tenure at The University of Akron, Susan worked as the Head of Electronic Services at the Archbishop Alter Library at Mount St. Joseph University. from February 1996 through December 1998.

Marilia Antúnez, MLS, MA is the Life and Allied Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Akron. Marilia enjoys connecting users to research and technology and is always looking for opportunities to help faculty and students navigate the complex and dynamic information world.

Cultivating Oxygen-Rich Atmospheres: Self-Care for Academic Library Personnel (Destress the Stress)
Dr. Vanessa Jones (Tennessee State University)

The well-being of academic library personnel directly impacts the library's ability to fulfill its crucial mission of supporting teaching, learning, and research. Investing in self-care initiatives across all departments and specialties fosters a more engaged, productive, and resilient workforce. Academic libraries, the intellectual heart of our institutions, thrive on the expertise and dedication of their personnel. However, the multi-layered responsibilities within this environment – from instruction and research support to collection management, digital scholarship, and navigating evolving technologies – can create significant pressures. Sometimes the environment adds to the stress as well. This engaging and relevant presentation, "Creating Oxygen-Rich Atmospheres," touches on the stressors inherent in academic library work and offers actionable self-care techniques applicable across all departments and specialties. Whether you're a public services librarian navigating demanding reference interactions, a cataloger managing complex metadata, an archivist preserving fragile materials, or an administrator leading strategic initiative, this presentation will provide you with tangible strategies to infuse "oxygen" into your daily work life – moments and practices that replenish energy, enhance focus, and promote a sense of balance and sustainability.

Dr. Vanessa Jones has been an academic librarian for over 10 years, and formerly held positions such as Collection Management Librarian, Catalog/Reference Librarian, Library Media Specialist, and now, Technical Service Librarian/Assistant Professor. I am the liaison to three departments: Business Administration, Business Information Systems, and Public Administration. I enjoy assisting and motivating others to reach their full potential and find ways to relax and destress.

Executable Books for Research Services and Instruction
Sarah Murphy (The Ohio State University)

As research services continue to evolve within academic libraries, executable books present a valuable opportunity for libraries to package instructional materials and model open science. The Executable Books Project, an international collaboration with roots in the Jupyter ecosystem, offers one method for documenting research methods, procedures, code, and analysis. The project’s Gallery of Jupyter Books showcases over 100 titles, demonstrating how to interlace text, images, video, code and more.

This presentation will share an executable book created to support instruction and research services at one academic library. Part 1 of the book is structured similarly to a LibGuide, promoting library resources with text, images, and embedded videos. Part 2 of the book consists of seven tutorials but expands regularly as additional tutorials are added. Tutorials cover topics ranging from Python basics to web scraping, working with APIs, regular expressions, and more. Code blocks support students during live workshops by allowing them to quickly copy code from the book to Visual Studio Code. Following this demonstration of an executable book, presentation participants will learn the eight steps for creating an executable book and deploying the book with GitHub Pages.

Sarah Murphy is professor and data visualization librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries. Murphy helps individuals and teams communicate effectively using various analytics and visualization tools. Formerly coordinator of assessment for The Ohio State University Libraries, she earned her MLS from Kent State University and MBA from The Ohio State University. She has published two books and several papers related to data visualization, Tableau, and library assessment.