Program & Conference Schedule

Diane Kolosionek (Cleveland State University)
Building on the Past, Connecting in the Present: Humor as an Instructional Tool

ABSTRACT

Humor has long played a role in effective teaching, yet its use as an instructional tool by academic librarians remains underexamined and underutilized. This presentation explores how humor can be intentionally incorporated into information literacy instruction to increase student engagement, reduce research anxiety, and strengthen learning outcomes. Rather than viewing humor as merely entertainment or distraction, the presenter positions it as a purposeful pedagogical strategy that can support meaningful and lasting student learning.

Drawing from classroom experience and instructional practice, the presentation highlights concrete examples including memes, silly search terms, physical props, humorous item titles, and well-timed one-liners that can make library instruction more engaging and approachable for students while also energizing teaching for librarians. The session also draws upon ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education by examining how humor can support frames like “Searching as Strategic Exploration” and “Information Has Value.”

Incorporating history, theory, instructional design, and classroom application, this session offers adaptable, low-risk techniques that librarians can immediately implement in their own instruction. Participants will leave with actionable ideas and a reflective framework for using humor to create more dynamic and effective information literacy instruction experience

Participants will:

Chris Lyons (Bowling Green State University)
Gaining Perspective: Creating Custom Subject Snapshots in Alma Analytics

ABSTRACT

As a new collections librarian it became clear that a regular overview of the collection would be useful to not only myself, but to subject librarians who might be new to their subjects or collection development as a whole. By working in Alma Analytics, a custom tool was created that allows for a specialized snapshot of our university’s print and electronic holdings for each subject, as well as the relevant circulation data. In this session I will explain step by step how to create your own liaison dashboards for the benefit of your collection development programs.

Participants will:

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Chris Lyons is the Collections & Content Analysis Librarian at Bowling Green State University in northwest Ohio. They bring a love of analytics, spreadsheets, and problem solving to their collection development work.

Diane Schrecker, Patricia Frank (Ashland University) & Sarah McKee (Kenyon College)
Undergraduate Library Research Awards: An Initiative for Engaging Future Researchers

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries offer undergraduate research awards for a variety of reasons. Research awards provide opportunities for the library to engage with student researchers, support student success, and demonstrate library impact to the campus community. The award process promotes information literacy by requiring students to submit research process essays and works cited pages, encouraging them to think critically about the research process and use of library resources.

This session will present an overview of the strategic development and impact of Library Research Awards offered by two private liberal arts institutions in Ohio. Designed to align with library mission and vision and support undergraduate research, the awards also provide libraries with meaningful campus outreach and engagement opportunities.

Through creation of these awards, both libraries reinforced their positions as central partners in the undergraduate research experience. Panelists will address their award programs focusing on the award design process, evaluation of student submissions, plans for digital archiving and long-term visibility of winning projects, and multi-platform marketing strategies.

Presenters will offer final reflections on their most recent award cycles, share with presenters how these institutions evaluate program success by synthesizing both anecdotal feedback with qualitative data on library instruction, engagement, and services.

Participants will:

Diane Schrecker, MLIS, M.Ed., is a curriculum and instruction librarian, Head of the Instructional Resource Center, at Ashland University’s Archer Library.

Patricia (Trish) Frank, MLIS, MA, is the Library Director of Archer Library at Ashland University.

Sarah McKee, MLIS, is the Director of Instruction and Engagement in the Chalmers Library of Kenyon College.

Kathleen Baril, Amelia Anderson, Darlene Johnston, Yong Wang & Olivia Zolciak (Ohio Northern University)
AI and Campus Usage and Attitudes: Collaborative Study with Qualitative and Quantiative Data

ABSTRACT

Brought together by their interest in AI usage among students, individuals from the library, English department, Center for teaching and learning, writing center and Statistical consulting service developed assessments to measure AI usage and attitudes on their campus. The study began with a campus survey of faculty and students and continued with student focus groups to gain additional insights.

This presentation will cover the collaborative nature of the study and advantages of utilizing a cross-departmental team to analyze an educational disrupter like AI. Presenters will provide results from both the survey and focus groups and discuss how they shared results with their campus community. Finally, presenters will share how the results will be used in their various campus settings.

At the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how to organize and implement collaborative studies in order to conduct their own collaborative studies at their respective institutions. Attendees will also be able to demonstrate an understanding of insights gained by working with both quantitative and qualitative data and methods.

Participants will:

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Kathleen Baril is the director of Heterick Memorial Library, the undergraduate library of Ohio Northern University.

Amelia Anderson-Wile is the director the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFE) and Professor of Chemistry at Ohio Northern University.

Darlene Johnston is an Assistant Professor of English and the Writing Seminar Coordinator at Ohio Northern University.

Yong Wang is Associate Professor of Statistics at Ohio Northern University where he also runs a statistical consulting service.

Olivia Zolciak is the director of the Writing Center at Ohio Northern and also teaches writing classes in the English department.

Lightning Talks

• 11:00 - A (Support) Ticket to Success: Partnering for Consortial Network Zone Changes to Enhance Special materials Discovery. Rebecca Belford (Oberlin College and Conservatory)
• 11:10 - Advancing Future Roles with Unlikely allies: A Case for Librarian Collaboration in Student Emergency Aid Programs. Laura Birkenhauer (Miami University)
• 11:20 - Ohio Preservation Council: Supporting, Promoting, and Connecting Preservation Work Across Academic Libraries. Miriam Nelson (Ohio University Libraries)
• 11:30 - Q&A

Edith Scarletto & Maureen Barry (Bowling Green State University)
Evidence Synthesis Support Status: It's Complicated - Discussion

ABSTRACT

Evidence synthesis (ES) methodologies have long been popular in health sciences disciplines. More recently, social scientists have adopted these methods due to the increasing importance of implementing evidence-based practices. While some health sciences and academic libraries hire dedicated ES librarians and offer formal ES services, many libraries lack the resources to do so. In response to increasing faculty and graduate student requests for assistance with systematic review projects, two librarians at a mid-size public institution received significant ES training. In Spring 2023, they launched a pilot project to provide ES research consultation for faculty and graduate students in the college they both support.

In this discussion, the facilitators will center prompts that encourage participants to consider their capacity for supporting evidence synthesis projects and reflect on sustainable practices. Additionally, participants will discuss how to navigate the challenges associated with these research methodologies.

Brian Lavoie (OCLC)
The Library Beyond the Library: Future-proofing the Library Value Proposition

ABSTRACT

The remit of academic libraries goes far beyond collections – they are also supporting data curation, research impact analysis, grant development, digital scholarship, and more. Still, many institutional stakeholders continue to see the library’s value proposition primarily or even exclusively through the lens of collection stewardship. This perception gap can limit the visibility, influence, impact, and possibly even the resourcing of the library. When stakeholders don’t fully recognize or understand the impact of the library’s evolving value proposition, its contributions can be diminished in strategic plans, budgets, and institutional decision-making. This presentation introduces the Library Beyond the Library framework, an operational principle that helps academic libraries clarify their evolving value proposition by moving “beyond the library” to engage with the broader institutional environment through strategic alignment, collaboration, and storytelling. Through the Library Beyond the Library’s roadmap and accompanying insights, attendees will take away a structured tool for reflection, planning, and action that will help them amplify library impact, clarify library value to institutional stakeholders, and “future-proof” a library value proposition that remains anchored in the core mission of organizing and stewarding knowledge.

Participants will:

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Breanne Kirsch (Miami University)
From Algorithm to Agency: Building an AI Literacy Consultation Service

ABSTRACT

As generative AI transforms the research landscape, academic libraries are shifting from passive observation to active intervention. This session details the development of a new AI Literacy Consultation service, designed to provide personalized support for students, faculty, and staff.

We will share our roadmap for a "Train the Trainer" summer staff development program, which utilizes Dr. Kara Kennedy’s AI Literacy framework to build librarian competency across technical, ethical, and critical evaluation facets. Participants will learn how to move beyond basic tool demonstrations and instead foster deep AI fluency through a structured consultation model. Attendees will leave with a blueprint for launching their own AI literacy focused library services.

Participants will:

Breanne Kirsch has an MLIS as well as a PhD in instructional design and technology. She is the Head of Learning and Engagement, Associate Librarian at Miami University. Breanne founded the virtual Generative AI in Libraries (GAIL) Conference in 2024 and is leading the planning of the third conference this year.

Marel Corredor-Hyland & Mandee Young (Case Western Reserve University)
Building Sustainable Workplace Wellness: Integrating Connection, Empathy, and Self-Care into Organizational Culture

ABSTRACT

Workplace wellness is essential to sustaining employee satisfaction, productivity, and long‑term engagement, yet many organizations struggle to embed self‑care and well‑being into daily practice. This presentation explores a holistic approach to cultivating a supportive environment where wellness is not an add‑on, but a core organizational value. Through intentional programming—such as structured wellness breaks, stress‑relief activities, peer‑connection opportunities, and recognition practices—employees experience greater balance, and a stronger sense of belonging.

The session highlights how regular feedback collection, thoughtful onboarding, and meaningful recognition contribute to a culture where individuals feel seen, supported, and empowered to care for themselves and one another. Wellness initiatives such as dedicated self‑care time, creative activities, and community‑building events demonstrate how small, consistent practices can significantly improve morale and resilience.

Participants will learn how to design wellness‑centered engagement strategies that align with organizational goals while honoring the needs of staff. The presentation offers adaptable tools, sample activities, and implementation guidance for creating a workplace where well‑being is prioritized, connection is encouraged, and employees can thrive both personally and professionally.

Participants will:

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Marel Corredor‑Hyland is the Director of Organizational Development & Engagement at Case Western Reserve University’s Kelvin Smith Library. She holds an MBA from CWRU and a BA in Business from KSU. A strategic HR and organizational development leader; she specializes in human resources administration, staff development, and organizational culture.

Mandee Young is the Human Resources & Administration Coordinator at Case Western Reserve University’s Kelvin Smith Library, where she has worked since 2024. She received a BA from Marietta College and is pursuing a Master’s in Nonprofit Organizations from CWRU. Her work focuses on providing the support and resources that staff need to navigate challenges, evolve their skills, and enhance their well-being.

Rachel Hyde & Chad Boeninger (Ohio University)
Begin Anyway: Lessons Learned from an Iterative Approach to Building Practical UX Capacity in User Services

ABSTRACT

Adopting a user experience research mindset and methods can transform the library experience for patrons, but where to start? Several years could go into reviewing the growing pool of user experience literature and learning methodologies, yet it’s possible to take an iterative approach, empower team members with no prior UX learning, and begin gathering real insights from users within a few weeks.

This session will explore one User Services department’s practical approach to adopting low-barrier user experience research and design methods over the last year with a focus on what worked well and what we learned from. We’ll cover our experiments with the UX Café model, critical usability testing for library websites and Ex Libris Primo NDE, patron survey methods, user personas and journey mapping, a signage audit, and building UX skills among support staff. Resources shared will include key sources we used for learning and planning projects, as well as examples of tools used to make UX research participation easier for the whole team, such as usability testing process breakdowns, affinity mapping, scripts, note-taking templates and team retrospectives.

Participants will:

• Identify multiple low-barrier UX research methods to help determine what would work for their own projects.
• Learn basic agile concepts that can be used to support an iterative approach to UX and improve staff buy-in.
• Become familiar with recommended UX research resources for continued learning and implementation.

Rachel Hyde serves as Customer Experience Coordinator and member of the User Services team at Ohio University Libraries and is a certified ScrumMaster and user experience advocate. Before coming to Ohio University, she worked for several years as a software analyst and scrum master for federal software projects, where she gained experience in user experience research and agile methodologies. Prior to that she spent a decade working in public libraries as a branch librarian and service coordinator. She loves learning unexpected insights from user research, experimenting with new solutions with the team, and is always down for an adventure.

Chad Boeninger serves as Head of User Services and Business Librarian at Ohio University Libraries, where he combines leadership in service innovation with a deep commitment to student and faculty success. Chad has extensive experience in leading teams, implementing user-centered service models, and leveraging data and technology to enhance library operations. Chad exemplifies the spirit of continuous improvement and collaboration, ensuring that library spaces, resources, and services remain accessible, effective, and transformative for the university community. He has contributed widely to the library profession through conference presentations, published book chapters on innovative library practices, and his professional blog, Library Voice.

Michayla Nester (Denison University)
Starting from Scratch: A Multifaceted Approach to Recovering and Improving Electronic Resource Management Data

ABSTRACT

For electronic resource librarians, it is essential to have reliable access to historic documentation about our content. When one library learned that electronic resource management data would not transfer during a system migration, this small team needed to develop a solution that would preserve and ultimately maintain that information. They decided to embrace this challenge as an opportunity to reevaluate their documentation methods from start to finish. This presentation will explore the team’s project plan and approach, unexpected setbacks and lessons learned, and positive outcomes and developments. It will also cover how a strategic approach to documentation has set us up for success in future documentation endeavors.

Participants will:

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

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 online 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.

Ash Faulkner, Patricia Verdines & Megan Powell (The Ohio State University)
Empowering Future Entrepreneurs in Ohio: One Library's Experience as a Newly Designated Patent and Trademark Resource Center

ABSTRACT

Participants will:

Ash Faulkner is the Business & Economics Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries. She was a Past Chair of the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) of the American Library Association and served as the Editor-in-Chief of Ticker: The Academic Business Librarianship Review until June 2026. In 2024, she led the efforts to designate her library as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) and currently serves as a Representative for the Center. She has a Masters in the Study of Law degree, with an emphasis on intellectual property law in addition to her MBA and MLIS.

Patricia Verdines is the Engineering Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries. She also serves as a representative at the Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) on campus. On her previous job, she worked for many years as a faculty member at the College of Engineering of a private technical university in Mexico. She has a Masters in Information Engineering from the University of Tokyo, a Masters and PhD in Information Science from the University of Maryland College Park.

Megan Powell is the Chemistry & Physical Sciences Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries. She is the most recent representative to join the Patent and Trademark Resource Center on campus. Prior to joining OSU Libraries, she worked at CAS (formerly known as Chemical Abstracts Service), where she engaged with scientists and researchers across chemistry disciplines, including working closely with patent examiners at patent offices across the globe.

Shelby Royal, Chris Seifert & Haley Simpson (The Ohio State University)
"It Was a Pleasure to Burn": An Interactive Look at Banned Books Week Events

ABSTRACT

In an era defined by rising censorship, academic libraries are uniquely positioned to help educate students and the greater community about book banning and its repercussions while championing libraries as supportive spaces where diverse identities are both represented and celebrated. The American Library Association’s nationwide event, Banned Books Week, is an excellent opportunity for libraries to highlight these issues through various means including discussion, engaging experiences, history and creative expression. In this interactive presentation, we will offer detailed information on the events we held for Banned Books Week 2025 and how they further informed audiences on book banning/challenges. We will also describe how we connected with outside partners and found audiences through creative outreach. Attendees will be given the opportunity to directly interact with Banned Book Week event ideas, including zine workshops, escape rooms, virtual StoryMaps and more. Ultimately, participants will leave with a better understanding of the value of Banned Book week activities, ideas for how to implement them in their own spaces, and how to address issues like censorship and academic liberties through programming.

Participants will:

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Shelby Royal began working at Ohio State University in 2024 as the Research Coach. Her peer-mentoring program helps develop the research skills of undergraduate students through appointments, drop-in opportunities and classroom workshops. She graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and recently completed a Master's of Arts in English through Ohio University.

Christopher Seifert joined The Ohio State University in May of 2022 as the Teaching & Learning Assistant. In this role, he provides support in multiple areas which include: Reporting library instruction of OSU faculty/staff, supporting first-year students through programming, reference assistance, and always fostering connection between staff and students in various events. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Productions from the University of Akron.

Haley Simpson joined Ohio State University in December 2022 as the Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Library Supervisor. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the library, supervises student employees, and assists with circulation desk inquiries. She graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Kent State University with a Master’s in Library and Information Science.

Robin Bagley, Tina Schneider & Zach Walton (The Ohio State University)
Two Librarians and a Biologist: Collaborating to Build AI Literacy

ABSTRACT

Information literacy, AI, and the sciences have come together at our library to help students distinguish AI hype from potential. Biology faculty and librarians have collaborated to design multi-day sessions to guide discussions and hands-on work exploring how AI affects their local environment, academic work, and professional aspirations. Incorporating AI tools in real time, these sessions facilitated dialogue regarding interrelated concerns about data centers, environmental impacts, copyright, data privacy, and scientific communication. Students were challenged to connect professional ethics to current trends in information literacy.

Participants will:

Robin Bagley is an Associate Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University at Lima.

Tina Schneider is the library director at The Ohio State University at Lima, and a professor with Ohio State University Libraries.

Zach Walton is the reference and instruction librarian at The Ohio State University at Lima.

Marsha Miles, Mandi Goodset & Beth Piwkowski (Cleveland State University), Katie Albright (Otterbein University) & Eboni Johnson (Oberlin College)
Caring for Our Communities: How Academic Libraries Can Support Staff and User Well-Being

ABSTRACT

Libraries play a vital role in fostering thriving communities, both within their organizations and among the populations they serve. This session will explore a range of approaches to supporting well-being, connection, and growth through intentional programming and culture-building efforts. Presenters from several institutions will share examples of staff-focused professional development, internal engagement initiatives, and patron-facing programs designed to promote thriving. These may include staff appreciation efforts, learning opportunities, and events that create welcoming, supportive environments for users. Presenters will share what worked well and what they would do differently. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for planning and implementing similar initiatives, along with helpful tips and approaches that can be adapted to their own settings.

Participants will:

NOTE: This is a Hybrid Session

Marsha Miles (she/her) is the Assistant Director of the Michael Schwartz Library at Cleveland State University. She leads the Collections and Resource Management division, overseeing the development, preservation, and accessibility of the library’s physical, digital, and archival resources. Her professional interests include digital collections and preservation, metadata and critical cataloging, accessibility in digital environments, and scholarly communication.

Katie Albright (she/her/hers) is the Student Success Librarian at Otterbein University. She received her MLIS from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, with a concentration in Cultural Heritage Informatics. Her current work and research focuses on the Hidden Curriculum and the barriers it presents to student success, retention, and belonging. At Otterbein, she co-leads Otterabilities, a support group for students with disabilities, and also serves on the university’s Common Book committee and Diversity & Inclusion committee, among others.

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 media literacy, sustainability in libraries, and open education.

Eboni A. Johnson (she/her) is the STEM Librarian and Head of the Science Library at Oberlin College, where she designs innovative services and helps students and faculty navigate information with confidence. Her work centers mentoring, equity in libraries, and amplifying underrepresented voices in collections and scholarship. She is the editor of Librarian as Mentor: Grow, Discover, Inspire, and has written on topics including code-switching and inclusion in academic spaces. Beyond the library, she serves as President of Oberlin City Council, co-hosts a radio show with her husband, and finds joy in fiber arts, cooking, and a well-earned TV binge.

Beth Piwkowski, MLIS, manages the archival holdings and projects of Michael Schwartz Library’s Special Collections Department at Cleveland State University. She works with faculty, students, and community partners to preserve, digitize, and document northeast Ohio history, with a focus on local journalism, Cleveland  neighborhoods, ethnic communities, and maritime history.

Lee Parker (Central Michigan University)
Assessing the Past to Inform the Future: A 2.5-Year Study of Library Outreach with Campus Support Offices

Academic library outreach is often defined as services that provide students with library resources or information literacy outside the physical library. As a result, numerous case studies of library outreach initiatives have been published. Limited research, however, has compared outreach initiatives across departments to identify effective outreach practices for academic libraries. This poster will compare outreach initiatives focused on promoting library resources through tabling, fostering critical information literacy through instruction, and advancing inclusive library practices through targeted outreach across 22 departments and programs on my university campus. These 22 departments are grouped into the following categories: “Student Engagement & Co-Curricular Life”, “Academic Support & Learning Services”, “Identity-Based & Inclusive Student Support Services”, and “Access, Pipeline & High-Impact Academic Programs”. This presentation will cover the outreach practices most frequently used with each office category, how they were implemented, which initiatives have been the most meaningful, and how these actions have increased knowledge of the library and its resources among the students served by those offices and office staff. The poster concludes by addressing how the evidence from this survey can help guide future academic library outreach efforts at your own institution.

Lee Parker is the Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Central Michigan University. He has been serving in this capacity since January 2024. Prior to working at CMU, he received his MLIS at Simmons University.

Paul C. Campbell & Sean Kennedy (Kent State University)

This poster describes the development of an Open Educational Resources (OER) dashboard designed to visualize and communicate student textbook cost savings over the past two academic years. The poster demonstrates how to leverage existing data from multiple campus sources including average textbook costs, course enrollment figures, and the number of courses adopting OER. Through a process of identifying and integrating datasets from various campus silos, we were able to connect these different datasets to produce a clear, visual representation of student savings.

What distinguishes this project from other OER dashboards is its emphasis on the process itself. The poster provides a practical model for how librarians at other institutions can build the necessary data collection infrastructure needed to locate, access, and harvest existing campus data to support OER impact. This includes establishing standardized data workflows, defining consistent metrics for calculating savings, building partnerships with campus stakeholders, and creating documentation to ensure continuity over time. By articulating these replicable practices, the project offers a roadmap for peer institutions seeking to implement similar tools and build long-term capacity for OER impact reporting.

Paul C. Campbell is an Assistant Professor at Kent State University Libraries, where he works as the Social Science & Assessment Librarian. His research focuses on library assessment, information literacy, and how educational technology can support teaching and learning in libraries. His work has appeared in Advances in Library Administration and Organization, College & Research Libraries News, and the Journal of Library and Information Science. His co-edited book, Librarians as Researchers: Developing our Scholarly Identities was published in 2025.

Sean Kennedy is an Assistant Professor and Collection Strategies Librarian at Kent State University Libraries. He coordinates all of KSU’s collections and acquisitions efforts which includes working to support affordable learning through the use of library resources. He is the current Chair of OhioLINK’s Cooperative Information Resource Management (CIRM) policy team.

Ken Irwin & Rachel Makarow (Miami University)
Introducing Argus: Streamlining Special Collections Item Requests with Reusable Project Data

Want to improve your Special Collections workflows and data management? So did we. Our Special Collections staff wanted to spend more time working with students and less time on clerical tasks like managing pull slips. After exploring expensive commercial products and ILS add-ons that didn’t accomplish our purposes, we established an interdepartmental collaboration between special collections and library web services to craft a solution to meet our needs. Through this collaboration, we developed Argus: an open-source, web-based special collections project manager that you can use in your library. Argus connects with Alma/Primo and ArchivesSpace to organize items connected with each project and automatically generate pull slips. Our open-source software is Our open-source software is available for use in your library.

Argus is designed with the needs of different facets of Special Collections work in mind: teaching classes, working with individual researchers, developing exhibits, and supporting workflows for preservation. It allows us to easily re-use and modify projects from one year to the next, and has already saved hundreds of hours of staff time. Come learn about how you use Argus at your library to streamline your special collections workflows to better preserve collections and empower staff in managing projects efficiently.

Ken Irwin is a Web Services Librarian at Miami University. He is interested in developing open-source solutions to solve challenging library issues and to make the most of our resources. His projects have included a personalized research dashboard, tools for managing and analyzing the use of library collections, a mechanism for "checking out" software licenses, and a game to improve students’ skills at understanding book and journal citations.

Rachel Makarowski is the special collections librarian at Miami University in Oxford, OH. In her position, she is responsible for many of the functions for special collections, including instruction, outreach, reference, cataloging, curation, and collection management. Her research interests focus on teaching with primary sources, labor organization, and social justice efforts in the field of special collections and archives. She has actively volunteered in a number of professional organizations, including the Rare Book and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Collective.

Gabby Alspaugh (Otterbein University)
Sustainability Initiatives in the Library and the Importance of Grants

While not all sustainability initiatives in academic libraries have to come from grants, grants can be a useful tool in getting projects rolling and paving the way for larger change. Learn how one academic library across multiple years and service areas used grants to implement sustainability initiatives including recycling, waste reduction, and energy conservation. This poster highlights sustainability projects initiated by librarians and staff members in different service areas and the grants, both internal and external, that made the projects possible. The poster will also share information on environmentally friendly practices that have been implemented without the help of grants.

Gabby Alspaugh is the Public Services Librarian at Otterbein University’s Courtright Memorial Library and serves on the statewide ICS committee. She earned her MLIS from Indiana University.

Stacy Chaney-Blankenship, Clara Thompson & Allyson Pang (Ohio Wesleyan University)
Preserving the Past, Mentoring the Future: A Differentiated, Collaborative Approach to Pre-Professional Student Development in Special Collections

Academic libraries serve as vital pipelines for the next generation of information professionals. In this co-authored poster, a managing librarian and two student workers explore a collaborative workplace model in a Special Collections department that balances institutional needs with individualized growth. Because this department relies on student staff to accomplish its everyday tasks, the librarian must balance departmental goals with students’ pre-professional development.

The poster highlights a process of intentional mentorship:

•  Initiating: The librarian outlines the process of assigning initial tasks to gauge student interests and skills.
• Customizing: The librarian and students explain how they work together to find areas of interest.
• Balancing: The librarian discusses practical approaches to aligning necessary workplace labor with the students’ skills and career aspirations.
• Reflecting and iterating: The students and librarian discuss the value of formal and informal check-ins to refining the work.

By integrating the direct voices and insights of the student workers, this poster demonstrates how differentiating tasks based on individual interests transforms student employment into a valuable pre-professional experience for undergraduates. Attendees will gain actionable strategies for mentoring student staff, ensuring that as we preserve the past, we are actively empowering the future of our profession.

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.

Clara Thompson is a Student Worker at the Special Collections at Ohio Wesleyan University. She is currently studying for her bachelor's degree in Women's and Gender Studies with minors in Ancient Studies and English. She plans to pursue a master's degree in Library and Information Science after graduation and wants to work in either an archivist role or at a public library. She has done work mainly in digitization, reference services, and in-depth item research.

Allyson Pang is a 2026 graduate from Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in Studio Art and Communication with a minor in Women & Gender Studies. She is interested in preservation, special collections, and museum work. She spent her time at OWU Special Collections focused on the preservation of rare books and pamphlets.

Mike Monaco (University of Akron)
What are the Core Competencies for Cataloging and Metadata Professionals?

I collected over 100 job advertisements for cataloging and metadata librarian positions to see if they verified the ALCTS's Core Competencies for Cataloging and Metadata Professionals (CCC&M). This poster examines the prevalence of the CCC&M, as well as some other qualifications previous studies of cataloging jobs, in jobs posted 2019-2021, and reflects on some candidates for inclusion in future revisions of the core competencies document, as well as noting some exclusionary practices in job ads in the profession.

Mike Monaco is Head of Technical Services at the University of Akron. He's been a cataloger at academic and public libraries for over 20 years.

Samantha Bobbitt (Miami University)

Have your shared files become overwhelming that it's impossible to find anything? Then it might be time to try something new. As a new acquisitions librarian, I found it difficult to locate the documents my team and I needed. Between department email accounts and Google Drives I was spending more time than needed locating information about our e-resources and vendors. Trying to find and keep track of contracts and renewals had quickly become an overwhelming part of my job. Using my previous ALMA experience, I convinced my team to let me start building an Electronic Resource Manager (ERM) in ALMA. The goal was that any information for a license or vendor can be found in one centralized location within ALMA. This would allow anyone with the right privileges to access the information. I wanted to create a system that took years of spreadsheets, emails, and other documents and streamlined them into a simple yet comprehensive database of information.

This poster will describe the process, steps, and outcomes of setting up an ERM in ALMA. Hopefully anyone new to ALMA, who is on the fence about using these built in systems can gain insightful information to help them make a decision.

Samantha Bobbitt is an Acquisitions Librarian at Miami University in Ohio. She has a decade of experience working with and managing e-resources.

Stephanie Diaz & Ryley Avon (John Carroll University)
Inspiring Curiosity & Growth: Empowering Student Employees and Student Makers in the Curiosity Lab

Increasingly, colleges and universities are prioritizing students’ career readiness while seeking to demonstrate the value of in-person learning within increasingly flexible and hybrid learning environments. In response to these evolving institutional priorities, we launched a student-centered makerspace in 2025 designed to support experiential learning, creativity, and peer-to-peer engagement.

This presentation examines the launch and growth of a student-centered makerspace led by an [title] Librarian in collaboration with student employees. We will share how student-centered learning principles informed the design of the space, related programming, and the development of self-directed learning resources.

We will also discuss how partnerships with students and campus organizations helped amplify student voices through shared decision-making, while aligning the makerspace and our programming with broader institutional and strategic priorities. The presentation will conclude with lessons learned, challenges encountered, and opportunities for discussion with attendees.

 Stephanie Diaz received her MLIS from the University of South Carolina and a B.A. in History from Bowling Green State University. She is the Assistant Director for Library Engagement at John Carroll University. Her professional background includes a decade at Penn State University and time as a Health Sciences Librarian at Case Western Reserve University. Her research focuses on student engagement, outreach, and peer-led support programs. She has published in the Journal of Academic Librarianship, College & Research Libraries News, and Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice. 

Ryley Avon is a second year student at John Carroll University and serves as a Student Assistant in the Curiosity Lab, where she has spent the last year supporting peer-led creativity and innovation. Outside of the Lab, she is deeply involved in her studies majoring in Criminology, Sociology, and Peace, Justice, and Human Rights, with a concentration in Social Work.