Digitization 101

The catalogue of ALA textbooka and course resources has arrived and there are books worth noting:

Benson, Sarah. (2021) Compact Copyright: Quick Answers to Common Questions.

Description: Faculty, students, and colleagues come to you with copyright questions, both simple and complex. And they all want reliable answers—as fast as you can get them. With this guide, designed for ready access, you’ll be prepared to deliver. Lawyer, copyright librarian, and iSchool instructor Benson presents succinct explanations ideal for both on-the-fly reference and staff training. Copyright specialists will appreciate excerpts from the law itself alongside tools and resources for digging deeper. Practical discussions of key legal concepts, illustrated using 52 scenarios, will lead you to fast, accurate answers on a range of topics, such as

• barriers to using the TEACH Act provisions in content for online teaching;
• showing a full-length movie in a university class;
• public domain and the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act;
• your legal options when receiving a DMCA take-down notice;
• court interpretations of fair use in three key recent cases;
• Creative Commons licenses, complete with a quick reference chart;
• library rights to license photographs in a digital collection;
• using letters under copyright in a special collections display case;
• a grad student’s right to use in a thesis writing published in their professor’s journal article;
• applying the implied license option to post historical student dissertations in institutional repositories;
• the Marrakesh Treaty provision supporting transfer of accessible works internationally; and
• limiting factors for interlibrary loan.

Creative Commons (2019) Creative Commons for Educators and Librarians.

Description: The figures are eye-opening: more than 1.6 billion works on 9 million websites are licensed under Creative Commons (CC). These materials constitute an extraordinarily rich repository for teaching, learning, sharing, and creative reuse. Knowing your way around CC will help you make the most of the Open Access (OA) and open educational resources (OER) movements. This book represents the first-ever print complement to the CC Certificate program, providing in-depth coverage of CC licenses, open practices, and the ethos of the Commons. Inside readers will find guidance on

Crews, Kenneth. (2020) Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions, Fourth Edition.

Description: Copyright law never sleeps, making it imperative to keep abreast of the latest developments. Declared “an exemplary text that seals the standards for such books” (Managing Information), this newly revised and updated edition by respected copyright authority Crews offers timely insights and succinct guidance for LIS students, librarians, and educators alike. Readers will

• learn basic copyright definitions and key exceptions for education and library services;
• find information quickly with “key points” sidebars, legislative citations, and cross-references;
• get up to speed on fresh developments, such as how the recently signed Marrakesh Treaty expands access for people with disabilities and why the latest ruling in the Georgia State University case makes developing a fair use policy so important;
• understand the concept of fair use, with fresh interpretations of its many gray areas that will aid decision making;
• learn the current state of affairs regarding mass digitization, Creative Commons, classroom use and distance education, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and other important topics;
• receive guidance on setting up on a copyright service at a library, college, or university; and
• find many helpful checklists for navigating copyright in various situations.

This straightforward, easy-to-use guide provides the tools librarians and educators need to take control of their rights and responsibilities as copyright owners and users.

The Copyright, Legislation, Education, and Advocacy Network (CLEAN) developed and maintained several copyright tools to help librarians and their patrons navigate various copyright issues. These tools – the Public Domain Slider, the Section 108 Spinner, the Fair Use Evaluator and the Exception for Instructors eTool available via links from the ALA website. The Public domain slider has been updated and the Copyright Genie was fixed so that things falling into the public domain this year would show up correctly as in the public domain. The ALA Copyright Network analytics indicate consistent use of all tools year round. 

 Thanks to ALA and CLEAN for updating these tools! We all appreciate it!

Today began National Library Week in the U.S. This year's theme is "Welcome to Your Library."  Given the COVID-19 pandemic, budget cuts, furloughed staff, closed physical spaces, a move to online programming, more of a reliance on digital resources, and the impact of racism on us all, "welcome" can be a hard word to say.  

On May 13 (2:30-4:00 p.m. ET), I'm giving an online workshop for the American Library Association (ALA) entitled Understanding Fair Use During an Emergency, like a Pandemic.  Description:

No one would have predicted that when the pandemic struck copyright would become a hot topic. However, when libraries and school closed their physical doors in spring 2020 and moved online, questions emerged about the use of materials in the online environment. For example, could a book be read in an online storytime? Confusing the matter were publishers who “gave” permission, while those knowledgeable in copyright said that permission was not needed.

This webinar will use four common scenarios to discuss the application of Fair Use during a pandemic and other emergencies, as well as in normal times. Each scenario will focus on a common library activity. Basic copyright information with be provided, so that everyone enters the scenarios with similar knowledge. There will be time for participant questions throughout.

Copyright expert Kenneth D. Crews (Gipson Hoffman & Pancione) gave an ALA webinar on March 26 entitled "Fair Use Gone Viral: Predicting the Future of Copyright." Crews is the author of Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions, Fourth Edition, which is available from ALA, Amazon, and other booksellers. My notes are below.

Update (03/292021): Archive access to Crews' webinar is available through WebEx.  The recording includes the chat log from the session, using the chat bubble on the left.

Why Copyright?

• Legal rights of control of original works
• Subject to exceptions & limitations
  

Practical Effect of Copyright: 

• Grants rights to authors
• Allows some use of the copyrights of others

A copyright interlude (this is normal)

• Broad scope of works
• Automatic copyright protection
• Long duration
• Broad scope of rights
• Risks and penalties for infringement
• Subject to limitations and exceptions
  

Why normal? This below is what we've been going through, so why does that normal above exist?

• Lives disrupted
• Work destabilized
• Travel suspended
• Family bonds strained
• Human rights despair
• Learning in (during) turmoil
• Constitutional standards at risk
• International relations frayed
  

 Where do we go next?

Any yet...?

• Copyright in Congress:
• CASE Act of 2020 - "Small Claims Court" - Our courts are part of Article 3 in the Constitution, but this Small Claims Court is outside of the legal system and resides in the Library of Congress.
  
• Criminal penalties for video streaming - Really about large scale platforms.
  
• Pre-1972 sound recordings - the law here has grown.
  
• Music licensing - New set of licensing
  
• Government works and the public domain - a new exception for copyright protection for faculty at the U.S. military academies.
  
• Exceptions for Blind and visually impaired - new laws on this. The reason why Congress acted when it did on this is because of WIPO developed a treaty that is addressing this issue. That placed political pressure on its member countries.

Even in a world that seems upside-down, Congress continues to create new laws. 

Copyright and Online Education

• The use issue: What governed specific uses?
  
• Section 107: Fair Use
  
• Section 110(2): Distance Education [Transmission in education]
  
• Permission
• Licenses: Institutional and Creative Commons
  
• The ownership issue:  Who owns the finished work?
  
• Creator of original work as copyright owner
• Transfer of rights (e.g., to publishers)
• Employers and "Work Made for Hire"

 We have things to figure out! 

Fair Use as an exception permits the uses of someone else's content under specific circumstances.

What is Fair Use?

• Section 107 of the Copyright Act
• Based on four factors:
• Purpose 
• Nature
• Amount
• Effect
  

Bill Graham Archives v. Dorling Kindersley Ltd., 448 F.3d 605 (2nd Cir. 2006) - related to a book about the Grateful Dead. It contains little miniature images of posters from the 1970s. DK publishing argued Fair Use and the Courts agreed. The Court worked through the four factors, including the third factor. Yes, it is the entire poster, but in a small scale. Maybe the whole thing in certain circumstances is fair use. Other courts have also ruled that the whole work can be allowed in certain circumstances.

Fair Use in Libraries

• Google Books - 20 million books
  
• HathiTrust - full books for search & disability access
  
• Georgia State University - Electronic reserves for education

Far Use in Education

• Classroom Guidelines (1976)
• Negotiated amount by interested parties
• narrow word count limits
• no "anthologies"
• no repeat use

Fair Use is supposed to flexible, which makes guidelines problematic. Guidelines are not law.

Fair Use and Education

• Teaching "including multiple copies for classroom use"
• Still subject to the four factors

Tresona Multimedia, LLC v. Burbank (CA) High School Vocal Music Association. 953 F.3rd 638 (9th Cir. 2020)

• Sued not the school, but the music association.
• Purpose: Nonprofit education & transformative
• Nature: Creative work
• Amount: Short clips; heart o the work
• Effect of market: Transformative uses poses little harm
  

From the decision - "enhancing the educational experience of high school students."

Dr. Suess Enterprises v. ComicMix LLC, 983 F.3rd 443 (9th Cir. 2020)

Recreated the Dr. Suess books using Star Trek images.

Oh, the places you'll boldly go! (images)

• Not Fair Use
• Not a parody. Not transformative
• Creative work.
• Amount used is "substantial" and heat of the work
• Non-transformative use that competes for some of the same market.

From the decision - "we conclude that Boldly did not make fair use of Go!."

Marano v. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 472 F.Supp.3d 76 (SDNY 2020)

The museum said they used the photograph to show how the musical instrument was used by the musician. The photographer say the photo as focusing on Eddie van Halen.

• nonprofit and transformative
• Creative work
• entire work, but emphasis is on the historical context and museum artifact
  
• Transformative use us unlikely to harm the market for the original photographs

New directions for Fair Use?

• Return to the four factors
• See the other side
• Watch for the warning signs
• Displacing purpose of the original
• Competing for established markets
• Develop a policy
• Frequent or common uses
• Different institutions will have different policies
• Having a policy is good.  It keeps you current with developments. Demonstrates to the courts that you have thought about this.
  
• Stay informed; stay flexible
  

I am not going to try to summarize the entire session, but do want to pull out some thoughts on the systematic ways library organizations limit their diversity.

Before I get to that, if you have not seen the movie Hidden Figures, I encourage you to watch this short scene and what happens in the public library. We think of libraries as being welcoming places. We think that we can recruit diverse members of our community, who visit our libraries, to become librarians. But are they having positive experiences?

Okay...so how are we limiting diversity in our libraries?

• The barriers to obtaining as MSLIS degree have already been documented, including the cost, the fact that it is a master's degree, the application requirements, etc.
• Some of the barriers to obtaining an MSLIS are there because of various accrediting bodies and their impact on universities. Accrediting bodies have more impact on our colleges and universities than most people realize. [By the way, because of my work experiences, I understand accreditation and can both defend it and criticize it.]
  
• In the hiring process, bias may be built in. Read "Types of Hiring Biases and How to Reduce Them."
• Libraries may search for someone who has an MSLIS degree rather than someone who has the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) to do the job. Focusing on the latter might allows libraries to hire candidates with more diverse backgrounds, including racial, cultural, thought, ability, and language.
• People tend to hire people like themselves and promote people who are like themselves. The latter can eliminate diverse candidates from higher ranks in the organization.
• Board of trustees for public and system libraries have various ways of bringing on new members. Depending on their charters, new members may be appointed by the local government, voted on by the community, or just be volunteers who are interested in the library. All of these ways can limit diversity on a library board of trustees, yet that board should reflect its community.
• State laws set rules for who can be a director of a public library.  In New York State, for example, whether the library director is required to have an MSLIS degree is determined by the population of the community. While people from diverse backgrounds, who do not have an MSLIS, apply for positions in smaller communities? Does the need for an MSLIS - and likely years of experience - limit the diversity of applicants for director positions in larger communities?
  
• If the public library is governed by civil service, those rules may specify what knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed for specific ranks (e.g., Librarian I or Librarian II). That can limit diversity, especially if the MSLIS degree is required.

Those are the things that emerged during yesterday's conversation and I'm sure there are more. I approached the conversation without using the phrase "structural racism", but clearly our structures are having a negative impact on diversity. For example, I doubt that municipalities think of how they create their boards of trustees as being a part of structural racism, yet the structure does limit who will become a trustee. 

If you have thoughts about this, I hope you'll leave a comment on this post. If you are interested in joining the conversation on librarian education reform, join the Facebook group. If you are interested and also a member of ALA, you can join the ALA Connect group for this.

This month's meeting is on March 9, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET through Zoom. Registration is open to all. This month I am the speaker/facilitator. and will be engaging the group in a discussion focus on "The Struggle to Diversify Library Staff." This discussion will use my blog posts from last year on this subject:

• The Struggle to Diversify Library Staff, part 1  
• The Struggle to Diversify Library Staff, part 2  
• The Struggle to Diversify Library Staff, part 3 
• The Struggle to Diversify Library Staff, part 4

This is an important topic, as you know, because the diversity of our library staff does not match the diversity of the communities they serve. Think of diversity in terms of ethnicity, gender, languages, etc.  How do we attract a broader range of people to work in our libraries?  How do we make it a safe space for them?

I bet you have an opinion on this, so I hope you'll join the conversation!

Last night I had an opportunity to hear Dr. Ibram X. Kendi speak. Listening to him, I realized that those posts do not use the phrase "structural racism" or even the word "racism," yet clearly the structure (or pathway) which leads to becoming a librarian is racist if it inhibits people of color from that path. Yes, some people of color Black, brown and indigenous people do successfully become librarians, but not enough. 

So let me ask:

How do we prompt real change? 

What needs to change so there is real change?

I hope you will share with me, or with others, your ideas.

Disclaimer: What follows is my point of view. Mine and no one else's. 

At the end of part 1, I wrote:

Are we attracting diverse people to librarianship? Can we find those who have a bachelor's degree and are interested in library science? This is where LIS programs, LIS associations, and others spend their time and efforts. This is where some get frustrated, while others may have some success. This is where being methodical is important, but being methodical requires patience and we're not always patient.

Over the years, I have been in many conversations and meetings about how to diversify the profession. Every library association is interested in this as is every LIS graduate program. Many libraries want to hire staff who represent the diversity in their communities and thus are part of this conversation too. Some of our communities are quite diverse, with dozens of languages spoken, so mirroring the diversity of the community can be huge goal. What options do they consider or pursue?

A Laundry List of Ideas

Let me start by listing ideas from a broad range of sources which show up in my work journals, then I'll comment on the list. This list is in no particular order and with no judgment on the specific ideas.

• Work to communicate a modern image of libraries, rather than an archaic image many people still hold in their heads.
• Use marketing to show that there is already ethnic diversity in the field.  In other words, you (the recruit) would be joining people who are like yourself.
• Attend recruiting events at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
• Recruit at schools of education, since some people finish an education degree but then realize they do not want to be teachers.
• Recruit at Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), which comprise the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).
• Attend college recruiting events for high school students, in hopes of attracting them to librarianship.
• Talk to existing library pages and clerks - especially those who are high school or college students - about making librarianship their career.
• Show how the MSLIS degree relates to data science and/or information science, in hopes of attracting some students to crossover into LIS.
• Emphasize the range of opportunities available to an MSLIS graduate, including those in "non-traditional" positions and more entrepreneurial work.
  
• Encourage LIS programs to partner with libraries, so that students are connected with an internship site/employer immediately. 
• Place ads in places we believe likely applicants visit, including the student newspapers of undergraduate programs.
  
• Create a clear identity for your MSLIS program, which sets you apart from the other programs, while attracting the students you desire.
• Market to influencers, who can then recommend your program to their network.
• Use social media and websites to reach perspective students.
• Purchase and use email lists from relevant groups (e.g., associations for library assistants).
• Showcase your diverse faculty as a way of attracting more diverse students.
• Recruit from relevant undergraduate student organizations.
• Offer large scholarships to attract applicants who are Black, indigenous, or people of color.  
• Hold recruiting events at job placement agencies.
• Recruit through relevant trade unions.

Results?

WOW...yup, quite the list. There is merit in every idea, so which ones would make the most sense for any MSLIS program? That is for each program to decide.  Here's my question - Will an MSLIS program  grab an idea and then implement it long enough for the idea to work?

We all want quick results. We don't want a diverse graduating class in five year, but rather we want one now. We don't want to hire more diverse staff in five year, we want a more diverse staff now.  According to 2019 data from the AFL-CIO:

• Over 83 percent of librarians were white, non-Hispanic in 2019. Library technicians and assistants were slightly more diverse. Among library technicians and assistants, 68.9 percent identified as white, non-Hispanic in 2019.
• In 2019, just 5.3 percent of librarians identified as Black or African American, 7.1 percent as Hispanic or Latino, and 3.5 percent as Asian-American or Pacific Islander.

Those numbers are not going to change overnight, but they will change with effort and if we recognize that we need to work for years, and not days or weeks. Sadly, it is hard to engage in an activity if you know the benefit it not going to happen for a couple of years or more. But consider that you might not even have any indication for 1-2 years that your actions are having any effect. You might need to engage in several activities (no...not all of those above!) and use feedback to decide which ones to continue for an extended period of time.  

Imagine if you decide to educate college freshmen about LIS as a way of attracting some of them to enter graduate school and then become librarians? Well, you would need to engage with them as freshmen and then through the remainder of their college careers. You'd also need to engage with the next freshmen class and the next (and...). You would need to find ways of engaging with them that helped them understand what library and information science is, and help them see themselves as possible future librarians.  Not all of them are going to be interested, so your pool will get smaller over time.  However, you would hope that in four years that you might have some who are interested and ready to enter a graduate LIS program. Do you, your organization, or your institution have the stamina for that? Are you willing to seek the long-term benefit?

By the way, in the paragraph above I have actually gone through four recruiting steps:

1. Build awareness - Help the person become aware of careers in libraries.
   
2. Build their interest - Being aware isn't enough. You need to build their interest, which may mean showing them different type of jobs, careers, or employers. This is helping that perspective librarian begin to see themselves in a library-related career.
   
3. Help them build their desire - We know that being interested is not enough.  The person needs to desire to take the steps to become a librarian. They have to be motivated.
   
4. Help them act on their desires - This needs to be easy and not a series of tough hurdles. Look at possible schools, making a decision on which one to attend, getting financial support, etc., should not be seen as huge barriers.

In this example, a student may decide to enter an MSLIS program, but not the one that has been working with that student for four years. Here that program has done all of this work and not gained from it. However, the profession has gained.  Can we be truly happy if our efforts has helping the profession, even if they do not help our particular institutions? I hope so, but that can be hard.

Are there other options?

Yes, I think there are and I'll talk about those in Part 3.

Relevant Library Associations 

One of the things often mentioned is working with different library associations.  Because of that, I'm listing relevant library associations here. There may be other associations or sections of specific library associations, which I have not captured below. If you know of any to add, which are focused on specific non-White library staff, please leave a comment and tell us. Thank you!

• Joint Council of Librarians of Color
• Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums
• American Indian Library Association (AILA)
  
• Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
  
• Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA)
• Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA)
  
• REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking
• African American Medical Librarians Alliance Caucus (AAMLA), part of the Medical Library Association
  
• Archivists and Archives of Color Section (AAC) of the Society of American Archivists
• We Here^TM (added Oct. 26, 2020)
  

---

Subscribe to Digitization 101 through Feedblitz

Looking through notes I'd taken in an old work journal - and then looking at blog posts I've written - I can see this ongoing focus on diversifying library science students and library staff. This is something the profession has talked about for a long time and has engaged in focused activities. Sadly, the overall diversity of our LIS programs and library staff is not what we want it to be.  Why?

Disclaimer: I need to stop and say that what follows is my point of view. Mine and no one else's.

First, we need to recognize that our public libraries were not originally for the public. They grew out of men's and women's clubs, which were not open to everyone. In addition, we need to remember that public libraries in the U.S. were segregated, meaning that Black people did not have the same access as those who were White. We need to acknowledge that academic institutions were segregated for many years.  Historic Black colleges and universities (HBCU) offered LIS degrees, because people of color could not attend White institutions.  Yes, now libraries are reportedly for everyone and anyone can hopefully attend any academic institution.

As a side note, here is the original "Library's Bill of Rights" passed by ALA in June 1939. This version says nothing about who can use the library. or if they can use the same materials. The current version of the Bill of Rights includes:

A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views. 

Second, to be a professional librarian, you need an accredited master's degree. A student needs to have a bachelor's degree and be accepted to a master's program.  Not everyone makes that cut.  And the student needs to be able to afford - in money and time - to attend that master's program. Not everyone has the money and not everyone has the time. 

2019 information from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that 40% of Black students finish their undergraduate education compared to 64% of White students. This means that fewer Black students are eligible to attend graduate school. How many of them will see LIS as their career choice?

We know that student loan debt adversely affects many students. How many students can afford to take on more debt? Given the salary for librarians, is that debt a good choice?

Are LIS programs prioritizing scholarships to educate those Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) who have a bachelor's degree and have decided that they want to become librarians?  

There is an important point in there.  Are we attracting diverse people to librarianship? Can we find those who have a bachelor's degree and are interested in library science? This is where LIS programs, LIS associations, and others spend their time and efforts. This is where some get frustrated, while others may have some success. This is where being methodical is important, but being methodical requires patience and we're not always patient.

And this is where we'll pick up in Part 2.

Making the News: Library Advocacy and Local Media

• Use traditional advocacy and social media
• Make sure their legislative community is fully engaged
• Focused your limited time and resources
• The Pennsylvania Library Association  (PLA) have created handout that provide information on the good, bad, and what’s possible (the ask)
• In 2018, PLA focused on awareness
• In 2019, PLA focused on positive revenues within the state
• Suggested that you get your county to acknowledge National Library Week
• Do media training

• Use data to supplement stories on people. Marry anecdotal stories with data.
• Educate your journalists about the library

 

Wrap-Up

Like other associations, American Library Association is a period of change.  Our reliance on our professional associations is different than it was, partially due to the Internet (for training and information) and the economy.  The fact that our vendors (sponsors) have consolidated hasn't helped either.  This all has placed financial pressure on ALA.

I have not tracked information on how ALA might change in the future. My impression is that is still being worked through.  However, ALA has announced that it will be changing its Midwinter event in the future. So this may have been the second to last one.  According to information posted to Twitter, total attendance for this Midwinter was 8,099 (2020). This is compared to 9,211 in 2019 (Seattle) and 8,036 in 2018 (Denver). These registration numbers are similar to the Midwinter conferences in the early 1990s.

ALA still does important work for our libraries across the U.S. and in other countries. ALA accredits our MSLIS programs. ALA advocates for our libraries and sets standards.  No matter what happens in the months to come, ALA will still be an important force.

EveryLibrary Institute 

I ended the conference by attending a meeting of several board members for EveryLibrary Institute (ELI). (Yes, I'm on their board.)  ELI conducts research on libraries, which libraries can then use to help discuss their value with their constituents, political representative, and those who vote on library budgets.  ELI's available research includes a Library Funding Map, information on U.S. Library Funding Change Rate, and the Crime and Library Report. They also push out relevant information produced by other organizations.  If you are interested in understanding or articulating the value of libraries, check out EveryLibrary Institute.

ELI also does training for library staff to increase their political literacy skills. If you're approaching a vote on your library's budget, you might want to top-off your political literacy skills through a workshop or webinar.

EveryLibrary Institute is interested in understanding why people vote for or against library budgets. You might think that you know exactly which way people lean politically and how that impacts their vote on a library's budget, but it is much more complicated than that.  We know that it would help every library vote across the U.S. and so one of things we discussed is how to fund and support this research. If you know of an organization - or group of people - that would be interested in funding this work, please contact John Chrastka and Patrick Sweeney.

The Art of Philly

Philadelphia has increased the amount of public art on its streets and in its airport.  Here are a few pieces for your enjoyment.

LITA Top Technology Trends

• Internet of things - the connection of the entire world 
• Inclusion of sensors in many things that are collecting personal data
• Not all libraries have secure websites - what a person does on a library's website should be private
• A need for libraries to use more encryption
• A recognition that a library's website may be secure, but the ads on it track user activity
• Analytics which capture user information
• Virtual reality and augmented reality
• Data storage
• Facial recognition - they have been some conversations about using facial recognition instead of library cards
• Consumer surveillance devices
• Vendor privacy issues
• People using Alexa, etc., for quick reference questions
• The use of drones

FUTURE-READYing Your Library: Preparing for the Future Today

• Emerging Technologies
• Future of Work and Education
• Changing Demographics
• Financial Sustainability
• Corporate Influence and Consumer Expectations
• Climate Change
• Growing Inequality and Inequity
• Urbanization and Density
• Institutional Trust, Privacy, and Big Data
• Library as Concept
• Librarianship and Staffing
• Customer Service and Engagement

Sustainability Is Now a Core Value. So... Now What?

• Environmentally sound (earth)
• Social equitable (people)
• Economically feasible

Making Real Change: Moving beyond the Interpersonal to Create Actual Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Environments for Both Library Users and Employees

Anti-oppressive practices (AOP) grapple with power inequities that uphold structural forces like racism and sexism. Librarianship has primarily focused on individual expressions of AOP. However, AOP must include institutional and ideological change, which can be more challenging.

This session will discuss the AOP framework, explore examples of AOP in libraries, and give participants tools for starting larger conversations at their own institutions. Participants will discuss what their institution is doing that focuses on the individual, and explore how theories of organizational change can be used towards institutional AOP.

First of all, it is important to note that their resource list is available and is being updated.  That resource includes a link to their presentation slides.

Second, a significant part of this session was conversation at our tables, where we talked about our institutions and other situations.  I wrote down these things to remember:

1. Archives save the past, but do not confront it.  We need to confront and discuss the past, not just preserve it.
2. We need to do bystander training.  People may not naturally know what to do if they witness bias or racism.  By stander training can help.
3. People need training on how to talk about race, gender, etc.  This should include discussion and training related to pronouns.
4. Some of the events we hold in our libraries should include a training element for staff.  For example, staff may need training in order to support a controversial event or an event that new for them and the library.  A colleague at my table mentioned the need to hold conversations and training with staff ahead of a drag queen story time event.  Staff may not have interacted with drag queens and may not know how these story times can open positive conversations about gender and gender

Big Shifts: Libraries, Collections, Networks

Speaker: Lorcan Dempsey

Description:

Academic libraries increasingly define themselves in terms of student success, research support, and community engagement. We are seeing a major shift from the centrality of the collection, to services and to deeper engagement with changing research, teaching, and learning practices. This presentation will frame important changes, identify patterns in library responses, and discuss how they can use trends to their advantage. It will draw on an extensive record of OCLC Research work on the future of libraries, on the shifting boundaries and character of library collections, on research support, on library collaboration, and on the shift to open.

From Non-Voters to New Voters: How Libraries Can Engage Their Communities in the 2020 Elections and Beyond

Speakers: Nancy Kranich (moderator), Gavin Baker, Kendra Cochran, Maggie Bush, Jean Canosa Albano, Michelle Francis. Abby Kiesa

All of these speakers talked about how they have taught other about voting in our elections. 

Notes/ideas:

• Talk with people about the daily impact of their vote (or their decision not to vote).
• Education whomever comes to a program on voting.  It does not matter how many people come, because even educating one more people is important.
• Focus on young people.  People who vote once are likely to continue to vote, so getting young people to vote could launch them to become life-long voters.
• People need to learn that they have a voice and power.
• People's traumatic interactions with the government can stop them from voting.
• Basic information about voting (where, how to, etc.) can be very helpful.  Some have held dry runs, e.g., taking people to where the polls will be, showing them in advance how to use the voting equipment, discussed who is on the ballot.
• Civic education is important.  Educate people on the law.
• Educate people about the issues.
• Hold sessions on what is it like to run for office.
• Host events so people can meet and greet the candidates.
• Train your staff to do voter registration.

Opening Keynote

• How did we get here?
• What do we do next?

The Exhibit Hall

Library Journal Librarians of the Year