It's Academic

I am almost halfway through my first full semester as a health sciences librarian and I have really enjoyed it. This semester has also been the start of Academic Transformation at my university. This is the term used to describe cuts to programs, faculty, and academic support units (such as the library) to realign the university mission and close the gap in a $45 million dollar deficit. The library is restructuring as part of this plan and with the uncertainty around the future, I have started to think about how I can prep for next semester. I have decided to focus on six areas that will (hopefully) ease some of the unknown. 

Saying “No”: Easier said than done

I rarely say no to things; I love jumping in and doing everything I can but I also know that it’s not always the best thing for me. So first thing first, I’m (attempting to) adding “no” to my vocabulary when I feel I am at or reaching my capacity. What can “no” look like? Committees, last minute one-shots or faculty assistance, being selective with long term projects. I have many ideas and goals for the future but being selective is important.

LibGuides: Edit and forget it (for the semester)

I like to customize certain aspects of my LibGuides but I also have adapted the “one guide to rule them all” methodology a colleague shared with me. I created a master guide that includes basic information about the library, research, etc. and then plugged it in to each guide before adding any customizations. I love adding more visual and interactive elements to them and I am in the process of wrapping a few of those up. I have spent the last few weeks making other changes as well and plan to not make any additional changes until next summer. Of course, anything glaring or requests from faculty to add or adjust areas will be accommodated but I do not need to spend more time for diminishing returns. 

Planning Ahead: Prepping emails and schedule blocks

Now that my semester has slowed down, I am drafting spring emails for departments to remind them of updated materials, library changes, and that I am available to come to their classes next semester. If they schedule with me now, I can get those slides ready sooner. I want to also block my calendar out now, so when I have a busy week, I can still get my must-do’s done on time.

Workshops: Instruction never stops

I asked myself earlier in the year how I could contribute to our library workshops. And I landed on taking over Tableau for beginners from a colleague who no longer does instruction as part of her job. I do not know Tableau currently but will learn the software over  the next few months. 

Professional Development: Where there’s a webinar, there’s a way

There’s aspects of health sciences librarianship that are new to me. One of those areas is systematic review searches and evidence synthesis work. I have not done expert searching before but I am focused on developing these skills. In addition to this work I am looking for free to low cost webinars, conferences, and organizations to get involved with. The reality for most is that conferences are expensive and having alternatives allow for the ability to continue to grow professionally without the high cost barrier. Additionally I will need to accept that I have to get outside my comfort zone and present something if I want to attend a larger conference.

Goals: Are flexible

When I started my job I wrote down goals for the year. I also write goals for each month. As I settled into my position, I have evolved, as well as my goals. This is the notebook I turn to when I’ve had a bad day and see everything I’ve accomplished and how I can adapt and move forward. And most of the time it’s not about moving forward, it’s about appreciating I can do things. I can be hard on myself and having a visual record of accomplishments helps me get over moments of imposter syndrome and give me a boost of self confidence. 

In the next few weeks I will find out what next semester will look like from a library standpoint. Everyday brings a new perspective and a new wave of emotions. I enjoy my job and had a really good semester; however it’s also been painful and at times full of anger. The prep I’m doing now gives me peace of mind and is something my future self will hopefully thank me for. I continue to look for more ways to streamline my process and hope that this list will be of use to you. Libraries are a space for collaboration and I look forward to seeing what others do to help them do more with less. What are ways that you like to prep? Feel free to drop suggestions in the comments.

The one-shot library instruction session is a bane of our collective existence in academic libraries. The academic literature (and conference programs) are replete with discussion of this issue. As a subject liaison, my information literacy instruction has been conducted almost exclusively in one-shot class sessions. The sessions (and the subject guides I often create specifically for the classes) are the main contact I have with students, so they’ve been an important part of my work (and identity!) as a subject specialist.

Over recent semesters, however, I’ve noticed that the effectiveness of the sessions has been diminishing. This conclusion is based on a lack of engagement from the classes I visit and the low number of follow-up consultations that I receive after the classes. The number of sessions I’ve done in a semester has ranged from 7-10, so I didn’t feel I was overworked; the one-shot just wasn’t working well. After talking with my supervisor about the issue, she indicated that she’d be supportive of me trying something different. With this support, I decided not to do one-shots for the fall semester.

In lieu of the instruction session, I decided to add learning modules and videos to my existing class LibGuides which would explain how to use our discovery layer, databases, ILL, etc. I would also put together brief lesson plans for instructors to introduce library resources if they chose to do so. In communicating the change to professors, I indicated it was at times jarring having me come into class and felt the professors were better positioned to help students. I also emphasized that I would still be available to help students with their research individually. After putting all this together, I worried a bit about the consequences. Would professors be disappointed? Would this greatly disrupt their class preparation? Would they be less likely to work with me in the future?

My initial fears were unfounded; I sensed some disappointment in professors’ email responses, but they understood my rationale for making the change and agreed to facilitate the library introduction themselves. The consequences are still unknown, however. I haven’t yet done any research consultations with students from the classes where this change was instituted, so I don’t know how it’s affected student research. I’m going to follow up with instructors after the semester to get their assessment of this change. If instructors feel strongly enough that it’s a bad change, I may reconsider my decision.

I hope my experience will be helpful for others considering this change. Good luck with the remainder of your fall!

Presented by 

Katie Quirin Manwiller

Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm

Registration Link

Despite continued efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in academic libraries, our field often limits disability inclusion to the basic accessibility standards in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These standards are the bare minimum required by law and as such do not provide comprehensive inclusion for our students or library workers. This webinar will explain ADA compliance in academic libraries, the limitations of equating it with full accessibility, and the need to move beyond this frame of thinking to provide actual disability inclusion. It will end with practical tips to incorporate disability throughout your library’s EDI work.

Katie Quirin Manwiller is the Education Librarian and Assistant Professor at West Chester University. She is chronically ill and dynamically disabled. Katie’s scholarship focuses on improving disability inclusion in libraries through incorporating disability into diversity, equity, and inclusion work, addressing disability misconceptions, and creating accessible work environments. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree focused on strategic disability inclusion in higher education.

We will mute participants on entry into the Zoom room. Session will be recorded and available on YouTube after the session. We will enable Zoom’s Live Transcription feature during the session.

If you would like to present with C&CS, please contact the C&CS team.

This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, Governor.

Support is also provided by the College and Research Division of the Pennsylvania Library Association.