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Register today for ACRL DVC Spring Programs!

April 19, 2022

The Delaware Valley Chapter of ACRL invites you to participate in our Spring 2022 Program Series, collectively titled “The Essential Work: Centering Our Values, Health, and Humanity”. This program series and our guiding questions were inspired by the ongoing uncertainty around and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past 22 months we have been asked to reinvent our work, (re)define what is “essential,” and negotiate the tension between our values and our responsibilities. This spring we invite you to join us as we explore our guiding questions.

The Essential Work: Centering Our Values, Health, and Humanity – Part I: Presentations – Friday April 22, 2022 from 10am-12pm ET | Registration Link

Shared learning is a fundamental part of our mission, and we have so much to learn from one another as we reflect on the past two years. To support that continued learning, this first event in our series will feature “sparkler talk” (15min) presentations from a selection of our community members on topics relevant to our guiding questions. Following the presentations, there will be a short panel discussion and Q&A.

“Retooling Technical Services: Life After the Great Resignation”

Melissa Brooks, Head of Technical Services and Associate Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi

“Treating Illness with Trust: How COVID-19 Changed Attitudes Toward Illness at Trexler Library”
Sarah Pelczynski-Kunda, Public Services Assistant at Muhlenberg College Trexler Library

“Are Librarians Essential Workers?”

Allyson Wind, Electronic Resources Librarian, East Stroudsburg University

“The Essential Work: Centering Our Values, Health, and Humanity” – Part II: Keynote by Nisha Mody – Friday May 20, 2022 from 2-4pm ET | Registration Link

This virtual keynote address, from Feminist Healing Coach, Writer, and Library Advocate. Nisha Mody, will be on how we can become more trauma-informed in libraries by shifting toward a relational approach rather than a transactional one. She will address the questions: What forces subconsciously take us away from being relational? How can we be more relational leaders and colleagues as well as with patrons and ourselves? How does being relational reframe urgency along with other characteristics of white supremacy culture?

“The Essential Work: Centering Our Values, Health, and Humanity” – Part III: Healing in Nature – Date in June TBD

While some parts of our work can be negotiated, the importance of our individual health cannot be questioned. Plan to join us this June as we learn to find strength and healing in nature. Date and Details coming soon.

We hope to see you there! Please direct questions to programs@acrldvc.org. For more, please visit our Events page: https://acrldvc.org/events/

CRD Virtual Journal Club Meeting

April 18, 2022

by Alex K.

Here are the details of the final session of the Spring 2022 series of the Virtual Journal Club, sponsored by the College & Research Division of the Pennsylvania Library Association!

This session on inclusive libraries will take place on Thursday, April 21st at 2:00. We will read and discuss: Frank, J., Salsbury, M., McKelvey, H., & McLain, R. (2021). Digital equity & inclusion strategies for libraries. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, 5(3).

Contact Melissa Correll at correllm@arcadia.edu for details to access the Zoom meeting.

Student-Centered Change

April 18, 2022

tags: accessibility

by Amanda Boyer

This past fall, I attended the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ (IFLA) virtual conference: Managing and Marketing Inclusion in Libraries. Many of the presentations focused on creating welcoming spaces for individuals who are neurodiverse. Neuro-diversity includes people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as well as people with ADHD and learning disabilities. As I watched the presentations, I remembered that my institution, Susquehanna University, has a Neuro-Diversity and ASD support group for our students through our Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). This got me thinking, “How many students on my campus are neuro-diverse?”

I decided to dig deeper. I looped in my colleague, Amir El-Chidiac, our Diversity Resident, as they and I share a passion for accessibility in libraries. We reached out CAPS and asked if we might attend one of the meetings to ask the students how they felt about the library space. We learned that about 20% of the student body have accommodations via the Disability Services Office, and a majority of these students are neuro-diverse. Keeping this in mind, we knew whatever we learned at the group meeting had to become a top priority.

During the meeting, we asked a few questions, but mostly, we listened. The students kept expressing how they were just so glad someone on campus was finally asking them how they felt in certain spaces on campus. No one had ever asked them before. They had lots of ideas, but they were also mindful that change takes time and money. They were so glad to have their voices heard, and they said whatever changes we could make would be greatly appreciated. Students expressed concerns with the harsh lighting of the study rooms, the unpredictable amount of people in the building, the cleanliness of the café, the method of booking study rooms, etc.

We offered some ideas, but we made sure any changes we implemented would be approved by the students first. For example, we offered to have a box of items at the circulation desk, such as fidget toys, ear plugs, etc., that the students could check out and take to a study room. The students explained how they would feel embarrassed by such a large item that may make their neuro-diversity very obvious to other students. They instead suggested keeping the box at the desk and allowing students to check out just a few small items at a time. They also told us how important it was that there be cleaning supplies offered with the items, so the student using the item could make sure it was sanitized.

So far, with input from this student group, we have implemented a fidget box at our circulation desk full of a variety of fidget toys for all students to check out. We also purchased disposable ear plugs and noise cancelling headphones. With help from our Systems Librarian, Brianne Dort, we also implemented an occupancy counter where the students can check online how busy the library is. We will be attending the group’s next meeting to get feedback on how the changes are working so far as well as to get feedback on our next steps. This summer we hope to price out dimmer switches for the lights in the study rooms as well as convert one of our study rooms into a neuro-diverse friendly study room. Not only are these students more excited about using the library, but they are also currently using us as an example to advocate for change across the university. They recently asked the gym and the cafeteria to consider implementing occupancy counters like the library has.

What student groups exist on your campus that you can partner with to implement change in your library? How can your library be a leader for change on your campus?

Capturing the Web: Introduction to Web Archiving

April 11, 2022

by Darren G. Poley

Preservation & Digital Archivist Beaudry Rae Allen, from Villanova University’s Falvey Library will present a virtual workshop entitled “Capturing the Web: Introduction to Web Archiving,” Wednesday, Apr. 20, Noon–1 p.m. EDT.

“Web archiving is the process of gathering up data that has been recorded on the World Wide Web, storing it, ensuring the data is preserved in an archive, and making the collected data available for future research. Get a foundational overview of web archiving in this workshop and learn ways to leverage the Wayback Machine and other web preservation tools in your scholarship and teaching.”

A part of the Falvey Forum 2022 series, this event is co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library and The Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest, Villanova University. It is free and open to the public, however pre-registration is required.

C&C Presents: “Promoting Inclusion in the Academic Library with a CILLS Program Internship” on 4/20/2022 at 11:30am

April 6, 2022

by Alex K.

Registration Link

Allyson Wind, Electronic Resources Librarian at East Stroudsburg University, will discuss how Kemp Library is promoting inclusion by having a CILLS student participate in a library internship. The Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS) program helps young adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities prepare to lead productive lives in their communities. In 2019 and again in 2021, the library has accepted a CILLS student to intern at the library in order to learn soft skills like communication and problem solving that can be transferred to any job placement in the future. In addition to learning soft skills, the CILLS intern learns valuable library related skills like alphabetizing and shelving books according to the Dewey Decimal System.

Allyson Wind is the Electronic Resources Librarian at Kemp Library, East Stroudsburg University.

As a reminder, the Zoom link will be sent approximately 48 hours before the session. 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, Tom Wolf, Governor.

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