PROGRAM

Check-in, Breakfast

Welcome Remarks

Dr. Troy Swanson - An Orgy of Utter Chaos: How the Feeling of Knowing Helps Us Recast Information Literacy

Much of our work as instruction librarians assumes a type of rationality in how our students understand and incorporate information sources. Advances in neuroscience and psychology reveal a different picture in how the mind processes information. Current theories in neuroscience emphasize that our minds work as “an orgy of utter chaos” drawing on the feeling of knowing to make decisions. This talk explores these ideas and connects them with information and literacy and work of academic librarians. How can we better understand the influence of unconscious mental processes and break away from more traditional models of rationality and critical thinking? How can we use this to change our practice into something more reflective and in alignment with the lessons in psychology and neuroscience?

Keynote Recording

You Can’t Whack All the Moles: Scaling an Instruction Initiative to Address Limited Bandwidth [2024] 

Becca Greenstein, STEM Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries

Steve Adams, Librarian for Graduate and Postdoctoral Initiatives, Northwestern University Libraries

Mariah McGregor, Asst. Professor & Reference Librarian for Business & Economics, University of Illinois Chicago Libraries

For the past nine years, librarians have supported students who are enrolled in a terminal Master's program. Since this program doesn’t have a designated liaison, instruction and consultation duties have rotated among various librarians. Program support has evolved over the years to meet the needs of both the students in the program, many of whom are international students with varying levels of English proficiency, and librarians. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on what library services their liaison departments receive, changes over the years due to librarian bandwidth and/or curriculum changes, and whether further changes are needed.

Presentation Slides and Handout

Researching the Library Itself: Library Collaboration with Interior Design  [2000]

Kadet Alaks, Assistant Professor and Reference Librarian, College of DuPage

Shelly Mocchi, Assistant Professor and Program Chair of Interior Design, College of DuPage

In Fall 2023, College of DuPage’s Library and Interior Design faculty implemented a collaborative project that asked students to create potential design solutions for key areas in the Library– turning “Library Research” into “Researching the Library itself”. Leveraging Library resources and the liaison model in a unique way, this assignment gave students real-world experience exploring the challenges and opportunities of Library design within their own community. Attend this session to learn about the origins of this project, student work and response, benefits to both the Interior Design department and the Library, and discussion about getting creative with Library support for Continuing Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Presentation Slides

Individual Bandwidth & Burnout Roundtable Discussion [2032]

Sveta Stoytcheva Price, Data Literacy Librarian, DePaul University

In this roundtable discussion, attendees will have an opportunity to engage in the emerging conversation about burnout in the profession and reflect on their own experiences at work. What factors contribute to librarian burnout? How can we respond as individuals, at the institution level, and as a profession? What in our work lives taxes our capacity the most? What sustains us? 

Session Materials

Lunch

Part-time and Adjunct Librarians Speak out on Information Literacy, Capacity, and Collaboration [2000]

Holly Cerney, Part-time Librarian, DePaul University

Julia Wollrab, Part-time Librarian, DePaul University

Amanda Crowley, Adjunct Librarian, College of DuPage

Megan Flaherty, Adjunct Librarian, College of DuPage

Part-time and adjunct library work can be an entry point into the profession for new grads, a flexible career choice for experienced librarians, or a necessary compromise to a full-time job. Many libraries rely heavily on part-time and adjunct librarians to meet the demands for instruction and research services. How can information literacy librarians in full- and part-time roles collaborate to achieve institutional goals and create a positive work environment? In this panel, librarians from the College of DuPage and DePaul University will share their experience with part-time and adjunct work and discuss how they support information literacy at their institutions, the challenges they face, and the kinds of resources they need to thrive.

Session Materials

Creating Bandwidth for Engaging and Sustainable First Year Library Experiences [2024]

Claire Dinkelman, Student Success Librarian, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries

Kristin Woodward-Miller, Teaching and Learning Team Lead, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries

Positive outreach experiences with first-year students are a great foundation for a scaffolded undergraduate information literacy program. But what happens when the requests triple in the course of a year with limited staff? Hear how two librarians revamped a library tour for a first-year course that actively engages every student and is highly modifiable using Padlet, a smartphone, and a worksheet to create student-led library tours. Our presentation will cover our brainstorming, data collection, design and testing processes, student and instructor feedback, additional materials for self-guided tours, and what to consider if you decide to implement a similar outreach program.

Presentation Slides

AI Tools & the Instruction Librarian [2032]

Michelle Vander Woude, Student Success Librarian, Trinity Christian College

Nichole Novak, Head of Reference & Instruction Services, Illinois Institute of Technology

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of generative AI tools out there and how or even if you should incorporate them into your information literacy instruction sessions? Join us for an informative session during which the presenters will provide a broad overview of what generative AI is and is not followed by demonstrations and applications of a variety of AI tools. Librarians who would like to learn more about AI tools and tips for how to incorporate them into their lesson plans should attend this session.

Presentation Slides

Coffee Break and Networking

Reflective Paths & Meditative Insights: Potential Avenues to the Feeling of Knowing  [2000]

Troy Swanson, Library Department Chair, Moraine Valley Community College

This workshop invites participants to explore the interplay between reason, feeling, and context in the realm of information literacy. Drawing on Mercier and Sperber's argument on reason and reasoning, we will consider different approaches to recognize the interaction between conscious and unconscious processing including Gendlin’s focusing and explorations from Buddhist meditators. How can we better incorporate reflective practices into information literacy and our classroom practice at large? 

An Unsustainable Model? Our Complicated Relationship with the IL One-Shot [2032]

Jennifer Kelley, Reference Librarian and Faculty Chair of Professional Development, College of DuPage

In this roundtable discussion, attendees will critically engage with the instruction librarian’s bread-and-butter, the one-shot information literacy session. Given staffing shortages, increased workloads, burnout, and professional opportunities outside of the “usual” scope of librarianship, does the one-shot still make sense? Let’s question the unassailable, challenge the inviolable, and consider what alternative approaches to information literacy instruction might better serve both librarians and students.

Session Materials

College of DuPage Library Tour [2024]

Christine Kickels, Reference Librarian, College of DuPage

Mary Konkel, Head of Technical Services, College of DuPage

Becky Reece, Reference Assistant, College of DuPage

Peer behind the stacks! Join our librarian-led tour for an up close look at our collections and innovative spaces that attract students and our local community. We'll highlight both our successes and areas for improvement, sparking conversation on library design trends and best practices.