2024 Core Forum

Is your Maker Space in a rut? Is your team struggling to keep up with rapidly changing technologies? In this 60-minute session, the Salt Lake City Public Library will discuss how to leverage existing creative skill sets in a team, reintroduce creative spaces to communities, and adapt to changing digital landscapes to lengthen the life and impact of creative spaces. They will also discuss how focusing on existing creative technologies can meet community digital equity and inclusion needs.

Recently, a HBCU started a pilot project capturing the stories of immigrant students and intertwining them with the learning experiences of the text Our Stories Carried Us Here. This project began as a collaborative effort with the library, College of Liberal Arts and the Office of International Affairs. One objective this project seeks to answer is, "What impact does attending a historically black university play on domestic, as well international students, success in  (1) debunking myths, stereotypes, and/or biases of individuals born in different regions; (2) gaining new insights on immigration issues; (3) and expanding awareness of international issues?" A second objective is to aid in broadening the knowledge of all student's values, cultural practices, roles, and ritualized procedures that tie them together while meeting the mission of the HBCU. This interactive workshop recaps the first semester of International Our Voices and the progression of future projects at the HBCU to answer the question above. Audience members will engage in (1) addressing strategic inclusive efforts for international students that involve domestic students; (2) learning the dynamic of Story Stitch circles for campus team gatherings; and (3) considering best practices for starting digital storytelling practices and library archival options.

In today's interconnected world, libraries have transitioned from physical repositories to dynamic hubs of both physical and digital information. As the guardians of invaluable data and resources, libraries face unique challenges in ensuring comprehensive information security. Dive deep into the essentials of information security tailored specifically for libraries. Explore practical techniques to evaluate the current state of your library's information security, and understand the steps needed to fortify it. You will hear how the Columbus Metropolitan Library developed and implemented robust security measures to stand strong against potential threats. More than just technical solutions, discover administrative strategies that form the a holistic security approach. Also covered will be a discussion around strategies and controls that cater to the diverse needs of libraries. Columbus Metropolitan Library has evolved its information security practices over the last several years. Delve into the journey, gaining insights into how the information security program has matured, facing challenges and achieving milestones. Join this session to empower yourself with the knowledge and skills required to create a secure, trustworthy environment for library customers and staff alike.

DEI metadata work has several goals: enhancing diverse representation in descriptive metadata; improving discovery of diverse resources; and mitigating negative effects of inaccurate, outdated, or offensive terminology. Through this work, librarians support their institutions’ commitments to foster a welcoming environment, provide access and opportunity, and promote a sense of belonging. Making metadata more inclusive also can be viewed as an effort toward sustainability—the tenth of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals is “reduced inequalities.” There has been a growing body of DEI metadata resources with valuable advice from innovative and forward-thinking metadata creators. However, these are scattered, not always easy to find, and require time to review and synthesize.

With the collaboration of the Iowa State University Digital Press, and building on the important groundwork laid by many others, five librarians wrote a handbook to provide guidelines for metadata work that focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our vision was to produce a one-stop, introductory reference, and make it freely available through open access.

The presentation will summarize the contents of the book, which is geared toward professionals in library and information science, archives, and other information management industries, and its publication process.