2024 Core Forum

Neurodiversity within the librarian professional is often neglected as a subject of scholarly conversation. With higher rates of neurodivergent students approaching traditional college-age, it is more important than ever to embrace neurodivergence within the academic library. This starts with fostering an inclusive environment for library staff, faculty, students, and patrons. Hiring a neurodiverse library staff creates a safe space for neurodivergent students through example. Neurodivergent library staff can also work with library administration to incorporate inclusive mental and physical spaces within the library. The concept of the library as a safe-space for college students is a familiar narrative, and this sentiment should be extended to library staff as well.

Today's libraries are challenged with engaging busy customers who see thousands of ads per day. This session will provide key strategies for staff at all levels to cut through the noise to increase customer engagement. Panelists will cover award-winning library marketing methods and ideas used by other industries. Two award-winning library marketing directors will share key techniques to position your library in the public eye by providing strategies to address common questions such as: How do you prioritize program promotion? What materials make the biggest impact for promoting events and services? How can I get more people to my program or to utilize this service? Panelists will share how you can move the needle even without a giant marketing budget or dedicated department. Key scalable techniques like developing a style guide, embracing the marketing funnel, and focusing on specific promotion outside your library's walls will be shared to help strengthen brand awareness, position your library in the public eye, and develop efficient workflows that allow more time serving the community.

The Core Competencies for Cataloging & Metadata Professional Librarians provides an important framework to assess professional-level cataloging and metadata skills, knowledge, and behavior. This presentation will introduce attendees to the revised (as of 2023) Core Competencies document and discuss ways it can be utilized for professional growth, mentoring, employee evaluation, and curriculum assessment. Additionally, presenters will facilitate an interactive exercise that will offer attendees a template for evaluating their own or employees cataloging and metadata proficiency.
Session materials available in this Google Drive folder Mapping Your Skillsets.

AI tools are being pushed by tech companies to do everything for us from writing emails on our behalf to creating visuals to match the most outlandish prompts we can think of. Join this presentation for a 101 overview of where these tools come from, how authors are using these tools, and what generative books and art mean for libraries.