2024 Core Forum

Discovery products providing a single search interface to library collections have become industry standard in large academic libraries since their emergence in the late 2000's.  The process and parameters by which libraries select and evaluate these products is, however, neither standardized nor well represented in the literature.  This presentation begins to fill in gaps by discussing libraries' procurement processes and assessment methods including usability studies, drawn from both the literature and real life.  Presenters proceed by offering insights into how commercial discovery products use more standardized and proven metadata schemas like MARC, gleaned from mapping metadata for implementations of EDS (EBSCO Discovery Services) and Primo (Ex Libris).  It concludes by offering a preview of novel research using metadata to benchmark the precision and relevance of search results from proprietary discovery products, reinforcing the importance of maintaining the integrity and accessibility of legacy metadata.

Representatives from the committee and other practitioners will discuss the latest news and questions about browser technology changes, troubleshooting, Federated Credential Management (FedCM), results from the 2023 Library Automation Perceptions Survey, and whatever is on the audience's mind. How are changes affecting your institution's current authentication system? How are resource vendors responding? Ask questions and make suggestions. If we can't address your concern in the session, we'll make sure the Core Authentication and Authorization Committee gets details out to the community in future communications. The FA Committee web page has resources that provide an understanding of authentication technology from foundational to expert. This session follows up on previous information sessions at ALA and Core Forum

Explore how artificial intelligence can revolutionize libraries by enhancing accessibility, streamlining operations, and fostering community connections. In this session, Brian Pichman will share innovative AI applications tailored for libraries, focusing on open and transparent solutions that empower both public and academic institutions. Discover strategies for integrating AI technologies in marketing, user interaction, and information dissemination, ensuring libraries remain at the forefront of knowledge and technology in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

While many associate creativity with individual work in the fine arts, creativity–the development of a valuable new product, idea, or problem solution–is vital to innovation, solving problems, and facilitating change. While some elements of creativity are dependent on a person’s inherent interests and abilities, creativity is significantly influenced by a person’s context. In other words, an individual’s creativity largely depends on whether their environment supports creative work. Creativity is constantly demanded of libraries as they face challenges and bans, technological changes, and fluctuations in the characteristics and interests of their user populations. While the value of creativity may seem obvious, the practices needed to cultivate it in the workplace are less understood. This presentation will draw on both quantitative and qualitative data collected by the presenter from academic library staff and leaders over the last several years to identify barriers that both library staff and leaders face when trying to cultivate a creative work environment. It will then provide attendees with specific strategies that can contribute to a work environment that encourages creativity among employees while countering destructive environmental elements that can contribute to bullying, low morale, and burnout.