Wednesday, 9:00 AM

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Keynote: Christina Fuller-Gregory (she/her/hers)

Christina Fuller-Gregory (she/her/hers) cfuller-gregory@scgsah.org
A.D. of Library Services, South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities
Co-chair of the Public Library Association Task Force, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice

Christina Fuller-Gregory is a librarian, maker, and experienced Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice practitioner. Her practice includes working with libraries to develop individualized approaches to building an EDISJ framework, policy development, and governance. She is also the principal consultant at Fuller Potential Consulting.

Wednesday, 10:00 AM

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Flipping the Script - The Importance of Academic Library Mentorship for New Librarians and Those Thinking of Attending Library School

Candace Jacobs (she/her/hers) ccjacobs@ncat.edu
F.D. Bluford Library at North Carolina A&T; State University

Joanie Chavis (she/her/hers) jchavis@ncat.edu
F.D. Bluford Library at North Carolina A&T; State University

This session will discuss the importance and impact of mentorship for new librarians and mentoring for experienced librarians. This session will demonstrate that mentoring serves many purposes, and is beneficial, not only to the mentee, but also to the library and greater campus community. It will also demonstrate the benefit of mentorship in promoting inclusion, diversity, and career development among under-represented or marginal groups, and more cohesiveness in the expansion and adherence to the goals of the library and campus community as a whole.

Wednesday, 11:00 AM

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Connect with REMCo

Brittany Champion (she/her/hers) remco@nclaonline.org
Roundtable on Ethnic Minority Concerns (REMCo)

Carlos Grooms (he/him/his) cgrooms@ncat.edu
Roundtable on Ethnic Minority Concerns (REMCo)

Leander Croker (she/her/hers) lcroker@dconc.gov
Roundtable on Ethnic Minority Concerns (REMCo)

Join our informal panel discussion to learn more about the Roundtable on Ethnic Minority Concerns (REMCo). REMCo is a roundtable for North Carolina Library Association that serves as a voice for ethnic and minority members. REMCo strives to improve service to, and in some cases, even initiate service for the ethnic communities that we all serve. We look forward to sharing our current projects and initiatives.

Wednesday, 1:00 PM

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Beyond Sacred Stacks: interactive wellness initiatives in open academic and medical library spaces...

Jo Anna Rohrbaugh (she/her/hers) rohrbaughj93@students.ecu.edu
East Carolina University

This presentation will reveal the effectiveness of interactive wellness initiatives in open academic and medical library spaces that support campus community members’ emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Wednesday, 2:00 PM

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Using Award-Winning Children’s Books to Create Welcoming and Inclusive Library Collections

Alan Bailey (he/him/his) baileya@ecu.edu
Professor Emeritus, East Carolina University

Award-winning children’s books are one of the many ways libraries can create environments where every child is represented, accepted, valued, and respected. Areas of diversity highlighted in this session will include age, gender, culture, abilities, race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Examples of outstanding books will be presented, and a list of award-winning titles will be available to participants.

Wednesday, 3:00 PM

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NC Library Paraprofessional Association Meet and Greet

NC Library Paraprofessional Association
Website: https://nclaonline.org/nclpa
Email: nclpa@nclaonline.org

Shelver to supervisor; gracious volunteer to paid staff; new hire to lifelong Friend of the Library; part-time, full-time, or "all on your own time" library supporter: The NCLPA provides the microphone for your voice.

Thursday, 9:00 AM

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Respectful Metadata

Patricia Dragon (she/her/hers) dragonp@ecu.edu
Academic Library Services, East Carolina University

John Dunning (he/him/his) dunningj17@ecu.edu
Academic Library Services, East Carolina University

This session will focus on some projects undertaken in the cataloging departments in ECU's Academic Library Services to improve the respectfulness of our metadata toward groups of people, particularly the traditionally underrepresented. Projects have included altering the display of certain Library of Congress Subject Headings and enhancing older cataloging by retrospectively adding new LCSH. We are motivated by the twin goals of making sure the library and its online tools are welcoming spaces and ensuring that users are able to find and access the materials they seek.

Thursday, 10:00 AM

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"I don't want to say the wrong thing." Gender Expression and Public Facing Library Staff

Kirstin Woodall (she/they) kirstin.woodall@wakegov.com
Wake County Public Libraries

Several recent controversies centering around gender expression, specifically with transgender people and their experience, can leave library staff feeling unsure or intimidated by unfamiliar terminology and being concerned about accidentally "saying the wrong thing" and inadvertently offending a patron or coworker. My presentation aims to help public-facing library staff confidently provide a high quality of service to patrons regardless of gender expression. The presentation will include an overview of important terms and concepts relating to gender expression to help reduce confusion and increase confidence, touch upon the science and history of gender expression and examine common myths about gender. Attendees will learn about best practices for making all library patrons, regardless of their gender expression, comfortable and welcome, and hear about the experience of a non-binary person working in a library system currently grappling with a very public challenge to books with LGBTQIA+ themes.

Thursday, 11:00 AM

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Supporting Neurodiverse College Student Success: A Guide for Librarians, Student Support Services, and Academic Learning Environments

Amber Arnold (she/her/hers) arnolda19@ecu.edu
East Carolina University

Jeffrey Coghill (he/him/his) coghillj@ecu.edu
East Carolina University

Dr. Elizabeth Coghill (she/her/hers) coghille@ecu.edu
East Carolina University

Presented by the editors and authors of the book, Supporting Neurodiverse College Student Success: A Guide for Librarians, Student Support Services, and Academic Learning Environments, this session will increase participant understanding of the needs and impact neurodiverse students are making as they enroll in higher numbers at post-secondary campuses. Making our spaces inclusive to all learners, library professionals are challenged to create post-secondary learning environments that support student success. This session will examine neurodiversity and executive functioning in higher education, explore ways libraries can infuse Universal Design for Learning approaches, and widen awareness of neurodiverse student needs and supports.

Thursday, 12:00 PM

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A Conversation with DEI Librarians: What We Learned

Denelle Eads (she/her/hers) deads@uncc.edu
University of North Carolina Charlotte

Michael S. Fitts (he/him/his) fitts@uab.edu
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Colise Hunt (she/her/hers) huntco17@ecu.edu
East Carolina University

Kristine Shrauger (she/her/hers) kristine.shrauger@ucf.edu
University of Central Florida

Job announcements for DEI Librarians continue to pop up in ALA Job postings. What are the responsibilities of DEI librarians? What are the expectations and roles of DEI librarians? Where do DEI librarians reside in the organizational chart? And finally, how do DEI librarians interface with other parts of their campus community? Learn what four librarians discovered after interviewing various librarians with the words Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion attached to their titles. This presentation will discuss their research in the variety of titles that DEI librarians hold, their interaction with committees and tasks forces, their connection to the library’s search committees and HR policies, along with training, professional development, and strategic planning.

Poster

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Growing Your Own: Creating Diversity Through Hiring and Mentoring Practices

Joi Phillips (she/her/hers) jphillips@deltastate.edu
Delta State University

David Salinero (he/him/his) dsaliner@deltastate.edu
Delta State University

Very few Black students see themselves represented in academic libraries, and as a consequence, do not pursue librarianship as a career. At Delta State University, situated in a predominantly African American region of Mississippi, librarians attempt to create a welcoming environment for all students and staff. Five out of eight departments currently include African Americans which accounts for over 30% of all library services employees. This poster examines the library’s efforts in creating a diverse and inclusive space for students and staff through its hiring and mentoring practices.