POSTERS/DEMOS. 1 p.m.– 1:45 p.m. Posters will be up all day.

#1 Understanding Your International Students’ Expectations: Designing Library Collections and Outreach for Patrons from Around the World
Jeff Prater, Virginia International University
International students bring varied library experiences to their studies in the United States. After the Virginia International University library transitioned to the Library of Congress Classification System and built an accessible OPAC, students remained confused about how to locate and find materials on the shelf. Could there be a gap between students’ prior library experiences, and how they perceived the Virginia International University library? The librarians conducted an IRB-approved survey and learned the only thing each student had in common was a print book collection. The students’ experience of classification systems, electronic collections and online access were all very different from VIU’s library. To address these diverse backgrounds in print material organization, English comprehension and electronic access, librarians employed a plan that included social media marketing, scaffolded instruction and collection division into general and ESL categories. This comprehensive strategy created more confidence in navigating library resources and an increase in library usage.

#2 Renewing a Forgotten Archive: Reversing Years of Neglect
Collin Molony, Catholic University of America
The Baltimore Museum of Industry’s library and archives sat closed for years, and the materials were neglected. The process of renewing the research center is an ongoing process, but significant progress has been made. This presentation focuses on how to manage a historic collection that has been neglected, and the many stages of redevelopment that have been required to turn such a collection into a fully functional research center. From budget and staffing concerns to locating materials to rectifying old accession records, a lot of work was necessary to get the research center up and running.

#3 Rethinking Library Services for First-Generation Students: Do We Need to Change Existing Models?
Jordan Sly and Ashleigh Coren, University of Maryland Libraries
This poster examines the results of our research project into the needs of first-year transfer and first-generation students as they begin their college careers. We seek to understand how first-generation students’ perceive libraries and library services as a touchpoint in their education. We chose to focus on expanding the portrait of these students as presented in the existing library literature on critical pedagogy by adding personal student experiences and voices to inform our future interactions with this population. Particular to this study is our utilization of Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of Habitus as a founding theoretical framework. By using this theory, we are able to turn student input into a useful model while maintaining the individuality of the student while also attempting to dissuade harmful and problematic notions of essentialism. This project explores the tenets of Critical Librarianship like self-reflection, critical thinking and examination of our teaching practices.

#4 Privacy and Information Literacy: Beyond the Click and the Index
Jesse Lambertson, Georgetown University Law Library
’Tis one thing to talk about libraries as places of privacy and intellectual freedom, but do we connect these notions explicitly to digital literacy? The aim of my poster is to reveal, frankly, how information is “read” in computers, how librarians can better educate themselves and the folks they serve (no matter the organization or institution) in the area of digital privacy so each person can take his or her knowledge beyond simply content into the realm of digital context. This aim brings together the purely service-orientation of information professionals with professional development by embracing a revised model of lifelong learning. The result more fully integrates the librarian’s own use of digital tools and their training of others to simultaneously provide better privacy and educate each person about using digital tools more intentionally – even mindfully.

#5 Engaging Library Users by Telling Stories with Maps: A Case Study
Jessica Forthman, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and Jack Dale, BAE Systems
Since last year, the staff of the Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Research Center (GRC) at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has been telling stories with maps. Specifically, we are using the Story Maps application to highlight historical items in our map collection, connecting them to important world events in order to tell richer, more visually appealing stories. By using this Geographic Information Science (GIS) tool to combine cartographic data with text, imagery, and other multimedia elements, we are creating a visually attractive, dynamic, and inviting way to display items in our historical map collection. Additionally, bringing attention to this aspect of our collection serves to invite customers to explore the rest of our holdings and services. As a result, our Story Maps presentations demonstrate how a user-friendly, no-coding-required, cloud-based solution can be used to tell an impactful “story” while encouraging patrons to explore other features of a given collection.

#6 Exploring the Wellness Behavior of Librarians: Connection Between Access to Health Information and Action?
Susan Keller, Research Librarian, Children’s National Health System; and Layla Heimlich, MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Objective: To answer the question, “Is having access to high-quality health information associated with a high level of wellness behaviors among librarians?” Methods: Based on available literature and previously validated questionnaires, we developed a survey with seven demographic items, two workplace wellness items, three items that assessed access to health information and awareness of healthy behavior recommendations, and seven specific healthy behavior practice items. Results: 1,913 librarians responded to the survey (663 health science librarians (HSL) and 1,250 non-health science librarians (Non-HSL)). We found no significant demographic differences between the two groups. HSL are more likely than Non-HSL to eat 5 or more fruits/vegetables per day (p value 0.031). HSL were more likely than Non-HSL to exercise moderately. Eating and exercise behaviors are correlated with access to high-quality health information.

#7 Digitizing Items for Multiple Purposes
John Leon, Catholic University of America
At the DDOT Library, I spent the summer of 2018 digitizing a multitude of photographs, reports and varying items from the collection. This was part of an ongoing effort to add to the historical photo archive online, as well as the library’s catalog. Through working with these items, I decided to create exhibits using our online software (Omeka) that promoted our materials and brought together the photographs, maps and written reports that make up the collection. These items had been cataloged in multiple metadata formats and physical spaces, so it became a wide-ranging job to collate items together for publication in a specific online exhibit. Working with the DDOT Librarian, I posted a few exhibits that reflect part of the mission of DDOT to enhance transportation around the District of Columbia.

#8 Creating and Using a Library Diversity Statement
Holly Heller-Ross, SUNY Plattsburgh
A diversity statement can be a very useful strategy for connecting everyday work to a larger mission. Connection to a larger mission can encourage commitment to doing a job well, and sustaining creative efforts to achieve library goals. This poster will describe the purpose, process, product and outcomes from the Library and Information Technology Services (LITS) Diversity Statement at SUNY Plattsburgh. Guided by professional library standards as well as local university strategic planning, LITS created our initial diversity statement in 2015. Now in 2019, staff and student training, library displays and activities, webpages and handouts, new staff advertisements and interviews, policy reviews and facilities audits, and library unit assessments and annual reports all include elements of diversity. The impact of the statement comes from the work we all do to keep it as a living and meaningful foundation for everyday work.

#9 We’re Not Gonna Take It: The Censorship of Challenging Literary Depictions in Library Collections
Babak Zarin, Catholic University of America
Libraries pride themselves on offering strong collections for their communities, but given the increasingly diverse communities they serve, conflicts about what should be included in the collection are inevitable. How can modern librarians ethically navigate this grey zone between offering patrons the resources they need without hurting the communities they serve? This poster examines the history of book challenges to offer some initial insight into this question. More specifically, it looks at challenges surrounding four specific books: 1) The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier; 2) Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; 3) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck; and 4) The Color Purple by Alice Walker. The poster reviews what prompted a book challenge, who the challenger was, and what the overall results were, then offers some insight into how librarians can prepare in advance to address patron concerns about resources they might disagree with.

#10 Notre Bibliothecaire Original: The Photography and Travels of Dr. Henri Hyvernat
Katherine Defonzo, Catholic University of America
Professor Henri Hyvernat was a member of the first faculty of the Catholic University America and an instrumental figure in the early years of the university’s Semitics/ICOR (Institute of Christian Oriental Research) Library. This library is home to an extensive collection of Syriac, Arabic and Armenian materials providing insight into the lives of Christians in Northern Iraq, Southwestern Iran and Turkey at the end of the nineteenth century. This project focuses on a small collection of photographs of people from different faith and ethnic backgrounds (Armenian Christians, Syriac Christians, Persian Muslims, Kurds and Jews) obtained by Professor Hyvernat in 1897-1898 during a visit to the Middle East. These photographs have been inventoried, and photograph inscriptions have been translated into English from the original French and Arabic. Accompanying contextual information provides a starting point for research into how conflicting political interests (Russian, British, French, Turkish) shaped life in the area during this time.

#11 Community Connections: Advocating for Libraries Through Innovative Engagement
Gabriella Trinchetta, St. John’s University
We live in an age of information overload. We can find answers to our questions within seconds, and we can download books straight to our devices. Why then, do we need libraries? Information professionals face the task of rebranding their institutions to create a space that the public wants and needs to experience. Consequently, they strive to cultivate connections with their communities by providing innovative library programs and events. This poster will provide insight on transforming a library’s image from a public service institution to a community hotspot by utilizing Berger’s STEPPS framework: Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Values, and Stories (Bergen, 2013). Symposium attendees will learn to revamp their library’s image in the community; appeal to the public through innovative programs and campaigns; and cultivate relationships to encourage valuable informal brand advocacy. (Reference: Berger, J. (2013). Contagious: Why things catch on. New York: Simon & Schuster.)

#12 Making Computers Accessible - Screenreaders and Magnifiers
Ross Taylor, D.C. Public Library
Much of modern life is conducted by computer, but there are still problems making them accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. The challenges also involve opportunities—to think about computers and reading in new ways. My demo will show the use of a screen reader, JAWS, on a Windows laptop navigating web pages, Word and help screens. I will also show screen magnification, some resources for blind/low vision patrons and accompany my demo with basic information about the blind/low vision community.

#13 Archives Month as a Way to Do Advocacy
Karolina Lewandowska and Gabrielle Spiers, Naval History & Heritage Command
Alyson Mazzone, U.S. Marine Corps
For the first time Naval History & Heritage Command archivists participated in Archives Month, developing outreach that sought to foster connections and rapport. Under the umbrella of Archives Month, staff pursued outreach activities to create and cultivate a sense of community, not only within our large organization, but also within the Navy community at large. This poster examines the procedures used to determine the appropriate outreach efforts through assessment, research and guesswork. We explain the range of issues, from getting started to developing a plan and the hurdles encountered. Outreach activity descriptions include social media, DC Archives Fair, Baltimore Fleet Week, information table on base, creating brochures, handouts, and giveaways, as well as organizing staff webinar trainings. We share some methods for success as well as some areas for growth and how to improve for Archives Month 2019. Advocacy resources, tips and strategies are provided.

#14 Linking Liszt: Strategies for Improving Access to Classical Music in Consumer Platforms
Katharine Beiter, Catholic University of America
Searching for classical music on commercial platforms is notoriously difficult. This difficulty is partly due to the fact that searching for music of other genres is typically driven by artist and title. Classical music culture places a much greater emphasis on composer, and titling is not consistent across recordings. For this reason, standard unique identifiers with robust linking are critical to support consumer searches. Existing systems of identification such as opus numbers, composer-based catalogues, ISWCs, ISMNs and library catalogue numbers for published works and manuscripts seem to fall short either in design or implementation when it comes to resource discovery. Furthermore, existing identification systems used in the commercial world do not support the necessary level of abstraction needed. The music industry requires a strategy to improve access to classical music in radio, streaming and other online services, and unique identifiers must be the foundation of this strategy.

#15 Relieving Library Anxiety: The Application of Relationship Marketing to Libraries
Cynthia Schmidt and Joshua Waltman, Liberty University
Library marketing has traditionally been transactionally focused. Our library has chosen to embrace a relationship marketing (RM) approach by focusing on long-term relationships rather than isolated interactions. With the prevalence of library anxiety, there is a need to look outside of library literature for best practices. While libraries and businesses define success differently, the approaches used to achieve success can be based on the same theoretical framework. RM has been documented to positively impact a business’ profits, and libraries can potentially adapt these approaches to achieve organizational goals. Our library has implemented this approach in four areas of focus: customer service philosophy, a library services fair event, social media strategy and customer feedback channels. This focus has helped create a culture in which library staff recognize the value of fostering relationships with the “customer.” This presentation will build off of empirical research related to marketing in the business context.

#16 Integrating Information Literacy Instruction with Peer Writing Mentors
Erin Durham, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Providing information literacy instruction for large-enrollment courses can allow librarians to reach greater numbers of students, but may also prove challenging for maintaining sustainability. In addition, the large enrollments of these courses can stretch the resources of academic libraries with limited personnel. Thus, joining forces with academic support centers can be essential in expanding research support to greater numbers of students. At the University of Maryland Baltimore County, a collaboration between the Humanities Reference and Instruction librarian and the Writing Center seeks to expand the research support available to students enrolled in English 100. As a result of this collaboration, the librarian has developed and presented a training workshop to peer mentors who serve as writing tutors embedded within sections of English 100. This poster displays the process of building a successful partnership and shares considerations for developing a training workshop for a campus peer mentors program.

#17 Combating “Fake News” Through Deepening Our Philosophical Roots
Preston Salisbury, Mississippi State University (pdf)
How one defines information has substantial ramifications in how libraries combat the fake news phenomenon. This poster encourages an examination of how libraries define information, specifically raising the question of whether or not the Library Bill of Rights requires libraries to provide access to materials that are false and misleading.

#18 Not Just Bitcoin: Applications of Distributed Databases for the Information Professions
Flora Lindsay-Herrera, Catholic University of America
My poster examines potential applications of distributed database technology (such as blockchain) for the information professions. I shall (a) present an overview of the enabling conditions necessary for introduction of distributed database technology (e.g., institutional arrangements, legal framework, technology infrastructure); (b) highlight the types of situations which may warrant introduction of distributed database technology; and (c) present cases of applied blockchain use that I will analyze in light of sections (a) and (b).

#19 Social Worker In the Library
Herbert Malveaux and Will Johnson, Enoch Pratt Free Library
In September 2018, with funding provided through a grant by the Institute of Museums and Library Services, the Enoch Pratt Free Library began the second year of the Social Worker in the Library program by hiring a full-time social worker and placing fourteen interns from SWCOS (Social Worker Community Outreach Service of the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore) in seven branch locations. In less than two years the placements of a social worker and interns at library branches have produced an immediate and powerful impact on library service. The poster exhibits the work of the social worker and interns serving the citizens of Baltimore, finding resources for housing, food, employment, transportation and help with local, state and federal applications for services. The presentation outlines the distinction between a social worker model and the social worker and intern model of service delivery.

#20 Religion/Spirituality and Human Information-Seeking Behavior: A Literature Review
Ingrid Hellstrom, Catholic University of America
Although the number of Americans claiming affiliation with a particular religion has decreased, religion and spirituality continue to be salient in many Americans’ lives. In the Information Age, where for many Americans information is abundant, Americans use this information to seek out religious information as well as information on ecommerce, entertainment and other factors. Although there is some research on the nature of religious/spiritual information seeking, little research has been conducted on young adults’ religious/spiritual information-seeking behavior. Most of the research on religious/spiritual information-seeking behavior has examined clergy or religious professionals. Other studies have been conducted, however, that have not focused on clergy or religious professionals. This presentation will cover an in-depth literature review of religious/spiritual human information-seeking behavior, and describe the beginnings of a study that will eventually be conducted to further examine religious/spiritual information-seeking behavior among young adults in the Washington, D.C. region.

#21 Beneficial Basement Discoveries: A Case Study
Justin Bridges, Miami University of Ohio
This poster outlines the steps taken by a museum collection manager/registrar, a preservation librarian and a university archivist as they collaboratively worked together on an unexpected (albeit successful) project to preserve a culturally significant sculptural bust that was discovered in a state of disrepair in a basement at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). The poster demonstrates how robust outreach programs can spur both relationships and collaborations between seemingly very different community resources as a means of supporting cultural heritage and historic preservation within a given community. The goal of presenting this poster is to foster dialogue among the poster’s viewers as a means of generating new and innovative ideas for collaborative partnerships among libraries and other information institutions. Cultural heritage is vital to any community, and the networking that can be developed between various information institutions can result in a plethora of mutually beneficial outcomes for all involved.