NASIG 2024

Challenges to library materials have increased dramatically in the last several years. This interactive workshop will help library personnel and collection decision makers navigate the complex landscape of challenges and the reconsideration of library materials. The workshop will incorporate information about the current attitudes towards the reconsideration of library materials, including statistics, information on legislation, and case studies. In the hands-on portion of the session, attendees will collaboratively explore and analyze reconsideration policies from academic, public, and K-12 libraries to gain valuable insights and tools for developing policies tailored to their institutions. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the merits of challenge policies and begin drafting a challenge policy for their own library. Topics such as stakeholders, policies, forms, and procedures will all be discussed. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in collaborative learning, and leave with the confidence to address challenges to materials in your library.

The first half of this workshop will look at the basics of how to make a proposal, focusing mostly on LCSH. The second half will look at the current development of the controlled vocabularies, with some discussion of ongoing DEI work and thoughts about where we see the vocabularies going in the future.

TBD

Abstract: In an era dominated by information accessibility, the question of how we search is paramount. "Doing our own research" has become a ubiquitous facet of daily life, but the world of search is dramatically changing. This presentation delves into the intricate dynamics shaping the way we perceive and interact with the world of search. It scrutinizes how our worldviews impact keywords and how these phrases shape the information returned to us. It will also explore the interconnected nature of various online platforms, explaining how absence of information on Wikipedia can reverberate, impacting prominent search engines like Google. Central to the discussion is the concept of "data voids" — instances where information vacuums are created and exploited for political or corporate gain. By examining these voids, the presentation aims to unravel the complex interplay between user-driven content generation and the manipulation of information landscapes by external forces.

Bio Dr. Francesca Tripodi is an Assistant Professor at the School of Information and Library Science and a Principal Investigator at the Center for Information Technology and Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill. She has twice testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, explaining to senators how relevance is gamed to drive ideologically based queries and spread conspiratorial logic. In addition to her research on search engines, Dr. Tripodi’s work has documented how cis-gender women who meet the threshold for inclusion on Wikipedia are nearly twice as likely to be considered non-notable subjects than their cis-male peers. In 2023, Dr. Tripodi received the Award for Impact and Excellence from the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington in recognition of her research on fostering an informed society.

Program Description:
Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility (EDI-A) issues have necessarily impacted libraries as we work towards supporting more inclusive and diverse spaces and collections for our users. These topics have caused librarians to reevaluate traditional approaches to resource management and description, and many projects and training initiatives have been developed to counter the colonialist lens that Library of Congress and descriptive cataloguing rules has put on our collections. This presentation discusses approaches for infusing EDI-A into day-to-day workflows and draws from examples from the Cataloging, Metadata, and Digitization department at Carleton University Library. Through knowledge-sharing and staff development, we are collectively building a cataloguing culture where EDI-A work is not an "extra" - it is infused within guiding principles for how we approach resource description in our daily work. I will discuss some of the strategies I've applied to support the department and will provide examples that signals how EDI-A work will never be completed, but rather something we are continuously building on.
Learning Outcomes:
Overview of EDI-A themes as they relate to resource description and cataloguing
Impact of EDI-A work for library users
Strategies for including communities when developing training resources for library staff

Program Description:
The collaboration between libraries and publishers plays an understated, but pivotal role in facilitating seamless content discovery for end users. This session aims to explore and discuss the synergies between libraries and publishers, with a specific focus on leveraging certain tools and channels designed to assist content discovery.
In this session, will dissect the collaborative impact of the NISO ODI Committee, delve into the standardized advancements it has accelerated, with real-world examples showcasing successful implementation of conformance statements across libraries, content providers, and discovery providers.
We will also unpack some of the strategies and workflows publishers employ in discovery investments, evaluating their direct influence on content visibility and user engagement.
Join us to unravel the future of content discovery, forging synergies between libraries and publishers to empower researchers and knowledge seekers at our institutions.
Learning Outcomes:
Learn how libraries and publishers can seamlessly implement NISO ODI principles for optimized content discovery.
Gain insights into the latest trends in discovery investments, understanding their tangible impact on enhancing end-user experiences.
Develop practical skills in leveraging tools and channels designed to enhance content discovery within library environments, with a focus on real-world applications and examples. 

Program Description:
​​​​In the rapidly advancing realm of artificial intelligence (AI), libraries are well-positioned to harness these technologies for greater efficiency and impact. The University of Toronto Libraries is embracing this opportunity by exploring the use of AI, particularly ChatGPT, to enable more robust data analysis and enhance data-driven initiatives. This session will explore how artificial intelligence can simplify and improve data analysis, leading to more informed and strategic decision-making within the library context. The presentation will illustrate ChatGPT's effectiveness in cleaning and organizing disparate data, automating data enrichments, and enhancing the overall quality of library data. Additionally, the session will explore ChatGPT’s capabilities in data exploration and visualization, highlighting how AI can generate deeper insights and make data more accessible to stakeholders. Another key aspect of the discussion will be the use of ChatGPT in predictive analytics, showcasing the potential of AI to anticipate user behaviors and guide collection development. This session aims to demystify the application of artificial intelligence in library environments, illustrating its power to streamline data analysis processes, unlock new potential for data management, and enhance strategic decision-making in libraries.
Learning Outcomes:
​​​​Understand the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in advancing library data analytics.

Gain practical examples of how artificial intelligence can be utilized in library collection analysis.

Discover how AI facilitates comprehensive data exploration and the creation of insightful visualizations for improved decision-making.

Learn from practical experiences in applying artificial intelligence in library collection analysis, equipping participants to adopt similar technologies in their home institutions.

Program Description:
Open Access was conceived as a mode of publishing that would put control over the dissemination of research in the hands of the scholarly community, and provide expanded access to readers - a strategy “for serving the interests of research, researchers, and the institutions and societies that support research”.

However, two decades after the Budapest Open Access declaration, a shrinking number of corporations control knowledge production, rather than researchers, the scholarly/membership societies that support them, or the communities they study. Further, the anticipated relief to library budgets that Open Access was imagined to bring is yet to materialize. Read & Publish offers are everywhere and it is often difficult to assess when to accept or reject such offers.

This session will review current directions in commercial read & publish offers and give concrete examples of when it may be appropriate to reject such offers using real but anonymized data from at least 2 recent offers. Then, the presenter will give an overview of community-driven publishing and lead a discussion of which direction open access is heading in and elicit participant thoughts on which direction it should be headed in.
Learning Outcomes:
Attendees will get hands-on experience evaluating R&P offers.
Attendees will get the opportunity to exchange ideas about the infrastructure of knowledge production that underlies all Scholarly Communication, including Open Access Publishing.