Schedule
See the LRS VII Schedule at a Glance (pdf) for session titles and locations .
See the LRS VII Program (pdf) for full details about plenaries and sessions.
Wednesday Oct. 16
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Conference Registration
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Preconference Workshop: Choosing Methods, Crafting Questions, Visualizing Results: A Step-by-Step Assessment Methods Workshop for Demonstrating Library Impact
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm - 3:45 pm
Plenary I
- Conference Welcome
- Keynote I: Edward Tenner, "From Organization to Discovery"
- IMLS Update: Kathryn Matthew, Director, IMLS
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Concurrent Programs I
Thursday Oct. 17
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Conference Registration
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Concurrent Programs II
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Plenary II
- Announcements
- Keynote II: Miriam Sweeney, "Facing Our Computers"
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
BBQ Buffet Lunch at Top of Carolina
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Concurrent Programs III
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Concurrent Programs IV
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Reception & Poster Session at State Library of South Carolina
Friday Oct. 18
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Registration
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Concurrent Programs V
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Concurrent Programs VI
12:30 pm
Conference Ends
Preconference: Choosing Methods, Crafting Questions, Visualizing Results: A Step-by-Step Assessment Methods Workshop for Demonstrating Library Impact
Assessment matters, but despite available research support and how-to guides, putting together a study can be difficult. This preconference plus two follow up workshops during the conference will consist of guided practical exercises that break down the major steps in an assessment study: choosing a method for collecting and analyzing the data, defining the problem and crafting answerable research questions (RQs), and telling the story with a compelling narrative and understandable visualizations. Through guided activities and problem-led instruction, participants come away with an action plan for investigating their own library assessment questions and demonstrating impact to their stakeholders.
Presenters
- Lynn Silipigni Connaway — Director of Library Trends and User Research, OCLC
- Marie L. Radford — Chair & Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
- Linda Hofschire — Director of Library Research Service, Colorado State Library
- Vanessa Kitzie — Assistant Professor, School of Library & Information Science, College of Information & Communications, University of South Carolina
- Stephanie Mikitish — User Engagement and Assessment Librarian, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
- Diana Floegel — PhD Student, Department of Library & Information Science, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
- Laura Costello— Virtual Reference Librarian, PhD student, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Day 1: Selecting and Using Data Collection Methods for Assessment
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 9 - 12 AM
Prior to attending this session, participants should think about a research problem or question they wish to address. In this session, participants will learn about five data collection methods for assessment: surveys, interviews (individual and focus group), structured observations, ethnographic research, and analytics (e.g., log analysis, resource-based usage and statistics). A panel will describe these assessment methods and outline each method’s advantages and disadvantages. Then participants will choose a preferred method and work in groups to apply that method to their problem/research question.
Day 2: Crafting Answerable Research Questions (RQs)
Thursday, Oct. 17: 1.5-hour follow-up session for those who attended the preconference workshop
Crafting answerable RQs constitutes a critical step in the assessment process. However, significant foundational work is needed before RQs can be written. In this session, participants will learn how to perform this foundational work, which entails learning about the assessment process, gathering existing research and identifying gaps in the literature, and developing a research problem statement based on these gaps and institutional context. With these steps in mind, this session will provide participants with a series of guided exercises to help them engage in the foundational work necessary to draft appropriate RQs. Participants will lead the session with answerable RQs that suit their institutional context; these questions will be used to launch the following workshop.
Day 3: Crafting a Compelling Assessment Narrative with Data Visualization
Friday Oct. 18: 1.5 hour wrap up session for those who attended the preconference workshop
Two ways to enhance understanding of the results of assessment activities are to identify significant findings with compelling data visualizations and to address the unique concerns of the library’s stakeholders. This session will begin with a demonstration of how common data (e.g., interview, usage statistics) can be made more accessible using the ACRL/OCLC Literature Analysis Dashboard’s Charts and Graphs feature. During the remainder of the session, the session presenters will share best practices for communicating data in ways that are meaningful and accessible to stakeholders. Then, participants will apply what they've learned in a guided, interactive exercise where they will identify their stakeholders and their priorities, needs, and concerns, and brainstorm strategies for communicating results to them.
At LRS VII, we anticipate that discussions will center on the ways in which scholars, practitioners, and scholar-practitioners can bridge the divide between LIS-related research and practice to better serve our communities. In particular, we hope that presenters will address issues related to:
social justice
community/campus engagement
LIS education
partnerships and collaboration
transformation
teaching and learning
culture of evidence-based practice
public library perspectives
communication and sharing
school library perspectives