Wednesday, October 7: Online Conference

Welcome & Introduction 

Presenter: Can Li (eCaug Chair / San Francisco State University) 

Beyond Compliance: Making Accessibility a Shared Responsibility 

Presenter: Jackie Gosselar (University of California, Berkeley) 

Description: This keynote will introduce the fundamentals of digital accessibility, exploring how disabled users access and navigate the web and the guidelines that shape accessible digital experiences. Jackie will frame these principles through the WCAG Accessibility Maturity Model, drawing on their role in ILS shared governance and collaboration with web accessibility experts supporting library discovery services.

Building on this foundation, Jackie will share practical strategies for embedding accessibility into organizational culture by engaging stakeholders, positioning accessibility as a core system requirement, and developing the skills needed to create more usable library systems and discovery experiences for both staff and patrons. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for advancing accessibility through collaboration, governance, and continuous learning.

Topic: Accessibility

Ex Libris Accessibility Presentation

Presenter: Ruth Starr (Ex Libris)

Topic: Accessibility

Ex Libris Presentation

Presenter: Yaniv Levi-Korem (Ex Libris)

Topic: Specto

Wrangling Alma Letters with Python and Git

Presenter: Ryan Schwab (University of California, Santa Cruz)

Description: Managing letters and notices in Alma has always been challenging and prone to error. From the non-intuitive XSLT templates to the clunky configuration interface, there's plenty left to be desired. At UCSC, these problems became acute when we began the work to ensure our letters met updated Federal accessibility guidelines. And so we turned to alma-letters, a python tool initially developed at CUNY Libraries. With this tool in hand, we were able to not only quickly and efficiently update all our letters, but we also finally achieved our goal of getting them into version control.

Topic: Systems/Administration

ELUNA Regional User Group Updates 

Presenter: Kirsten Clark (Ex Libris)

Topic: ELUNA

Lightning Talks

• "Is it really that simple? Using Super Shelf Inventory Cloud App and Alma Inventor" presented by Carolyn Caffrey (Cypress College)

• "No More Jargon: Standardizing the Public Name (Override) Field" presented by Evelyn Goessling (UC Irvine)

• "Portable Angular customizations in NDE" presented by Jeff Karlsen (Sacramento City College)

• Q&A (10 minutes)

Refreshing the A–Z: A Collaborative Approach to Improving Database Discovery

Presenter: Ilda Cardenas (California State University, Fullerton)

Description: Libraries routinely use COUNTER reports and Alma Analytics to measure electronic resource usage, but these tools provide limited insight into how users discover and access library resources. This presentation demonstrates how Primo Analytics can be used as an assessment tool to improve discovery services and the user experience.

Using a case study from California State University, Fullerton, this session explores Primo Action Usage, Referrer data, Popular Searches, Zero Result Searches, Facet Usage, and Device Usage to identify user discovery patterns and opportunities for improvement. Preliminary findings show that users reach Primo through multiple pathways—including the library website, LibGuides, Google, Google Scholar, Canvas, and publisher platforms—and interact with discovery services in different ways before accessing electronic resources.

Attendees will learn how to build practical Primo Analytics reports, interpret user discovery behaviors, identify barriers to successful access, and apply data-driven findings to improve discovery configuration, user experience, and electronic resource management. The methods and reports presented can be readily adapted by other Ex Libris libraries to support ongoing assessment and continuous improvement.

Topic: ERM

Collaborating to Highlight New and Existing Collections

Presenter: Joshua Hutchinson (University of Southern California)

Description: Facing significant budget challenges, USC Libraries paused firm ordering and purchases of print materials outside of course reserves. As a result, highlighting the existing print collections and new electronic titles became a priority.

One approach was to use Alma’s Collection Discovery feature, which previously saw limited use. Through collaboration with the Department Heads of our Dental, Architecture and Fine Arts, and Philosophy libraries, we developed a more robust set of collections to showcase our resources.

We will highlight this coordination and how it improved partnerships with subject librarians. After USC’s budget cuts, it became easy to inform patrons the library was no longer buying new print material. This is false, because our e-resource packages add e-books continuously. These new displays of collections help demonstrate that to colleagues and patrons while providing an easy way to view newly acquired materials. 

Topic: Discovery

Finding YA: Identifying and Managing Young Adult Materials Using Alma Analytics 

Presenter: Lauren Hall (California State University, Stanislaus)

Description: In Fall 2025, the Technical Services and Collection Management Librarian proposed that the California State University, Stanislaus Library create a new Young Adult Collection, as all young adult books had previously been shelved in the Children’s Collection. This new collection would provide a separate shelving location for these materials and improve the discoverability of this popular reading category. Focusing on the resource management of children’s and young adult materials in an academic library, this presentation will discuss the workflow created to find and relocate materials, the criteria used to evaluate materials, and local cataloging practices. Lessons learned throughout the process will also be discussed, including how Alma Analytics can be used to simplify the process of identifying and managing materials for a new collection. Examples of analyses created in Alma Analytics will also be shared, with this portion of the presentation being especially useful for those who are new to Analytics.

Topic: Resource Management

Distinctive Discovery: Using norm rules to enable the Primo display of alternate vocabulary terms at a specified holdings location

Presenter: Alice Tierney-Fife (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo)

Description: This presentation will explore a multi-layered normalization rule workflow developed in collaboration with the CSU Unified Library Management System's Norm Rules Task Force. Many of Cal Poly Library’s bibliographic records encode subject headings and genre form terms from the Getty Research Institute's Art and Architecture Thesaurus. However, AAT terms do not display in our public-facing catalog (Primo/OneSearch). Users are therefore unable to see AAT terms in the record display or use them in linked entry point search strategies. We isolated a need for the display of AAT terms to Special Collections & Archives materials and developed a strategy to apply the norm rule to bibliographic records at that specific holdings location.

Our workflow uses normalization processes, display and local field norm rules, and custom local display fields. AAT terms now display in Primo for records attached to the Special Collections & Archives holdings location and have hypertext linking enabled for enhanced discovery. This normalization system can be adapted to enable the display of any alternate (non-Library of Congress) controlled vocabulary at any specified holdings location.

Topic: Discovery

Central Office Support for Growth

Presenter: Pawel Szponar (CCLC)

Description: Presentation will focus on explaining the various initiatives and projects currently in development at the Central Office that aim at enhancing the productivity, value and ease of use for our ILS.

Topic: Systems/Administration

Inside Out, Outside In: Captivating Users Through Interactive Book Cover Art

Presenter: Can Li (San Francisco State University

Description: As libraries face declining circulation, finding innovative ways to re-engage uses with physical and digital collections has become essential. This presentation explores a design-driven strategy to expose book collections through captivating visual experience, such as dynamic, auto-rotating book cover carousels and vibrant digital art walls.

The presenter will demonstrate how lightweight web technologies bridge local catalog data in Excel reports with cover APIs to generate seamless, high-impact displays for websites, digital signage, and virtual discovery portals. Attendees will learn how elevating visual cover art not only boosts collection visibility and serendipitous discovery, but also connects virtual browsers directly back to catalog records, potentially translating the visual engagement into usage. Discover how bringing your hidden records "inside out" can draw users "outside in" to explore, borrow, and re-engage with your library’s collection.

Topic: Discovery

All Together Now: Adventures in Collaborative ERM 

Presenter: Carly Tapia (California State University, San Marcos)

Description: Electronic Resources Management (ERM) work is built on shared understanding. This work includes shared cataloging, navigating resource sharing consortia, troubleshooting at the consortia level, troubleshooting with vendors, and solving library mysteries within our local environment. Effective changes require input from colleagues in departments like metadata, ILL, reserves, acquisitions, other librarians, and most importantly, students and instructors.

The concept of the academic library catalog has changed. Today, catalogs and discovery systems are more than an inventory of the material available within a library; they offer an interconnected window to millions of resources. In this context, electronic resource management requires effective relationship building across many institutions and user groups. 

This presentation will explore strategies to build a web of support and understanding as the base of ERM work. I will share some aspects of my journey building supportive roots for the CSUSM ERM program highlighting the importance of building a connected human-centered approach to ERM. 

Building on concepts of Tiny Experiments and Slow Librarianship, I will encourage discussion around strategies for building these interconnected networks of collaboration and understanding. Drawing on institutional memory, as well as expanding technological expertise, we can help users navigate interdependent technology and systems.

Topic: ERM

Can You Spot An AI-Generated Book?

Presenter: Jill Strykowski (San Jose State University)

Description: AI-generated books are already showing up online, in marketplaces, and in library discovery spaces, but can you actually tell when a book was made with AI? In this workshop, we’ll look at real examples, examine the clues people use to identify AI-generated books, and discuss which signals are reliable and which can be misleading. We’ll also consider what this means for authors, readers, and libraries as AI-generated publishing becomes more common. We will discuss the difference between legitimate use of generative AI, and fraudulent use, where the creator deliberately tries to hide their real identity in order to avoid accountability (and processing returns) for selling slop. 

Topic: AI

Closing Remarks 

Presenter: eCAUG Steering Committee