Join us for these informative lightning round Poster sessions. Each presentation will be pre-recorded. Presenters will be available for questions and answers at the end of their session.
'Theological Librarianship Meets Critical Librarianship' — Karl Stutzman, Director of Library Services, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Critical librarianship takes cues from critical theory to transform libraries and the library profession in liberatory directions. While critical librarianship is a fairly well-developed subfield within librarianship, especially academic librarianship, the literature of theological librarianship has engaged with it only minimally. This poster presentation will offer a brief overview of critical librarianship and make some practical suggestions for ways theological librarians can use the insights from critical librarianship in their daily work.
'Asynchronous Conversations: An Alternative Mode of Reference Support' — Andy Lofthus, Informative Services Librarian, Western Seminary
Over the past year, Western Seminary Library has tested out an alternative mode of reference support in order to better serve students from a distance. As with many other Atla libraries, our library's FTE is too small to effectively run a live chat service. Additionally, while our staff prefer to meet with students over Zoom, our students don't always have the time or preference to do so. So, we're often limited to assisting students via email.
After several timely reference emails which involved taking and editing screenshots, we crafted a solution. We started making short (2-3 minutes), un-edited, un-scripted, one-off video responses to student emails. This mode of reference has saved us time, provided clearer answers to patrons (seeing things visually helps everyone), made our virtual reference support more personal, used technology we already had (Zoom), and accommodated our student's preferences and needs.
This poster presentation will have three basic sections: 1.) The Problem, 2.) The Response, 3.) Recommendations. The first section would address what is a perennial issue for our library and, presumably, other Atla libraries: the ability to provide effective reference support in a manner that fits within our library's budget, accommodates student needs, and allows our staff to complete their other necessary tasks. Our library's response was to have 'asynchronous conversations' with students. In an effort to stretch the limits of email, we started making video responses to reference emails. This second section would look at how this mode of reference addresses perennial problems of providing effective reference support, how these videos are distinguished from tutorial videos, and the positive student response. The third section would provide recommendations that might hopefully save others time, quell anxiety about making videos, and improve the quality of their reference support.
'Information Literacy at Christian Higher Education Institutions: A Visual Synthesis of the CCCU Commitments and the ACRL Framework' — Lauren M. Young, MLIS, MA, AHIP, Associate Librarian / Instruction Coordinator, Reference and Research Services Department, Samford University
This poster will offer a visual synthesis of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) Educational Commitments and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Academic instruction librarians work within time limitations when introducing research skills and pathways to students, at times triaging between introducing skills students need to gain for short-term assignment success and imparting information literacy concepts students need to carry forward with them for success after graduation. This poster will present an introduction to the didactic aims set forth by the CCCU and the ACRL, present infographics that show how they align, and equip instruction librarians at Christian institutions of higher learning with strategies for synthesizing CCCU and ACRL proficiencies into even the tightest of instructional opportunities through intentional language and reflection prompts.
'The Bible Software Grant Program for International Universities: Supporting Libraries in Developing Countries in Spite of COVID' — Terry Dwain Robertson, Seminary Librarian, Andrews University
In February 2020, Seventh-day Adventist Schools in developing countries were offered the opportunity to install and use a Bible Software program upon submission of a grant application.
The Bible Library package included over 70 titles of standard reference works for each school's use! This opportunity was sponsored by generous donors and supported by respected church entities: The Foundation for Adventist Education; Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University; James White Library, Andrews University; Adventist Theological Society; and the General Conference Department of Education. These entities were motivated to enhance and enrich theological education within the global community.
Sixty licenses were distributed to universities in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. Unfortunately due to COVID, many schools closed and others transitioned to remote learning, which did not give students opportunities to access the software. Most campuses began reopening in Fall 2021, finally making it possible to install and promote the use of the software.
This paper reports on the development and implementation of the grant program, the COVID disruption, continued efforts to maximize the value of the grant to the universities, and anecdotal feedback from the recipients.
