NCLA Con 2025

Navigating Northstar Online Learning for Administrators and Proctors is a hands-on session which will walk those in the role of Administrator and Proctor through the elements of Northstar Online Learning to increase their knowledge and comfort with this flexible digital assessment and skill building tool. Northstar can be used to increase the digital capacity of staff to meet the just-in-time and point-of-service digital needs of their community members. Library staff can then use and refer Northstar to their community members to increase their digital skills.

Library workers bring a sense of who they are to the work that they do-a collection of internal labels that describe what it means that they work in a library and that they are unique individuals. When they get to work, though, they are confronted with other sets of labels for who they are or who they should be. These are the labels provided by patrons, management, colleagues, and even the technology they use and the spaces they occupy-labels that are informed by events and attitudes in broader society that are increasingly hostile to anyone who doesn't fit the current version of "normal". This means that, while library workers source much of their self-esteem from who they are, they also face a barrage of suggestions that they aren't as good or as valuable as they think they are. Given the recent uptick in attacks against even the most basic equity, diversity, and inclusion support structures-as well as attacks on the profession itself-library workers are often left to face these recurring identity threats alone. In this workshopping session, researchers from the Public Library Routines Project-a project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services-will guide attendees through a series of collaborative activities intended to help them craft their own solutions to these pressing challenges. As librarianship continues to extend its reach into new frontiers and, thus, new demands on worker identity, these solutions will help library workers maintain their sense of self.

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily lives is transforming the landscape of information access and research. This presentation explores the practical strategies and challenges of integrating AI into college-level information literacy and library research courses. We will share our experience in equipping students with the knowledge and skills to effectively and ethically utilize AI tools for research. Learn how our librarians are teaching students to navigate the evolving information landscape, critically evaluate AI-generated content, and understand the ethical implications of AI in academic research. We will also discuss the obstacles encountered and lessons learned during the implementation process, offering valuable insights for librarians seeking to incorporate AI into their library instruction curriculum.

AI-generated content has jumped full-force into an already overloaded information landscape, creating murky waters for both the novice and sophisticated information user. As it becomes an integral part of everyday technology, users must develop strategies to control when and how AI-generated content appears in their research. AI tools, such as Google's AI Overview, often provides helpful summaries on general topics, but can also present incorrect, unnecessary, or distracting information for more specific topics that require more depth and nuance in the search process. This session explores a couple of easy workarounds for toggling the AI-generated results on and off, such as using Google's search string operators, incorporating certain profanities, and other keywords that temporarily dismantle the AI tool. However, not all profanity and keywords trigger this effect, and understanding which terms work can empower users to take a more active role in getting research results. Participants will learn about the methodology behind this study, examine real-world examples where AI-generated results either enhance or hinder research, and discuss best practices for navigating search engines with AI integration. This session will also explore ethical considerations, potential biases in AI-generated summaries, and future implications for research practices in libraries and academia. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for managing AI-generated Google search results, ensuring they have greater control over their information-seeking process. This session highlights the evolving role of librarians in digital literacy, equipping patrons with the knowledge to navigate AI-enhanced research effectively.

This presentation will discuss two ongoing initiatives in the University Libraries' Interlibrary Services department, both of which serve to strengthen relationships with NC public libraries. The first aims to increase access to the University Libraries' collections, while the second focuses on our students' access to the public library and pleasure reading. Last spring we conducted a survey of N.C. public library staff that focused on identifying needs and barriers related to resource sharing. The goal was to inform how we may better support N.C. public libraries and their patrons, especially in rural communities. We'll share some characteristics of our current lending profile, survey results, and the project's next steps to begin addressing some of the barriers to access to our collections. Last fall, in collaboration with the Overdrive/Libby group, we piloted a "Books for Break" event. We invited Chapel Hill Public Library staff to campus for the event, which served as a CHPL library card drive, along with the opportunity to share information about the public library and its resources. And of course, there were fun giveaways and swag! We also shared various resources to locate the public library and all it has to offer. We will share qualitative and quantitative feedback received from this event, as well as information on the follow-up event that occurred in Spring 2025.

Do you have a diverse community but struggle with how to incorporate other cultures into your programming at your library? This session will share strategies to work with cultural groups to implement a successful program or series that highlights and provides a journey into another culture. Using an example of a Culture of India series that was successfully implemented at a branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we will share how you can engage your community in celebrating international cultures, diversity and inclusion, as well as highlighting ways to successfully work together to promote understanding. For urban and rural communities alike, you will learn ways to implement a stand alone program or series that can support and educate about a culture within your community. After this session, you will leave with tools to get started and step by step instructions to successfully plan a series that celebrates an international culture. The session will provide an opportunity to engage and brainstorm with other attendees a foundation to take back to their library to implement cultural programming. We'll also share opportunities to support cultural programming whether funding is limited or robust. There will also be a discussion on Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's annual program plan and how this helps guide and support cultural programming. In addition, we will briefly mention Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's welcoming initiative, WelcomeCLT.

As part of its brand-new library, which opened in Summer 2022, the Hagemeyer Library at Central Piedmont Community College features a service desk staffed by both Library and ITS Help Desk employees. This joint service desk provides students with a one-stop shop for their questions, placing ITS experts in a space where students are already located-the Library! While the collaboration has many positives, there have been challenges to overcome. While front-line ITS staff are present in the library, their supervisors are not. Each department has different priorities, scheduling needs, and hours of operation. Additionally, students don't always know who is library staff and who is ITS staff. Aligning service models has taken time, trial and error, and a lot of communication. Despite the challenges, this partnership has been a huge success. The greatest benefit has been to students, who can now get a wide variety of questions answered in one location. Furthermore, having trained ITS staff on-site means that library staff no longer need to attempt to answer technical questions without the appropriate training or access to specialized programs. Although many aspects of the service desk required careful planning, adaptation, and problem-solving, the joint service desk has now become a highlight of the library. In this session, we will share our experience with all stages of planning and implementing a joint service desk. Some of the topics we will cover include: Considerations when dividing up the physical space of a shared service point, Aligning hours and schedules, Challenges when one department's supervisors are not in the same building, Addressing conflicts between staff from different departments. Deciding whether a written agreement, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), is a helpful tool. Supporting staff who are not in your department. Practical strategies for enhancing multi-department partnerships.

When libraries partner effectively within their communities, everybody wins. This discussion with staff from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation will cover the process of building successful partnerships by defining what a partnership is, identifying different partnership tiers, and discussing ways that partnerships and fundraising intersect and strengthen each other. By the end of the session you'll be prepared to engage deeply with community partners and leverage partnerships to inspire and engage your community and meet their needs creating connections that result in meaningful change for your community.

Library advocacy is the support of libraries and their services, often through campaigning and donations. The goal is to ensure that libraries have the resources they need to serve the community. This presentation will help define why you need to advocate, and provide tips and information about best practices to move forward.

If ever there was a time to educate the community on how to access credible, authentic government information, now is that time. As a librarian working in an academic library, I typically assist students with locating sources of government information. However, after presenting online sessions to the general community in fall 2024 and spring 2025, on how to locate federal and North Carolina state sources of government information, the Coordinator from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a university-led and member-supported organization that provides lifelong learning opportunities for adults 50+, contacted me to see if I would be interested in teaching these same sessions in an in-person format to this community group. During my presentation, I'll discuss the format/content in which I taught these sessions, the interaction and feedback of those who enrolled in the course, and things I learned while presenting this as an in-person session for the first time.

Librarians are creating more asynchronous online content, services, and workshop sessions than ever before in higher education, and many of these products are made using Springshare products. The ability to tell the story of how libraries meet the needs of patrons (including online and distance) through their Springshare solutions is essential as we continue to navigate through this dynamic and transformative era of librarianship. This presentation will provide an introduction to Springshare, LibGuides, and LibWizard; analytics on the backend and then offer other methods of non-native quantitative assessment of LibGuides and LibWizard tutorials. We will cover three assessment projects: looking at web statistics on how patrons are entering LibGuides, an accessibility audit of LibGuides, and assessing interactive tutorials in LibWizard. This presentation will provide a blueprint for asynchronous assessment strategies for all librarians that can be adapted based on each team's institution and needs. Though this presentation is focused on Springshare products, the elements of quantitative assessment presented can be applied to other websites and online learning materials. This presentation will be interactive and include time at the end for questions and answers.

Library Programs help to bridge the gap between customers, organizations and authors. In my experience, library programs is a safe place for meeting, it opens the doors for new library customers. Programs also lead to lasting partnerships which is a key element to community relations and resources. In keeping with High Point Public Library motto: nurturing the joy of reading, sharing the power of knowledge, strengthening the sense of community, and enhancing cultural economic vitality. I seek to create programs that foster the joy of reading organizing Programs that create a space for connections to be made and lasting friendships to form while educating attendees. Programming such as hosting author events is an excellent way for authors to network with other authors, meet and greet their readers and it's an opportunity for community engagement and promoting education.