NCLA Con 2025

The State Library of North Carolina, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Division of Rehabilitation and Reentry will host this interactive pre-conference session designed to deepen understanding of barriers faced by justice-impacted individuals as they transition from incarceration back into society. Attendees will participate in a Reentry Simulation, an immersive experience that highlights the systemic challenges individuals encounter when securing housing, employment, transportation, and other basic needs. By engaging directly with these real-life scenarios, library staff will gain a great awareness of complex barriers to successful reintegration. Following the simulation, the State Library will facilitate a guided reflection and work session, where participants will contribute to the development of a living resource document. This document will serve as a practical toolkit for library staff across the state, offering strategies, resources, and best practices for serving justice-impacted individuals. The entire session will empower attendees to develop sustainable, equity focused approaches to reentry support within their libraries.

In this session, we will discuss and demonstrate how we implemented a sustainable, programmatic approach to student learning assessment across the curriculum at Elon University. Attendees will address the nuances in creating and developing an assessment plan appropriate to their institution. Participants will learn how to work within their own unique cultural contexts, create ownership of assessment efforts among library staff, and take away strategies for creating their own student learning assessment plan. Student learning is the focus of everything we do. Investing in a sustainable student learning assessment plan allows us to reflect and respond in our instruction across all levels to the evolving needs of our students. At Elon, we launched our assessment program with the hire of the new Assessment & User Experience Librarian. In the last academic year, our priority was to establish a student learning assessment plan and create a community of practice where all library instructors are committed to providing evidence of student learning. We hope to use this data to make necessary, positive changes to our instruction methods, advocate for our library instruction program, and collaborate with each other and teaching faculty colleagues in unique ways as a result of our focused approach to library instruction and assessment. We hope to accomplish the following three things during our session: Share our evolving student learning assessment story at Elon; Engage participants in an activity where they reflect on their unique institutional assessment culture with a focus on student learning; Through discussion, everyone can share potential next steps and how they can effectively make an impact on their own institutional cultures of assessment.

Cooking and sharing food is a powerful way to connect with patrons of all ages and backgrounds. In this interactive workshop, you will learn how to start a cooking club that will bring in your patrons and leave them hungry for more!

The issue of library media collections being relevant today has been discussed recently. There have been recent news features on the decline of DVD and music CDs in popularity and sales. Streaming is constantly being mentioned as the reason effect will be discussed. Some libraries have chosen to no longer offer physical media. This presentation will also focus on the current state and future of library media collections. It will also provide information on maintaining those collections.

This past year, the High Point Public Library has participated in a city-wide initiative to help provide meaningful access to public services for all individuals, regardless of their preferred language. This presentation will have two parts. Part one will discuss the process the Language Access Committee went through in developing the Language Access Plan, and its first year of implementation throughout the City of High Point. Part two will discuss how the Language Access Plan is allowing the library to better meet the needs of patrons in our community while helping to further the High Point Public Library's mission of "nurturing the joy of reading, sharing the power of knowledge, strengthening the sense of community and enhancing cultural and economic vitality".

Improving the accessibility of your library online content doesn't have to be overwhelming or time-consuming. Small, intentional changes can make a real impact on how users engage your resources. This session will outline six practical, actionable steps that libraries of any size can take to improve accessibility and prepare for the new ADA Title II requirements. Topics will include tips for performing an accessibility audit of your library's custom content, how to leverage existing accessibility tools and consortial efforts to streamline work, and how to prioritize content for remediation. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies they can implement to create a more accessible online experience for all patrons.

Join us for an inside look at Wake County Public Libraries' Kit Services, a dynamic initiative designed to engage readers of all ages and meet the evolving needs of our community. Our Kit Services provide carefully curated collections that foster literacy, discussion, and connection, supporting patrons in a variety of ways. From Book Club Kits for Kids and Adults to Memory Care Kits designed for individuals experiencing memory loss and their caregivers, our offerings provide valuable resources that enhance learning, spark meaningful conversations, and promote community engagement. Libraries are continuously evolving to meet new demands, and Kit Services represent a powerful way to extend access to high-quality materials in a flexible and user-friendly format. Book Club Kits allow groups to explore literature together, making it easier for schools, community organizations, and book clubs to facilitate discussions without the burden of tracking down multiple copies of a title. Meanwhile, our Memory Care Kits serve a specialized need, providing resources tailored to individuals with dementia and Alzheimer's, along with their caregivers. These kits incorporate books, activities, and sensory tools that encourage reminiscence, engagement, and cognitive stimulation, supporting both individuals and their families. Developing and managing these kits requires thoughtful planning and ongoing assessment. Our team carefully selects materials based on community needs, circulation data, and emerging trends in reader engagement. We will share insights into our selection process, including how we balance popular titles with diverse and inclusive options to ensure broad appeal. Additionally, we will discuss the logistics behind maintaining, tracking, and refreshing our kits to keep them relevant and in excellent condition for patrons. Distribution and accessibility are also key considerations in Kit Services. Ensuring that kits are easy to find, request, and borrow requires a seamless workflow that integrates with existing library systems. We will outline our approach to organizing, cataloging, and circulating kits across our library system, including how we manage reservations and track usage to optimize availability. By streamlining these processes, we enhance the overall user experience and ensure that as many patrons as possible can benefit from these resources. Promotion and outreach play a crucial role in maximizing the impact of Kit Services. Effective marketing strategies, staff training, and community partnerships help spread awareness and increase engagement with these valuable resources. We will explore different ways to promote kits both inside and outside the library, including collaborations with local organizations, digital outreach efforts, and programming that highlights the benefits of using kits for group learning and discussion.

When Wake County Public Libraries (WCPL) decided to phase out their Books on CD collection due to rising purchase and maintenance costs, they knew they needed to find another way to facilitate access to accessible audiobooks to their patrons who needed them. To accomplish this, WCPL reached out to the State Library of North Carolina - Accessible Books and Library Services (ABLS) to explore a partnership that would ensure these patrons retain access to no-cost audiobooks. This session will explore how ABLS and WCPL collaborated to bridge this service gap, offering an innovative model for other libraries across North Carolina. We will discuss how the partnership formed, the process of educating WCPL staff integrating ABLS resources into their own, and the impact this collaboration has had on WCPL patrons who are now also ABLS patrons. The panel will share what their experiences have been as a part of the collaboration. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how state and public library collaborations can enhance library services for underserved populations in their communities, ensuring all readers have access to the materials they need. 

As we move past the hype (and perhaps the fears) regarding generative AI, we believe that implications and best practices for using AI in information literacy and literature searching are becoming clearer. This presentation provides overviews and case studies of how three academic librarians are navigating AI in research and library instruction via their research projects, classes, and liaison work. This talk should be useful for any library worker involved in information literacy, research consultations, and scholarly communication. The speakers will leave time to engage the audience, inviting them to offer their own lessons learned and best practices, as well as ask questions and even provide pushback. Our topics will include an overview of Scite.AI, Litmaps, and other scholarly literature products; use of general LLMs like ChatGPT in research and the classroom; an overview of vendor AIs including ProQuest, Scopus, and Statista; and a comparison of an AI-integrated research process to a more traditional research process. We will share our lessons learned, best practices, recommendations, and concerns for any librarian using these tools with their patrons and students. Ophelia has been conducting an IRB-approved research study of undergraduate and graduate students' experience of using AI for scholarly literature searching. Morgan is working with graduate students in a client consulting project to utilize AI in information discovery, analysis, and strategy. Steve has his entrepreneurship research students explore using AI for data discovery, and is now an administrator and trainer of a Scite.AI subscription for his business school. All three of us also have our students engage with the ethical aspects of generative AI. Questions we have been exploring include: What is the impact on students' research abilities in finding, analyzing, and synthesizing information? Do AI tools complement or replace library databases? How do the tools facilitate literature reviews, including evidence synthesis? How do students perceive the value and reliability of AI tools? How are students responding to librarian-led instruction on AI tools, and how does the instruction shape their approach to research and information evaluation? Are scholarly AI tools worth the money? Can they replace Google Scholar? Or Scopus and Web of Science?

No matter your position, you can cultivate leadership skills by embracing the transformative power of self-awareness and leading with authenticity and purpose. As the NCLA Leadership Institute emphasizes, "Lead from where you are." At the heart of effective leadership is a deep understanding of oneself. In this session, Jenneffer (academic librarian and former public librarian) and Jenny (Assistant Director at a public library and former school library media coordinator) will share their complementary yet distinct leadership journeys. As mentees, mentors, and planning committee members of the NCLA Leadership Institute, they will provide insights into how self-awareness shapes authentic leadership and fosters resilience. Through reflective discussions and interactive exercises, participants will explore how their core values and strengths influence their decision-making, workplace relationships, and leadership effectiveness. Attendees will engage in practical activities designed to deepen self-awareness, assess their leadership styles, and identify actionable steps to enhance their leadership practice. Topics will include the role of self-care in leadership, the importance of setting healthy boundaries, and the power of storytelling in leading with impact. Participants will leave equipped with tools to turn reflection into meaningful action, confidently navigating their leadership journey.This session is ideal for library professionals at any career stage who are eager to strengthen their leadership abilities, foster collaborative environments, and contribute to a culture of growth and innovation. Join Jenny and Jenneffer to discover how intentional self-awareness can empower you and your library to navigate new frontiers of leadership.