Presentations
Szkirpan CSCI E 116 Final Project Presentation May 2024.pdfEvaluating the Relationship Between Research 1 (R1) Library Data Through Regression Approaches
In a world driven by data, libraries often struggle to quantify their services and demonstrate their impact due to a lack of standardized mechanisms for comparison. Despite making headlines for their vital role during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis, libraries face declining investment in staff and resources, leading to layoffs and outsourcing, with little data to prove their societal or academic impact. While universities invest in library infrastructure, there's a plenty of evidence linking libraries to key academic metrics, such as retention rates or research output. The Carnegie Classification system, widely used by institutions to gauge their educational value, but this project aims to utilize existing datasets like IPEDS to better understand the impact of library staff and funding on community and institutional success, and suggests that IPEDS data may help prove library value to institutional goals, like Carnegie Classification status*.
Presented to CSCI-E 116 Dynamic Modeling and Forecasting in Big Data class at Harvard Graduate Extension School online on May 7, 2024.
*Please note that this summary was created using Chat GPT's assistance based on the introduction and project purpose statement from Elizabeth's CSCI-E 116 final project paper. This summary was revised and edited prior to sharing.
TSRT We Started with Dewey and Now We're Here Presentation January 2024 V2.pdfWe Started with Dewey and Now We're Here: Applications for AI in Technical Services
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest universal buzzword; vendors promise to incorporate it into every library service, library users want to either learn how to harness it or how to protect themselves from it, and libraries are rapidly incorporating AI into their practices. While it is a strong tool for both users and institutions, little has been discussed as to the impact on technical services in libraries. As with many library modernization practices, technical services still have a critical role in understanding and implementing this new technology to improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and improve user experiences.
This session will demystify AI by discussing what AI means, how it works, and how best to utilize it as a tool for library technical work to improve technical services practices while educating technical services workers so they are prepared to advocate for their department to stakeholders and vendors alike. Broken into two components, this presentation will include both information and demonstration to help make AI concepts tangible for all attendees. Ample time will be reserved for an open discussion to invite questions, share concerns, and exchange ideas on how libraries are leveraging AI in their work.
Brief Description: This session will demystify AI by discussing what AI means, how it works, and how best to utilize it as a tool for library technical work to improve technical services practices while educating technical services workers so they are prepared to advocate for their department to stakeholders and vendors alike.
Presented with Oklahoma Library Association (OLA)'s Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT) online in a Lunch and Learn Session on January 26, 2024: https://www.oklibs.org/event/tsrtjan24
Szkirpan Transitioning Technical Services to Hybrid and Remote Work November 2023 V4.pdfTransitioning Technical Services to Hybrid and Remote Work
The work of technical services staff is at a crossroads--while libraries cannot operate without their technical workers, many libraries, especially during COVID, reduced technical services units. In order to secure a productive future for this crucial area of library work, library staff and administration need to adapt.
Drawing on the constant evolution and adaptation of technical services, this webinar will cover both the importance of communicating the technical services story as well as how to adapt to a world where the library offers so much more than just physical books and workers are often remote. Participants will gain strategies for adapting their work to the current work environment and advocating for changes with key stakeholders. This webinar will be relevant to technical services workers in all library types.
Participants in this webinar will:
Gain an understanding of the adaptive history of technical service library positions and roles to better understand stakeholder perception of individuals in these roles.
Understand the state of technical services units before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies and strategies from units who successfully adapted to survive COVID-19 reductions in force and changing work environment.
Utilize current data, stakeholder understanding of technical services, and COVID-19 technical services adaptations to leverage your technical services unit’s role to communicate value, departmental needs, and justify the work that library technical workers do for their patrons.
Learn skills and best practices for supporting diverse technical services teams utilizing internal and external resources to identify projects, collaborate in rapidly changing environments, perform traditional and evolving technical services tasks in a variety of library work settings, and revise long-established workflows to meet changing team structures and needs.
Presentation
Presentation with Notes
Presented with American Library Association (ALA) eLearning online on November 30, 2023: https://web.archive.org/web/20230423084311/https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=518
Bench Strength and Succession Planning Presentations
Bench Strength: Building an Adaptable Technical Services Team
With technical roles, such as systems librarianship or cataloging librarianship, there will always be a concern of how a department will proceed in the event of a sudden departure of a technical employee. This concern intensifies the longer an employee has remained with an institution.
Discussing communication, analysis, training, documentation, roles definition, project management, and knowledge management, this presentation demonstrates complete and accurate succession planning through utilization of these various techniques in order to prepare for employee departure.
Presented to the Tulsa Community College Library Management Team in 2018.
Creating a Knowledge Sharing Community: The Use and Expansion of KM at Tulsa Community College
Tulsa Community College has been working diligently for the past two years to increase efficiency and transparency in the way that it disseminates organizational information and knowledge to the employees of the College. In order to move this endeavor forward, the College added knowledge management as a responsibility of the Dean of Libraries and created a Knowledge Management Librarian position. The people in these positions promoted the use of SharePoint as an organizational tool that could be used to disseminate information and knowledge to all employees of the College. The College had reorganized all of the councils and committees into a streamlined structure, and this was supported by the creation of a Council and Committee SharePoint site at the College that allowed for the posting of meeting minutes, agendas, membership lists, procedures, and documents. Additionally, a new tool, the TCC Collaborative Workspace, has been implemented that allows employees from across the College to work collaboratively on projects through SharePoint.
What will be presented here is the path that Tulsa Community College took to not only build the use Knowledge Management across the College, but also the support structure created in order to foster a knowledge sharing community.
Presented at the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges Annual Conference in 2018: https://www.tulsacc.edu/about-us/news-and-events/news/tcc-represented-oacc-annual-conference
The Omega and the Alpha: Succession Planning and Documentation from the End to the Beginning
Whether you are stepping into a new role, in the middle of a job well done, or preparing for departure, the importance of thinking ahead cannot be overstated. Many libraries are seeing an increasing trend with the departure of long-time employees resulting in panicked efforts to fill big shoes and regather lost institutional knowledge. Yet, succession planning and thorough documentation appear to be a relatively new trend in libraries.
Beginning in 2016, Tulsa Community College (TCC) began a bench strength and succession planning project to prepare for unexpected departures of long-time or critical employees. This recognition of need resulted in a framework for evaluating the bench strength, or the ability for team members to fill one and other's roles in the event of an emergency or temporary absence. Through a series of team exercises, essential documentation was created to ensure that those filling in temporarily or stepping into a role permanently had a better understanding of not only the tools and tasks necessary to complete a job, but also the contacts, training, and pre-identified support networks they may need. This same framework is now being implemented at the University of Tulsa McFarlin Library to document critical tasks and important information while helping to prepare for future decision-making regarding tasks, team projects, and the library’s bibliographic services going forward.
This presentation will cover key concepts in succession planning, such as why all library employees should take part in cross-training, how to get started with your own documentation project, and a discussion of what different versions of what succession planning may look like in action. The presenter will share examples of evaluation and planning documents, and will speak to the similarities or differences between their first succession planning process and the current succession planning process. Examples of good documentation with the idea of succession planning in mind will be shared, as well as ideas of how to measure adequate preparation for succession planning within your own library.
Presented as the closing keynote session at "Next Steps: Create and Cultivate a Career That Matters" in May 2020: https://www.amigos.org/next_steps
Handouts:
Succession Planning and Bench Strength: The Tulsa Community College Case Study
Changing job roles has become a reality of librarianship—where there is modernization, there is adaptation. Beginning in 2016, the two-person Technical Services librarian leaders at Tulsa Community College saw rapid development in their systems and cataloging roles, resulting in massive changes to traditional tasks and projects. Instead of seeing change as discouraging and overwhelming, the team began to develop new workflows and responsibilities. These changes included evaluating obsolete procedures, cross-training, extensive job documentation, and delineation of job roles. In conjunction with library management’s initiative, these processes were formalized in 2018 to improve bench strength. As a domino effect, the Technical Services team produced a SWOT analysis, a training schedule, job documentation for each position in Technical Services, and a greater commitment to regular cross-training and professional development. This presentation will take attendees through the concepts, phases of development, evaluation, and outcomes to create continuity and a disaster-resistant team.
Presented at the New Mexico Library Association/Mountains Plains Library Association Annual Conference in 2019: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mbV29J_feMjDtv4Ll8Jew7aKSOqkRKz_Uc9jAOXjAzM/edit
Succession Planning, Bench Strength, and Documentation: Oh, My!
Succession planning is not a new topic, but is an increasingly relevant topic within libraries. Exacerbated by constantly dwindling budgets, attrition in an effort to work within budgets, a wave of retiring librarians, and the recent COVID-crisis, libraries are hemorrhaging institutional knowledge at an alarming rate. An obvious solution some may point to is succession planning or bench strength building within the library, but this process is lengthy, time consuming, and only as successful as the documentation that it creates. However, many libraries are choosing to embrace this approach, or variations of it, each putting a spin on the process to make it more effective or workable for their library.
This panel, formed of librarians from a variety of backgrounds, will discuss what good succession planning looks like to them, their experiences working with succession plans, and whether they see succession plans becoming part of the permanent library landscape going forward. The panel will be moderated by the Chair of the Technical Services Roundtable.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference in 2021: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2021_02_Succession
Succession Planning, Contingency Planning, and Documentation: Oh, My!
It's no secret that technical services and librarianship in general is in flux with many long-term employees departing their institutions due to retirement, furloughs, or layoffs. Meanwhile, critical technical services positions are lost through attrition, departmental procedures remain in binders and the information that they contain are lost, and few new technical services experts are brought in to keep departments afloat. Supervisors may be unaware of the consequences of loss without rehiring, and should they rehire into these positions, how do they know what to look for?
Contingency planning, succession planning, and bench strength may be the answer to this conundrum. While not new to the business world, this growing trend in librarianship can help properly organize essential documents, start new hires on the right path, allow retiring professionals to advocate for experts "from the grave", so to speak, or even advocate for refilling vacant positions.
The introductory presentation for this discussion will include key definitions, examples of what technical services planning may look like, and provide a brief example of a technical services contingency plan in action. This presentation is appropriate for all librarianship types, all technical services specializations, and all employee levels within a technical services team.
Presented at the American Library Association (ALA)'s Creative Ideas in Technical Services Interest Group (CITSIG) at Core Virtual IG Week, February 4, 2021: http://bit.ly/2LikfdU
More Information About Core Virtual IG Week: http://www.ala.org/core/continuing-education/interest-group-week
Succession Planning in Action: Planning for the Unplanned Through Documentation and Evaluation
Libraries are at a strange impasse; many libraries are seeing their long-term employees retire, the COVID crisis has resulted in wide- spread furloughs and layoffs, and libraries as a whole are becoming more complicated. Despite some predictability, many libraries address these quick departures and attrition as they happen, rather than proactively. Meanwhile, “succession planning” is not considered a new topic in libraries, but it is rarely utilized. This presentation will cover key concepts in succession planning, how to get started with documentation, and a discussion of how succession plans may look in action.
Presented at the New England Library Association (NELA) Virtual Conference 2020, Week 7: https://nela.memberclicks.net/2021-annual-conference
Succession Planning 101: Planning for the Unplanned Through Documentation and Evaluation
Libraries are at a strange impasse; many libraries are seeing their long-term employees retire, the COVID crisis has resulted in wide-spread furloughs and layoffs, and while in some ways libraries are becoming more streamlined, in others, they are becoming more complicated with employees wearing many hats. Some of these challenges are new, while others are persistent, yet many libraries address these quick departures and attrition as they happen rather than proactively. Meanwhile, "succession planning" is not considered a new topic in libraries, but it is rarely utilized to plan for emergencies or unexpected departures.
Stemming from a 2016 project that evaluated library roles, responsibilities, manuals, and document storage, Tulsa Community College (TCC) switched from a reactive model to a proactive model to better prepare not only for staff departures, but for unplanned staff absences. Recognizing that the library's technical librarian roles lacked documentation and cross-training, the team evaluated its technical services from the ground-up with a focus on team documentation. The end result was a logical, step-by-step succession plan with training components that empowered team members to document their critical work in non-proprietary formats and store them for others to utilize if necessary. This model was then utilized for other technical-type roles across the library, and later carried over to The University of Tulsa (TU) by one of the creators for revision and implementation.
This presentation will cover key concepts in succession planning, how to get started with a team documentation project, and a discussion of what different versions of what succession planning may look like in action. The presenter will share examples of evaluation and planning documents, as well as speak to how these documents can be both created and implemented during the COVID crisis. Lastly, the presenter will share metrics to help you determine what to include in your succession planning documentation, which positions should have documentation, and when you know you've documented enough. Attendees can expect to learn about the variations of succession planning, types of documentation, purposes of documentation, and how to begin a succession planning project at their own institution.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference on July 28, 2021: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2021_03_Succession
Succession Planning 101: Planning for the Unplanned Through Documentation and Evaluation
Libraries are at a strange impasse; many libraries are seeing their long-term employees retire, the COVID crisis has resulted in wide-spread furloughs and layoffs, and while in some ways libraries are becoming more streamlined, in others, they are becoming more complicated with employees wearing many hats. Some of these challenges are new, while others are persistent, yet many libraries address these quick departures and attrition as they happen rather than proactively. Meanwhile, "succession planning" is not considered a new topic in libraries, but it is rarely utilized to plan for emergencies or unexpected departures.
Stemming from a 2016 project that evaluated library roles, responsibilities, manuals, and document storage, Tulsa Community College (TCC) switched from a reactive model to a proactive model to better prepare not only for staff departures, but for unplanned staff absences. Recognizing that the library's technical librarian roles lacked documentation and cross-training, the team evaluated its technical services from the ground-up with a focus on team documentation. The end result was a logical, step-by-step succession plan with training components that empowered team members to document their critical work in non-proprietary formats and store them for others to utilize if necessary. This model was then utilized for other technical-type roles across the library, and later carried over to The University of Tulsa (TU) by one of the creators for revision and implementation.
This presentation will cover key concepts in succession planning, how to get started with a team documentation project, and a discussion of what different versions of what succession planning may look like in action. The presenter will share examples of evaluation and planning documents, as well as speak to how these documents can be both created and implemented during the COVID crisis. Lastly, the presenter will share metrics to help you determine what to include in your succession planning documentation, which positions should have documentation, and when you know you've documented enough. Attendees can expect to learn about the variations of succession planning, types of documentation, purposes of documentation, and how to begin a succession planning project at their own institution.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association Virtual Conference in 2021: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2021_03_Succession
COVID Presentations
Catalog Cleanup: Work From Home Projects to Involve Your Public and Technical Services Staff
In this lightening round-style session, catalog cleanup projects applicable for public services, technical services, and library management staff are discussed. Many of these projects can be completed in their entirety while working from home in the time of COVID-19.
To be presented at the Oklahoma Library Association's Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT) Webinar titled "Technical Services in the Time of COVID-19".
Presentation cancelled.
Future-Proofing Your Library Using Best Business Practices
This presentation will briefly outline key terms in succession planning and documentation, will address the issues in libraries pre-COVID that lead to additional frustration or problems for libraries during the COVID-19 crisis, and will suggest a project-based approach to library documentation in order to help prepare libraries for future crisis while retaining employees, re-hiring trained experts, and helping to improve library workflows.
Presented at the Metrolina Library Association (MLA) Virtual Conference in 2021: http://www.mlalibrary.org/resources/MLA%202021%20Conference%20Program.pdf
Library Preparedness and Pandemics: A Documentation and Project Management Approach
Libraries and librarians have been described as doomsayers in terms of library preparedness, but as demonstrated by the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, more preparation leveraged certain libraries to stay open, quickly pivot their services provided, and to better serve their patrons. As is the case with so many industries, the recent pandemic not only revolutionized the way that librarians are working, but the sudden change in library services and environment also pointed to inadequacies in workflows, staffing, documentation, and overall preparedness. COVID-19 is here to stay, but libraries can work to avoid future catastrophe by establishing better documentation and planning practices now.
Rooted in best practices for business continuity and project management principles, libraries can rely on a suite of freely available templates to record the need for documentation, to analyze existing workflows, and to advocate for more robust staffing. This presentation will share examples of the types of templates libraries can utilize to begin their planning journey, as well as case studies on the impact of proper planning.
Presented at Library 2.0: Reinventing Libraries for a Post-COVID World on June 17, 2021: https://www.library20.com/reinventing-post-covid
Handouts:
Technical Services in the Time of COVID-19
This lightening-round style webinar supports technical services librarians working from home in the time of COVID-19. Attendees will learn more about technical services projects being worked on from home, learn how to convey on-going value for their role in their library or how to advocate on behalf of technical services employees, and will be introduced to some of the technology technical services employees are using while working from home.
Hosted by OLA TSRT, Moderated by Elizabeth Szkirpan via Zoom in April 2020: https://www.oklibs.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1367002
Vendor Organization and Cleanup: One Year Into COVID
Revisiting the University of Tulsa's vendor organization and cleanup project one year into COVID.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT)'s monthly meeting in April 2021.
Working From Home: Vendor Organization and Cleanup
Every library has its own way of storing and organizing vendor information to help with a variety of tasks, but what happens when the person who understands how information is stored and organized retires after 30+ years? This session will discuss how to find vendor information to help with electronic resource renewals, how to store information in non-proprietary formats for longevity, and the types of information libraries should capture to aid in the renewal process.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association's Technical Services Roundtable Webinar titled "Technical Services in the Time of COVID-19" in April 2020: https://www.oklibs.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1367002
Technical Services Presentations
Adaptive Skill Sets: Utilizing Librarian Skills for Institutional Benefit
Over the last two years, librarians at Tulsa Community College have combined their unique skill sets in knowledge management and cataloging/metadata to improve on the College’s knowledge management practices. Collaboration in this area has resulted in innovative projects, such as the adoption of a SharePoint information repository, knowledge management and file reorganization consultations, and even participation in the redesign of the College’s intranet. These diverse projects have borrowed librarian skill sets for institutional benefit, thus allowing the College’s academic librarians to expand their work outside the walls of the library.
Presented at OK-ACRL in 2018: https://www.okacrl.org/conference/
Cataloging Ethics: What They Are, Where They've Been, and Where They're Going
While cataloging may seem a stagnant field to outsiders, there are a number of new and exciting developments on the rise within the field. Notably, the discussion on cataloging ethics has been on-going and has resulted in a range of academic articles, studies, blog posts, discussions, and most recently, the creation of a Cataloging Code of Ethics for librarians. Disagreement between politicians and Library of Congress catalogers has even brought this topic to national attention, all while catalogers work to revise or preserve their catalogs in the name of ethical cataloging.
In this panel, three librarians will discuss cataloging ethics as an emerging field practice, challenges in ethical cataloging, what ethical cataloging looks like, and how attendees can learn more about ethical cataloging. The panel will be moderated by the Chair of the Technical Services Roundtable.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference and Virtual Conference in 2021: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2021_02_CatEthics
Collaborating in the Cloud: Cloud-Based Technologies for TCC Faculty
TCC instructors have several cloud-based resources at their disposal to better collaborate with colleagues, students, and college administrators. Of these, OneDrive and SharePoint are perhaps two of the most convenient technologies for document storage, retrieval, and collaboration. The presenters will cover these tools, access, and suggest uses for both platforms.
Presented at TCC's Stayonference in 2019: https://www.tulsacc.edu/sites/default/files/file_attachments/stayonference_full_program.pdf
Collections for Diverse Communities: LGBTQ+
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT) annual workshop over DIY Collection Development: Tools for Building Your Collection in 2019: https://www.oklibs.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?alias=TSRT2019
Presentation Website: https://sites.google.com/view/queering-the-collection/home
Collection Management: Selection and Acquisition
A vibrant and relevant library collection doesn’t just happen – there are strategies and techniques behind this work. Taking in the evolving landscape of digital acquisitions, open-access materials, and subscription models, this course will review the principles and methods for collection acquisition and selection with careful consideration of resource allocation and budgets. Balancing the information needs of library users with the diversity of formats and acquisition models, libraries can build collections that work for their communities.
Presented with Amigos Library Services online March 5 and 7, 2024: https://www.amigos.org/node/8500
The Community College Perspective: RDA Conversion in a Small Academic Library
Community college cataloging has little defined support; there are few, if any, universal cataloging practices for community college libraries to abide by, and often, cataloging teams consist of only one or two individuals. Small, isolated teams may also experience lack of community. While community college cataloging can come with special challenges, some are also of great benefit. For example, small departments have results in the ability to rapidly adopt new practices and train cataloging staff on those practices.
Until 2017, Tulsa Community College cataloging was still largely based on AACR2 practices, and while previous catalogers had tinkered with RDA, no official steps had been taken to modernize the college’s cataloging practices. At best, records were completed in hybrid formats with complicated solutions for non-monographic items. In June 2017, TCC cataloging committed to modernizing their cataloging practices by first adopting RDA, and then by preparing staff for the eventual migration to BIBFRAME. Utilizing a variety of free or inexpensive resources, staff were able to transition from AACR1/AACR2 standards to RDA in less than six months, as well as collaborate with catalogers at different institutions to solve long-standing cataloging problems and conundrums. As a result, the College has completed hundreds of RDA record conversions or original catalogs in the past academic year, and the College is beginning to explore other avenues for modern records, such as Linked Data and metadata standards.
This presentation will cover the challenges facing TCC prior to RDA conversion, the steps taken in order to successfully convert to RDA standards, the resources utilized, and the future plans for TCC cataloging.
Presented at "The Future of Cataloging" Amigos RDA in 2018: https://www.amigos.org/cataloging_future
Database Comparison and Selection with New and Existing Vendors
Database selection to meet user needs offers a variety of challenges and topics for consideration, especially in a business library environment.
Presented to Harvard Business School Baker Library staff online on February 27, 2023.
Electronic Resource Management: Acquisition and Implementation
Electronic resources make up a large portion of today's library collections – and electronic resources management (ERM) is an important skill set for a growing number of library staff. The first step in the ERM lifecycle is the acquisition and implementation of new content. Learn about the various modes of access to electronic resources and the necessary steps to make these resources available to library patrons.
Presented with Amigos Library Services online on December 7, 2023: https://www.amigos.org/node/6707
Electronic Resource Management: Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Unlike print resources, electronic resources require ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting to make sure library users can access them. Learn about the maintenance procedures necessary to ensure continuous access to electronic resources. Discover common access issues and how to troubleshoot them.
Presentation
Presentation with Notes
Electronic Resource Management Access Models
Presented with Amigos Library Services online on December 14, 2023: https://www.amigos.org/node/6708
Electronic Resource Management: Assessment and Preservation
Electronic resources make up a large portion of today's library collections, and electronic resources management (ERM) is an important skillset for library staff members to have. These resources often make up a large portion of libraries' acquisitions budgets, and therefore, assessment of their usage is important. It can also be important to preserve access to these resources for long-term use. In this course, participants will learn strategies for assessment and preservation of electronic resources.
Presentation
Presentation with Notes
E-Resources Issue Log Template
Presented with Amigos Library Services online on December 14, 2023: https://www.amigos.org/node/6709
The Future of Cataloging
Major changes are underway in the world of cataloging. RDA is being redesigned and the Library of Congress is crafting a new standard designed to replace MARC record formats. Within the next decade, libraries can expect linked data implementation, as well, which will revolutionize the way users and library staff interact with library catalogs.
This presentation will give attendees a glimpse into the future of cataloging by explaining the purpose of RDA, linked data, BIBFRAME, and how they all fit together.
Presented to Tulsa Community College Library Staff Retreat in January 2020.
Library Outsourcing Part 2: Library Privatization and Advocacy
Are library budget issues creating a growth market for library privatization and hastening the trend of vendors attempting to replace catalog and technical services staff?
Presented with Michelle Owens at the Oklahoma Library Association Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT) Learning Module: Changes in Cataloging: Vendors & Advocacy at Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma on October 28, 2022: https://www.oklibs.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1643007
Queering the Collection: Collection Development, Considerations, and Continuity
Inclusive collecting is a welcome trend in today’s library, but is it possible to collect inclusively on a shoestring budget or in environments where LGBTQ+ materials may not be a collection priority? Prior to 2016, Tulsa Community College Library sporadically collected some LGBTQ+ materials, though collecting was focused on fiction books. To support diverse students and to better align with changing institutional values, TCC Library began to crowd-source diverse titles that would serve patrons with a variety of materials on sexual and gender identity. Unique solutions have resulted in a thriving collection, campus and community outreach, marketing materials, a collection development plan, and a local subject heading for patron exploration. This presentation will cover the collection evaluation and project-planning process that the TCC Library completed prior to collection development, resources utilized during the planning process, future plans for the collection, and tips for building your own LGBTQ+ collection.
Presented at the OK-ACRL Conference in November 2019: https://www.okacrl.org/conference-2018/events/
Queering the Collection: Collection Development, Considerations and Continuity
Inclusive collecting is a welcome trend in today’s library, but is it possible to collect inclusively on a shoestring budget or in environments where LGBTQ+ materials may not be a collection priority? Prior to 2016, Tulsa Community College Library sporadically collected some LGBTQ+ materials, though collecting was focused on fiction books. To support diverse students and to better align with changing institutional values, TCC Library began to crowd-source diverse titles that would serve patrons with a variety of materials on sexual and gender identity. Unique solutions have resulted in a thriving collection, campus and community outreach, marketing materials, a collection development plan, and a local subject heading for patron exploration. This presentation will cover the collection evaluation and project-planning process that the TCC Library completed prior to collection development, resources utilized during the planning process, future plans for the collection, and tips for building your own LGBTQ+ collection.
Presented at the New Mexico Library Association/Mountains Plains Library Association Annual Conference in 2019: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mbV29J_feMjDtv4Ll8Jew7aKSOqkRKz_Uc9jAOXjAzM/edit
Presentation Website: Under Review
Queering the Collection: LGBTQ+ Collection Development at Tulsa Community College
In recent years, Tulsa Community College (TCC) has increased support for diverse student populations. The establishment of an office of Diversity and Inclusion, scholarships, recruitment of LGBTQ+ students, and various student organizations and activities for LGBTQ+ individuals work to create a diverse and inclusive environment for two-year college students. Prior to 2016, the TCC Library collected some LGBTQ+ materials, though irregularly. In 2016, an effort to align with the 2016-2020 TCC Strategic Plan Goals Two (Student-Centered Services) and Five (Resources), as well as to better support diverse students with diverse materials, TCC Library branches decided to actively collect LGBTQ+ materials. The Library crowd-sourced the creation of a shelving location, marketing materials, a collection development plan, and a local subject heading for the collection.
This presentation will cover the evaluation and project-planning process that the TCC Library completed prior to beginning active collection of LGBTQ+ materials, the resources utilized during this process, and future plans for the LGBTQ+ collection.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference in 2019: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2019_02_Queering
Presentation Website: Under Review
This is What a Cataloger Looks Like
In this panel session, three librarians from public, academic, and special collections cataloging backgrounds will share their backgrounds, discuss their training, and take questions over what makes catalogers, catalogers. Panel members will cover a variety of topics ranging from what cataloging looks like at their institution, resources utilized during normal (and not so normal!) cataloging work, and even mistakes made during their early cataloging days. This panel will be moderated by the OLA Technical Services Round Table Chair.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association 2020 Annual Conference: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2020_24_1115_Cataloger
Transitioning Technical Services to Hybrid and Remote Work
The work of technical services staff is at a crossroads--while libraries cannot operate without their technical workers, many libraries, especially during COVID, reduced technical services units. In order to secure a productive future for this crucial area of library work, library staff and administration need to adapt.
Drawing on the constant evolution and adaptation of technical services, this webinar will cover both the importance of communicating the technical services story as well as how to adapt to a world where the library offers so much more than just physical books and workers are often remote. Participants will gain strategies for adapting their work to the current work environment and advocating for changes with key stakeholders. This webinar will be relevant to technical services workers in all library types.
Participants in this webinar will:
Gain an understanding of the adaptive history of technical service library positions and roles to better understand stakeholder perception of individuals in these roles.
Understand the state of technical services units before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies and strategies from units who successfully adapted to survive COVID-19 reductions in force and changing work environment.
Utilize current data, stakeholder understanding of technical services, and COVID-19 technical services adaptations to leverage your technical services unit’s role to communicate value, departmental needs, and justify the work that library technical workers do for their patrons.
Learn skills and best practices for supporting diverse technical services teams utilizing internal and external resources to identify projects, collaborate in rapidly changing environments, perform traditional and evolving technical services tasks in a variety of library work settings, and revise long-established workflows to meet changing team structures and needs.
Presentation
Presentation with Notes
Presented with American Library Association (ALA) eLearning online on November 30, 2023: https://web.archive.org/web/20230423084311/https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=518
Transitioning Technical Services to Hybrid and Remote Work
The work of technical services staff is at a crossroads--while libraries cannot operate without their technical workers, many libraries, especially during COVID, reduced technical services units. In order to secure a productive future for this crucial area of library work, library staff and administration need to adapt.
Drawing on the constant evolution and adaptation of technical services, this webinar will cover both the importance of communicating the technical services story as well as how to adapt to a world where the library offers so much more than just physical books and workers are often remote. Participants will gain strategies for adapting their work to the current work environment and advocating for changes with key stakeholders. This webinar will be relevant to technical services workers in all library types.
Participants in this webinar will:
Gain an understanding of the adaptive history of technical service library positions and roles to better understand stakeholder perception of individuals in these roles.
Understand the state of technical services units before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies and strategies from units who successfully adapted to survive COVID-19 reductions in force and changing work environment.
Utilize current data, stakeholder understanding of technical services, and COVID-19 technical services adaptations to leverage your technical services unit’s role to communicate value, departmental needs, and justify the work that library technical workers do for their patrons.
Learn skills and best practices for supporting diverse technical services teams utilizing internal and external resources to identify projects, collaborate in rapidly changing environments, perform traditional and evolving technical services tasks in a variety of library work settings, and revise long-established workflows to meet changing team structures and needs.
Presented with American Library Association (ALA) eLearning online on November 30, 2023: https://web.archive.org/web/20230423084311/https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=518
Transitioning Technical Services to Hybrid and Remote Work
The work of technical services staff is at a crossroads--while libraries cannot operate without their technical workers, many libraries, especially during COVID, reduced technical services units. In order to secure a productive future for this crucial area of library work, library staff and administration need to adapt.
Drawing on the constant evolution and adaptation of technical services, this webinar will cover both the importance of communicating the technical services story as well as how to adapt to a world where the library offers so much more than just physical books and workers are often remote. Participants will gain strategies for adapting their work to the current work environment and advocating for changes with key stakeholders. This webinar will be relevant to technical services workers in all library types.
Participants in this webinar will:
Gain an understanding of the adaptive history of technical service library positions and roles to better understand stakeholder perception of individuals in these roles.
Understand the state of technical services units before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies and strategies from units who successfully adapted to survive COVID-19 reductions in force and changing work environment.
Utilize current data, stakeholder understanding of technical services, and COVID-19 technical services adaptations to leverage your technical services unit’s role to communicate value, departmental needs, and justify the work that library technical workers do for their patrons.
Learn skills and best practices for supporting diverse technical services teams utilizing internal and external resources to identify projects, collaborate in rapidly changing environments, perform traditional and evolving technical services tasks in a variety of library work settings, and revise long-established workflows to meet changing team structures and needs.
Presented with American Library Association (ALA) eLearning online on June 1, 2023: https://web.archive.org/web/20230423084311/https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=518
Transitioning Technical Services to Hybrid and Remote Work
The work of technical services staff is at a crossroads--while libraries cannot operate without their technical workers, many libraries, especially during COVID, reduced technical services units. In order to secure a productive future for this crucial area of library work, library staff and administration need to adapt.
Drawing on the constant evolution and adaptation of technical services, this webinar will cover both the importance of communicating the technical services story as well as how to adapt to a world where the library offers so much more than just physical books and workers are often remote. Participants will gain strategies for adapting their work to the current work environment and advocating for changes with key stakeholders. This webinar will be relevant to technical services workers in all library types.
Participants in this webinar will:
Gain an understanding of the adaptive history of technical service library positions and roles to better understand stakeholder perception of individuals in these roles.
Understand the state of technical services units before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies and strategies from units who successfully adapted to survive COVID-19 reductions in force and changing work environment.
Utilize current data, stakeholder understanding of technical services, and COVID-19 technical services adaptations to leverage your technical services unit’s role to communicate value, departmental needs, and justify the work that library technical workers do for their patrons.
Learn skills and best practices for supporting diverse technical services teams utilizing internal and external resources to identify projects, collaborate in rapidly changing environments, perform traditional and evolving technical services tasks in a variety of library work settings, and revise long-established workflows to meet changing team structures and needs.
Presented with American Library Association (ALA) eLearning online on December 7, 2022: https://web.archive.org/web/20230423084311/https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=518
We Started with Dewey and Now We're Here: Applications for AI in Technical Services
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest universal buzzword; vendors promise to incorporate it into every library service, library users want to either learn how to harness it or how to protect themselves from it, and libraries are rapidly incorporating AI into their practices. While it is a strong tool for both users and institutions, little has been discussed as to the impact on technical services in libraries. As with many library modernization practices, technical services still have a critical role in understanding and implementing this new technology to improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and improve user experiences.
This session will demystify AI by discussing what AI means, how it works, and how best to utilize it as a tool for library technical work to improve technical services practices while educating technical services workers so they are prepared to advocate for their department to stakeholders and vendors alike. Broken into two components, this presentation will include both information and demonstration to help make AI concepts tangible for all attendees. Ample time will be reserved for an open discussion to invite questions, share concerns, and exchange ideas on how libraries are leveraging AI in their work.
Brief Description: This session will demystify AI by discussing what AI means, how it works, and how best to utilize it as a tool for library technical work to improve technical services practices while educating technical services workers so they are prepared to advocate for their department to stakeholders and vendors alike.
Presented with Oklahoma Library Association (OLA)'s Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT) online in a Lunch and Learn Session on January 26, 2024: https://www.oklibs.org/event/tsrtjan24
“Well, Technically…”: Diverse Collection Development Through Community and Innovation
Diverse and inclusive collection development is a welcome movement in today’s libraries. However, barriers to collecting, procuring, and making these materials discoverable in the library’s catalog can create barriers for libraries and users alike. Using a 2016 case study over LGBTQ+ collection development in an academic library setting as the basis of discussion, this presentation will address crowd-sourcing titles, relying on community resources for collection development and ordering, as well as the creation and implementation of local subject headings to better serve your library community.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Intellectual Freedom Roundtable (EDII) "Developing Your Collection: A Workshop on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion" in 2021: https://www.oklibs.org/event/EDII_Fall2021
We Started with Dewey and Now We're Here: Applications for AI in Technical Services
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest universal buzzword; vendors promise to incorporate it into every library service, library users want to either learn how to harness it or how to protect themselves from it, and libraries are rapidly incorporating AI into their practices. While it is a strong tool for both users and institutions, little has been discussed as to the impact on technical services in libraries. As with many library modernization practices, technical services still have a critical role in understanding and implementing this new technology to improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and improve user experiences.
This session will demystify AI by discussing what AI means, how it works, and how best to utilize it as a tool for library technical work to improve technical services practices while educating technical services workers so they are prepared to advocate for their department to stakeholders and vendors alike. Broken into two components, this presentation will include both information and demonstration to help make AI concepts tangible for all attendees. Ample time will be reserved for an open discussion to invite questions, share concerns, and exchange ideas on how libraries are leveraging AI in their work.
Brief Description: This session will demystify AI by discussing what AI means, how it works, and how best to utilize it as a tool for library technical work to improve technical services practices while educating technical services workers so they are prepared to advocate for their department to stakeholders and vendors alike.
Presented with Oklahoma Library Association (OLA)'s Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT) online in a Lunch and Learn Session on January 26, 2024: https://www.oklibs.org/event/tsrtjan24
Miscellaneous Presentations
Academic Librarianship: Tips to Prepare for a Competitive Job Market in Academic Librarianship
In a guest speaker presentation for the Oklahoma Library and Information Studies Student Association (OLISSA), OU SLIS alumna Elizabeth Szkirpan talks with students about Beta Phi Mu (the National Honor Society for Librarianship) and its role in supporting students post-degree, academic librarianship, and her career path in academic librarianship.
Presented at the OLISSA Monthly Meeting on February 23, 2022: https://fb.me/e/2eVXts9Yd
Read Elizabeth's bio on the OLISSA website here: https://olissaou.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/elizabeth-szkirpan/?fbclid=IwAR2Zfp5Zkq1AsTZ3YUQHYwZ_KrxGdMfZTtm2cH8LUiVN-ZxGnubxCcpqsS0
Evaluating the Relationship Between Research 1 (R1) Library Data Through Regression Approaches
In a world driven by data, libraries often struggle to quantify their services and demonstrate their impact due to a lack of standardized mechanisms for comparison. Despite making headlines for their vital role during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis, libraries face declining investment in staff and resources, leading to layoffs and outsourcing, with little data to prove their societal or academic impact. While universities invest in library infrastructure, there's a plenty of evidence linking libraries to key academic metrics, such as retention rates or research output. The Carnegie Classification system, widely used by institutions to gauge their educational value, but this project aims to utilize existing datasets like IPEDS to better understand the impact of library staff and funding on community and institutional success, and suggests that IPEDS data may help prove library value to institutional goals, like Carnegie Classification status*.
Presented to CSCI-E 116 Dynamic Modeling and Forecasting in Big Data class at Harvard Graduate Extension School online on May 7, 2024.
*Please note that this summary was created using Chat GPT's assistance based on the introduction and project purpose statement from Elizabeth's CSCI-E 116 final project paper. This summary was revised and edited prior to sharing.
Library Hiring Pipeline
How to recruit, on-board, develop, and retain quality library employees.
Hosted by OLA UCD, Moderated by Elizabeth Szkirpan at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa's Schusterman Library on February 3, 2023: https://www.oklibs.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1698567
Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
In this panel session, four librarians with extensive marketing experience will discuss tips and strategies for marketing library services and events with limited resources and minimal staff. We'll cover a variety of topics, such as DIY techniques, free software options, and how to keep supply costs low. The panel will be moderated by the OLA Marketing Committee Chair.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference in 2019: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2019_03_shoestring
Opening Doors: Open Access, The History of Publishing, and The Role of Libraries (In-Person)
The contention between libraries and publishers in the battle for information access is well-known, but few librarians revisit the history of scholarly publishing and its impacts to better understand why the publishing industry is the way that it is. This program will discuss the history of information discourse, its evolution, and how law and practice have failed to keep up with changes in technology while exacerbating an existing problem in the unsustainability of information access. The presenters will review common misconceptions about what Open Access / Open Educational Resources are and explore why the growing movement toward Open Access benefits information seekers from all walks of life while also offering librarians the opportunity to move from ‘struggling to afford to pay’ to focusing on discovery.
Presented with Miranda Wisor at the Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference on March 10, 2022: https://www.oklibs.org/page/ola2022_Day02_openaccess
Opening Doors: Open Access, The History of Publishing, and The Role of Libraries (Virtual)
The contention between libraries and publishers in the battle for information access is well-known, but few librarians revisit the history of scholarly publishing and its impacts to better understand why the publishing industry is the way that it is. This program will discuss the history of information discourse, its evolution, and how law and practice have failed to keep up with changes in technology while exacerbating an existing problem in the unsustainability of information access. The presenters will review common misconceptions about what Open Access / Open Educational Resources are and explore why the growing movement toward Open Access benefits information seekers from all walks of life while also offering librarians the opportunity to move from ‘struggling to afford to pay’ to focusing on discovery.
Presented with Miranda Wisor at the Oklahoma Library Association Annual Conference in 2022 Virtually in March 2022: https://www.oklibs.org/page/ola2022_virtual_openaccess_virtual
Preserving History: Using Open-Source Software to Create the TCC Archives and Heritage Center Digital Collection
The TCC Archives and Heritage Center at the Northeast Campus Library is working diligently to preserve and present the history of the College. This is being done through an innovative open source platform called Omeka. The result is the TCC Archives and Heritage Center Digital Collection.
Presented at TCC's Stayonference in 2019: https://www.tulsacc.edu/programs-courses/academic-schools/engaged-learning/faculty-professional-development-resources-1-6
Project Management for the Unofficial Library Project Manager
It's no secret that libraries and archives are project-centric these days. If you follow job postings closely, you may have noticed a trend towards seeking candidates with a project management background or a combination of project management training and certifications. While the movement towards project documentation and organization is undeniable and perhaps justifiable, the amount of project management training and certification a standard librarian or library administrator needs is debatable. The necessity of project management training probably lies somewhere between novice and expert. Familiarity with key project management principles is both helpful and can improve departmental efficiency, but traditional project management certifications, which center on information technology and construction projects, are likely overkill or inapplicable to most libraries. This presentation will introduce attendees to key principles of project management, including key terminology, project constraints, and documentation basics to help library project leaders to make the best use of their time, oversee projects effectively, and succession plan for future library generations. Rather than focusing on project management tools or practices that best suit other fields, this presentation will emphasize techniques best suited to libraries and beginning project managers.
Presented at the Oklahoma Library Association 2020 Annual Conference: https://www.oklibs.org/page/OLA2020_23_1115_ProjMan
Handouts:
The Changing Face of Academic Libraries
A panel session on the constantly changing nature of academic libraries and how that change impacts library hiring practices.
Hosted by OLA UCD, Co-presented by Kristen Burkholder, Karl Siewart, and Elizabeth Szkirpan at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa's Schusterman Library on February 3, 2023: https://www.oklibs.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1698567
The Role of Trust in the Academic Library
Facing space constraints as physical library collecting declines in a digital world. today's academic libraries must employ trust and transparency in combination with experienced collections management and collections preservation employees to find the balance between physical and digital collection sizes.
Presented to Dartmouth College Library staff on October 7, 2022.
Work Smarter Not Harder: Project Management and Role Delineation at Tulsa Community College
On the heels of a college-wide reorganization and the departure of a long-time cataloger, the Tulsa Community College Library needed to evaluate remaining technical services positions, and the roles that they would play in the library, as the demand for print materials waned and preparation for Cataloging 2.0 began. Beginning in 2016, separate projects designed for documentation and succession planning converged with modified project management techniques to evaluate workflows, role responsibilities, training, and documentation efforts. As a result, virtually every procedure within Technical Services has been evaluated, redesigned as needed, and re implemented.
Entering the fourth year, cataloging and processing turnaround time decreased by more than half from FY 2017-2018, delayed catalog maintenance was addressed and completed within a two-year time span, and troublesome collections were retrospectively cataloged. Meanwhile, team relationships improved, and the first complete Technical Services manual was compiled and made available to all library stakeholders during 2018.
This presentation will briefly outline the projects used to evaluate and improve Tulsa Community College's workflow and role delineation, as well as the project management techniques utilized within those projects. Additionally, processes and procedures evaluated and refined within the Technical Services team. Predictions about future projects and Cataloging 2.0 resulting from these changes will also be discussed.
Presented at Amigo's "Work Smarter, Not Harder: Innovating Technical Services Workflows" Conference in February 2020: https://www.amigos.org/work_smarter
Handouts: