Many members of the Research, Instruction, and Outreach team either helped organize, attended, and/or presented at the recent NCLA State Biennial Conference held close to home at the Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem, October 16th – 20th. Below is a round-up of reflections and takeaways from some of our experiences there.

Morgan @ NCLA

There was a lot going on this NCLA Conference – wrapping up my tenure as Chair of the Business Librarianship in NC (BLINC) section of NCLA, presenting twice alongside some of my library heroes, and trying to catch as many sessions as my (ever dwindling) mental capacity could handle – phew!

When it came to planning out which sessions I would try and attend I decided to prioritize sessions being sponsored by BLINC as well as sessions featuring colleagues and friends. This actually had an energizing effect on my whole experience – this biennium’s conference became more than just a learning opportunity, it became a celebration of the incredible work (often going on behind the scenes, on-top of everything else) being done by libraries and librarians of all stripes in our state. Some Highlights:

“Empowering future librarians: The benefits of mentorship and coaching in library internship programs for mentors and aspiring librarians.” Ophelia Chapman (UNC-Wilmington), Nancy Lovas (UNC-Chapel Hill), Ciera Williams (Durham Co. Public Library), and Mimi Curlee (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library)

For a session featuring all BLINC members – nary a business reference question was discussed, which came as no surprise to me since, when they aren’t slinging the finest in business information empowerment, I know for a fact these four are creating opportunities for aspiring librarians (of all types) to uncover their own unique talents and ambitions within our profession. My takeaway – having clear, purposeful goals in mind, on both sides of the mentee/mentor relationship is key for a fulfilling and useful experience.

“Cultivating Creative Pursuits: Supporting Emerging Artists Through Creative Research Strategies” Kaeley McMahan and Meghan Webb (Wake Forest University)

You know ‘em, you love ‘em – our very own Meghan Webb and Kaeley McMahan! Takeaways include the reminder that art does not come from nothing. That inspiration comes from somewhere…and guess what…a big part of that “somewhere” involves research. Also the power of serendipity – when was the last time you just browsed the stacks till something caught your eye? I think we all know that special feeling. When was the last time we encouraged our students to actively embrace their curiosity (browsing the stacks or in other ways) in order to inspire their research?

“Outreach Programming in Academic Libraries: What’s New, What Works, and What We’ve Learned Along the Way!” Rachel Olson (UNC-Greensboro), Meghan Webb (Wake Forest University), Hu Womack (Wake Forest University), Patrick, Rudd (Elon University), and Alison Van Norman (Elon University)

If there was an Oscar for best outreach programming in academic libraries, you better believe these five would be nominated (and who’s kidding – they all deserve that award!) for the incredible work being done at their institutions. I’m already thinking about how I could tie mini golf into some library outreach over here in Farrell (did you know we have a golf in business extracurricular over here in the School of Business?).

“Surviving to Thriving: Cultivating Healthy Workplace Environments” Kate Budries (Greensboro Public Library), Erin Sapienza (Orange Co. Public Library), Roz Tedford (Wake Forest University), Joan Ruelle (Elon University), and Crystal Mitchener (Wake Co. Public Library)

I think the fact that this was a standing-room only crowd speaks volumes about the interest in and the need for expanding our toolbox of what we can do at all levels of an organization to create healthier workplace environments. No surprise, communication is critical. But also grace for ourselves and others- which I found to be an important reminder.

“Planting Seeds for Future Growth: Cultivating Campus Information Literacy through Faculty Workshops” Amanda Kaufman, Hu Womack, Meghan Webb (Wake Forest University)

Seriously, our colleagues are the coolest. Came away thinking more about how I can offer faculty in my liaison areas more opportunities to engage with a “fresher” perspective of information literacy – one that incorporates more of a conceptual framework for information literacy as opposed to a purely skills based approach.

Clearly, I had a great time at NCLA – it was exhausting but so rewarding to be surrounded by and celebrating the accomplishments and hard work of colleagues near and far!

Hu @ NCLA

Unfortunately, I was not able to spend very much time at NCLA this year due to teaching obligations that week, but I was able to attend Elizabeth Ellis, & Colleen Foy’s presentation (minus Mary Beth who was sick!) on Wednesday titled “Creating Candidate-Centered Interviews for New Growth in Academic Libraries.” It was so helpful to hear from two ZSR librarians who had been hired using these new processes and to better understand the development of the library’s transparent and inclusive hiring processes!

I had the opportunity to moderate a panel with librarians Rachel Olson, Meghan Webb, Patrick, Rudd, and Alison Van Norman, from UNCG, Wake Forest, and Elon, titled “Outreach Programming in Academic Libraries: What’s New, What Works, and What We’ve Learned Along the Way!” The best part of the session was the audience participation at the end as we shared our favorite outreach programs! (Look for LEGOS in ZSR soon!)

Finally, on Friday morning, Amanda Kaufman Meghan Webb, and I (Roz was busy back at ZSR!) presented “Planting Seeds for Future Growth: Cultivating Campus Information Literacy through Faculty Workshops” before dashing back to ZSR for a wonderful, wild Homecoming that included ZSR tours and 200 pieces of Dewey’s cake to celebrate 20 years of LIB100! Next time I’ll do better at blocking my calendar to spend more time at NCLA!

Kaeley @ NCLA

I was only able to attend one day of NCLA this year. On Wednesday Meghan Webb and I presented “Cultivating Creative Pursuits,” about our LIB255: Research and Creative Practice Course. We had good attendance and some great questions!

Before our session I attended “Nothing Ever Changes…Or Maybe it Can!” from three librarians at UNC-Charlotte’s Atkins Library. They discussed their Library Workplace Climate Committee and how they have organized Climate Conversations within the library to create change. They have two Climate Conversations each year, which are held over Zoom, and are divided into manager and non-manager sessions to allow for more transparency. Each session has 2-4 themes and 2-4 questions/theme, and the feedback is anonymized and shared via a report. Additionally there is a feedback form and a workplace climate survey, which allow for additional data gathering.

After our session, I attended Meghan and Hu’s session on outreach, which was energetic and great fun! My last stop was the vendor reception, where I saw a bunch of ZSR folks presenting posters. I also ran into a former Reference Department student worker who graduated in 2014. She is now working at a public library and just started attending library school at ECU! It was a great way to close out my day at NCLA!

Kathy @ NCLA

I love seeing all the wonderful comments about the sessions you attended, the folks you met up with, and just the generally good experiences y’all had at NCLA! As the Co-Chair of the Programs Committee for this year’s conference, this is exactly what we work toward for the entire biennium! This year was particularly gratifying, as the 2021 conference was almost entirely virtual, and as a result, there were people at NCLA 2023 that I had not seen in nearly 4 years! I was largely behind the scenes for most of the conference, so I don’t have a lot to share about specific sessions that I attended. But, I did have a few highlights:

• Presenting a poster with Rebecca May on our experience teaching the Archives and Primary Sources class (now LIB 265) in Fall 2022. We had lots of engagement and great questions from colleagues at all kinds of libraries, including from current library students who are interested in doing this kind of work!
• Participating in the NMRT/YSS Trivia night, hosted by Amanda Glenn-Bradley, on Wednesday. I only knew one other person on my team at the beginning of the night, but we were in second place most of the game (darn you, Final Jeopardy!). I haven’t played trivia in years, and this was a great opportunity to do so with some of the smartest people around!
• All 3 keynotes! This can be one of the hardest elements of the conference to finalize, and this year was no exception! However, all of our keynote speakers were stellar, and each one of them brought something unique to the conference experience. (Check out the recordings in Whova if you missed them!)

This will be my last time (for now, at least) serving as Programs Chair for NCLA, so I really feel like I went out on a high note. I leave things in the capable hands of my co-chair, Julie Raynor, from High Point Public Library. Now on to serve as NCLA Director for the Piedmont Region!