I attended the NC LIVE in-person conference on Friday, May 17, 2024. It was good to see librarian colleagues from around the state and beyond as well as reconnect to new individuals I met at the NCICU Resources meeting on Thursday, May 16th at Campbell University. The 2024 theme “Wellness in Libraries” resonated with me especially since scope creep has covered my shoulders, arms, and legs. I can raise my hand and say definitively that “It’s me!” The keynote “Reframing Wellness: Redefining Sanctuary and Job Boundaries in Libraries” by Rebecca Tolley reminded me that I needed to model wellness at work by ensuring that I’m taking care of me.

Next, I joined Brittany O’Neill’s session “The IL Jam Sessions: Developing a Community of Practice for Revitalizing Information Literacy Instruction.” Brittany shared how the librarians at University of North Carolina Wilmington meet to share different pedagogical techniques and theories as well as other topics around instruction. However, the most alarming fact she mentioned was “Instruction librarians report higher level of burnout that prison workers.” That singular sentence was a wake-up call. I enjoyed hearing about the LIS Pedagogy Chat. Looking at their archives ( https://www.lispedagogychat.org/archive ), I’ll definitely participate in the proverbial fun.

I was appreciative of the vegan lunch that was provided during the conference. The most hilarious moment occurred when the raffle was starting.Brittany Champion mentioned “I never win anything.” The first name that was called was Brittany Champion.

I did spend quality time after lunch with Daisy, the therapy poodle before heading into the next session which happened to Brittany Champion’s on “Using TILT to Create Intentional DEI Practices to Enhance Student Experiences in Library Instruction.” Although I’ve used transparent grading in credit-bearing courses, TILT takes a proactive approach to student learning. Another key takeaway was the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) framework (https://www.nagb.gov/naep-subject-areas/technology-and-engineering-literacy.html ).

Jamie Bradshaw’s and Cara Smelter’s workshop “Cultivating Well-being in Libraries” expanded on the topic of partnering with other organizations as well as departments to coordinate wellness activities in the library for students and staff. They touched on the Center for Collegiate Mental Health annual report. NOTE: College counseling centers provide the intake data to the organization based on the counseling center assessment of psychological symptoms. I had to deep dive into the JED campuses and uncovered that Wake Forest University is an alumni of the program. The creative side of me was thrilled a the end of the session activity e.g., making corner bookmarks with colored paper and tape.

I will confess to rolling a little faster to get to my 20-minute chair massage. While registering, conference participants took a shot at the Plinko board. As soon as I saw massage on the lower right-hand corner, I said “Say less!” Yes, I won the 20-minute chair massage and promptly signed up for an afternoon session. Those twenty minutes hit the knot that lingered on my left shoulder and had me feeling unconquerable. Yes, it’s time for me to restart the monthly massages. The last workshop of the day was Candace Jacobs’s, Melody Root’s, and Juanita Thacker’s presentation “Let’s Talk: When a Soft Command Pushes Your Boundaries.” I slid into the seat Brittany C. saved for me to hear Candace, Melody, and Juanita summarize key themes throughout the conference.

Last but never least was gathering together with Candace, Juanita, Angie, and another past colleagues of Juanita for dinner at Indochine A Far East Cafe. My tastebuds are still tingling!!!