TRIAD ACADEMIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION – TALA

11TH YEAR

May 28, 2025

Winston-Salem State University

Veronica Escamilla-Brady’s Experience

This was my first time attending TALA, and it was a great experience. I attended “X’ers, Zoomers, Boomers, Oh My! Generational Dynamics in Library Work,” moderated by our own, Jemma Johnson! This was a great panel that included representatives from each of the working generations, and I found it valuable to hear each generational representative share their perspective on issues in the workplace, particularly in academic libraries. The panel concluded with lively and insightful participation from the audience. The keynote speaker this year was Denice Lewis, and I was thrilled to finally attend an AI session led by this fabulous librarian! The best part of this day, though, was getting to see the new Media Production Lab Powered by Adobe in the WSSU Library; it brought me back to my makerspace days, and I loved seeing this investment in the WSSU community.

Danielle Key’s Experience

This was my first TALA Conference as well as my first on-campus visit to Winston-Salem State University. It was amazing to have ZSR’s Denice Lewis kick off the event as the keynote speaker. Her presentation inquiring about AI’s role in reshaping library work was both engaging and insightful. I enjoyed the dive into the evolution of AI and how it has already been implemented in library work for many decades. A glimpse into the history and the multifaceted ways to utilize AI reveals a path worthy of exploration and personal integration.

As the Outreach Coordinator at ZSR, I was also thrilled for the session “Broaden Your Reach: Facilitating Relationships for Effective Library Outreach” by Bryan Nicholls from High Point University. It was great to hear from another Library Outreach Coordinator and receive insight about their unique programming and outreach strategies. From increasing student engagement to improving event visibility and fostering connections with campus partners, it addressed various elements that are essential to my role. We finished the conference with table discussions, a delicious lunch, and a guided tour of the WSSU Library and Media Production Lab powered by Adobe. It was an amazing experience and a great opportunity to meet other library colleagues from the Triad. I can’t wait to attend again in the future!

Christian Burris’s Experience

This was my first TALA Conference in several years, and it was a valuable experience. As it has been mentioned, Denice Lewis gave an excellent keynote about AI’s role in library work by showing how it connects to the past systems of MARC and OCLC, while creating a tool that has several practical applications. I also attended a session on effective library outreach and a networking discussion about remote work in libraries (spoiler alert: it varies). The tour of the Media Production Lab at the O’Kelly Library was also rewarding, as it demonstrated how academic libraries continue to push the edge of adaptation for the populations they serve. But the best part of this conference for me was the connections with other attendees. In addition to ZSR colleagues, I reconnected with old friends such as Wanda Brown and Travis Manning, and I made new connections with people from Winston-Salem State, Elon, North Carolina A&T, and UNC Greensboro. It was a great conference for networking, and I hope to see these folks again at NCLA in the fall, and definitely at the next TALA.

Jemma Johnson’s Experience

I always enjoy attending TALA, there’s so much energy and enthusiasm that it truly feels like a family reunion with all your library “cousins.” This year was especially meaningful since it was my first time presenting rather than just attending, and I loved moderating the panel discussion on generational dynamics in library work. Even though Laura and I organized the session, I walked away having learned so much, notably about how different generations view workplace relationships and the balance between friendship and professionalism. It was also great to be back on my alma mater’s campus and see how much it’s grown. And of course I have to say the lunch was amazing—big thanks to Wanda K. Brown and the TALA planning committee for putting together such a well-organized (and delicious!) conference.

Kristen Morgan’s Experience

I had a great time at the 11th annual TALA conference at Winston-Salem State University. WSSU is a great venue and I appreciate their hospitality and the work of the TALA conference planning committee (Melde Rutledge and Colleen Foy are ZSR Library’s Reps). Denice Lewis’ keynote; The Evolving Edge: Is AI Reshaping the Work in Libraries? was filled with tips and tricks! It was fun and informative. I also attended the X’ers, Zoomers, Boomers, Oh My! Generational Dynamics in Library Work; Jemma Johnson and Laura Milcarzyk put on a wonderful panel discussion! It was so interesting to listen to the different generations discuss their experiences. I also enjoyed spending time with my ZSR Library colleagues, who I don’t usually get to see every day. Looking forward to next year.

Alayna Veasey’s Experience

The last time I attended TALA was May 2022, so I’m glad I could make it this year. I was especially happy to learn that Winston Salem State University was hosting. WSSU is my best friend’s alma mater, and I always enjoyed the Winston-Salem area when I visited her – so much so that I moved here! After touring WSSU’s impressive new Media Production Lab powered by Adobe, I’m excited to see the student creativity this technology will inspire.

I learned a lot from our very own Denice Lewis during her keynote presentation “The Evolving Edge: Is AI Reshaping the Work in Libraries?” I never considered using AI in my job before, but Denice opened my eyes to the wide variety of tasks these programs can perform. She encouraged us to consider the “pain points” in our jobs and question whether AI could help with them. This summer I will explore the ways AI can create visual diagrams from my (often very chaotic) written notes. This would help me break down large projects into clear tasks for my student team to complete.

Major kudos to Jemma Johnson and Laura Milcarzyk for their well-executed panel “X’ers, Zoomers, Boomers, Oh My! Generational Dynamics in Library Work.” With multiple generations in the workplace, we have so many opportunities to learn from each other and appreciate our different approaches to life. There was a lot of positive engagement between the panelists and the audience, and I think we all walked away with new viewpoints to consider. Thank you to the TALA planning committee and everyone who made this conference possible!

Laura Milcarzyk’s Experience

On May 28, 2025 I had the opportunity to attend TALA, my first North Carolina conference. From the moment I walked into the building, staff were everywhere seeing to the needs of the attendees. Staff were approachable with all of my questions, (I even got a hug from Wanda Brown!) and the organization of the event allowed for a smooth flow of traffic; the food was top notch.

Then after the event, we were given a tour of the C.G. O’Kelly Library. Our tour guide was very patient in answering all of our questions. We even spent quite a bit of extra time learning about their podcast and photography room (maker space), which were amazing, and a favorite spot for WSSU students.

The Keynote Speaker for TALA this year, Denise Lewis, gave an interesting and informative presentation on AI, beginning with the history of AI. Denise also shared some of her experiences and the benefits of understanding the uses for different AI tools (I had no idea there were so many different AI tools-ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, to name a few!). It seems that AI tools are like any other tool- it’s important to have the correct tool to do the correct research, and/or writing job. It is interesting that in library spaces we are constantly looking for where the new boundaries are in our ever changing society.

What also impressed me was the showing up of our own ZSR library staff. I think we had two tables full of staff at TALA 2025, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar and friendly faces, especially as a nervous presenter.

Melde Rutledge’s Experience

As some of my colleagues have mentioned, this was also my first time attending the conference. I also served on the planning committee with Colleen. Of course, the highlight of my experience during programming was listening to Denice’s keynote on AI. I learned so much about Denice’s diverse professional background, and was very impressed by her knowledge of the growing landscape of AI in academia.

Jemma and Laura also had a stellar panel discussion. Their session provided a great opportunity to understand the intergenerational dynamics in the library workplace, by listening to the perspectives of those on the panel and in the audience.

I had not visited WSSU in a while, so it was also nice to be back on campus and see old colleagues, and also how O’Kelly Library has transformed since my last visit.

Kylie Bradley’s Experience

This year’s TALA conference was an enlightening experience that was made more enjoyable due to several of our ZSR colleagues serving as presenters.

Starting things off, Denice Lewis gave an informative keynote speech about the evolution and future of AI use in libraries. What I found most interesting was the brief history given on the earliest use dating back to the early 1950’s and realizing how much of the work we do today revolves around and depends on AI technology.

Following the keynote, I attended a panel discussion presented by Jemma Johnson and Laura Milcarzyk. The conversation focused on how different generations approach library work. The panelists, who represented generations spanning from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, discussed topics ranging from remote work to dress codes. It was an interesting talk that had lots of participation from the audience and I appreciated hearing perspectives that somewhat differ from my own.

As always, the conference was a great place to reconnect with colleagues past and present and I look forward to attending next year!

Denice Lewis’s Experience

I’ve always appreciated the opportunity to attend the TALA Conference over the years, both as a participant and as a workshop presenter. This year, I was honored to deliver the keynote address, sharing insights from my ongoing research and experimentation with AI through the lens of academic libraries.

I attended Bryan Nichols’ presentation, “Broaden Your Reach: Facilitating Relationships for Effective Library Outreach.” It was fascinating to learn about the diverse partnerships he has developed at High Point University and the range of outreach activities they’ve implemented. During the breakout session, I explored different table topics and ultimately joined the remote work table. There, I had the pleasure of connecting with librarians from Elon University, UNC Greensboro, and UNC Charlotte.

I’m grateful that attendees found new ideas or fresh perspectives on the role of AI in libraries from the keynote. I look forward to continuing the conversation and building new connections at the next TALA Conference.

Pictures of the Adobe Lab at WSSU (thank you Christian Burris for sharing):