Core Operations

The Public Services Department is coordinating staffing coverage for the Reading Days and Exams period, during which the Library operates on an extended schedule. These extended hours require adjustments to employees’ work schedules to ensure adequate coverage throughout the period.

User Services

Collections

Shifting and consolidation of the Reynolds 5 P–PQ section was completed during the week of October 19.

Work has now begun on Reynolds 3 to shift and consolidate collections. Materials in the PR2892 E84–PR2982 T7 range are being shifted toward the aisle containing PR2651 B6–PR2808 R66.

Following completion of the fifth-floor shifting project, the empty shelving is concentrated on the east side of the building, according to the preliminary report.

Tablings

October was a busy month for events and outreach at ZSR Library. You Can Vote scheduled five tabling sessions throughout the month, while two Wake Up Wednesday events provided additional opportunities for campus engagement. The Library also hosted Crafternoon on October 26.

Book Displays

Fall Vibes – Erin

Halloween – Erin

Professor David Lee’s Syllabus

Upcoming Book Displays

• SCA: Reading the Revolution
• Aviation History — Erin
• Spooky Season: Beyond the Boo — Setayesh
• Reynolda House Museum
• Native American Heritage Month — Erin
• Connecting the Library and the Classroom — Laura and Will
• LAM Anthropology Museum
• Bullshit Detector: Can You Spot It? — Setayesh and Laura

What’s On your Mind? Comment Board

October has been our busiest month yet for the comment board, with 30 comments as of this writing!

Over the past month, students have shared their midterm stress, concerns about their social lives, and plenty of thoughts about people whose names mean absolutely nothing to us. Perhaps it’s the modern equivalent of carving your crush’s name into a tree.

We also had a friendly skeleton lend a hand this weekend!

Bones 1

Bones 2

Professional Activities & Development

2026 Southeastern Resource Sharing Conference

James Harper and Tara attended the 2026 Southeastern Resource Sharing Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, October 21–23. James led the conference planning effort, which brought together 102 attendees and featured 14 presentations.

Designing Libraries for the 21st Century Conference

Rodrigo Castro attended the Designing Libraries for the 21st Century Conference at the University of Pittsburgh, October 18–20, along with Dean Lauren Pressley, Daisha, and Veronica.

The conference brought together library professionals, architects, and designers to explore ways to create functional, efficient, and welcoming library spaces. This year’s conference emphasized biophilic design, examining how natural elements such as light, sound, and texture can enhance library environments and support user well-being.

The 5th National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC 2026)

In October, Alayna Veasey and Ty Wilson traveled to Spokane, WA for the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC). They attended presentations from ZSR’s own Sandy Rodriguez and Shabrina McPherson, along with many other talented library professionals across the country. Stay tuned for a future blog post about this conference!

NC Live Webinar: Creating Accessible and Effective Library Signage with Canva

On October 20, Jemma Johnson gave a webinar for NC Live as part of their fall Canva series. She covered wayfinding and signage design principles and gave a live demo of creating a Brand Kit, sign template, and signage in Canva. You can watch her webinar here.

Off-Site Storage

In October, the Offsite Storage team:

• delivered 101 physical items,
• fulfilled 33 electronic requests,
• and audited 10,724 items.

In October, Alayna Veasey:

• fulfilled 47 SCA offsite requests,
• returned 9 SCA offsite requests,
• and shifted 13 SCA boxes offsite.

Collaborations

Library Event Procedures

Will Ritter and Rodrigo Castro are collaborating with Daisha Bunn, Amanda Kaufman, Joel Rivera, Veronica Escamilla-Brady, Barry David, and Dean Lauren Pressley to document and formalize procedures for hosting events in the Library.

Discussions have focused on communication protocols, staffing requirements, applicable policies, and other operational considerations to improve the coordination of events in Library spaces.

Learning Space Projects – Summer 2027 & Beyond

Rodrigo Castro was invited to participate in the university-wide Learning Space Projects – Summer 2027 & Beyond working group.

The group reviews and evaluates proposals for classroom refresh projects scheduled for implementation during the summer session. Its first meeting is scheduled for November 2026.

By the Numbers