Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

Presented at Memory Studies Association (MSA) conference in Newcastle, England.

Presenters will introduce their research regarding appraisal and digital preservation during disruptive times. The work addresses new concerns elevated during the pandemic and post-pandemic phases. The panel serves as a platform to inspire discussion about appraisal and digital preservation decision-making and outlook today.

2023 CLIR Events. Retrieved March 28, 2024. https://clirevents2023.sched.com/event/1On6z/th03-appraisal-and-digital…

Presentaton from Sigma Convention 2023 (November 2023.)

Conference: 2024 ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference and Exhibition, San Diego, CA, June 27-July 2, 2024

Website: https://2024.alaannual.org/

Presented with Jessica Abbazio (University of Minnesota) at the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Congress. Cambridge, England. August 2023.

Poster presentation at the 2024 ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference and Exhibition, San Diego, CA, June 27-July 2, 2024

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the academic sector, resulting in campus closures and forcing academic libraries to make service adjustments to ensure that students and instructors continue learning and teaching without disruption. As the pandemic subsided, campuses reopened, and students returned to school. Reference services continued to provide uninterrupted services throughout the pandemic. This study aims to present how patrons use reference services during the pandemic. Specifically, what types of questions users asked before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic to determine if there were any changes in their inquiry patterns? Inquires from the Online Chat database (LibAnswer) between fall semesters 2020 and 2023 will be analyzed to categorize the types of questions. The analysis will also encompass the reference inquiries' attributes, such as the duration of the transaction and its outcomes, to provide in-depth information about the nature of the reference question. Specifically, the studies aim to

1. Analyze the types of questions patrons pose in online reference services during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess whether there are significant changes in inquiry patterns compared to the periods before and after.
2. Examine the attributes of reference inquiries, including transaction duration and outcomes, to gain insights into the nature and effectiveness of online reference services in responding to users' information needs.

The findings of this study will inform libraries on developing strategies to better address patrons' information needs in a post-pandemic landscape and to prepare for potential future disruptions by adopting innovative tools and approaches.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the types of questions patrons pose in LibAnswer during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess whether there are significant changes in inquiry patterns compared to the periods before and after
• Examine the attributes of reference inquiries, including transaction duration and outcomes, to gain insights into the nature and effectiveness of online reference services in responding to users' information needs.
• Formulate informed strategies for academic libraries to address students' evolving information needs in a post-pandemic landscape, drawing on the findings to guide the development of innovative tools for future disruptions.

Presentation on ILEAD Ohio project, finddigitalohio.org, at Ohio Digital Interest group (OhioDIG) virtual meeting, November 6, 2023.

Lightening talk at ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) 2023 Annual Conference

https://www.asee.org/events/Conferences-and-Meetings/2023-Annual-Conference-Highlights

ELD (Engineering Libraries Division)

Becoming familiar with the processes of obtaining information and applying it in new ways are important to learning how to do marketing research. This article describes an innovative approach to developing information literacy through a series of student marketing research projects developed for use in a virtual learning environment. These projects incorporate the latest ideas presented in the marketing education literature; each has clear learning goals and relates student activities to aspects of experiential learning. Thus, the project designs promote information literacy and require students to close the learning loop by communicating marketing research insights in a manner suitable for business managers. The authors recommend that students work individually, rather than in teams, to maximize flexibility and the breadth of learning. Student engagement, enhanced information literacy, and student satisfaction with interactivity and learning from project assignments offer measures of academic success.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many unexpected changes for academic libraries. Technical services departments were especially disrupted due to the nature of their responsibilities and library operations. In response to these pandemic-induced changes, technical services managers were tasked with maintaining a high level of operations while also navigating sudden workforce changes including evolving job demands and employees working off-site. This study documents and analyzes the responses of technical services managers during the pandemic. Documenting these practice changes will help inform current managers looking to compare themselves to peers and future managers who may experience a similar event that causes a sudden shift in operations. Overall, managers reported a high incidence of change to their typical management practices. Managers made the biggest changes in communications and practices related to work-life balance. A significant theme emerged from the analysis that shows technical services managers adding several new practices to support and care for the mental health of employees.