Session Reports for the 2017 Fall Program

Fact, False, or Just Flawed:
Critically Examining News in the Age of Truthiness

ACRL Delaware Valley Chapter Fall Program
November 17, 2017 at University of Pennsylvania Law School

Sessions Reports

image of attendeesThe current political climate has called into question basic ideals of information quality. Objectivity, bias, opinion, fact, and evidence are thrown into question at every turn. The old standbys for teaching source evaluation now seem insufficient. So how do we teach our students to be smart and ethical information consumers and producers? We heard from media scholars and journalists about professional practices and principles and the impact of technology and other forces that shape the news. We  also heard from librarians who are using innovative methods for teaching students to critically examine sources of information. Continue reading “Session Reports for the 2017 Fall Program”

Abigail Shelton, MLSIS student, Receives $1,000 Award from ACRL DVC

image of abigail sheltonCongratulations to Abigail Shelton, an MLIS graduate student at Drexel University, for winning this year’s $1,000.00 ACRL DVC stipend! Ms. Shelton is interested in digital libraries, archives, and reference and instruction.  She has an M.A. in Early American history from Binghamton University, SUNY and works at the American Philosophical Society Library in Philadelphia.

Each year applicants for the stipend must respond to an essay prompt. This year’s prompt required students to consider how the IL framework could be used to address the challenges of a post-truth society. Ms. Shelton’s response included emphasis on library partnerships and student exposure to diverse perspectives in library instruction.

Ms. Shelton’s full response to the essay prompt is included below. Continue reading “Abigail Shelton, MLSIS student, Receives $1,000 Award from ACRL DVC”

Board Meeting Minutes- September 2017

September 21, 2017

Attending – Nancy Bellafante, Stephanie Pennucci, Jessica Brangiel, Leslie O’Neill, Paul Proces, Jess Denke, Penny Lochner, Ellie Goldberg

Introductions – Leslie O’Neill is the new archivist for ACRL DVC.

Approved Aug 17 Meeting Minutes. Will start posting meeting minutes to the blog beginning with September minutes (after approval at October meeting).  Continue reading “Board Meeting Minutes- September 2017”

Current Opportunities for MLIS Students

Now is a great time for MLIS students who live, work, or go to school in the Delaware Valley to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the ACRL.

A mentoring program is in place with mentors waiting to provide support and advice.  Our mentors work in a variety of roles in higher education.  Sign up to be matched with a mentor and receive the invaluable support of an experienced colleague.

Additionally, DVC is currently accepting applications for a $1000 stipend to help offset the cost of educational expenses for an ALA-accredited program.  Applicants must write an essay on news literacy, which is also the topic of the upcoming Fall program – Fact, False, or Just Flawed:  Critically Examining News in the Age of Truthiness.   Interested in attending the Fall program? Students receive a discounted price on program registration and a one-year free membership, so getting involved as a student is a great idea!

The Delaware Valley Chapter is committed to helping future librarians. If you have any questions, please contact dvcmentoring@gmail.com.

ACRL DVC Fall Program Lightning Round: Call for Presenters

Have you developed a new campus partnership, program, or resource that addresses news literacy? The ACRL Delaware Valley Chapter is now accepting lightning round proposals for its Fall program: Fact, False, or Just Flawed.
The program will be held on Friday, November 17, 2017 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. (Fall program information available here) Continue reading “ACRL DVC Fall Program Lightning Round: Call for Presenters”

Report on ACRL Chapters Council Meeting at ALA Annual 2017

The ACRL Chapters Council meeting took place on Sunday, June 25, 2017, at the ALA Annual meeting in Chicago.  Cheryl Middleton, current ACRL president, welcomed everyone and spoke about ACRL’s participation in the American Council of Learned Societies fellows program.  This is a career building program that is working to expand the reach of the humanities.  The ACRL sponsored fellow will start at the end of August and will be focusing on the Assessment in Action (AIA) work that has been ongoing.  Middleton mentioned that changes to Connect, the ALA communication/discussion group tool are forthcoming.  Keep an eye out for further information from ALA.  Based on member feedback ACRL is working to reduce the physical footprint of the annual conference in 2018.   Continue reading “Report on ACRL Chapters Council Meeting at ALA Annual 2017”

Delaware Valley Chapter 2017-18 Board Members

Thank you very much to everyone that ran for this year’s open board positions for the Delaware Valley Chapter of ACRL. Our members’ willingness to donate their time to the leadership of our chapter is a testament to what a wonderful community of librarians we have.

We are pleased to announce our newly elected board members:

Vice President / President Elect: Jessica Denke, Public Services Librarian at DeSales University

Secretary: Jessica Brangiel, Electronic Resources Management Librarian at Swarthmore College

Director at Large: Stephanie Sweeney Pennucci, Ed.D., Education Librarian/Assistant Professor at Millersville University

Please join us in congratulating our newest board members!

-The ACRL DVC Nominating Committee

Pam Harris
Cathy Ogur
Anne Schwelm

Report on ACRL Baltimore from Julianna Pakstis

ACRL 2017 in Baltimore
March 22-25, 2017

Report from Julianna Pakstis, MLIS student and ACRL-DVC scholarship recipient

I would imagine that any first-time attendee to the Association for College and Research Libraries bi-annual conference feels equal parts overwhelmed and in awe while there. But this year it seemed intensified.

Now, as a first-time attendee (a title which I wore in a ribbon on my badge in hopes that it would initiate conversation, camaraderie, and inspire veteran attendees to counsel with some much-needed advice – it worked!), I don’t have much of a basis for comparison to past conferences. Even so, I could tell that something was different. There was a palpable sense of urgency permeating from the small groups to the Baltimore Convention Center’s biggest halls. The message was clear. Libraries are in danger of losing millions in federal funding and we need to save them. We need to help each other and ourselves.

Bigotry, woefully passive activism, and the very real threat of budget cuts were organizing themes from the Thursday keynote given by Roxane Gay, the first formal session I attended. Gay is not a librarian and the topics she covered weren’t specifically library-related the majority of the time. Rather, Gay spoke out against weak allyship, called out racism, and called us to act, not just for library funding, but for human rights in general.

I was (delightfully) surprised to hear this kind of opinionated speech take center stage – at what the speaker called a wonderfully produced talk at that. But I see now that I shouldn’t have been so surprised. When the just side of an issue is so clear, organizations and their members have an obligation to speak up. So now instead of surprised, I am proud. And I am acting. You can too!

When I accepted the ACRL-DVC stipend and was asked to write, I didn’t think this blog post would become a podium for social justice or a call to action to save the very basis of our profession. But that overtone was strong enough to make it central in any summary of this year’s conference.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to hear not only the loud centralized voices of this professional organization, but also to have engaged with individuals from institutions across the country who each have nuanced and, at times, conflicting viewpoints. It’s important for me as a young professional, and young person, to hear this multiplicity of voices and to be involved in the defining dialogue of the future of library science.

Lofty ideas aside, I learned practical solutions for problems that can occur in areas of college librarianship I hadn’t yet even considered. I was reminded to consider logistical factors, like schedule flexibility, workplace status and reputation, and cost of living when applying to Ph.D. programs post-MLIS. I saw how librarians are working with humanities faculty to make their work accessible through metadata. Librarians are creatively teaching and adapting metadata skills so that faculty and students can produce metadata themselves with library support, thus allowing the librarian to foster a strong digital humanities program while working on other projects as well. One poster highlighted that training sessions with school tour guides reduced the inaccuracy of library facts given to prospective students, which is a brilliantly simple solution to a problem I wasn’t even aware of. I saw a shining example of everything that is out there in terms of technology, organization, and institutions neatly packaged into a (giant) exhibition hall.

I was even able to have a bit of fun exploring the host city of Baltimore. From the top of Federal Hill, I took in views of the harbor that were no less impressive against a grey Friday afternoon. I attended the American Visionary Art Museum and was treated to exhibits about and made from food, alongside a 15 foot tall pink poodle. I’m still craving the artichoke and Maryland crab dip served at the ACRL-DVC Leaders’ Reception.

Ultimately, my experience at ACRL made me more acutely aware of issues and opinions in our field and introduced me to finer points of how this profession functions. This experience is impossible to mimic in a classroom and yet so integral to producing well-informed librarians. I would not have been able to learn all that I did without the generosity of the Delaware Valley Chapter of ACRL. Thank you.

 

ACRL Conference Scholarship Update

ACRL-DVC President Martha Stevenson is pleased to report that MLS student Julianna Pakstis was awarded a scholarship to attend this year’s ACRL conference in Baltimore. Julianna will provide a report on her conference experience for the ACRL-DVC blog.

The Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL-DVC) annual scholarship essay is designed to foster and support future academic librarians. This year, a $1000 scholarship award was offered to cover expenses to attend the ACRL 2017 Baltimore Conference, At the Helm: Leading Transformation. The ACRL conference is held once-every-two-years and offers librarians the opportunity to discover new ideas and to stay at the forefront of the profession.

ACRL Delaware Valley and Maryland Chapters Cohost Leaders’ Reception at ACRL 2017 in Baltimore

Ending a Friday filled with energizing and informative sessions at ACRL 2017, ACRL leaders and local chapter members gathered at the Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards to relax, recharge, and swap stories while enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres. ACRL-DVC provided financial support and planning input for the event. Many thanks go to the Maryland Chapter for inviting us to participate and handling the logistics. Also thanks to the additional sponsors whose generosity helped make this event possible.

Meet the ACRL-DVC conference scholarship recipient, Julianna Pakstis …

More pictures of the gathering…

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