Please join us for the Second Annual STEM Information Professionals Mini Conference at Barnard College in New York City, co-sponsored by Barnard College and the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO). This two-day conference, taking place Thursday, March 20th and Friday, March 21st from 8:30am to 4:30pm both days, aims to bring together science librarians, other liaison librarians, archivists, museum curators and workers, library workers, LIS students, and other information-focused professionals who want to learn more about information and research services in the sciences. Attend this conference ready to build community, share ideas, and discuss critical approaches to instruction and research in the sciences. Please find the full conference program here. Registration fees for this conference are on a sliding scale! All levels are self-selected at registration; please choose the level that best aligns with your current situation. All levels receive the same great experience: both days of conference sessions, invited speakers, coffee/tea in the morning, lunches (takeaway containers for people observing Ramadan). Please note: You only have to register once to attend both days! Would you prefer to attend virtually? An online-only option is available for free, but does not include coffee or lunch. All sessions take place via Zoom. Register here! Call for Session Proposals: Submit by February 8, 2025! Do you have an idea for a session or workshop? Find out more about what the conference team is looking for here, and submit your proposal ideas by February 8, 2025 using this form.

Please join us for the Second Annual STEM Information Professionals Mini Conference at Barnard College in New York City, co-sponsored by Barnard College and the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO). This two-day conference, taking place Thursday, March 20th and Friday, March 21st from 8:30am to 4:30pm both days, aims to bring together science librarians, other liaison librarians, archivists, museum curators and workers, library workers, LIS students, and other information-focused professionals who want to learn more about information and research services in the sciences. Attend this conference ready to build community, share ideas, and discuss critical approaches to instruction and research in the sciences. Please find the full conference program here. Registration fees for this conference are on a sliding scale! All levels are self-selected at registration; please choose the level that best aligns with your current situation. All levels receive the same great experience: both days of conference sessions, invited speakers, coffee/tea in the morning, lunches (takeaway containers for people observing Ramadan). Please note: You only have to register once to attend both days! Would you prefer to attend virtually? An online-only option is available for free, but does not include coffee or lunch. All sessions take place via Zoom. Register here! Call for Session Proposals: Submit by February 8, 2025! Do you have an idea for a session or workshop? Find out more about what the conference team is looking for here, and submit your proposal ideas by February 8, 2025 using this form.

Universal Design (UD) is a model that tries to reach every student. It is "the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design." UD goes beyond assuming a statement about the Office for Accessibility in a syllabus is “enough” for students. It provides options for students such as the option to write a paper or create a short video for their final project in any given class. It considers students at the margins of the educational system by providing Open Educational Resources over costly textbooks. Lastly, UD removes barriers rather than trying to “fix” the learner. How can UD guide librarians? In this hands-on workshop from Derek Stadler, Web Services Librarian and Head of Media Services at LaGuardia Community College, participants will: Learn common accessibility obstacles and easy fixes that align library instruction, and library resources and services, with UD principles Contribute to developing an inclusive learning environment for students by using UD concepts and practices Ensure the materials used or developed in library resources and services are accessible. We encourage you to bring documents that you use in your library instruction to work on during the session. If you do not have any, materials will be provided for you. While attendance at Part 1 is not required, it is strongly encouraged. Learn more about Part 1 here. About our presenter: Derek Stadler is a Professor at LaGuardia Community College, serving as the Library’s Web Services Librarian and Head of Media Services. At LaGuardia, he has organized and co-led several workshops on universal design and accessibility. Derek has a BS in Computer Science, an MS in Library Science, and an MA in History. His library research has been published in Journal of Library Administration, Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, The Journal of Interactive Technology & Pedagogy, New Review of Academic Librarianship, Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Innovative Pedagogy, and the Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. His history research has been published in Long Island History Journal, New York History, and German Life and Letters.

Presenting information and public speaking are an everyday part of being an information worker. You may have to lead a group meeting, speak at a conference, or host a program for patrons. This workshop, which is geared toward LIS students and early career professionals, will be presented in two parts. In the morning, we will focus on skill building on public speaking, proposal writing, presentation building, and stepping out of your comfort zone. After a lunch break, we will do presentation karaoke! Instead of choosing a song to sing, you will choose a topic to present on for 2-3 minutes. Public speaking isn’t your cup of tea? Never fear! Just like regular karaoke, the activity is meant to be fun and low stress. We will give you plenty of time to prepare day-of and strive to create a welcoming, judgement-free karaoke space. After participating in this workshop, everyone should be able to: Explain the life cycle of a presentation, from thinking up an idea to presenting Distinguish between different types of presentations and settings for public speaking Identify their comfort with various types of presentations and settings for public speaking, and tools for overcoming nerves and putting themselves forward Practice public speaking and presenting in a safe space There is nothing to prepare in advance, but it is helpful to come up with the topic you’d like to present on. Your presentation can be whatever you’d like – serious or silly, argumentative or informative, or anything in between. A few prompts to get your presentation topic brainstorming started: What is your most controversial hot take? What is a hobby you have? What is your favorite book or genre of books? What is the best song ever written? About our presenter: Emma Karin Eriksson (she/her) is an activist-academic whose personal and professional life is driven by a commitment to social justice. Believing deeply in people over property and profit, Emma sees libraries as a place of liberation. She is the Manager of Youth Civic Engagement and Creative Expression for the Brooklyn Public Library, a radical facilitator, and zine maker. To learn more about her, her work, or to get in contact visit www.bit.ly/emmakarin. Lunch will be provided. Please bring a laptop!

Effective leadership is built on empathy, compassion, and intuition, fostering trust, collaboration, and innovation within teams. Empathy allows leaders to actively listen, understand different perspectives, and create a supportive environment where employees feel valued. When employees feel heard, morale and engagement improve, leading to higher productivity. Compassion goes beyond understanding—it involves taking meaningful action to support team members in overcoming challenges. A compassionate leader provides encouragement, resources, and guidance, strengthening relationships and building loyalty. Intuition helps leaders make quick, informed decisions by balancing experience, data, and instinct. While logical analysis is important, intuition allows leaders to navigate uncertainty with confidence. Trusted leaders know when to rely on their intuition and when to seek additional information. By the end of this session, attendees will: Understand the role of empathy, compassion, and intuition in a leadership capacity Gain strategies for integrating these qualities to inspire their teams and drive meaningful success Learn ways to create a positive work culture where individuals and organizations thrive About our presenters: Sharon Palmer is a Regional Director at Brooklyn Public Library. In this role, she oversees ten neighborhood libraries and supervises over one hundred employees. Having worked at Brooklyn Public Library in various capacities, Sharon remains passionate about library services and is a strong advocate for collaboration and teamwork among staff. Additionally, she enjoys working with various community partners to positively impact communities. Sharon has been the recipient of three Bklyn Incubator awards that provides funding for staff to implement community-based projects: S.E.E (Shop, Eat and Exercise) Yourself Healthy, Cooking, Crocheting and Coping and Journey to Parenthood: How library staff can support pregnant people. Although Sharon’s primary roles focus on leadership, team building and project management, she enjoys planning and hosting innovative virtual programs for adults. Under Sharon’s leadership, staff at four libraries obtained the prestigious New York City Charles H. Revson monetary award for outstanding customer service. Additionally, Sharon previously presented on a variety of topics at the ALA,BCALA and NYLA conferences. Le'Andre Peoples is a dedicated professional with a wealth of experience in the field of library services. Starting as an Office Aide, Le’Andre's career journey has seen him excel as a Technology Resource Specialist, Circulation Manager, and presently as the Regional Assistant. In his current role at the Brooklyn Public Library, he assists the Regional Director and manages the Regional Office. Beyond his administrative duties, Le’Andre is committed to the professional development of the support staff and himself. His vision extends to expanding branch operations and, thanks to his extensive clerical, technological, and administrative expertise, he's a sought-after contributor to various committees and library initiatives. Taina K. Evans is a Regional Director at the Brooklyn Public Library who has been instrumental in transforming library services through innovative community-focused initiatives. Her groundbreaking "Our Streets, Our Stories" project launched in 2013, aims to collect and preserve oral histories from diverse Brooklyn neighborhoods, while her involvement in the "Branch Tap-Ins" program addresses staff resilience in the post-pandemic era. Evans has consistently demonstrated leadership in enhancing library engagement, supporting staff well-being, and amplifying marginalized community voices through her strategic and compassionate approach to librarianship. She is actively involved with the New York Library Association, currently serving as the President of the New York Black Librarian Caucus roundtable.

Social media can help you build professional and social community, find jobs, learn from others, share your work, ask questions, and hear about new ideas and projects. After the implosion of multiple other social platforms, the Bluesky platform has become one of the best options to keep accessing those benefits. This webinar will be aimed at GLAM folks considering trying out Bluesky, or who’ve dipped a toe in but not felt comfortable using it yet. During this session, participants will learn: A few simple steps to get started on Bluesky How to find and build community How to have a safe and lower-stress social media experience there And you won’t need to take notes, as there’s a detailed written guide for your reference after the talk! About our presenter: Dr. Amanda Wyatt Visconti (they/them) is Director of the Scholars’ Lab, a community research center for experimental and digital humanities learning at the University of Virginia Library in Charlottesville, VA. Their educational background is in libraries and literature; professionally, they’ve worked in academia, libraries and archives, tech, and the digital humanities community that spans all three. They’re a big fan of DIY (do-it-yourself) scholarly/learning communication, and in addition to being a frequent social media user (literaturegeek.bsky.social), they blog (LiteratureGeek.com), develop websites, do a variety of craft and makerspace work (e.g. https://amandavisconti.github.io/DHMakesMethodz), and author and catalogue zines (ZineBakery.com).