In the second webinar of a two-part series, Eira Tansey (Memory Rising) will discuss a recent study carried out for METRO to contextualize and understand climate change exposure for the region. New York City and the state of New York have some of the most ambitious climate action plans in the country. We’ll discuss examples of actual strategies libraries are already using to reduce their environmental impact and adapt to climate change, as well as emerging areas of climate action collaboration between librarianship and other sectors. Participants will: Learn how to locate existing climate change policy resources in their sector/geographic area Understand ways of embedding climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies into library work Be able to identify areas of potential collaboration with professionals from other fields Find more info about Part 1 here. About our presenter: Eira Tansey is an archivist, researcher, and consultant based in her hometown of Cincinnati/the Ohio River watershed. She is the founder of Memory Rising, which provides research, consulting, and archival services with expertise in climate change, environmental and labor movements, and Ohio Valley regional history. She previously worked as an archivist at the University of Cincinnati and Tulane University. Eira’s research on archives and climate change has been profiled by Yale Climate Connections, VICE, and Pacific Standard, and has been honored by the Society of American Archivists. Her most recent publication is A Green New Deal for Archives. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

In the first webinar of a two-part series, Eira Tansey (Memory Rising) will discuss a recent study carried out for METRO to contextualize and understand climate change exposure for the region. New York City and the state of New York have some of the most ambitious climate action plans in the country. We’ll discuss how libraries in the region fit into this picture, and also examine some of the larger climate change policy concerns for libraries and archives around the country. Participants will: Learn to distinguish between mitigation and adaptation Be able to identify relevant aspects of a climate action plan Understand climate change issues for the New York City region and libraries Find more info about Part 2 here. About our presenter: Eira Tansey is an archivist, researcher, and consultant based in her hometown of Cincinnati/the Ohio River watershed. She is the founder of Memory Rising, which provides research, consulting, and archival services with expertise in climate change, environmental and labor movements, and Ohio Valley regional history. She previously worked as an archivist at the University of Cincinnati and Tulane University. Eira’s research on archives and climate change has been profiled by Yale Climate Connections, VICE, and Pacific Standard, and has been honored by the Society of American Archivists. Her most recent publication is A Green New Deal for Archives. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). The Prison Library Support Network is collaborating with METRO in 2023 to host Abolitionist Futures: A PLSN Discussion Group, which will meet quarterly on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We invite you to join with kids, double task with your dinner, have your camera on OR off, engage with the materials, and contribute to the discussion however you feel comfortable. Do not feel pressure to read, listen to, or watch everything listed! This is a casual space. The final discussion of the year will look at the day-to-day price tags incarcerated folks face when accessing prison commissaries and other essential services on the inside: PLSN Presents: What Is a Prison Commissary? (PLSN's Instagram) The Whole Shabang (Ear Hustle podcast, 46 min) Optional: The Company Store: A Deeper Look at Prison Commissaries (Report from the Prison Policy Initiative) Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Please join us at New York City College of Technology (CUNY) in Downtown Brooklyn on December 6 from 3:00-4:30 pm for an exclusive tour of Americans and the Holocaust, an 1,100-square-foot traveling exhibit currently on view for a limited time. Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), Americans and the Holocaust is based on contemporary scholarship and asks what Americans did and did not do before, during, and immediately after the Second World War. Americans and the Holocaust has been touring fifty libraries across the country since 2021, and City Tech is the only venue at which to view it in the Greater New York area. Planning your visit: Visitors will enter at the City Tech Community Service Center, 287 Jay Street, and go through a security check in. Visitors must show ID. No bags are allowed. No food or drinks in the exhibit space. Public transit: https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/about-us/directions.aspx Following the tour, we will gather at a nearby space to discuss the exhibition and connect with colleagues.

Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the American Museum of Natural History’s new Gottesman Research Library and Learning Center. Described as “an Alice in Wonderland space with a column dressed up to resemble a mushroom” by the New York Times, the new Reading Room displays collections that highlight the history of the Museum, and the Alcove Gallery showcases holdings from the Library's Rare Book Collection and other special collections. Founded in 1869 and one of the largest natural history libraries in the world, the library features a unique collection of natural science books, journals, archives, photographs, moving images, art, and more. Following the tour, join us for a social hour at a nearby location to connect with fellow local library and archives workers. Please note: Space is limited, so if you’ve secured a spot but then find you’re unable to join, please let us know so we can open your spot to someone on the waitlist.

Session 3: Embracing the Future See more information about the full three-part series here. As U.S. states and territories prepare to receive and deploy a $65 billion federal investment in American broadband infrastructure and digital equity to ensure internet access for all,  how can communities prioritize funds to build models for digital equity that serve their long-term needs How might we begin to envision and talk about what the outcomes of this historic funding will look like now, with a focus on building for the future? This three-part convening,  hosted jointly by the Centri Tech Foundation, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, and the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council will bring together emerging and longtime digital equity leaders and practitioners and a diverse set of stakeholders to discuss forward-looking approaches to sustainable broadband adoption and digital equity. In this third and final webinar in our Built to Last series, we hear from emerging and longtime champions of digital equity who are adapting tools and strategies to help shape and inspire the future of digital equity work beyond this current investment of federal funding. We also share the ways frameworks and principles like the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society's Visions of Digital Equity principles, the Digital Equity Research Center at METRO’s Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement Framework, and the Centri Tech Foundation’s Digital Advancement Principles can be used to build an inclusive digital economy and strong futures for communities. Learning Objectives: Learn about the work of emerging digital equity leaders Understand different frameworks for moving digital equity work forward Identify ways to apply lessons learned in state and local Digital Equity Plans Keynote Speaker: Pamela Price, Deputy Director for The Balm In Gilead, Chief Technical Officer for Women in Reality FilmTV, Inc (WIRF Media), and President, From the Bottom Up Foundation  Dr. Fallon Wilson, originally announced as keynote speaker, is unable to attend. Moderator: Kate Rivera, Executive Director, Technology Learning Collaborative Panelists: Reyda Taylor,  Strategic Advisor, Travis County (Texas), supporting the Broadband and Digital Equity Program Brittany Woods-Orrison, Broadband Specialist, Alaska Public Interest Research Group Lidia Flores, Early Childhood Program Manager, Long Beach Forward Matt Rantanen, Vice President Tribal Broadband, GoldenStateNet and Director of Technology, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association and Tribal Digital Village About Our Speakers: Pamela Price currently serves as the Deputy Director for The Balm In Gilead managing the various faith and community-based initiatives of the organization. In addition to her role as Deputy Director, she also serves as the Chief Technical Officer for Women in Reality Film TV, Inc (WIRF Media) and President of From the Bottom Up Foundation based in Atlanta, GA. Mrs. Price holds a B.S. in Public Health and has more than 20 years of experience working with national and government agencies to develop and implement multi-faceted programs to meet the societal and cultural needs of women and under-served communities. As an exemplary leader with an innovative mindset, Pamela provides strategic direction and support to multi-sector organizations in the areas of project design, implementation and evaluation, to strengthen their overall efficiency and capacity to deliver impactful and sustainable programs and services. She is a representative member of national committees, coalitions, and advisory boards, and excels in working with both public, and private sector institutions. Mrs. Price is a national speaker, advocate & educator, routinely participating in briefings, webinars, and conferences on issues ranging from mental health to genetic counseling to digital equity and workforce development. She has served as a member of the U.S. Army Nurse Corp and has excelled in both government and non-governmental agencies providing leadership and guidance on program management, quality improvement, and project development. Mrs. Price is adept at leveraging national, state, & local partnerships with leaders in pharmaceutical, academic, entertainment,financial and educational industries to create, pilot, and scale programs that improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable communities and future generations. Kate Rivera is the Executive Director of the Technology Learning Collaborative in Philadelphia and serves as the principal consultant of Kate Rivera Solutions. The Technology Learning Collaborative (TLC) is a digital equity coalition in Philadelphia, and it has a mission to advance the digital literacy, access, and inclusion dialogue by fostering professional collaboration, training, and networking among organizations and institutions dedicated to advancing these domains. Kate Rivera is also an independent consultant who offers support to nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations in areas such as project management, program and strategic planning, grant writing, and more. Her areas of expertise encompass digital inclusion, youth workforce development, and civic engagement. Reyda Taylor is a Strategic Advisor at Travis County, supporting the Broadband and Digital Equity Program. Reyda first began working with Travis County in 2022, as a Fuse Corps Executive Fellow. Prior to her work supporting Travis County, Reyda led and co-led data ecosystem and participatory evaluation initiatives, as the Senior Consultant for Data and Evaluation at Mission Capital, in Austin, TX. Reyda particularly loves the entrepreneurism of new initiatives, founding her own business PKE Insights, co-founding Capacity Catalyst, and co-founding the Texas Applied Anthropology Summit. For over ten years in the nonprofit and technology sectors, Reyda has been building and scaling innovative, collaborative research and data initiatives. Reyda is passionate about equity and knowledge-sharing and is on a mission to make research and evaluation more accessible and adaptable. Reyda has a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida and a BA in Psychology from Ouachita Baptist University.  Brittany Woods-Orrison is a Koyukon Dené woman from Dleł Taaneets, an Alaskan village along the Yukon River. She grew up on her ancestral homelands learning how to harvest traditional foods and being taught her culture. Brittany attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska, then continued her student-athlete career at Menlo College. Brittany traveled around the Western United States learning about the lands, the waters, and the Indigenous stewards for a couple of years before returning home to Alaska to be the broadband specialist for Alaska Public Interest Research Group and Native Movement. Brittany now works on digital equity, cultural revitalization, food sovereignty, reconnecting to the land, and deep community building. Lidia Flores is the Early Childhood Program Manager at Long Beach Forward. Having begun community college with the goal of becoming a veterinarian and later learning about Child Development and Elementary School Teaching, Lidia has acquired a background in various helping professions. As a graduate of Cal State Long Beach with a major in Human Development, Lidia applies their passion of helping to their work with the Long Beach community. Lidia works directly with Long Beach parents of young children and plays a significant role in managing and guiding projects and activities within the Best Start Central Long Beach (BSCLB) network.  Matt Rantanen has been the director of technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) and the director of SCTCA’s Tribal Digital Village initiative for 21 years, designing and deploying networking that supports the tribal communities of Southern California. A lineal descendent of Cree (First Nations, Canada), Finnish, and Norwegian ancestry, Rantanen has been described by his peers as a “cyber warrior for tribal community networking” and is considered an expert on community and tribal networking. Rantanen helps SCTCA’s 25 member tribes with technology development and strategy. Rantanen was appointed co-chair of the Technology and Telecom Subcommittee of the National Congress of American Indians. In this role, he works with tribes to draft telecom policy and promote better opportunities for tribes within the federal government. He also serves on the advisory board of Arizona State University’s American Indian Policy Institute.

Session 2: Seizing the Moment See more information about the full three-part series here. As U.S. states and territories prepare to receive and deploy a $65 billion federal investment in American broadband infrastructure and digital equity to ensure internet access for all,  how can communities prioritize funds to build models for digital equity that serve their long-term needs How might we begin to envision and talk about what the outcomes of this historic funding will look like now, with a focus on building for the future? This three-part convening,  hosted jointly by the Centri Tech Foundation, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, and the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council will bring together emerging and longtime digital equity leaders and practitioners and a diverse set of stakeholders to discuss forward-looking approaches to sustainable broadband adoption and digital equity. As every state and territory prepares for five years of federal funding through the IIJA, current initiatives are underway in local communities that are centering equity and justice in their digital equity initiatives. In the second of three sessions in our Built to Last series, we hear from groups that are rising up to the challenge to ensure expanded digital access results in equitable opportunities, and addressing barriers within their local and statewide contexts, such as efforts to push back against embracing digital equity and social justice in their work with marginalized communities. Learning Objectives: Understanding Current Initiatives: Participants will gain insight into the ongoing community-based digital equity initiatives in various states and territories. They will learn about the strategies, programs, and projects that are actively addressing digital inequities and focusing on equity and justice. Navigating Challenges: Participants will explore the challenges and obstacles faced by groups striving to promote digital equity and social justice in their work with marginalized communities. They will learn about strategies and tactics used to overcome political resistance and pushback, gaining insights into effective advocacy and engagement. Building Inclusive Digital Equity Initiatives: By hearing from diverse voices and experiences, attendees will be equipped with knowledge and inspiration to develop more inclusive and justice-centered digital equity initiatives in their own communities or organizations. Keynote Speaker: Angela Thi Bennet, Digital Equity Director, National Telecommunications and Information Administration Moderator: Lauren Moore, New York State Librarian Panelists: Jordana Barton-Garcia, Senior Fellow, Connect Humanity Juan Muro, Jr., Executive Director, Free Geek H. Rose Trostle, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Indian Country Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis About Our Speakers: Angela Thi Bennet directs the allocation of the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Program and help develop guidelines for states to strategically utilize these funds to have a transformative impact in their communities. Angela said of her new role, “As my ability to serve scales to the national level, I remain steadfastly committed to amplifying marginalized voices, empowering local communities to drive solutions, and creating shared standards of metrics to inform interventions and create accountability.” Throughout her career, Angela has focused on community work and improving the quality of life in her Cleveland and greater Ohio communities. Her vast community and public sector experience include leading East Cleveland’s department of community and economic development, serving as Superintendent of a community school in Cleveland, and the Ohio State Board of Education. In her previous work at a community-based internet service provider, she was instrumental in growing the customer base and helping more than 1,500 individuals benefit from affordable digital access during the height of the pandemic. Angela is an advocate and ambassador for equity and inclusion, using her network and voice to elicit social change. Lauren Moore is New York State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries at the New York State Education Department. In that role, she oversees the Division of Library Development, the Regent Joseph E. Bowman, Jr. Research Library, and the New York State Talking Book and Braille Library. She has served in various leadership positions at public libraries and library systems throughout her career, including the  Executive Director of the Pioneer Library System where she led the development of 42 small and rural libraries in Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston Counties by coordinating shared services. Ms. Moore has also served in leadership positions for various library professional organizations as well as for local, regional, statewide service groups, including the New York State Complete Count Commission. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the School, Healthy, & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB). Ms. Moore earned her Master of Library and Information Sciences degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Rutgers University. Jordana Barton-Garcia has been an educator, a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) leader, a community development banker, a Federal Reserve researcher/practitioner, a philanthropy executive, and a technologist. She is now Senior Fellow with Connect Humanity.Jordana serves on the Statewide Working Group (SWG) of the Texas Broadband Development Office and is co-leading the South Texas-Rio Grande Valley Broadband and Digital Equity Plan that includes infrastructure expansion, digital workforce development, telehealth, and the South Tx Small Business Broadband Fund. In 2018, she received the “Federal Policy Champion Award” from the Coalition for Local Internet Choice and the “Community Broadband Hero Award” from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors. In 2020, she was named, “Salud Hero” (health hero) by Salud America, a program of UT Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame.  Juan Muro, Jr. Prior to his time in the nonprofit world, Juan worked at Starbucks as an Operations and Training Store Manager leading teams and helping to develop talent from within the organization. Juan has put those skills to use at Free Geek and has been working to make the organization better since his arrival in 2018, where he now serves as the Executive Director.  At Free Geek he has brought operational excellence, ability to build great teams and a people centric lens to delivering impact. Growing up in the poor neighborhoods of Escondido, California, Juan and his family had little access to resources, especially technology. Juan received his first laptop through a scholarship after entering the foster care system. At Free Geek Juan is able to break down barriers and enable access for others. Free Geek is a digital equity organization in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to sustainably reuse technology, enable digital access and provide education to enable a community that empowers people to realize their potential.  H. Rose Trostle is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. They have a Master's in Urban and Environmental Planning from Arizona State University and a B.A. in Political Science and Classical Languages from Macalester College. At Arizona State University, Trostle focused on Indigenous Planning: their final applied project was for the Office of Navajo Government Development. Between degree programs, Trostle also worked on the Community Broadband Networks team as a researcher from 2015 to 2018. Trostle is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota, and they are especially interested in infrastructure issues and community development in rural areas.

Focus groups, interviews, and observation studies produce large amounts of data for libraries to analyze. Depending on which data collection approach was used, you’ll want to apply the correct data analysis approach in order to gain the most from your data. Coding is a necessity when working with focus groups, interviews, and even observational data, and while challenging, is a skill set that can be learned. This session will introduce the basics of coding both qualitative and quantitative data and will share additional approaches to analyzing data to maximize the benefits gained from conducting focus groups, interviews, and observation studies. By the end of the sessions, attendees will be able to: Understand the basics of coding qualitative data, including different types of coding approaches Identify approaches to analyzing observation study data to align with the data collected Connect data gathered from focus groups, interviews, and observations to overarching questions or concerns faced by libraries About our presenter Dr. Kawanna Bright is Assistant Professor of Library Science at East Carolina University. Dr. Bright earned her PhD in Research Methods and Statistics from the University of Denver in 2018. Prior to earning her doctorate, Dr. Bright worked as an academic librarian for twelve years, with a focus on reference, instructional services, and information literacy. She earned her MLIS from the University of Washington iSchool in 2003. Dr. Bright’s current research focuses on assessment in libraries, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in libraries, the application of research methodology to the study of library and information science, and the importance of the liaison librarianship role in academic libraries. Her work with Dr. Amy VanScoy (University at Buffalo) to investigate the reference and information services experience of librarians of color received a 2014 ALA Diversity Research Grant and was awarded the 2017 Beta Phi Mu-Library Research Round Table Research Paper Award. Dr. Bright is also a co-PI on a recently funded IMLS grant project that will utilize survival analysis to determine when and why BIPOC librarians are likely to leave the profession. Dr. Bright is a 2021 recipient of an ECU College of Education Profiles in Diversity Award and a 2021 recipient of a 2021 NCLA Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns’ LIS Instructor Roadbuilder Award. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Session 1: Learning From the Past See more information about the full three-part series here. As U.S. states and territories prepare to receive and deploy a $65 billion federal investment in American broadband infrastructure and digital equity to ensure internet access for all,  how can communities prioritize funds to build models for digital equity that serve their long-term needs How might we begin to envision and talk about what the outcomes of this historic funding will look like now, with a focus on building for the future? This three-part convening,  hosted jointly by the Centri Tech Foundation, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, and the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council will bring together emerging and longtime digital equity leaders and practitioners and a diverse set of stakeholders to discuss forward-looking approaches to sustainable broadband adoption and digital equity. The current funding through IIJA is not the first time the federal government has provided significant investments to support local digital equity ecosystems. But it is the largest investment in this field to date. In this first of three sessions in our Built to Last series, we hear from veterans in the digital equity field who have led successful efforts in years past and are continuing their work today. Learning Objectives: Understand the historical context for the current digital equity movement Learn how three communities have built robust and lasting digital equity ecosystems Recognize a variety of ways communities might leverage funding for long-term solutions Moderator: Marta Urquilla, President, Centri Tech Foundation Panelists: Juliet Fink Yates, Broadband and Digital Inclusion Manager, Office of Innovation & Technology, City of Philadelphia Monique Tate, Co-Director, Community Tech NY Greta Byrum, Principal, Broadband and Digital Equity, HR&A Advisors Closing speaker: Dr. Karen Mossberger, Frank and June Sackton Professor, School of Public Affairs, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Arizona State University  About Our Speakers: Marta Urquilla is President of Centri Tech Foundation, a mission-driven organization focused on leveraging digital technologies to advance social and economic outcomes. She has over 25 years’ experience managing programs and leading results-oriented policy approaches to improve lives. Before joining Centri Tech, Marta was Chief Program Officer at Education Design Lab, directing the creation of new education models toward the future of work. Previously, she was Deputy Director at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University, where she led efforts to build the next generation of leaders and approaches to scale social change. Under President Obama, Marta served as Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation and as Senior Advisor for Social Innovation at the Corporation for National and Community Service, where she built and implemented the first Social Innovation Fund in the U.S. Government, a model adopted across federal agencies. Juliet Fink Yates has been working to address digital equity since 2001 when she was managing a small ISP for 10,000 low-income Philadelphians without Internet access for the Critical Path Internet Project. For many years, she worked as the Chief Learning Officer at Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers at the intersection of adult education, technology, and healthcare. In 2010, she wrote, in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia, the broadband stimulus grant that brought $5.4 million to low-income communities to set up computer labs, which became known as KEYSPOTS, in 77 locations, reached out to cultivate the key partners involved in that grant, and helped to design the program’s structure, overseeing a team that managed 28 of those KEYSPOTS. She was a founder of the Technology Learning Collaborative, Philadelphia’s first professional development organization dedicated to digital literacy providers and advocates and was a member of the City of Philadelphia’s Digital Literacy Alliance until she joined the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Innovation and Technology as the first Digital Inclusion Fellow.  Monique Tate is a Director for Community Tech New York, educating Community Wireless Network advocates & enthusiasts across the country; in addition to lecturing in Canada and Germany. She began work in this field in 2011 and continues implementing broadband sharing in Detroit & NY. She has introduced thousands to Community Technology and recruited & educated hundreds in Digital Stewardship, Community Leadership, Community Networks, and Digital Justice Coalition building. Monique is Co-Chair of the City of Detroit GO DATA Advisory Commission! In 2016 - 2020, she deployed and managed the largest community network in Detroit, for the Equitable Internet Initiative, with nine relay sites, three Solar Powered WIFI & Charging Stations, and activated the first Detroit public park (Bennett Playground) with WIFI, serving thousands. This community network is still growing today!! Greta Byrum is an urban planner specializing in broadband technologies and tech policy, equity, governance through program design and collaborative action research. She serves as Principal for the Broadband and Digital Equity Principal at HR&A Advisors, and is an Opportunity Fund Fellow with the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society with a focus on digital safety and security in the context of the Digital Equity Act. Previous to her work with HR&A and Benton, Greta built the Resilient Communities program at New America, an initiative bringing storm-ready mesh networks to five environmental justice communities in NYC; she founded Community Tech NY, a non-profit organization bringing technical assistance and community organizing support to communities in New York, Detroit, and rural Tennesee; and she also co-founded the Digital Equity Laboratory at the New School and stood up the Just Tech program at the Social Science Research Council. Greta lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Dr. Karen Mossberger is Frank and June Sackton Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University, and director of the Center on Technology, Data and Society. She researches digital inequality, digital government, and the impacts of technology use in communities.  She is author or co-author of 7 books, including “Choosing the Future:  Technology and Opportunity in Communities” (Mossberger, Tolbert and LaCombe, Oxford University Press, 2021), which was honored with the 2022 Goldsmith Book Prize for best academic book by the Shorenstein Center, Harvard University. She has conducted research on digital inclusion for the City of Chicago, Cuyahoga County, OH, Phoenix Housing Department, and City of Tempe, and her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the John D. and Catherine MacArthur Foundation, among others.  Her center has partnered with the Marconi Society to offer an online Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate for states, local governments, Tribes, and nonprofits through ASU. 

In this session, Vicky Rampin (NYU) will discuss building and maintaining services for research data management and reproducibility. Attendees will hear about different ways to ramp up and scale different offerings in order to address new federal regulations, wishes of researchers, and preservation concerns. We will also discuss different modalities of instruction, reference, collections, and infrastructure to support these services at different times (starting out and ramping up). This is part two of a two-part series on research data management. Learn more about part one here. About our presenter: Vicky Rampin is the Librarian for Research Data Management and Reproducibility and the subject specialist for data science and computer at New York University. Vicky supports researchers of all levels and disciplines in creating well-managed, reproducible scholarship through instruction, consultation, outreach, and infrastructure building. They also teach one course at Pratt SLIS every fall, Data Librarianship and Management. She loves all things open and contributes to a number of open projects as a part of their jobs and in her spare time. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Join METRO's Economics & Business Librarians Special Interest Group for this in-person Fall event. There are a handful of documents public companies must file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These documents, while steeped in legalese, contain a wealth of information and serve as the backbone for libraries’ major financial data products. In this session, Barbara Coffey, President, SLA Business & Finance, will walk you through the different SEC documents, what they contain, and their utility to researchers. Examining source documents adds a level of comprehension to financial research. Light refreshments will be served. Please note: Masks are optional This is an in-person only event RSVP is required Location: Bobst Library Rm 743 (West Wing, 7th Floor), 70 Washington Sq S, NY, NY 10012

A symposium by Brooklyn Public Library and Metropolitan New York Library Council Hosted by BPL's Brooklyn Heights Library and Center for Brooklyn History The day's emcee is Sheneatha Frison, School Outreach Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library When it comes to working on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion – particularly in libraries and archives, where the industry remains more than 80% white – it can feel as though we are engaged in a sisyphean task. As many of us are well aware, anti-racist practice in these spaces is imperative, and yet we are all prone to fatigue when it feels as though we are not making as much progress as we would like. It is necessary at times like this to take a break, come together with our colleagues, and figure out how we might retool and re-energize so that this important work can continue. When we come together around these topics, we often discover that there are many ways to go about achieving our goals of promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in our work. Through presentations, workshops, and a panel discussion, this symposium will aim to provide tools, resources, and strategies you can use for staying engaged in EDI work for as long as it takes. Opening Presentation Remarks by Nancy S. Kirkpatrick, Dean of University Libraries, Florida International University Where Do We Go From Here? A Panel Discussion on the Future of Library Leadership Nicole Bryan, Branch Manager, Brooklyn Public Library Nancy S. Kirkpatrick, Dean of University Libraries, Florida International University Diana Moronta, Instruction and Technology Librarian, New York Institute of Technology-Manhattan Library Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, Assistant Curator and Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning, and Engagement, New York University Division of Libraries Moderated by Traci Mark, Program Manager for Equity, Archives & Media Preservation, METRO Presentations Critical Reflective Practice for the Overburdened Library Worker Emma Karin Eriksson, Senior Young Adult Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library EDI Work in Action: Public- and Non-Public-Facing Approaches Hong Yao, Director, Technical Services Department, Queens Public Library Xi (Cathy) Chen, Assistant Director of Programming and Operations, New Americans Program, Queens Public Library Have Ally, Need Accomplice Robin Naughton, Interim Deputy Chief, Assistant Professor, Web and Digital Services Librarian, Queens College Library Simone Yearwood, Interim Dean of Faculty, School of Arts & Humanities, Queens College Mindful Information Literacy Through Project-Based Learning Selenay Aytac, Library Faculty, Long Island University The daylong symposium will take place at Brooklyn Public Library's Brooklyn Heights Library and at the Center for Brooklyn History, followed by a social hour nearby. Light breakfast and lunch are included. Both spaces are fully accessible. Masks are not required, but are strongly recommended. We hope to see you there. Register today!

In light of pressing federal regulations, changing norms in different fields, and growing interest in preserving research outcomes, more and more librarians are getting involved in supporting research data management in their institutions. In this session, Vicky Rampin (NYU) will provide a crash course in the core concepts involved in research data management and reproducibility and how these vary across different fields of study, so participants can feel better equipped to support a wide range of researchers. This is part one of a two-part series on research data management. Learn more about part two here. About our presenter: Vicky Rampin is the Librarian for Research Data Management and Reproducibility and the subject specialist for data science and computer at New York University. Vicky supports researchers of all levels and disciplines in creating well-managed, reproducible scholarship through instruction, consultation, outreach, and infrastructure building. They also teach one course at Pratt SLIS every fall, Data Librarianship and Management. She loves all things open and contributes to a number of open projects as a part of their jobs and in her spare time. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

What are we really agreeing to when we check an "I Agree" box in terms of service agreements? This workshop will take a close look at the ubiquitous checkbox and examine what we sacrifice for convenience and access to our digital world. Participants will leave with: A better understanding of terms of service agreements Practical ways to take charge of their digital footprint Approaches to teaching patrons about privacy About our presenter: Tess Wilson is a librarian who loves talking loudly about digital literacy, equitable access, and citizen science. Most recently, she was a co-author of an ALA United for Libraries Action Planner and contributed a chapter to ACRL's Data Literacy Cookbook. Outside of this work, she is a PA Master Naturalist and a mentoring trainer with the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with her local watershed and making art of all kinds. She collects big books and small rocks. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

While surveys are popular means of collecting data, there are limits to what survey data can tell you. When libraries want to gain a different perspective about their services, programming, and communities, focus groups, interviews, and observations are accessible options. For some, conducting focus groups/interviews or engaging in an observational study can be intimidating, but similar to surveys, there are steps that can be taken to ensure successful data collection using these methods. This session will focus on introducing best practices for conducting focus groups, interviews, and observational studies, and provide examples of how they can be applied in libraries. By the end of the sessions, attendees will be able to: Understand best practices for conducting focus groups, interviews, and observation studies Create focus group/interview protocols that align with library’s information needs Create observation protocols that align with library’s information needs Recognize situations where focus groups, interviews, and/or observational studies will be beneficial for the library About our presenter Dr. Kawanna Bright is Assistant Professor of Library Science at East Carolina University. Dr. Bright earned her PhD in Research Methods and Statistics from the University of Denver in 2018. Prior to earning her doctorate, Dr. Bright worked as an academic librarian for twelve years, with a focus on reference, instructional services, and information literacy. She earned her MLIS from the University of Washington iSchool in 2003. Dr. Bright’s current research focuses on assessment in libraries, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in libraries, the application of research methodology to the study of library and information science, and the importance of the liaison librarianship role in academic libraries. Her work with Dr. Amy VanScoy (University at Buffalo) to investigate the reference and information services experience of librarians of color received a 2014 ALA Diversity Research Grant and was awarded the 2017 Beta Phi Mu-Library Research Round Table Research Paper Award. Dr. Bright is also a co-PI on a recently funded IMLS grant project that will utilize survival analysis to determine when and why BIPOC librarians are likely to leave the profession. Dr. Bright is a 2021 recipient of an ECU College of Education Profiles in Diversity Award and a 2021 recipient of a 2021 NCLA Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns’ LIS Instructor Roadbuilder Award. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

States across the country are working to provide communities with reliable and affordable high-speed internet with support from unprecedented federal funding. Libraries and library workers will continue to play an essential role in this work. In this webinar, as part of Digital Inclusion Week, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) will provide strategies for building partnerships and coalitions to support digital inclusion work, as well as details about federal grant opportunities that can enhance digital inclusion programs in libraries. The coalitions portion of the webinar will include information on models for developing relationships with community partners to address digital inequities, and to support community digital inclusion ecosystem growth through a framework for partnership and coalition-building drawing from NDIA’s Digital Inclusion Coalition Guidebook. Attendees can expect to: Understand how digital inclusion coalitions are formed, operate, and continue to develop Explore the different roles and functions digital inclusion coalitions undertake Learn about coalition structure and roles Understand library systems’ role in State Digital Equity Planning Learn about federal Capacity and Competitive Grant processes Want an intro to digital inclusion? NDIA is hosting Digital Inclusion 101 on Monday, October 2nd at 2:00pm. Register here. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services here.

Surveys are a common go-to for libraries interested in collecting data both in support of and about their services, programs, and community. While creating surveys is fairly easy, creating good surveys takes a bit more effort. This session will focus on providing attendees with the principles of good survey design and an essential checklist that can be followed to craft surveys that not only ask the right questions but ask them in the right ways. By the end of the sessions, attendees will be able to: Recognize the principles of good survey design Identify issues with pre-existing survey questions and be able to correct them Create survey questions that align with the purpose of their surveys About our presenter Dr. Kawanna Bright is Assistant Professor of Library Science at East Carolina University. Dr. Bright earned her PhD in Research Methods and Statistics from the University of Denver in 2018. Prior to earning her doctorate, Dr. Bright worked as an academic librarian for twelve years, with a focus on reference, instructional services, and information literacy. She earned her MLIS from the University of Washington iSchool in 2003. Dr. Bright’s current research focuses on assessment in libraries, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in libraries, the application of research methodology to the study of library and information science, and the importance of the liaison librarianship role in academic libraries. Her work with Dr. Amy VanScoy (University at Buffalo) to investigate the reference and information services experience of librarians of color received a 2014 ALA Diversity Research Grant and was awarded the 2017 Beta Phi Mu-Library Research Round Table Research Paper Award. Dr. Bright is also a co-PI on a recently funded IMLS grant project that will utilize survival analysis to determine when and why BIPOC librarians are likely to leave the profession. Dr. Bright is a 2021 recipient of an ECU College of Education Profiles in Diversity Award and a 2021 recipient of a 2021 NCLA Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns’ LIS Instructor Roadbuilder Award. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). The Prison Library Support Network is collaborating with METRO in 2023 to host Abolitionist Futures: A PLSN Discussion Group, which will meet quarterly on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We invite you to join with kids, double task with your dinner, have your camera on OR off, engage with the materials, and contribute to the discussion however you feel comfortable. Do not feel pressure to read, listen to, or watch everything listed! This is a casual space. In September, the discussion will focus on the concept of parole and its far-reaching impacts after individuals have been released from prison: Life on Parole (Frontline documentary, 53 min) Parole in New York: Broken, Costly and Unjust (Article from New Yorkers United for Justice) Why Illinois Needs a Parole System (zine) Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

No doubt you've heard of artificial intelligence AI (perhaps from another session at METRO!). Perhaps you've even mulled over the implications of these new technologies on teaching, learning, and even our social lives. This webinar will describe how AI works from a technical perspective and shares ideas for how we might provide this information to learners of all ages. Join this webinar to learn more about how we might democratize the process of understanding how AI can and should be created, utilized and regulated through projects like We Are AI. We will also learn how to make the behind-the-scenes aspects of AI legible and understandable to all learners. This webinar will be presented by Julia Stoyanovich, Institute Associate Professor of Computer Science, Associate Professor of Data Science, and Director of the Center for Responsible AI at New York University. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

We at METRO work tirelessly on behalf of libraries and archives in our membership and, indeed, around the country. We believe firmly in the value of libraries and archives as institutions that provide conscientious and meaningful services to members of our communities. Libraries can and do change lives. That said, working in the profession can be a difficult proposition for many, and for a lot of different reasons. On the plus side, we are often told that the skills that make us excellent librarians and archivists also make us ideal hires in positions of all kinds. Let's talk about that. Join us for a panel discussion with library workers who found positions in other industries. We will be joined by Miraida Morales, Dana Munsch, Andy Steinitz, and Katie Wolf for a conversation about how they knew they needed to look to other industries for their next steps and how they made these changes happen. This conversation will take place via Zoom Webinar, but we want to hear from you as well. Please bring your questions and we will do our best to find you some answers. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Heard of ChatGPT? Not sure what to make of it? In this interactive session, the presenters will highlight how AI tools have already been embedded in libraries long before the arrival of ChatGPT in November 2022. This webinar offers a critical perspective on the issues that will start occurring from the use of such technologies. ChatGPT and other generative AI tools hold promises, risks, and concerns towards the research lifecycle and scholarship, especially impacting student learning and access to information. Join this interactive discussion and share your thoughts and ideas on these tools in libraries. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Understand the evolving role of generative AI tools and their potential harm and promise for libraries Identify ethical considerations in using ChatGPT for teaching, learning, and research Recognize the complex relationship between AI tools and daily experiences About our presenters: Ray Pun is the academic and research librarian at the Alder Graduate School of Education, a teacher residency program in California, where he supports all library services to preservice teachers and teacher educators. Ray previously worked at Stanford University, Fresno State, New York University Shanghai, and The New York Public Library in various roles. He currently serves as the President of the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) and the Immediate Past President of the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). Dr. Leo S. Lo (he, him, his) joined the University of New Mexico as Dean and Professor of the College of University Libraries and Learning Services (CULLS) in September 2021. He oversees over 120 full time faculty and staff and provides leadership for all University Libraries operations, Organization, Information, and Learning Sciences (OILS) programs, and the UNM Press. Previously, Dr. Lo served as Associate Dean for Learning, Undergraduate Services and Commonwealth Campus Libraries at the Pennsylvania State University Libraries (2019 - 2021), Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning at Old Dominion University (2016-2019), Head of McLure Education Library/Associate Professor at the University of Alabama (2014 – 2016), and Research and Development Librarian/Assistant Professor at Kansas State University (2009 -2014). Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Do you work with students who would like to publish? Three librarians who developed a 90-minute workshop to strengthen students’ knowledge and confidence in finding publishing platforms for their work will share examples of those activities in this workshop, and then examine the results of their assessment from participants. Join us to learn how to conduct a version of this workshop at your home institutions. Viewers can expect to: Identify issues of educational equity related to publishing, and how library-sponsored programming can help to support and close these gaps Understand the contents of the publishing workshops, as well as the broader challenges of designing educational programming for a disciplinarily diverse group of students with a range of learning goals Be able to discuss an approach to assessing the success of the workshops and iterating the content of programming in an ongoing series About our presenters: Michelle Wilson is the Head of Open Scholarship Services at the UMD Libraries. Prior to joining Maryland, Michelle was the Digital Publishing Librarian at Columbia University and an Associate Editor in the Reference department at Oxford University Press. Caro Bratnober is the Public Services Librarian at the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University. They provide library instruction and reference services to students, faculty, and staff – her library and archival work is informed by her research in gender and sexuality studies, (dis)ability studies, ethics and religious studies, along with digital-media and information-literacy studies. Kae Bara Kratcha is the Social Work & Professional Studies Librarian at Columbia University Libraries. They received their MLS from Queens College CUNY and their MA in Oral History from Columbia University, and their research interests include queer and trans oral history, information literacy instruction, and critical librarianship.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). The Prison Library Support Network is collaborating with METRO in 2023 to host Abolitionist Futures: A PLSN Discussion Group, which will meet quarterly on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We invite you to join with kids, double task with your dinner, have your camera on OR off, engage with the materials, and contribute to the discussion however you feel comfortable. Do not feel pressure to read, listen to, or watch everything listed! This is a casual space. In June, the discussion will focus on the historical and current experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals both in and recently out of prison: The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison, by Hugh Ryan (available at BPL, NYPL, QPL, and Bold Type Books Incarcerated LGBTQ Americans find little to no support system upon release (PBS News Hour video, 9 min) Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

This session dives a bit deeper into all that Python can do! Katie Wolf, Data Manager at Murmuration, will help attendees explore Python libraries and use a couple to tailor the Python experience to your needs. During the workshop, we will also take the time to interact with APIs to get a lot of data at once in a format that we can use! Attendees can expect to learn: What Python libraries are and how to use them How to work with data using the Python Library Pandas How to use Python to interact with APIs This is a great session for those with a basic familiarity with Python, but who want to extend their reach a little further. Please bring a laptop. This in-person workshop will take place in the Info Commons meeting room in the Brooklyn Public Library Central branch at 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238. Tickets are $30 for METRO members and $60 for non-members. Check to see if your institution is a member here. For an intro to Python, join us on Monday, April 17 from 1:00 to 4:00pm for Easy Peasy Intro to Python.

Scholars such as Twana Hodge, Fobazi Ettarh, and Kaetrena Davis Kendrick have helped us understand how standard everyday library work puts you at risk for secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. They have pointed out how vocational awe perpetuates stories of how library workers overcome adversity through resilience, grit, or doing more with less, which causes you to ignore your boundaries and needs.  Toxic leadership, present in too many of our institutions, fuels low morale, which is an increasingly significant issue across both public and academic libraries, especially so for people of color. In this talk, we will learn how insights from environmental psychology, contemplative science, and design can help us imagine and experience a new, subtly radical way of working—one that helps us imagine and live in a more human and humane library field. At this workshop facilitated by Beck Tench, you will: Learn about recent scholarship on burnout and low morale in the library field  Discover things you can do right away to experience a more restorative way of working Consider how to hold individual restorative practices alongside larger systemic issues