Having visualizations to quickly intake various inter-related data points can help with decision-making and communicating value to stakeholders move more smoothly. While there are several applications that can be used for visualization purposes, not every library has the staff capacity or software resources to develop or license a robust visualization tool. Utilizing a common application such as Microsoft Excel can provide a low barrier entry point and serve as a good foundation to expanding one’s knowledge and comfort in developing formatted tables, charts, and filters using slicers. This session intends to show how to set up a master data table in Excel, create PivotTables and PivotCharts, as well as several slicers to isolate resources by cost, percent changes, usage, fund source, subject area, and LC class to monitor trends over multiple years. Use cases will also be shared on how this dashboard has helped view trends on the increase of open access usage in comparison to controlled usage, communicate cost trends to executive leadership, and provide Acquisitions staff a better view on struggling resources to keep a closer eye on. Additionally, this topic can aid newcomers to learn how to manage and maintain data regarding the library’s continuing resources and databases.
The Electronic Serials Cataloging Workshop will introduce attendees to current standards and practices, elements and terminology used in the cataloging of electronic serials. This course is based on Resource Description and Access (RDA) as interpreted by current CONSER policy and practice with special attention paid to the differences in the cataloging of print and electronic serials. Attendees will work through exercises which will include use of current tools and documentation. Attendees should be familiar with the MARC bibliographic standard. Knowledge of print serials cataloging practices is also helpful (but not required).
Head, Serials Cataloging, University of Washington Libraries
Steve plans, organizes, and directs the work of the Serials Cataloging Unit at the UW Libraries. His background in serial standards began with his work as an ISSN Cataloger at the Library of Congress and currently serves as the coordinator of the CONSER Open Access Journals project... Read More →
Libraries have numerous opportunities to promote open access through subvention funds, supporting open collections, and providing access to research produced by their institutions. This workshop will guide participants in evaluating current open access initiatives, creating strategic documentation to enhance collection development for the future, and offering a roadmap for assessment and benchmarking. Librarians from the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries will share their experience in drafting a strategic plan that considers all pathways to open access, including green, hybrid, gold, and platinum options. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of data-driven methods for identifying open access needs within their organizations, how to develop SMART goals that align collection budgets with professional values, and strategies for fostering collective action around open access across their campuses.
This presentation will cover the journey of a novel ERM implementation in FOLIO, an ERM system new to the ILS landscape. Library and vendor partnered to implement EBSCO FOLIO as a free-standing ERM module, utilizing an intentional & principled approach that went beyond just data migration to include both workflow considerations and the library’s unique staffing and collection needs.
Outcomes of the project included developing new migration tools for transferring ERM data, integrating multiple existing data sources, configuring the system to provide efficient methods of tracking renewals and perpetual access, creating foundational collection assessment cycle data, categorizing resources by subject and content type, as well other ERM lifecycle information important to the library.
We will highlight in detail the outcomes of the project, the challenges of implementing a standalone ERM in a time of staffing and future ILS uncertainty, as well as the benefits of implementation using a consultative partnership approach between library and vendor.
Electronic resource management in knowledgebases regularly encounters challenges of incomplete or incorrect metadata, evaluating packages for activation, and troubleshooting holdings information. Many decisions about e-resource inventory are driven by the need to provide immediate access to our collection, and considerations of metadata quality are usually secondary. The bibliographic rank is a value in Alma which indicates the overall quality of a record through an evaluation of completeness and richness. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of how the bibliographic rank score was collected and assessed to evaluate the quality of the library’s electronic resource records. The scores were assessed by overall category of score values, content format, provider, and subject areas. Our findings from the analysis were used to determine opportunities for adjusting our e-resource workflows, advocating for improved records with content providers, and notifying service providers of errors or required corrections.
Increasing budgetary pressures, rapidly evolving new technologies, shifting user behaviour and needs in combination with significant sector and institutional changes required Deakin Library to reconsider our approach to collection assessment and development. Over the last couple of years, Deakin Library has developed a fundamentally different approach to collection evaluation to ensure that our resources meet the evolving needs of our communities while aligning and advancing with the University’s strategic direction and vision of creating a vibrant, rich and inclusive ideas eco-system and contributing to the creation of a more informed, progressive and socially-just society globally. Our new Collection Governance Framework is now providing a values-based approach which was developed in close collaboration across all library teams, ensuring inclusivity, transparency and a feeling of ownership throughout the whole process. It reflects core library values and the values and vision of the University, and is supported by practical principles and a holistic and comprehensive collection evaluation rubric. The rubric utilises a narrative-based approach that reflects the diversity of perspectives and insights contributed by all areas of Deakin Library, including the Strategic Leadership Team, Collections, Metadata & Discovery, Scholarly Communications and Research Outputs, Scholarly Services, Experience Design, Copyright, and Client Experiences in consultation with key contacts across the University. To ensure a streamlined and effective process, the Collection Governance Framework is supported by extensive documentation including process maps, work instructions and best practice guidelines. The whole process is facilitated through Jira, an agile project management tool that functions as single source of truth for not only collection assessment but also approval workflows. The information gathered through the evaluation process on Jira integrates both quantitative and qualitative insights and is analysed and visualised through a Tableau dashboard, allowing for benchmarking against various measures and identifying collection strengths and gaps. The implementation of the Collection Governance Framework has been immensely successful and has provided a catalyst to address some of the fundamental questions about the future of scholarly communications, the role of vendors and suppliers regarding advancing our strategic goals and supporting our communities and considering the future shape and purpose of our collections. It has also strengthened our negotiating position with positive outcomes in both budgetary terms and value alignment. In our presentation, we will share the journey of developing the Collection Governance Framework, creating a rubric for collection assessment, and our key learnings. We will focus on the practical implementation of the collection evaluation process and application of the outcomes.
ISSN was published as an ISO standard in 1975, making 2025 its 50th birthday! What better way to celebrate than with a “this is your life-style” “roast”! Join the personifications of fellow identifiers (ISBN, DOI, ORCID, ISSN-L) as they celebrate the history, the drama, the accomplishments and joy around this important standard. Participants will bring these standards to life, feting our honoree. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of the significance of standard and its use today.
I am a librarian and a researcher in information science focusing on persistent identifiers, metadata quality, open science and digital preservation. I have been running the ISSN International Centre and coordinating its network of 93 member countries since 2014. I am a member of... Read More →
Regina Romano Reynolds is director of the U.S. ISSN Center and head of the ISSN Section at the Library of Congress. She was a member of the U.S. RDA Test Coordinating Committee and co-chaired the internal LC group that recommended LC projects based on the report of the Working Group... Read More →
Head, Serials Cataloging, University of Washington Libraries
Steve plans, organizes, and directs the work of the Serials Cataloging Unit at the UW Libraries. His background in serial standards began with his work as an ISSN Cataloger at the Library of Congress and currently serves as the coordinator of the CONSER Open Access Journals project... Read More →
In 2023, our Acquisitions department evaluated existing position descriptions for how well they met the current needs and challenges of the department and the broader library landscape. We found that staffing in our serials unit was still skewed toward print management even though over 80% of our subscriptions have moved to an electronic format. Several positions were redesigned to incorporate NASIG Core Competencies, especially related to the print and electronic resource life cycles. By using the core competencies to distribute print and electronic responsibilities among multiple staff members, we balanced the workload and prepared our area to better face future trends. This session will discuss the new position descriptions, the benefits of incorporating built-in cross-training, and how we worked with our campus HR office to build a job-family grid which provides opportunities for staff advancement.
This workshop is for library workers who want to get started on collection assessment, but who may not have the resources to launch large projects or programs. The workshop will guide participants through designing and acting on micro-assessment projects for library collections. A micro-assessment is a small collection assessment project aligned with your resources and your organizational priorities. It is tightly scoped and time-bound, designed to inform a specific collections decision or strategy. A thoughtfully designed micro-assessment can offer both actionable insights into your collections and valuable learning opportunities for library staff interested in collections work.
Through instructor-provided case studies and other exercises, workshop participants will practice (1) identifying narrowly focused, action-oriented collection micro-assessment projects; (2) scoping those micro-projects to align with available staff time and expertise; and (3) using small, manageable amounts of data to speak directly to a decision or action. Along the way, participants will learn practical tips for ensuring micro-assessments can also become the building blocks for a larger collection assessment program. As a final activity, participants will draft a micro-assessment proposal for their own institutions.
Helen McManus is the Head, Collections Strategy at George Mason University Libraries. Helen holds a PhD in Political Science and an MLIS, both from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has taught at George Mason University and The George Washington University.
"Diversity and Libraries: The Stigma of Mental Illness" describes the stigma of mental illness in libraries, regardless of strong diversity programs. The presenter will discuss the literature and the results of a short survey conducted by the presenter. The results of the survey will be analyzed and recommendations for improvement will be presented.
Acquiring electronic resources for academic libraries has evolved into a complex and multifaceted process. Juggling numerous requests from faculty, negotiating with vendors, managing budgets, and ensuring timely access. This presentation will explore how leveraging Jira, a robust project management software, can help you re-imagine the e-resource acquisition workflow, transforming it from a chaotic process into a streamlined and efficient operation. Jira, with its customizable workflows, robust tracking capabilities, and seamless communication features, provides a powerful platform for managing the entire lifecycle of e-resource acquisitions including trial workflows. We will delve into how Jira can be configured to: Streamline Request Processing Establish clear and concise workflows for each stage of the acquisition process, from initial request submission to final approval. Automate tasks, such as sending notifications and assigning requests. Utilize custom fields to capture essential information about each request, such as consortia options, trial availability, authentication method, usage statistics availability, VPAT availability and rating, and history of ILL requests. Enhance Communication and Collaboration Facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between library staff processing requests. Utilize built-in messaging and notification features to keep everyone informed about the status of requests and resolve issues promptly. Increase Transparency and Accountability Provide a clear and transparent view of the acquisition process for all stakeholders. Enhance accountability by tracking progress, identifying bottlenecks, and ensuring timely decision-making. By implementing Jira, libraries can significantly reduce staff burden, improve efficiency, and enhance the overall user experience. This presentation will provide practical tips and best practices for implementing Jira in an academic library setting, including customization options, and workflow design including trial workflows.
License agreements influence how libraries, students, researchers, and other users interact with electronic resources. A forthcoming open e-book by five law and licensing experts from institutions across the US – (“E-resource Licensing Explained,” to be published by ARL) – will empower academic librarians and library staff with licensing responsibilities to advocate for license terms that enable computational research. The guidebook includes easily-digestible legal explanations and pragmatic strategies for preserving rights that users already have under US copyright law, particularly in the face of restrictive license terms that would otherwise constrain or eliminate those rights. During this session, the guidebook’s co-authors and reviewers will share their own insights, challenges, and successes in negotiating for license agreements.
Head of Electronic Resources, University of Kentucky
Co-chair of the Continuing Education committee. You'll see me crocheting around the conference (most likely working on Christmas gifts). Ask me about crafting, my two greyhounds, coming in third-place on Jeopardy!, and all things electronic resources!
During the Fall and Winter quarters of 2024, librarians at UC Santa Cruz were faced with the challenge of tracking perpetual access for titles canceled for an ongoing serial cancellation project due to a budget shortfall. This required consolidating information from various spreadsheets and other sources, some of which were still being updated. This session will review the tracking process that we used, including how we consolidated the perpetual access information, how we verified our access with vendors, how we addressed subscriptions with print + online coverage and share tips for if another library is faced with this type of project.
The proliferation of open access business models has left libraries a step behind in the management of open access business processes. Open access support is often reliant on fragmented infrastructure. The institutional cost of open access is not limited to covering author-side payments or financially supporting fee-free open access publishing. There is an often-unrecognized labor issue. The lack of industry standard metadata and reporting mechanisms for open access business processes across the various stakeholders (e.g., libraries, publishers, data and infrastructure providers) has led libraries to individually develop manual workflows that stitch together disparate publisher dashboards, manual reporting mechanisms, data platforms, and their own institutional systems. In many libraries, supporting open access is new work that is covered by existing staff without additional resources to support the ever-increasing workload. Where this work is done in libraries, and by whom, can vary widely. This session will highlight how The Ohio State University Libraries is addressing the challenges of supporting open access in a landscape bereft of open access business process standards. This session will explore what steps stakeholders from libraries, publishers, and infrastructure providers might take together to operationalize open access business processes in a coordinated move away from individualized, manual labor heavy, legacy workflows still mired in a subscription world.
The common team structure within libraries, especially in technical services, can often lead to silos of processes as well as knowledge about our systems and our collections. With modern library service platforms (LSPs), it is important to recognize the interconnected system of records, specifically acquisitions and cataloging records. If this is neglected, it will negatively impact the data quality and the functionality of the catalog and ultimately, will affect the ability to collect data from LSP in any useful way. This presentation will examine causes of segmented workflows and provide guidance on overcoming silos and developing cross-departmental relationships to improve workflows and productivity. Strategies for collaborative workflows including examples of governance groups, shared documentation, tracking and others will be given.
At a time when academic departments are often pressured to compete for limited funding and status in both the public and institutional eye, one thing every discipline has in common is metadata. At the same time, it is through the often underexamined (by non-librarians) information infrastructures within academia that inequities are perpetuated: troublesome subject headings and taxonomic practices, exorbitant vendor pricing and dubious data privacy practices, the ongoing insinuation and commoditization of generative AI, and so on.
Library workers are uniquely positioned to call out the political aspects of information infrastructures—and many of us try to do so but are limited by time constraints and competing priorities in information literacy one-shots, for example. Drawing from Nicole Starosielski’s work on communications and media infrastructures as well as Sofia Leung and Jorge López-McKnight’s Knowledge Justice and providing examples from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, this talk would illuminate how collaborations across public services, technical services, and departmental faculty can promote a deeper understanding of the component pieces of research and scholarship and of how to combat the biases that structure them.
The presentation will cover various steps in the development of an accessibility review process:
Identifying institutional accessibility guidelines Assign staff and establish a regular review schedule Determine the platforms that will be included Select appropriate methods for scanning and reviewing accessibility Establish a process for reporting results Identifying and working with stakeholders for each platform Sharing reports with relevant parties Providing options for addressing common accessibility issues How to Organize or store annual reports effectively
Associate Director for Resources and Copyright Support, Dahlgren Memorial Library, Georgetown University Medical Center
Katherine Greene is the Associate Director for Resources and Copyright Support at Dahlgren Memorial Library where she has worked on a variety of different tasks and projects since June of 2014. She earned her MSLS degree at The Catholic University of America in May 2014.
The increase in acquisitions of electronic resources is placing more demand than ever on technical services workers. The work is becoming more technical, more complex, and is constantly changing. Electronic resources, acquisitions, and cataloging work have all become interconnected as well, leading to additional challenges of change management in the workplace. Technical services workers are experiencing low-morale and burnout. The presentation will discuss challenges leading to burnout for Technical Services workers. Literature regarding burnout and low morale experiences will be presented. There will also be a discussion of potential solutions to burnout, such as slow librarianship and peer mentoring. The creation of a peer mentoring program for NASIG will be discussed at the conclusion of the presentation. Attendees are welcome to share experiences and offer feedback.
As Open Access (OA) is gaining momentum, institutions are engaging in partnerships to help further advancements in open publishing. Publishers are embracing Transformative Agreements, Read and Publish deals, and Subscribe to Open (S2O) models. With this new landscape comes the challenge of quantifying the impact and value on investments for both institutions and publishers alike. Metrics such as COUNTER statistics are a powerful tool for assessing the reach, engagement, and scholarly impact of OA initiatives within collaborative institutional-publisher frameworks. This session seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how statistics can be strategically employed to measure and communicate the value of OA in partnerships with both traditional publishers and emerging open models. Hear from stakeholders across the industry (two librarians, one small publisher, and one large publisher) for different perspectives on the proliferation of OA and how statistics can help tell a story.
Head of Sales Operations, Royal Society of Chemistry
I have been working in Sales in Academic Book Publishing for more than a decade, firstly with Elsevier S&T then with Emerald Group Publishing Limited and now at the Royal Society of Chemistry where I am responsible for global print book sales and aggregator eBook sales.
I manage... Read More →
Collection Development & Management Librarian, Professor, Portland State University
I am the Collection Development Librarian at Portland State University Library and have over 20 years of academic library experience. I have held leadership positions in ALA ALCTS, ER&L, and NASIG. In 2015, I served as the ALA-NISO representative to vote on NISO/ISO standards on behalf... Read More →
Director of Institutional Product Marketing, Wiley
I am Wiley’s resident librarian, with over 15 years of experience in libraries and scholarly publishing. As the Director of Institutional Product Marketing, I lead a global team responsible for go-to-market strategies, product positioning and messaging, sales enablement, and industry... Read More →
Jill Grogg is a Strategist with the Content & Scholarly Communication Initiatives team at LYRASIS. Previously, she was electronic resources coorindator at The University of Alabama Libraries for over a decade.
Starting a new unit or carving out a distinct department within an academic library presents both opportunities and challenges. Drawing on my experiences at Kansas State University and the University of Arkansas, this session examines how to strategically build and evolve teams responsible for managing electronic resources, acquisitions, and licensing. Through real-world examples—such as developing bespoke training documentation, implementing large-scale cross-departmental projects like fund restructuring, and cultivating cohesive, supportive teams while managing scope creep—attendees will see how I have implemented a new vision for electronic resource best practices at two large R1 academic institutions while onboarding as a new tenure-track faculty member. Participants will learn how to conduct gap analyses, advocate for and adopt project management tools like JIRA and Confluence, and meet their staff at their current skill levels through targeted training materials. The presentation will highlight early successes and tangible outcomes, including streamlined workflows, improved transparency around acquisitions, and demonstrable staff skill growth. Additionally, it will address the interpersonal challenges inherent in organizational change, offering strategies for communicating a shared vision, building trust, and motivating teams through periods of uncertainty.
By emphasizing scalable solutions, this session ensures that libraries of all sizes can apply these approaches. Attendees will leave with a clearer blueprint for reshaping their departments—equipped with actionable frameworks, leadership techniques, and practical tools that can be put into practice immediately. These insights not only align with NASIG Core Competencies and professional standards but also meet the evolving strategic demands of academic libraries in a rapidly changing landscape.
Librarians, especially in technical services and collection development, regularly work with data to perform a variety of analyses. Often, these activities are project based or performed annually, which makes it difficult to repeat previous analyses. Further, data points can change over time due to system migrations and changes to standards, such as moving from COUNTER 4 to COUNTER 5. Overall, this can leave librarians unsatisfied with current data practices even though they are essential in making decisions in collection development and other areas. Enterprise data strategy provides a framework for thinking about an organization's data and how to make it trustworthy, actionable, and secure. It provides details to concepts such as data governance and security; best practices to technical aspects like data storage, processing, and analysis; and clarification to data team member roles and skills required. This presentation will introduce these enterprise data concepts, and present examples of how it can be used in an academic library. The case study is our library's project to implement an enterprise data environment using the Microsoft Fabric platform, of which Microsoft Power BI is a component. By linking the broader concepts to a case study, the presentation will show one of many ways to implement an enterprise data environment in an academic library setting, allowing attendees to imagine how they might approach such a solution depending on the tools and professional skills in their library. While implementing an enterprise data environment requires a significant investment of time and resources, it allows for more trustworthy and secure data that is more engaging to library stakeholders, such as liaisons and administrators, both inside and outside of the library. Further, by thinking of library data as enterprise data, librarians can ingest data from any library source system (such as a room reservation system, or reference tracking system), allowing for a robust and comprehensive view of the library's collections and services down the road. Finally, librarians in technical services and collection development are uniquely equipped with the technical skills and systems thinking required to undertake and maintain such a project.
Collection Services Librarian, Associate Professor, University of Nebraska at Kearney
I have been in my current position since 2018. My background is primarily in acquisitions, e-resources, and collection development. More recently, I have been exploring concepts of business intelligence and have been using Power BI for several years and Fabric for about a year. I... Read More →
This session will explore how team collaboration, cross-functional teamwork, user-centered communication, and creative problem-solving empower libraries to address complex eResource access challenges. Drawing on case studies from a medical library, participants will learn strategies to enhance team expertise, reduce service disruptions, and improve user satisfaction.
Effective collaboration among library staff, IT professionals, and vendors is crucial for resolving access issues efficiently. By fostering open communication and breaking down departmental silos, teams can work together to identify innovative solutions and implement them effectively. Case studies will highlight successful team efforts in overcoming these challenges.
Building a culture of collaboration and open-mindedness enables teams to approach problems from multiple perspectives, leading to more creative and effective solutions. Participants will discover best practices for maintaining clear communication with users during disruptions, emphasizing transparency, proactive engagement, and open dialogue. The session will also focus on innovative solutions that teams can implement to ensure continuous access while restoring services, such as direct access link options. Additionally, participants will learn how to build comprehensive testing plans that enable teams to quickly diagnose and identify issues, streamlining the troubleshooting process. Training staff on new technologies and creating adaptable workflows is essential for maintaining a flexible and efficient service delivery model. By embracing a culture of continuous learning and innovation, teams can adapt to changing technologies and user needs. Finally, participants will learn actionable solutions for minimizing service disruptions through teamwork, including protocols for rapid response to access issues and tools that facilitate collaboration. Innovative approaches to integrating user feedback into service improvements will also be explored, ensuring that user needs are at the forefront of decision-making.
This presentation gives an overview of interactions between United States (U.S.) copyright law and artificial intelligence (AI). Current generative AI is different from past big data, in that current AI models train on full text long form written works, while in the past, datasets and structured information had the highest value. Also, in recent years, there has been extensive economic activity around AI, which newly surfaced business oriented issues. As a result, new issues have arisen regarding copyright law and AI.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, the U.S. Copyright Office held listening sessions around specific topics related to generative AI and copyright. The Copyright Office released guidance about digital replicas (ie. deep fakes) with guidance yet to come on additional topics including copyrightability of works incorporating AI-generated material, training AI models on copyrighted works, licensing considerations, and liability issues. This presentation gives a just-the-facts summary of U.S. Copyright Office activities, and of emergent case law from lawsuits related to AI and copyright.
A current parallel regulatory thrust is comprehensive U.S. federal regulation of AI ethics. The National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 provided funding for a 5 year roll out of AI regulation. With AI ethics regulation in rapid development in the U.S., and legally binding outcomes pending in the near future, large corporations building AI tools have a strong incentive to control the conversation and define AI ethics. By emphasizing copyright, corporations might seek to shift emphasis away from other ethical issues, such as the impacts algorithmic decision making has on people’s lives, increased surveillance, and other ethical issues. For example, it may be the case that ethics discussion is steered towards copyright law and “ethical AI” co-opted to refer to training AI models on licensed content. This presentation considers ethics more broadly, and invites participants to consider how increased focus on copyright and ethics might distract from other ethical issues.
Licensing dovetails with copyright, in that contractual obligations or contractual rights can shift what is allowable and can limit fair use or can expand what is allowed. Generative AI is largely controlled by a handful of very large corporations. High quality training data, such as scholarly articles and other high quality material written by people, tends to be controlled by not-quite-as-large corporations. For example, Google’s market cap is 2.3 trillion U.S. dollars, more than 600 times Clarivate’s market cap of 3.6 billion U.S. dollars. In order to maintain control of assets, in light of a potentially lucrative new use, academic database providers might tend to contractually limit established fair uses like text mining. This presentation brushes on text mining as fair use, and on trends in licensing restrictions.
This presentation overviews recent trends in U.S. copyright law and AI, with emphasis on developing federal regulations and guidance, AI ethics, and the legal right of scholars to do text as impacted by changing licensing practices.
In the summer of 2021, the University of Arizona Libraries (UAL) implemented Reprint Desk’s Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS), a tool that enables users to order on-demand articles not available through the library’s subscriptions. Typically used as a supplement to interlibrary loan services, AGS was adopted by UAL for a multi-year pilot project to address key questions about the library's collection. The pilot aimed to identify which disciplines would most benefit from faster article access compared to the standard interlibrary loan turnaround time, uncover potential gaps in collection coverage across disciplines, and explore opportunities to improve article request fulfillment times.
