Lightning Talks
These seven minute sessions are on Saturday, May 4, immediately following lunch.

Crafting Queer Conversations: Collaborating with Community Partners to Create Discussion-Based Programming

Calantha Tillotson  @ University of Tennessee Knoxville  

If you are interested in supporting the LGBTQ community through collaborative outreach events, please join me for a conversation about turning a shared passion for mental health awareness and LGTBQ advocacy into a platform for lived experiences to be spoken and community built. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a faculty member at UT Libraries, I will discuss the joys and challenges involved in creating such a vulnerable space, particularly highlighting the vital lessons learned, such as identifying collaborative best practices, recognizing the heavy emotional labor involved, finding authentic collaborators, and the value of critical self-reflection.

Igniting Our Instruction Through a Community of Practice

Sarah Simms @ Louisiana State University

Born out of a summer pilot project in 2023, LSU Libraries created an Instruction Community of Practice (I-CoP) open to anyone in the Libraries interested in instruction. As this I-CoP has evolved, so too have the connections between community members. Learning from and leaning on each other has allowed for new partnerships to blossom, creative problem solving to occur, and refreshed many of our instruction practices. This lightning talk will focus on how we at LSU have approached the creation and management of this I-CoP, as well as successes, surprises, and hiccups we have encountered along the way. Additionally, the presenter will share a general outline of the topics covered for anyone who would like to use this as a springboard for their own team.

Personal Librarian 2.0: Pairing Students by “Identity Cohorts” for Belonging, Support, and Success

Audrey B Welber @ Princeton University

Princeton’s Personal Librarian Program began in 2017 by randomly pairing undergraduates with volunteer Library Staff. The program garnered the attention of the Dean of Student Services, who felt it would benefit athletic teams needing extra academic support. Welber started by piloting this “cohort approach” with the Football and Basketball teams, which proved so successful that the 2023-2024 program has expanded to include three more athletic teams and the “Freshman Scholars Institute” comprised mostly of First-generation/Low-Income students. Welber will also explain the technical aspects of her implementation that have contributed to the success of the program.

Preparing Citation and Assessment Guidelines for the Use of AI in Student Coursework

Katie Lai @ McGill University

Following the approval of the recommendations on generative AI at McGill University, this lightning talk shares the author’s experience in developing guidelines for a student assignment in a generative AI-approved course and details the materials required of students for acknowledging AI generated-works. By having clear guidelines and instruction, not only could students learn the importance of academic integrity, but it also assists instructors in seeing how AI is used in students’ work. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity for librarians to teach AI literacy and emphasize the need to evaluate generative AI output critically.

You're (Maybe) On Your Own, kid: Burning Bridges to Get Teaching Accommodations

Lisa Martin @ University of California San Diego

Library instructors who need accommodations to teach are an under-supported population. Formal accommodations can be adversarial processes and may not be best suited for some needs. Some instructors may have newly recognized needs. Some instructors may have needs which conflict with learner accommodations or teaching best practices. As libraries work to create inclusive workspaces, it is important for leaders to work with instructors to have these challenging conversations. This talk provides a brief context and then gives a few framing questions for these conversations. Attendees will be able to apply the data and the framing questions to their own contexts.