ACRL Chapter
Eastern New York) Spring 2019
Letter from the President
Dear ENY/ACRL Members,
We're almost to summer, and the end of my term as President. It has been quite
a year! In addition to the attempted fraud at the start of my term (see Fall 2018's
newsletter for details), | decided to medically transition. I’m still keeping my
name, and | still prefer to be referred to as “Debbie” instead of any gendered
pronouns. I’m still me, just even more me than before. I’m proud to serve ENY/
ACRL as an openly transgender librarian!
Don’t forget that our annual spring conference will be in Newburg this year on
May 22nd. The theme this year is “Developing the Professional, Evolving our
Profession.” Our keynote speakers include Courtney Young and Emily
Drabinski, and I'm excited to hear what they have to share with out community.
We have posters, lightning talks, breakout sessions, and more to look forward
to. | hope to see you all there.
Speaking of conferences, | was happy to represent the Eastern New York chapter at the ACRL Chapters
Council meeting at ALA Mid-Winter. The weather was lovely in Seattle, and it was great getting to connect
with other chapters across the U.S. | learned that our ACRL staff representative, Mariel Colbert, moved to a
position in the ALA Chapter Relations office. Megan Griffin is serving as interim until Mariel’s replacement
comes on board. Mary Ellen Davis, ACRL Executive Director, reminded all of us at the meeting that two free
webinars for each chapter are available each year. If you're interested in helping us host an ACRL Webinar,
please contact the board!
The board is working on a few things as we finish out the academic year. We've updated our onboarding pro-
cess for new board members to ensure that we are all prepped for the upcoming challenges. Under Towanda
Mathurin’s guidance, we’ve updated our financial procedures to introduce extra accountability and further pre-
vent fraud. As you may have seen in your email, the board voted in March to endorse the ALA Code of Con-
duct and Code of Ethics, with a goal to work with the membership to develop and vote on a version of each to
be added to the bylaws in our March 2020 voting period.
We will also be investigating ways to remove any barriers that might prevent our members from running for
board positions. Did you know that you can attend all board meetings virtually? And you can receive reim-
bursement for travel? There are many rewards that come with serving on the ENY/ACRL board, and we want
to make sure every one of you has the chance to experience it as you want. In the coming months, a survey
will be sent out to ask members to speak up about their concerns and the barriers that might prevent them
from being more active in the ENY/ACRL leadership. [Also check out an article by Kristin Strohmeyer, our
Communications Chair, as she reflects on her time as a board member on page 3.]
If you can’t wait for the survey to come out, you are welcome to email me at dkrahmer@colgate.edu or our
soon-to-be President Anne Rauh at aerauh@syr.edu with your comments.
As always, it is my pleasure to serve the members of our library community. See you at the Conference!
Sincerely,
Debbie Krahmer, ENY/ACRL President
Congratulations!
Our 2019 results are as follows:
Vice President/President Elect: Camille Chesley (University at Albany)
Program Chair: Wendy West (University at Albany
Communications Chair: Kate Moss (College of Saint Rose)
Government Relations Chair: Angela Hackstadt (University at Albany)
Thank you to all who participated in the elections and to all members who voted.
The newly elected members will begin their term immediately following the Spring Conference on
May 22 at Mount St. Mary..
From the ENY/ACRL Communication Chair...
Kristin Strohmeyer, Hamilton College
As | end my latest stint as the ENY/ACRL Communications Chair, and pass
the baton and chair to Kate Moss, | took a moment to reflect on my time
with ENY/ACRL and what it means to me to be a member.
I first joined ENY/ACRL in the late 1980’s, a newly minted librarian anxious
to get involved with my chosen profession. | found a group that were
welcoming, easy to work with, and frankly, great to get my feet wet with
professional development and service work. | served on the Programming Committee for several
years, attending a couple of meetings a year, and helping to plan conferences. Back then, we had
two conferences a year, so there was plenty of work to be done! | then moved into my first tenure as
the Communications Chair. The people on the board were wonderful. They helped me fumble
through my first newsletter, in print no less, and were supportive at every step. | made the first web-
site for the group, with new found html skills, and went paperless for the newsletter. All with that
support and guidance from the board.
Later, | was elected Vice President/President Elect/Program Chair, as the organization continued to
evolve. We went to just one conference a year, still held in May, and worked to find locations
scattered throughout our region so no one felt left out or left behind. | learned how to cold call po-
tential speakers, and convince them to keynote at our conferences. Let me tell you, that is no mean
feat! We co-sponsored conferences with the NY Metro chapter, and held lengthy discussions about
whether or not to merge with NYLA as changes came down from ACRL National on the regional
chapters.
After serving as President, | went back to attending conferences and focused my service in different
arenas. | was delighted to be asked to run for Communications Chair again, and will finish up that
two year term during this year’s conference.
| have had the opportunity to serve at the local, regional, and national levels in ALA and ACRL, and
hands down, serving as a board member at ENY/ACRL was one of my most fulfilling and educational
experiences. | have made life long friends, professional contacts, and increased my regional network
immensely. | simply can’t recommend ENY/ACRL enough as a launch pad for professional develop-
ment and service to the profession. The people found here are beyond compare, and | am very
proud to be a part of it.
Please consider running for office, joining the programming committee, or just more regularly
attending the conference. It’s worth it.
Thank you all, and Ill see you soon!
nob
f .
+N meh
ENY/ACRL Professional Development Grant:
Charleston Conference
Juan Denzer, Discovery Services Librarian, SUNY Oswego
| was fortunate enough to be asked to co-present at the 2018 Charleston Library Conference. As a
fairly recent graduate and new librarian, this was a great opportunity for me. The conference is one
of the largest event for those in Tech Services. Since | am the discovery services librarian at SUNY
Oswego, the experience to present and attended is important for my work and career. Travel funds
for faculty is limited at Oswego.
The ENY / ACRL Professional Development Grant was essential in helping me attend the conference.
As my first year as faculty, it is often hard to budget yourself for conference. | am very grateful for
the grant.
The panel in which | presented was very important because it talked about security and electronic
resources. This is an area | am very passionate about. It was great to share my research with others.
It was particularly important, because vendors are working on security measures that will affect our
patrons. | feel it is essential to have librarians in these conversations.
The session had a good turnout of about 70 attendees. The majority of the group consisted of ven-
dors. Sharing my work with them was especially important to me and the library community. The
few librarians who were in the audience contributed to the conversation during the Q&A. One librar-
ian from Boston College was particularly passionate and added to the lively discussion.
Overall the conference was great. Of course Charleston is a great city to attend a conference. The
rich history and culture allowed me to unwind and relax after attending sessions and talking to ven-
dors. It is definitely a great was to experience a large conference like this one.
The sessions | attended were important to me. They helped me understand my role as a discovery
services librarian and the challenges libraries face with electronic resources. | also gained knowledge
about other tech services, such as acquisitions and cataloging. This is also helpful as we have a new
acquisitions librarian and we work closely together at Penfield Library. | was able to learned about all
different topics including OER, acquisitions, databases, and cataloging.
One particular session that | attended was separate from the typical sessions at the conference. This
one talked about makerspaces, which happens to be a passion of mine. As a maker and inventor, it
was nice to have a pleasant conversation from a fellow maker, who happens to be the Head of
Gelardin New Media Center at Georgetown University. It was great to hear about their space and
network with them. | am hoping to collaborate on a future upcoming book that will include some
case studies.
i Pia
Charleston Conference, Continued
Finally, it was great to meet with vendors over dinner and coffee. This gave me the unique oppor-
tunity to understand the role in which sales reps play in libraries. Our honest conversations on ac-
quiring new resources will help me in my career. The knowledge and information that | took away
from presenting, attending sessions and meeting with vendors will not only help me with the re-
sponsibilities at the library, it will benefit my colleagues as well.
Thank you again to ENY/ACRL for their help in providing me with this opportunity.
2018 ENY/ACRL Professional Development Grant:
Access Services Conference, November 16-18 2018
Christina Huffaker, Reference Librarian and Coordinator of Access Services, Utica College
From November 16th - 18th, 2018, | had the privilege of attending, and co-presenting a poster with
Laura Benjamin, Syracuse University Libraries, at the Access Services Conference in Atlanta, Georgia
with the support of ENY ACRL’s Professional Development Grant. As a young professional in access
services, | was looking forward to several days of highly relevant and educational sessions, and excit-
ed to be venturing, in a small way, into the role of conference presenter.
Exceeding my expectations, | discovered that this conference is a unique and valuable experience for
library professionals in the access services realm, especially because events tailored so directly at
one area of library services is rare. As a testament to the growing importance of these types of op-
portunities, the conference committee announced the conference’s expansion to the newly estab-
lished non-profit entity, Access Services in Libraries, Incorporated.
Kicking off the conference with a lively keynote was Forrest Foster, the Assistant Director of Public
Services at C.G. O’Kelly Library at Winston-Salem State University, who set the tone for the many in-
sightful and creative sessions that were to follow. | next attended “Preparing for Gen Z: How to Best
Serve a New Generation of Library Patron,” which addressed the changing demographics of academ-
ic library users, as Millenials move into professional roles.
Another particularly engaging and applicable presentation, entitled, “Analysis of a Successful and
Collaborative Student-Centered Textbook Reserve Program,” described the partnerships made by
the reserves department at Robert Morris University to establish a new textbook collection, intend-
ed to ease students’ financial burden and create broader access to materials that students need to
academically succeed. Providing yet more inspiration was Meg Atwater-Singer from the University of
Evansville, presenting on her assessment efforts in the ILL department. She shared her survey meth-
ods, specific questions, and the difficulties she’s encountered along the way.
Although | began our poster presentation with some jitters, thoughtful questions from fellow
attendees soon opened up meaningful conversations about RFID technology in libraries, the topic of
our poster. During meals and breaks between sessions, these types of conversations continued, rein-
forcing to me the great value in gathering like-minded professionals for special events like this. It
was impossible to be unimpressed with the collegiality and enthusiasm of the conference atmos-
phere. From my perspective, this stemmed from the closely-shared experiences of access services
professionals and the carefully crafted schedule of speakers and networking time.
In all, | would highly recommend attending the Access Services Conference if your role incorporates
any traditional access services responsibilities, or if you are hoping to gain an understanding of this
area of library service. This first-time attendee is now looking eagerly forward to what 2019’s confer-
ence may hold!
Disaster Recovery Seminar at University at Albany
On May 21, 2019, the University at Albany Libraries will be sponsoring a half day seminar, “After the
Big One: Navigating Disaster Recovery for Cultural Organizations,” co-sponsored by CDLC and NYSED.
Many cultural institutions have a disaster plan and can quickly respond to minor problems, but it is
difficult for even well-prepared institutions to deal with wide-scale disasters. The speakers at this
program will talk about how to navigate the recovery process should a large disaster occur. The key-
note speaker will be Janet Gertz, Columbia University (retired), followed by experts in the
field. Topics will include working with vendors, volunteers and others at the time of crisis; health im-
plications and safety risks; coordinating with SEMA/FEMA, county emergency coordinators, and the
New York State Library and Archives. Speakers representing the Village of Sidney, New York will re-
count their recovery from recent flooding. Cost is $10. No charge for University at Albany students.
Students can contact Karen Kiorpes to register. A full agenda and registration is compliments of CDLC
at https://cdlc.libcal.com/event/5167203.
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Successful Approaches to College Conference
The first Successful Approaches to College Transitions conference, sponsored by the Northern NY Li-
brary Network (NNYLN), took place March 26, 2019, at Jefferson Community College Library. Librari-
ans, teachers, and administrators representing public libraries, higher education institutions, and K-
12 schools came together to consider the challenges that students encounter during the high school
to college transition. The keynote, delivered by Ms. Tiffany Squires, Penn State College of Education,
discussed 'Bridging the Gap' for students, specific obstacles faced, and means of guidance.
In addition to the keynote, a reactionary panel of librarians and educators from SUNY Oswego and
Thousand Islands HS discussed issues surrounding this topic. In the afternoon, two breakout ses-
sions offered participants further learning opportunities. St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES SLS supervisor
Ginger Tebo informed about Copyright for Educators and Thousand Islands HS librarian Melissa Balk
presented her HS Digital Research class.
Materials from the conference can be found here.
The NNYLN High School to College Interest Group welcomes those interested in this topic to join the
discussion - click here to join now.
Spring 2019 Conference
Developing the Professional,
Evolving Our Profession
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Mount Saint Mary College, Newburg NY
Conference Schedule
Accommodations/Directions/Local information
Registration
Please join us for the 20189 ENYACRL conference! Keynote Speakers include Emily Drabinski, Criti-
cal Pedagogy Librarian at The Graduate Center, CUNY and Courtney L. Young, University Librarian at
Colgate University . We are pleased to announce that we will be offering the ACRL Road-
show, Assessment in Action, with facilitator Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, on Thursday, May 23, following
the Conference. You may register for this members-only workshop in addition to the Conference.
Notes from the Field
Binghamton University
Ed Shephard applied and received approval for a sabbatical leave to work on a research project from
May 1, 2018 to September 1, 2018 in France. The project, entitled The Jansenist Controversy in 17th
& 18th Century Provincial France, combines two areas of research that have not received significant
scholarly attention: the history of the book and the spread of Jansenism in 17th Century provincial
France through a case study of book inventories from Dijon. Part of the project is the creation of an
open repository of over 26,000 titles included in over 70 bookseller catalogs and inventories of pri-
vate libraries covering the century 1640-1740. A project update will be given at the July 2019 annual
conference of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing (SHARP) in Amherst,
MA.
Laura Evans, Metadata Librarian and Assistant Head of Cataloging, will be leaving May 3 to become
Head of Cataloging/Metadata at Amherst College, Amherst, MA. We wish her continued success in
her career.
Hamilton College
Timothy Fox started as Electronic Resource Management/Serials Assistant on April 15. Tim has a BA
from Middlebury College, and a Master of Library Science degree from Drexel University. Tim worked
at the Free Library of Philadelphia as a Database Assistant, and later as a Government Publications,
Social Sciences and History Librarian. Most recently, he has worked as a librarian at Mohawk Valley
Community College.
Nhora Lucia Serrano joined Library and Information Technology Services this spring as the new Asso-
ciate Director for Digital Learning and Research. A recent Mellon University Press Diversity Fellow at
MIT Press, Nhora's previous professional experience and awards include Visiting Scholar of Compara-
tive Literature at Harvard University, 2018 Eisner Comic Industry Award Judge, Smithsonian National
Postal Museum fellowship, and NEH Summer Institute fellowship on Modernism and Chicago. Origi-
nally from Colombia, Nhora received her BA from Amherst College, MA from New York University,
and PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her scholarly work focuses on Visual Studies and
Graphic Book Arts, Comparative Early Modern and Latin American Studies, and Digital Humanities
and Technology. At Hamilton College, Nhora is supervising a team of eleven research librarians, and
instructional and educational technologists, as she leads new “Digital Hamilton” efforts on cam-
pus that will instill in students the skills necessary to communicate and work effectively in a digital
world.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer is excited to welcome two new Associate Directors. Tracy Y. Allen is the new Associate
Director for Public Service. Tracy is a customer-focused librarian with extensive experience in Public,
Academic and Medical libraries. She has over 20 years’ experience in leadership, personnel and fi-
nancial administration. Tracy has worked at Columbia University, Finkelstein library and Richland Li-
More Notes front the Field
brary and is delighted to join the team at Rensselaer Polytechnics Institute.
Liz King joined Rensselaer Libraries as Associate Director, LIS, Technical Services. Liz came to RPI
from Texas State University, where she was a Research, Instruction, and Outreach Librarian. Prior to
that, Liz worked in many different capacities in academic and public libraries throughout the Capital
Region.
Siena College
Ali Larsen and Jennifer Fairall presented "Choose Your Own Adventure: eBook Availability and Pro-
motion on a College Campus" on March 20, 2019, at the 12th Annual Library Technology Conference
in St. Paul, Minnesota at Macalester College.
Jennifer Fairall was promoted to Associate Librarian at Siena College.
SUNY Oneonta
Michelle Hendley published the peer-reviewed article, “’The carrels are essential’: An investigation
of faculty study spaces at a mid-size state college,” in The Journal of Academic Librarianship 45(2),
2019, pp. 84-93. There is very little research on faculty spaces and space needs in academic librar-
ies. This study evaluated both the need for faculty locked study carrels and faculty satisfaction with
guidelines governing these spaces at a mid-size state college. The article was selected by
the Informed Librarian Online as a “Featured Article” in its February 2019 issue of the online profes-
sional reading publication.
SUNY Oswego
As always, the past several months have been busy ones here at Penfield Library! Here are some
highlights.
In partnership with the local chapter of Zonta Club International, the library hosted its second annual
Maker Madness event in celebration of International Women’s Day. Twenty-one makers set up ta-
bles to demonstrate a skill or lead an interactive activity, such as papier mache, Legos, upcycled jour-
nals, Augmented and Virtual reality, quilt design, jewelry making, chemistry experiments, and more.
Approximately 400 students, staff, faculty, and local community members participated in the event -
- almost triple the participation of our first year!
Penfield Library also implemented a pilot Peer Reference Assistant Program starting this spring se-
mester. We currently have two students in the role, serving as front line assistants during peak times
at the Research Help Desk. Our Peer Reference Assistants are trained to provide support to their
peers and others who approach the desk for help. They answer basic directional and library use
questions, and help locate specific books and articles in the library system. For more complex and in-
depth research questions they make referrals to the librarians working alongside them at the desk.
More Notes from the Field
So far, the Peer Reference Assistant Program has received positive feedback from librarians and pa-
trons alike. Plans are in place to assess the program and to continue it into the fall semester, with a
possible expansion in the number of students serving the library in this important role.
We’ve also had quite a few presentations and publications by our librarians:
Harris, L. (2018). How to use H5P widgets for literacy instruction. Computers in Libraries, 38(9),
16-21.
Denzer, J. (2018). Create a 3D touch display for the library. In E. Kroski (Ed.), 63 Ready-To-Use
Maker Projects (pp. 333-340). Chicago: American Library Association.
Denzer, J. (2018). How to add a high-tech twist to your escape room. In E. Kroski (Ed.), Escape
Rooms and Other Immersive Experiences In The Library (pp. 145-153). Chicago: American Li-
brary Association.
Denzer, J. (2018). Transforming material collections: 6. Experiencing medieval manuscripts using
touch technology. In C. Millson-Martula & K. B. Gunn (Eds.), The Digital Humanities. England:
Routledge.
Denzer, J., Frances, S. and Hamparian, D. (2019). Publishing Community Efforts
and Solutions to Mitigate the Risks Sci-Hub Poses to Researchers, Librarians and Publishers.
In: L. Meyer, ed., Charleston Library Conference. [Online] Purdue University Press. Available
at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
type=pdf&article=2086&unstamped=yes&date=1553445180&preview_mode=1&context=cha
rleston&/1553445180-text.pdf [Accessed 4 Apr. 2019https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/
viewcontent.cgi?
type=pdf&article=2086&unstamped=vyes&date=1553445180&preview_mode=1&context=cha
rleston&/1553445180-text.pdf%20%5bAccessed%204%20Apr.%202019].
Juan Denzer co-presented with Sari Frances (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and
Don Hamparian (OCLC) at the Charleston Library Conference. Juan talked about his EZproxy scripts
that are used to combat security breaches. Their presentation, “Publishing Community Efforts and
Solutions to Mitigate the Risks Sci-Hub Poses to Researchers, Librarians, and Publishers,” will be pub-
lished in the upcoming 2018 Charleston Library Conference Proceedings.
Michelle Bishop was member of a reactionary panel at NNYLN’s first High School to College Educator
Lab. The panel included Tiffany Squires (Penn State), Stephanie Pritchard (SUNY Oswego), Melissa
Balk (Thousand Islands HS), and Katie Varga (Thousand Islands HS). Panel members responded to
Tiffany Squire’s keynote presentation, “Preparing Learners for Higher Education.”
Yet Notes from the Field
SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica
In March SUNY Polytechnic Institute welcomed Sam Nesbitt to our staff. Sam is
a recent MLIS graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, with a specialty in ac-
ademic libraries, and research interests in student engagement, motivation,
and gamified classrooms. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and has
worked both as an undergraduate researcher and in student services to facili-
tate undergraduate research before her arrival here at Poly. She will be work-
ing mainly in outreach, reference and instruction.
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam is busy preparing for our migration to Alma and Primo VE. Additionally, we are proud to
announce that in Fall 2018, Edward Komara, Music Librarian, received the title of Distinguished Li-
brarian from the SUNY trustees. Ed is one of only 6 SUNY librarians to ever meet the rigorous criteria
established for this rank. In December, Esta Tovstiadi co-authored an article in Evidence Based Li-
brary and Information Practice. In January, Jennifer Jeffery joined our staff on a 2-year librarian ap-
pointment.
Syracuse University
Giovanna Colosi joined the Syracuse University Libraries on July 16 as our new Subject Librarian for
the School of Education. Giovanna previously worked for Syracuse University for over 9 years as a
counselor in the School of Engineering and Computer Science. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and
an M.S. in Counseling and Human Services from SUNY Oswego and a M.L.I.S. from Syracuse Universi-
ty.
Michael Pasqualoni was appointed to ACRL’s Education & Behavioral Sciences Section Communica-
tion Studies Committee (2019-2021).
Kelly Delevan gave the distinguished lecture, “Information Discovery: a Framework for Curious, Criti-
cal Search” at SU’s Helen Benning Regnier iSchool Graduate Seminar on March 30, 2019.
John Olson authored Mapping and Geospatial Resources from the Federal Depository Library Pro-
gram, as ALA-MAGIRT Electronic Publication #14.
Tarida Anantachai co-presented a preconference session, “Gumbo Stew: Recipes for Navigating Aca-
demic Publishing,” at the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color in September 2018.
Tarida Anantachai co-presented a session with Kate Deibel, “How Many Inclusive Chefs is Enough?
Diversity Efforts at Syracuse University Libraries” and another with Camille Chesley (University at Al-
\ ae iN mes
Finally, The Last of Notes from the Field
bany) ona session, “Beyond Recruitment: From Diversity Talk to Inclusive Practice,” both at the
Rochester Regional Library Council’s Inclusive Libraries Conference in October 2018.
Tarida Anantachai co-authored a chapter with Camille Chesley (University at Albany) entitled “Level
Up the One-Shot: Empowering Students With Backward Design and Game-Based Learning,” which
was published in January 2019 by ACRL Press’ Motivating Students on a Time Budget: Pedagogical
Frames and Lesson Plans for In-Person and Online Information Literacy Instruction (Sarah Steiner
and Miriam Rigby, editors).
Tarida Anantachai co-presented a panel that includes Camille Chesley (University at Albany),
“Endurance is Not Transformation: Narratives of Women of Color on the Promotion- and Tenure-
Track” at ACRL 2019.
Patrick Williams’s chapter “The Machine Stops: Critical Orientations to Our Information Apparatus”
was published in Critical Approaches to Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Courses (ACRL Press,
2019).
University at Albany
Camille Chesley and Tarida Anantachai (Syracuse University) have recently published a chapter enti-
tled Level Up the One-Shot: Empowering Students with Backward Design and Game-Based Learning,
in Motivating Students on a Time Budget: Pedagogical Frames and Lesson Plans for In-Person and
Online Information Literacy Instruction from ACRL Press. A copy is available in Scholars Archive, UAI-
bany's repository: https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/ulib fac_scholar/109/ .
Camille Chesley and Tarida Anantachai (Syracuse University) presented a panel entitled Endurance
is Not Transformation: Narratives of Women of Color on the Promotion- and Tenure-Track at ACRL in
Cleveland. Co-panelists were Ariana Santiago and Mea Warren of the University of Houston Librar-
ies.
Deborah LaFond received University at Albany 2019 Graduate Student Association Award for Ser-
vice and Support - "For enhancing leadership of students in the Senate, encouraging student voice,
research support and overall support towards the success and well-being of UAlbany's graduate stu-
dents." Deborah also serves on UAlbany Senate chairing University Life Council.
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