The Collective 2025: Full Schedule

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7:30am EDT

Breakfast

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:30am - 9:00am EDT

Cattails Foyer

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:30am - 9:00am EDT
Cattails Foyer

Networking/Social Activity

7:30am EDT

Registration

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:30am - 9:00am EDT

Cattails Foyer

Speakers

Corey Halaychik

Founder and President, The Library Collective

Corey Halaychik is an author and award-winning librarian whose work and research have focused on improving efficiency, teamwork, and leadership skills development. He is also Founder and President of The LIbrary Collective whose goal is to redefine the professional development landscape... Read More →

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:30am - 9:00am EDT
Cattails Foyer

Registration

9:00am EDT

Welcome to The Collective

Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

Cattails C

Welcome and plenary session to The Collective 2025: Doowutchyalike!. We promise it will be fun and interactive--not your typical keynote or welcome, so fear not! We hope everyone will attend.

Speakers

Corey Halaychik

Founder and President, The Library Collective

Emily Mann

Associate Research and Instruction Librarian, University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Jessica Szempruch

Associate University Librarian, Assistant Director - USF Libraries, Sarasota-Manatee campus, University of South Florida

Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Cattails C

Plenary Session, Skill-Building Workshop

10:30am EDT

Break

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:30am - 10:45am EDT

Cattails Foyer

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Cattails Foyer

Networking/Social Activity

10:45am EDT

This Belongs in a Museum! Identifying Materials for University Archives

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Cattails F

Library and archive donations are wonderful for collection development but can feel overwhelming when you do not know where to begin. Join an archivist turned collections librarian for an interactive session on processing library donations, and how to identify materials most relevant to your institution.

Speakers

Brigitte Galauner

Collections & Content Strategies Librarian, University of Akron

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am EDT
Cattails F

Interactive Panel, Small Group Breakouts

10:45am EDT

Craft & Chat: Zine Making & Using Crafts to Encourage Group Discussion

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT

Cattails B

Join us for an example session of our Craft & Chat workshops where we pair easy-to-learn crafts with typically awkward discussions to help patrons open up and learn from one another. In this session, we'll make zines and get a little meta as we talk about how creative activities can ease discussion in workshops.

Speakers

Sara Sweeney Bear

Project Design Studio Manager & Studios Outreach Coordinator, University Libraries at Virginia Tech

Hi there! I've worked for VT Libraries for 8 years and have been lucky enough to have time, space, and permission to explore experiential learning through creative activities. I manage a studio that supports mostly independent student projects and coordinate outreach programs for... Read More →

Ellen Boggs

Studios Network Coordinator, Virginia Tech University Libraries

Seven years as a non-librarian in VT University Libraries managing student workers, developing programs + events, providing instruction, and supporting daily operations at six different technology-focused service points. I love teaching people to make art.

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Cattails B

Hands-On Workshop, Make/Hack/Play

10:45am EDT

Gamify Your Work-Life: A Playful Approach to Professional Challenges

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT

Cattails C

Learn how to incorporate elements of gamification into your work-life! This session will explore what gamification is, why it works, and the gamification strategies the presenter has used to tackle professional challenges. Participants will earn a "gamification explorer" badge as they consider ways to apply these strategies in their own work.

Speakers

Caitlin Benallack

Information Literacy Librarian, Michigan State University

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Cattails C

Hands-On Workshop, Make/Hack/Play

10:45am EDT

Microthemes for Macro Gains: using mini-essays for a reflective learning practice

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT

Cattails E

Let's go back to the basics of observing, questioning, and reflecting to center our learning and personal development. In this workshop, participants will use microthemes, or mini-essays, to collect their thoughts and ideas and develop (or re-develop!) their voice-activities that can be used and modified for instruction or for one's own reflective library practice.

Speakers

Sam Mandani

Online Instruction Librarian, NYU

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Cattails E

Hands-On Workshop, Skill-Building Workshop

10:45am EDT

Bringing Your Favorite Characters to Life - Cosplaying and the Library Community

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT

Cattails A

Do you love dressing up for halloween? Want to escape reality with a new persona? Interested in stepping up your storytelling game? Find out how you can dress up anytime with cosplay! Come learn a brief history, the types of cosplay, resources for cosplays and conventions, and how to integrate cosplay programming into your library.

Speakers

Hannah Brandon

Information literacy librarian

Tuesday April 15, 2025 10:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Cattails A

Interactive Panel, Skill-Building Workshop

12:00pm EDT

Lunch Break

Tuesday April 15, 2025 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Tuesday April 15, 2025 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom

Networking/Social Activity

1:30pm EDT

The LoFi Study Lounge: Learn How to Create Portable, Interactive Study Spaces

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Cattails F

Learn how to create a portable “Choose your Own LoFi Vibe” study space for students. The LoFi Study Lounge changes an existing space into a productive study environment through the use of relaxing music and portable, interactive lighting elements. Go hands-on with these interactive sights and sounds and experience the vibes for yourself!

THIS SESSION INCLUDES LIGHTING ELEMENTS.

Speakers

Tony Pepper

McConnell Library

Former Teen Librarian in the public library system. One year into Instruction/First Year Experience Librarian. New to academia and channeling that into fun programs and outreaches for students new to college.

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Cattails F

Hands-On Workshop, Interactive Panel

1:30pm EDT

Anything Can Explode: Preparing your library for emergencies and disasters

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Cattails A

At Nova Southeastern, we are located in the hurricane belt of South Florida and we've seen it all. We want to share experiences with others on the role of the library during emergency situations, exchange tips and best practices in preparing your library for the next one, and ways to keep everyone safe and calm

Speakers

Steve Roberts

Circulation Manager, NSU Florida

Alejandro Sierra

Circulation Supervisor - Martin and Gail Press Health Professions Division Library, NSU Florida

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Cattails A

Interactive Panel

1:30pm EDT

Meeting People Where They Are: Innovating Library Services for Community Needs

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Cattails E

More than ever before, customers are interacting with the library outside our walls. Recognizing the need to meet people where they are, Pioneer Library System embedded library services across the community with innovative technology and engaging installations in parks, leading to stronger partnerships and record-breaking customer engagement. Learn how one library system is meeting community needs and connecting more people with library resources through these innovative outreach efforts.

Speakers

Caroline Dulworth

Hillarie Kuhn

Regional Coordinator/Branch Manager, Pioneer Library System

I have been with the Pioneer Library system for nearly 14 years. Throughout this time, I have worked in various roles, including circulation, adult and teen services, department management, branch management, and administration. What I enjoy most about my current position is the opportunity... Read More →

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Cattails E

Interactive Panel, Small Group Breakouts

1:30pm EDT

A Spark of Inspiration!

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Cattails B

Get ready for a whirlwind tour through some of the most creative and practical ideas in library services. These lightning talks will take you from the art of reflective teaching to building a library site from scratch, with a pit stop for some graduation portrait fun!

Beyond the One Shot: Cultivating a Reflective Teaching Practice: Many librarians have teaching responsibilities, but not all regularly reflect on their teaching practice. This interactive session will equip teaching librarians with practical strategies to regularly self-assess, collaborate with peers, and gather student feedback - empowering them to continuously evolve their teaching and elevate the student experience. By embracing reflective teaching, librarians can unlock new levels of pedagogical expertise and better fulfill their vital role in student success.
BOOK PROPS & STACK BACKDROPS: Patron Engagement via Graduation-Portrait Photography in the Library: This presentation considers how an academic Library seized a rising tide of graduate-portrait professional photography amidst the stacks as an opportunity to engage with born-digital students’ "Shelf Credibility." The choice to engage rather than prohibit graduation-portrait photo shoots in the library yielded outcomes like both reducing unannounced shoots' disruptions to staff workflows & branding the Library with a new no-cost service using pre-existing resources.
You don't have to be a genius! How I created a library site from scratch in Linux using Google machines, PHP and MYSQL: Some special libraries don’t have their own library site or catalog, and some librarians own personal monographs that they could place online instead. Come learn how I created my own library site from scratch using Wordpress, MYSQL, and Google instances; you don’t have to be a genius to do it!

Speakers

Raeshelle Cooke

Computing Librarian

I'm a Computing Librarian at George Mason University. I have 14+ years experience working in academic libraries.

Candace Lewis

Head Librarian, Access Services. Assistant Professor., Brown-Daniel Library, Tenn State Univ

John Paul Martinez

Business and Data Analysis Librarian, Vanderbilt University

Shelly Salo Martinez

Librarian for Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University

The Collective 2025 Reflection Martinez pdf

How I built my very own library from scratch pdf

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Cattails B

Lighting Talks

1:30pm EDT

Futurecasting: Making Sense of Critical Disruption Within Libraries

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT

Cattails C

Higher education faces critical disruption, prompting organizations to adapt to growing expectations. In this roundtable, we'll analyze trends in academic libraries based on the 2023-2024 ACRL Report and/or The ALA's State of America's Libraries 2024 Report. Participants will then explore and create their lists which will be shared on Padlet of the five most essential aspects of their library type's focus as we think ahead to 2035.

Speakers

Jackson Hoch

Evidence Synthesis Librarian, Virginia Tech University

My name is Jackson Hoch and I'm an Evidence Synthesis Librarian at Virginia Tech University. I am interested in many different parts of librarianship. Some of my favorite interests include organizational management, research synthesis, emerging technologies, and creating impactful... Read More →

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Cattails C

Small Group Breakouts

2:30pm EDT

Break

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

Cattails Foyer

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Cattails Foyer

Networking/Social Activity

2:45pm EDT

Level-Up Source Evaluation: Co-create a Choose-Your-Own Adventure Game

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT

Cattails E

Do you feel like something is missing when you try and cover source evaluation in one-shot library instruction sessions? This topic can feel high-stakes, and the nuance involved isn't easy to capture in 50 minutes. In this make/hack/play session, you will engage in a collaborative and fun process to outline a choose-your-own-adventure source evaluation game.

Speakers

Tony Pepper

McConnell Library

Barbara Tait

Instruction Librarian, Radford Univesity

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Cattails E

Make/Hack/Play

2:45pm EDT

Play, Create, Engage: Harnessing RPGMaker MZ for Interactive Learning in Academic Libraries

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT

Cattails C

Come gain some xp in game design as we tackle in this session the history of using Video Games in library instruction and how to go about using the accessible game design tool RPGMaker to make your own instructional materials. No coding experience required!

Speakers

Peter Conlon

Research and Instruction Librarian, Randolph College

RPGMaker and instruction pptx

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT
Cattails C

Hands-On Workshop

2:45pm EDT

Something to Write Home About: Engaging Students and Building Community Through Creative Writing

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT

Cattails F

Learn how the Sherrod Library at ETSU creatively builds community for our students through our club, Coffee and Creative Writing. Be prepared to participate, because we will run this workshop like a typical club meeting, with introductions, prompt-writing, and sharing work.

Speakers

Lydia Gwyn

Instruction Librarian, Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University

Writer & Instruction librarianDirector of the Library Ambassador Program at Sherrod Library

Sarah Bull

Arts & Humanities Librarian, East Tennessee State University

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT
Cattails F

Hands-On Workshop

2:45pm EDT

Escape the Lecture: A Choose Your Own Adventure for Library Instruction

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT

Cattails A

Are you ready to spark your creativity and gamify a one-shot? This panel discussion will feature four academic librarians who have taken elements from a variety of games to create one-shot sessions where students must critically think through solving clues while also being introduced to people, library resources, and spaces.

Speakers

Lindsay Bush

Reference and Instruction Librarian, Union College

Fannie Ouyang

Associate Director of Access and Engagement, Barnard College

Johanna MacKay

Instructional Design Librarian, Skidmore College - Lucy Scribner Library

Johanna provides reference and instruction as well as develops outreach and programming for faculty, staff, and students at Skidmore College. She’s the library liaison to several departments and programs and oversees several collections including the library’s Children’s collection... Read More →

Devon Cozad

Research and Instruction Librarian, Daemen University

Hello! I am a Research & Instruction Librarian at Daemen University, a private college located in Amherst, New York. I specialize in first year experience and information literacy instruction. I am also involved in campus conversations about supporting early adopters of genAI. As... Read More →

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT
Cattails A

Interactive Panel, Hands-On Workshop

2:45pm EDT

Fandom Conventions and Libraries: Bringing Stories and Community Together

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT

Cattails B

Did you know that libraries are the perfect place to give people a taste of the Comic Con experience? These events can be scaled according to your institution's needs and provide a free event for community members to enjoy. Fandom conventions are, at their core, a celebration of the stories that unite us, which makes them a great fit for libraries!

*You will need a phone or internet-capable device to participate to the fullest extent in this session.

Speakers

Jennifer Murray

Children's Librarian, Washington County Public Library

nearly 15 years of library experiencefull time children's librarian since 2016background in early childhood educationMLIS earned in spring 2023developed Librarian-in-Training program in 2018I love sharing ideas because I believe that's what makes us successful as librarians! Let's... Read More →

Collective Presentation 4.15.25 pdf

Tuesday April 15, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm EDT
Cattails B

Interactive Panel, Make/Hack/Play

4:15pm EDT

Break

Tuesday April 15, 2025 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Cattails Foyer

Tuesday April 15, 2025 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Cattails Foyer

Networking/Social Activity

4:30pm EDT

Storytelling Slam: Confessions of a Librarian

Tuesday April 15, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Cattails C

Join us for Storytelling Slam: Confessions of a Librarian, where real librarians share hilarious, heartwarming, and unexpected tales from behind the stacks. From quirky patrons to chaotic book returns, discover the untold stories of life in the library. It's a session of laughs, revelations, and unforgettable confessions!

Speakers

David Ownby

Data Analyst & Library Support Specialist, Above the Treeline

Tuesday April 15, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Cattails C

Plenary Session, Lightning Talks

5:45pm EDT

Haunting of the Barnard Mysteries 1

Tuesday April 15, 2025 5:45pm - 6:45pm EDT

Cattails E

Haunting of the Barnard Mysteries 1 is the first version of a game that was designed to engage incoming first-generation and/or low-income students during their pre-orientation. The game can be played individually or in teams and revolves around the story of a spirit that is trapped at Barnard and must be freed.
Come release the spirit and discuss design and gameplay with me!

Approximate playtime: 30 - 45 minutes

For those interested, you can also view the various materials that were designed and created for Haunting of the Barnard Mysteries 2.

Speakers

Fannie Ouyang

Associate Director of Access and Engagement, Barnard College

Tuesday April 15, 2025 5:45pm - 6:45pm EDT
Cattails E

Make/Hack/Play

5:45pm EDT

Save Scribbler: Northwoods Noir

Tuesday April 15, 2025 5:45pm - 6:45pm EDT

Cattails A

In its 7th year, Save Scribbler is a library orientation session for Skidmore's First Year Experience students that blends elements of an escape room with a scavenger hunt. It features Scribbler Squirrel the library's mascot and researching rodent. In this adapted session, you will work in teams to play this year's version - Save Scribbler: Northwoods Noir. After the session you are welcome to stay and ask questions about the gameplay.

Speakers

Johanna MacKay

Instructional Design Librarian, Skidmore College - Lucy Scribner Library

Tuesday April 15, 2025 5:45pm - 6:45pm EDT
Cattails A

Make/Hack/Play

5:45pm EDT

The Wireless Wizard

Tuesday April 15, 2025 5:45pm - 6:45pm EDT

Cattails C

The Wireless Wizard is a library orientation session used with our First Year Inquiry students that blends elements of an escape room with a scavenger hunt. In this adapted session, you'll learn that the Union College radio has stopped working and we're hoping that you'll help us get it up and running again! After the session you are welcome to stay and ask questions about the gameplay. It is recommended that you bring a device to this session.

Speakers

Lindsay Bush

Reference and Instruction Librarian, Union College

Tuesday April 15, 2025 5:45pm - 6:45pm EDT
Cattails C

Make/Hack/Play

6:30pm EDT

Dinner

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:30pm - 9:00pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Kick off The Collective in style! Join us at 6:30 for drinks (cash bar), laughs, and low-stakes mingling. Dinner’s on at 7—come hungry, come curious, and come ready to doowutchyalike.

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:30pm - 9:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom

Networking/Social Activity