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2023 DLF Forum and NDSA DigiPres Recap

The 2023 CLIR events included the DLF Forum and NDSA DigiPres held in St. Louis, Missouri November 12 through 16.

Featured Speakers

The Forum started with a fascinating and insightful talk about “gaming as a place where Black history and culture can be told outside conventional tropes and stereotypes that often pervade media” by Dr. Kishonna Gray entitled “Archiving Cultures: Gaming as Black Digital Storytelling”.

Recording of Dr. Kishonna Gray’s DLF Forum Opening Plenary

NDSA DigiPress featured a talk from Dr. Jamie Lee entitled “Kairotic and Kin-centric Archives: Addressing Abundances and Abandonments” to “reveal the practices, pedagogies, and possibilities of working in, with, and for non-dominant communities in the maintenance of their memories as bodies of knowledge, experiences, affects, and relations”.

Recording of Dr. Jamie Lee’s NDSA DigiPress Opening Plenary

Sessions of Note

Several sessions featuring TRLN colleagues included:

Helpful Links

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Fall 2023 IDEA Funding Recipient

TRLN is excited to announce one recipient of the final round of IDEA funding: “Islamic and Persian Bookbinding Workshop with Yasmeen Khan”.

About the Project

Submitted by Erin Hammeke (Duke), “Islamic and Persian Bookbinding Workshop with Yasmeen Khan” will be a multi-day workshop on historic Islamic and Persian bookbindings taught by Yasmeen Khan, Head of Paper Conservation at the Library of Congress.

There are almost 100,000 books in Arabic and Persian languages held across TRLN libraries. This workshop will allow conservation staff to more competently care for collection materials from a wider range of geographic and cultural areas in the Islamic world.

The workshop will include lectures on Islamic bookbindings and their conservation. Students will produce an Islamic and/or Persian bookbinding historical model. The class will examine Islamic and Persian bookbindings from Duke’s Rubenstein Library collections to learn about their historic and cultural context.

Students will have a better sense of Islamic material culture and specific language for Islamic bindings. Having enhanced knowledge of Islamic and Persian bookbindings, including their unique structures, will allow staff to better care for these materials across the TRLN collections.

About IDEA Funding

TRLN seeks to support our member institutions’ work in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility with project funding. Staff members at any TRLN library can apply for funding for a variety of projects that further their library’s and TRLN’s goals to establish or advance inclusion, diversity, equity, or accessibility efforts.

The Executive Committee approved a total of $100,000 of funding, to be distributed across two years (two funding cycles per year). Learn more about this funding.

Contact info@trln.org with any questions about this project or TRLN’s IDEA funding.

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Call for Proposals for IDEA Funding Fall 2023 Round

TRLN is again welcoming proposals for IDEA funding. A total of $25,000 is available for the Fall 2023 round of funding. Although proposals are invited on a semi-annual basis, funded projects may extend past or be scheduled outside of this timeframe, depending on scope and needs.

Learn more about TRLN’s IDEA funding including how to submit a proposal. Contact info@trln.org with any questions.

Important Dates

  • October 2 : submission deadline
  • October 9 : funded projects announced
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TRLN is live in ReShare

On June 21, TRLN went live with ReShare Returnables – an open source resource sharing platform. ReShare is now the engine for our consortial borrowing and lending program – TRLN Direct.

This change to patrons was largely invisible and intended to be so, but the change to ReShare Returnables brings great improvements for staff working in these services and ultimately, improves patrons’ experiences.

What is ReShare?

ReShare is both a platform and a community. TRLN has long been a member of the ReShare community to guide the development of the platform and we are very excited to be using it now.

ReShare Returnables is the first module we implemented to manage the borrowing and lending of physical materials, but an exciting part of the ReShare community is the opportunity to adopt other community developed modules for non-returnables and controlled digital lending.

TRLN member libraries have been sharing resources for decades. Given our close geographic proximity, sharing materials is one of our core activities. We’re pleased to make our longstanding and successful service even better. It’s especially exciting to improve our own service through participation in a creative and collaborative community that has prioritized open source approaches to supporting libraries.”

Lisa Croucher, Executive Director of TRLN

About Our Implementation

Although our work with ReShare goes back to being a founding member of the community, our local effort to adopt Reshare Returnables started with a thorough evaluation and comparison of other platforms throughout the Spring of 2022 – resulting in a recommendation to adopt ReShare Returnables.

The ReShare Implementation Working Group formed in June 2022 with a goal of going live in the Summer of 2023. We partnered with Index Data, a longstanding development partner of the platform and community, to host and implement ReShare Returnables.

ReShare Returnables relies on a shared source of records to know both what items we have in our collections and what can be loaned. We decided to contribute our MARC data to POD, where the records could easily be harvested by Index Data and searched by ReShare.

Now that we are live with ReShare, we join a peer group of several library consortiums already using the platform – Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation, PALCI, and ConnectNY. TRLN is excited to be part of this community of users.

With great gratitude, we want to thank the ReShare Implementation Working Group members for their work as part of this implementation. Members include:

  • Duke University
    • Michael Edwards, Resource Sharing Librarian
    • Andrea Loigman, Head, Access and Delivery Services
    • Erin Nettifee, IT Business Analyst
  • NC Central
    • Vickie Spencer, Head Circulation Librarian
    • Yan Wang, Systems Librarian
  • NC State University
    • Mia Partlow, Resource Sharing Librarian
    • Thomas Jones, Access Services University Library Specialist
    • Kristen Wilson, Discovery Systems Manager
  • UNC at Chapel Hill
    • Renée Bosman, Government Information Librarian
    • Ashleigh Donaldson, Borrowing Assistant
    • Jamie McGarty, Library Software Applications Developer
    • Joe Moran, Systems Administrator
    • David Pierpont, Saturday and Carrels Supervisor
  • TRLN
    • Kelly Farrell, Program Officer (Project lead)
    • Genia Kazymova, Applications Developer

Reach out to info@trln.org with any questions.

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2023 Annual Meeting Call for Proposals

TRLN is now inviting proposals for workshops, presentations, and lightning talks for the 2023 Annual Meeting being held on July 17 and 18.

Submit a proposal at bit.ly/trln2023cfp (link to form will open in a new tab). The deadline to submit a proposal is June 2, 2023.

Proposals of up to 150 words should be submitted along with an abbreviated abstract of 50 words that will be included on the annual meeting website.

About Presenting

Who can present?

Anyone who works in a TRLN member institution. We welcome proposals of any domain, area of expertise, and library. We also encourage partnering with colleagues to co-present.

What topics are considered?

We welcome presentations about interesting activities at your institution. Do you have a completed, current, or upcoming project that other attendees might want to hear about or replicate? Working groups and interest groups are encouraged to share updates about their projects and accomplishments.

If you are planning on presenting or leading a workshop at another conference later this year, we also encourage you to present during the annual meeting to share your exciting work and to practice presenting.

Topics could include, but are not limited to:

  • Technologies, infrastructure, and/or vendor relations;
  • Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility projects or programs;
  • Collections and resources;
  • Policy, legal, and accessibility issues;
  • Project management, design, or implementation;
  • Assessment;
  • Education and/or professional development; 
  • Partnerships with university presses;
  • Leadership and management; and
  • Sustainability.

How long can presentations be?

Presentations ranging from 5 minute lightning talks, 30 minute presentations, or longer workshops will be considered. Sessions will be grouped into blocks.

Will I present virtually or in-person?

This year, we are exploring how we might be able to offer more in-person opportunities so we included a question in the submission form about if you would be willing to present in-person to assist in our planning.

Once we close the call for proposals, TRLN staff will follow up with you about your preference for how you present. If you have questions about presenting either in-person or virtually, please reach out to events@trln.org.

When will I hear if my proposal has been accepted?

All submissions will be reviewed by the Annual Meeting Steering Committee and selections will be announced by June 7.

Reach out to events@trln.org if you have any questions!

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Save the dates for the 2023 Annual Meeting

The 2023 Annual Meeting will be held on July 17 and 18! We will announce the keynotes, open a call for proposals, and share more details in the coming weeks, but save the date for July 17 and 18.

Reach out to events@trln.org with any questions.

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Call for Proposals for Spring 2023 IDEA Funding

TRLN is again welcoming proposals for IDEA funding. A total of $25,000 is available for the Spring 2023 round of funding. Although proposals are invited on a semi-annual basis, funded projects may extend past or be scheduled outside of this timeframe, depending on scope and needs.

Learn more about TRLN’s IDEA funding including how to submit a proposal. Contact info@trln.org with any questions.

Important Dates

  • March 31 : submission deadline
  • April 14 : awardees announced
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NC Central’s Shepard Library Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop

With support from TRLN’s IDEA funding, North Carolina Central University’s James E. Shepard Memorial Library is presenting “Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop” with several events throughout March and April 2023.

Event flyer with image of Biggie Smalls and Black person carrying a stereo.
Event flyer for “Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop”

Schedule

Book Talk with Justin Tinsley

March 30, 2023 at 1:00pm

NCCU School of Nursing Auditorium

Book cover with image of Biggie Smalls.

Justin Tinsley will discuss his book It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him.

Justin Tinsley is a senior sports and culture reporter with ESPN’s The Undefeated. In his six years with the company, Tinsley has written thought-provoking commentary and journalism on a range of subjects including Marvin Gaye, Malcom X, James Baldwin, Serena Williams, Kendrick Lamar, and Cardi B, with a focus on the intersection of sports, race, and culture. He is a regular panelist on ESPN’s daily sports debate talk show Around the Horn and recently worked on a multi-episode 30 for 30 podcast, The King of Crenshaw, on the late rapper, entrepreneur, philanthropist and activist Nipsey Hussle. A graduate of Hampton University and Georgetown University, he lives in Washington, D.C.

Poetry Jam

April 4, 2023 at 2:30pm

Shepard Library 2nd Floor

Shepard Library will host a poetry jam that features spoken word artists, poets, and rappers. This event will feature a DJ, NCCU’s Hip Hop Dance Crew, and will be hosted by student leaders. This event is designed to give students an outlet through which they can express their creativity, engage in a creative process with peers, and celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop with the larger campus community and the community at large.

Art Exhibit & Contest

April 6, 2023 at 10:30am

Shepard Library Bowl

Students from TRLN schools will be invited to submit original works of art that pay tribute to Hip Hop.

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TRLN E-Resources Management Working Group Publishes TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses

The E-Resources Management Working Group (ERMWG) of the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN) is pleased to announce the publication of the TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses. This guide was created to help TRLN member libraries engage in conversations with vendors around e-resource accessibility. Recognizing that licensing is key to codifying the shared understandings and priorities of vendors and libraries, the TRLN E-Resources Management Working Group sought to create “a reference tool for library staff involved in licensing and e-resources management as they advocate for strong accessibility assurances in their formal contracts with service and content providers.”

While the intended audience for the document is TRLN libraries, ERMWG believes it makes sense to share beyond the TRLN community as all librarians are advocates for the needs of their users and regularly participate in conversations both internally and with vendors on how best to ensure those needs are met. This is meant to be a dynamic document. Along with the working group’s more general licensing principles, they envision updating the guide regularly to reflect the gains we have made in accessibility as well as the accessibility concerns brought about by new platforms, resources, and, most of all, user communities. It is their hope that this guide gives the necessary tools to have consistent and impactful communication with vendors as libraries strive to make their e-resources accessible to all users.

There is excitement in the TRLN community for the publication of the guide:

“I am delighted to see the publication of the TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses, a valuable reference tool on best practices and advocacy, made available to library staff doing this critical work.” said Dracine Hodges, Associate University Librarian for Collections Services at Duke University Libraries. “This guide supports libraries having a clear alignment of strategies to encourage better design and outcomes. E-resource accessibility is imperative for a more inclusive user experience. I commend my TRLN colleagues for creating this needed contribution to the field.” 

Dracine Hodges, Associate University Librarian for Collections Services at Duke University Libraries

Tessa Minchew, Electronic Resources Librarian at North Carolina State University and chair of ERMWG shared

“While we view thoughtful and practical accessibility standards as a fundamental user right, our content and service providers may be trying to balance accessibility with specific business concerns. They may also just be unfamiliar with the work entailed in making a resource accessible and why it is so important to do so. Negotiating for accessibility is an advocacy and outreach opportunity. Thorough preparation for such moments is never wasted. This is why I am so excited about the release of the TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses. The guide is a license negotiator’s dream, not only offering sample license language, but also the background information and rationale that a negotiator will need to call upon in their quest for the holy grail of all library licensing … ‘mutually agreeable’.”

Tessa Minchew, Electronic Resources Librarian at North Carolina State University and chair of ERMWG

Maria Collins, Department Head, Acquisitions & Discovery, North Carolina State University and longtime ERMWG member appreciates the collaboration inspired by the guide and used in its creation:

“This TRLN Guide provides practical advice for understanding and negotiating license terms related to accessibility, an increasing area of emphasis for libraries given the predominance of electronic resources. What makes this set of guidelines unique is the support provided for the decision making process. Benefiting from collaborative effort, this guide goes beyond providing template language to providing strategies to assist with judgment calls made during license negotiations as well as ways to assess the context and priorities for your institution.” 

Maria Collins, Department Head, Acquisitions & Discovery, North Carolina State University

Access the TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses at http://bit.ly/trln-a11y-eresource-license. Reach out to info@trln.org with any questions.

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TRLN Publishes Guidelines for Language Used in Exhibitions

A team of communication experts, exhibit specialists, and librarians from across TRLN institutions have published guidelines for producing exhibitions that are inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible. “Exhibition Language Guidelines: A Working Document for Academic Library Exhibit Professionals” was developed in response to increased awareness of the role of  academic libraries in dismantling racism. 

 “Building on the momentum of the conscious editing work being conducted by our colleagues in Technical Services and against a backdrop of IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Access) initiatives in our libraries, we saw a common need for a document to guide us, and the curators we work with, when making decisions about ethical descriptions,”  explained Rachel Reynolds, Special Collections Exhibitions Coordinator, at the Wilson Special Collections Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The document includes guidelines on language related to gender orientation and sexual identity; disability; social class and socioeconomic status; age; race, ethnicity, and nationality; and religion and spirituality. The guide is intended for anyone working on library (or other types of) exhibits who aims to write copy that is inclusive and non-offensive, including library staff and campus and community collaborators.

The staff who lead exhibit programs at TRLN member institutions have had collegial relationships for at least a decade, but their collaboration and communication were intensified during the pandemic, as staff wanted to discuss exhibit work and how programs were adapting to pandemic-related challenges and other societal events. 

“As the staff responsible for exhibit-related outreach, we helped to increase the number of exhibitions focused on communities or individuals who had been underrepresented or overlooked,” noted Linda Jacobson, Keeper, North Carolina Collection Gallery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “We wanted to make sure that the language we use in our exhibits is current, respectful, and without implicit prejudices and stereotypes.”

From the outset, the group knew that a simple “cheat sheet” with suggested edits would not be sufficient, which led them to produce the more comprehensive and contextualized document. They recognized that even members of particular groups do not always agree on how they want to be described, so a simple glossary was not sufficient; and, they were aware that preferred nomenclature changes overtime.

Each member of the exhibits group took on research and writing responsibilities for different sections of the document, meeting twice per month throughout 2021 to discuss their progress. They consulted and expanded on language guides from other professional disciplines, many of which have been appended to the Guidelines. The group hopes that their guide will benefit not only TRLN institutions but smaller organizations that may not have the resources to develop such a resource. The authors welcome feedback and input on the Guidelines, which will be revised as needed.

The authors of the Guidelines presented their work at the 2022 TRLN Annual Meeting. The recording of that presentation is available at https://duke.app.box.com/v/2022TRLNannual/folder/167459261557

Contact info@trln.org for more information or to contribute suggestions.