Vancouver Island Library Staff Conference

In late 2022, generative AI, which can create any type of text or code, was made available to the public for the first time. In the education sector, this technology has raised both concerns and expectations and prompted an ongoing discussion about its disruptive potential. Meanwhile, a growing number of innovative applications in teaching and research, as well as thoughtful regulations demonstrate that, with critical care, it is possible to manage the impact of this unprecedented technology ethically and with sound pedagogy.

We invite professionals to join this conversation panel about generative AI and share their experiences, ideas, and questions.

In October 2022, Camosun College officially launched its self-registration, online academic integrity course for students. Developed by Camosun librarians, Patsy
Scott and Margie Clarke, the interactive course is designed to teach students about academic integrity and what it means to belong to the Camosun academic community. Integrating video scenarios, the course outlines student rights and responsibilities that this belonging entails. The course includes topics such as contract cheating, self-plagiarism, cultural differences and Indigenous ethical values. Upon successful course completion, students earn a digital badge. Registrations have topped 1,000 since its release.

Faculty at Royal Roads University report feeling that they're missing out on key library services but are too time-strapped to seek out additional support. To address this, RRU Library recently launched a faculty newsletter highlighting services to support teaching and research. Through this project, we're seeking to
enhance the Library's relationship with our faculty and increase our mutual sense of belonging.

This presentation reflects on the experience of putting together a new newsletter, including challenges and learnings so far. We'll touch on both practicalities -- successes, missteps, best practices -- and outcomes - - engagement metrics, anecdotal feedback, and perceived return on investment.

Recently, I was in the far back corner of the law library working on a jigsaw puzzle. A client sat nearby in an easy chair scrolling through her phone and we got to chatting. She told me that 20 years before she had spent time in our library with her newborn daughter while she finished editing a book. It was a moment of sharing that happened because we made a space for it. A space we have come to call our Cozy Corner, created when we resumed full services in April 2022. I want to tell you what a success it’s been.

Librarians may experience feelings of isolation and uncertainty when joining a new organization. Subject librarians may face additional challenges as they learn the norms and cultures unique to their departments. Mentorship is linked to favourable
outcomes in academia (Lorenzetti & Powelson, 2015). A faculty-mentoring program was developed and implemented with two new librarians in Advanced Research Services, University of Victoria Libraries.

This presentation will describe the program and its implementation. We will share our experiences and successes, including how this program aligns with principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in fostering a sense of belonging for new subject librarians.

The TRC Calls to Action, UNDRIP and the Calls to Justice call on public institutions to not only share truths but to acknowledge Indigenous Ways of Knowing. It is often difficult to know where to start.

The Decolonizing Spaces Working Group at UVic Libraries is examining our current physical and digital spaces and finding ways to acknowledge Indigenous experiences, Knowledge(s), and histories. We will share our current projects, provide space for others to share their projects, and discuss how we can work together to address these calls and ensure that our libraries are places where everyone feels they belong.

Community organizations and members of the general public engage in research practices, from community engaged research partnerships, to citizen science projects, to more informal initiatives. However, given restrictive licensing and costly academic research platforms, it can be challenging for both public and academic libraries to provide them with tools and support.

This panel brings together experts in open research tools to discuss strategies for supporting community researchers. Participants will learn about community engagement strategies, accessible tools for literature reviews and open data, and participate in group discussion about how our library systems can better support community research on Vancouver Island.

The VNFC and GVPL's partnership has produced positive community engagement through
programming for Indigenous and non-Indigenous community. Both organizations have enriched their partnership in different ways by exchanging knowledge that wasn't readily available to either party in an accessible way. In this presentation we will discuss how each of us have grown, supported and are invested to move forward to reaching our goals of creating spaces for belonging for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community.

The presenters will report on the findings from the focus group interviews, which were conducted at UVic for the project "Developing an open toolkit for inclusive
pedagogy in library instruction and consultation". Participants are invited to join an open discussion focusing on questions pertaining to inclusive pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching and UDL principles. The presenters will lead and facilitate the discussion by providing concrete examples of how we have experienced some scenarios that can make minoritized and underrepresented people uncomfortable in library instruction sessions, library interactions, but also workplace situations.

What happens when librarians see a hunger in their communities for something that they can’t just order and put in the catalogue? And a pandemic that shakes up adult programming as they know it?

Our VIRL librarians got busy with the creative projects they had always wanted to bring into their libraries! They made: Sea & Cedar literary magazine for emerging and established writers and artists; Meet Me in the Stacks podcast for book-ish people; and their Virtual Gardening Series in partnership with Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association. Get inspired and learn from their process to start your own creation!