LOEX 2022
May 2022
Thanks to the CLRC professional development grant, I was able to attend and present at my very first in-person library conference! After encouragement to present the development and outcomes of my student worker accessibility training tutorial by my supportive librarian mentor, my poster proposal was selected to be included in the LOEX 2022 conference in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This conference is well-known for its focus on library instruction and information literacy.
As a graduating MLIS student and future academic librarian, the opportunity to present my work, learn from presenters, and meet current instruction librarians was invaluable. Not only did the presentations expand my knowledge of librarianship but I was greatly inspired by the work of others.
Presentations can be informative, but people make lasting impressions. While attending the conference I met a number of amazing librarians. During a session critiquing the CRAAP method for being elitist, the presenter mentioned that she was a popular culture scholar. As someone also interested in popular culture studies, I had to approach her after the presentation. It turns out that I had actually read one of her published articles about librarians in popular culture. We spoke and exchanged contact information over lunch.
However, I also learned a lot from the presentations too. A session that altered my perception of instruction was about design justice. There are many ways that people creating products, programs, or policies fail to incorporate the needs and rights of marginalized people. Design justice seeks to make sure equity, inclusion, and accessibility are main concerns in the design process, so no one is left unable to participate or operate something. Design justice supports EDI and accessibility, which I am passionate about fostering. I left that session considering the ways I could incorporate design justice into instructional design. Several sessions at this conference focused on EDI elements.
Another session focused on ways we can incorporate disability justice into our instruction. Giving options to participate for students and considering the ways activities may restrict participation were two things that I had failed to include in my own instruction in the past. This session introduced me to new ways of conceiving of accessible and equitable participation, activities, and assessment. I now know to incorporate more agency for students in my one-shot instruction.
The general themes of the presentations at the conference like EDI and accessibility aligned with my poster’s topic. When I presented my poster, many conference goers commented on the importance of my project and thanked me for asserting the need for more accessibility training at academic libraries, especially to student workers. It was encouraging to meet like-minded people and librarians as passionate about accessibility as I am.
I’m grateful for the opportunity that the CRLC professional development grant offered. If anyone would like to reach out to discuss LOEX 2022 with me, I can be contacted at alaynavanderveer@gmail.com.
Alayna Vander Veer
Graduate Student, Syracuse University
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