You’re invited to the Central New York Library Resources Council’s 2023 Annual Conference on Thursday, October 19 at the Oneida Community Mansion House! 

Schedule of Events:

9:30 to 10 a.m. – Registration

10 to 10:20 a.m. – Welcome & Opening Remarks

10:20 to 11:15 a.m. – Keynote Panel on Artificial Intelligence in the Library

Generative artificial intelligence is having a moment.  The surging interest in ChatGPT and various other text and image generators offers unique opportunities and challenges for librarians.  Join us for a keynote panel discussion featuring insights from librarians representing school, public, and academic libraries.  We’ll consider how librarians can use generative AI, ethical concerns, and what the future could bring for the emerging technology.

Meet Our Panel:

Erin Cassidy has been a public librarian for over a decade in roles that combine public service and technical processes with management. She enjoys the nerdy side of life including sci-fi and fantasy entertainment, tabletop and video gaming, and design activities like assembling LEGO kits, iterating original pixel art, and recreating her apartment as a 3D model. She is interested in new technologies and dove into ChatGPT and the news buzz around it for a recent public program which featured the generative language chatbot’s advantages and limitations. The recording of this program has become the best-performing video for her library this year. She believes strongly that ChatGPT and AI services like it are intrinsically intertwined with information literacy and the core work of libraries. Erin uses ChatGPT occasionally in her personal and work life to automate writing and editing processes. She has a special interest in generative AI’s impacts on creators and creativity and the implications for copyright.

John Stawarz is the online learning librarian at Syracuse University Libraries. He also teaches for both Syracuse University’s MSLIS program and Library Juice Academy. John received an MS in Library and Information Science, MS in Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation, and Certificate of Advanced Study in Designing Digital Instruction, and much of his professional development this year has focused on understanding artificial intelligence and its relevance to academic libraries.

Cathi Brewer currently works as the media librarian at Madison-Oneida BOCES School Library System. Formerly a computer scientist, over the course of her career she has held various positions focusing on technology, teaching, and librarianship. Her initial concern about the potential misuse of generative AI has been eclipsed by a growing excitement for its constructive potential, particularly in boosting productivity and fostering creativity. Cathi now leads workshops aimed at helping educators overcome their initial reservations about the science fiction-like aspects of generative AI, including fears related to its potential use for cheating, and adapt to the positive impact it can bring to teaching and learning.

11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Lightning Talks from New Initiatives Grant Recipients

Hear from several New Initiatives grant recipients. The grants were created to help address member organizations’ problems, challenges, or needs. 

Homebound Delivery Tablets – Jen Tolley & Cynthia Baxter, Northern Onondaga Public Library
Outreach staff at the Northern Onondaga Public Library made it possible for patrons enrolled in our Homebound Delivery program to enjoy digital materials by loaning out tablets with pre-downloaded items.

Soule Branch Library SEL/Anime Afterschool Program – Margaret Martin, Soule Branch Library
Soule Branch Library, located directly across the street from HW Smith preK-8 School, proposed a weekly social emotional learning (SEL) tween manga/anime afterschool program for the 2022/23 school year, augmented by a specially curated manga collection with a focus on youth mental health.

Dynamic Elementary Library Shelving – Darcy Barber, Liverpool Central School District
This project created dynamic elementary library shelving which empowered our K-2 readers to independently and successfully browse for, and locate books of interest to them.

Teen Book Box – Shauna Modrow, Hazard Branch Library
Hazard branch library created a monthly “Teen Book Box” service that offered a tailored “subscription”-like literary-themed book box for teen library patrons across the city.

12:15 p.m. – Lunch Begins

12:45 p.m. – Business Meeting & Library Awards

1:30 to 2:15 p.m. – Continuation of Lightning Talks from New Initiatives Grant recipients followed by More from ARPA Grant Recipients

In this session, we’ll be hearing one more lightning talk from a New Initiatives grant recipient followed by talks from organizations that received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funding to work on projects related to digital inclusion or library and museum partnerships.

Westhill Libraries Summer Book Bonanza – Aneisa Linton & Karin Backus, Westhill Central School District
This project provided books free of charge that children kept as their own. The promotion of reading coupled with access to free books encouraged children to read more over the summer months and combatted summer learning loss.

Utica Children’s Mobile Museum Tour with Jervis Public Library & Utica Public Library – Donna Migliaccio, Utica Children’s Museum
The Utica Children’s Museum partnered with Jervis Public Library and Utica Public Library to bring Mobile Museum Days during school break weeks. In total, UCM provided programming for children, youth, and their families at the two libraries for a total of 16 hours, split between both locations. UCM is currently closed while their new building is under construction and this partnership enabled the museum to continue to provide playful learning experiences to patrons in accessible settings.

Onondaga Free Build Your Own Computer – Scott Lipkowitz, Onondaga Free Library
Over the course of four weeks, Tweens, Teens, and their families were provided, free of charge, with the components and technical skills necessary to build their own computers. Participants gained an understanding of how and why computers work, becoming more proficient digital navigators and increasing their digital literacy along the way. At the end of the program, participants left with both a free computer they themselves had built and a meaningful, foundational knowledge of computer technology and its application—making participants well positioned to make further advances toward a career in IT.

2:30 p.m. – Poster Session & Tours of Oneida Community Mansion House

3:15 p.m. – Raffle!

Prizes include an overnight stay at the Oneida Community Mansion House & a gift basket of local goodies. You must be present to win.

Please feel free to share the above flyer widely as this is open to all library, archive, and museum staff in our region (Onondaga, Herkimer, Oneida, and Madison Counties).

Registration is FREE but will close on Friday, October 6 at 5 p.m.!

A recording of this year’s conference will be made available a few days after the event. If you have any questions regarding the Annual Conference, please email Rebecca Honsinger at rhonsinger@clrc.org.

All CLRC events are open to members of CLRC and the Empire State Library Network.

All attendees are expected to follow CLRC’s Code of Conduct.

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