Speakers
Thursday Afternoon Pre-Conference Workshop
Yah, Sure, You Betcha: You Can Create Good-Looking, Usable, Accessible and Unforgettable Online Library Instruction
Lindsay Matts-Benson
University of Minnesota Libraries
Biography Lindsay Matts-Benson is the Instructional Designer for the University of Minnesota Libraries in Minneapolis where she collaborates and consults with librarians and library staff on building accessible, thoughtful and creative instructional material, such as online tutorials, websites, videos and in-person presentations. Lindsay has designed online learning modules and developed semester-long courses ranging from insurance law and trial advocacy skills to library research skills and job searching using library databases. Lindsay holds a Master of Arts in Learning Technology with a certificate in e-learning from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN and a Master's in Library and Information Science from Dominican University in River Forest, IL.
Andrew Palahniuk
University of Minnesota Libraries
Biography Andrew Palahniuk works for the University of Minnesota Libraries on instructional design and instructional technologies. He also leads the Peer Research Consultant Program, a sort of library tutoring service for undergrads at the University of Minnesota. If you find him in the wilds outside of work, you might witness him being a father, partner, bike-commuter, doodler, reader, cooker, paddler, hiker, traveler, and folder-of-laundry. He currently lives with his family and really old cat, Mr. Pickleson, in St. Paul, MN.
Friday Morning Plenary Speaker
Sara Zettervall
Whole Person Librarianship
Whole Person Librarianship: Relationship Literacy in an Information Framework
Slides, worksheets and other resources referenced during talk
Ten years ago, San Francisco Public Library became the first in the nation to hire a social worker on staff. Since then, library social worker hires have grown at an exponential rate in public libraries. Though it’s less well-known, interest in library-social work collaboration has been growing among academic librarians as well. This work becomes more viable as academic institutions recognize that holistic wellbeing fosters student success.
This session asks a number of questions about what these trends may mean for academic librarians who connect students to information resources. What are the key elements of this trend in public libraries, and what are their parallels in academia? Can methods and justifications for social service in public libraries translate to an academic setting—and should they? Within the context of this rapidly shifting landscape, this session will also present social work concepts that can be applied to library service right away. Social workers learn how to structure their approach to foster empathy-based service while being mindful of boundaries, and all librarians can strengthen their ability to provide excellent public service by using a whole-person framework. Participants will walk away from this session with an expanded perspective on information resources, as well as questions to discuss and answer for themselves across the rest of the conference.
Biography
Sara Zettervall is the founding consultant for Whole Person Librarianship, which applies social work concepts to library practice. She currently works as a community engagement librarian for East African refugees in Minneapolis. Her experience includes leading innovative projects in public, academic, and school libraries and archives. She was the 2017 winner of the Bogle Pratt International Travel Fund, in support of presenting on library-social work collaboration at the Symposium of the International Consortium for Social Development in Zagreb, Croatia. A 2014 American Library Association Emerging Leader, Sara has continued to serve ALA through involvement in the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Recommendations Implementation Working Group. Her book, Whole Person Librarianship: A Social Work Approach to Patron Services (coauthored with social work professor Mary Nienow), is scheduled for publication in mid-2019. She holds an MLIS from St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN) and a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan.
