Category: 2019

If you’re going to ALA Annual in Washington, DC, don’t miss the latest Top Tech Trends panel. LITA Top Technology TrendsSunday, June 23, 2019, 1:00 – 2:30 PMLocation: Washington Convention Center, 146A LITA’s premier program on trends and advances in technology features an ongoing roundtable discussion by a panel of LITA technology experts and thought leaders. The panelists will describe changes and advances in technology they see having an impact on the library world and suggest what libraries might do to take advantage of these trends. This year’s panelists are: James Neal, Session Moderator, Senior Program Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services Matthew Enis, Senior Editor, Technology, Library Journal Matthew Hunter, Digital Scholarship Technologist, Office of Digital Research and Scholarship, Florida State University Libraries Terry Ann Lawler, Assistant Manager, Adult Services, Phoenix Public Library Lavoris Martin, Associate Librarian, Director of Library Technical Services, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Ricardo…

Active and Engaging If you’re attending the 2019 ALA Annual Conference, join us for one of our practical workshops and check out all the LITA programming at Annual including the thought-provoking LITA President’s Program. AvramCampFriday June 21, 2019, 9:00 am – 4:00pmFacilitators: Sara Margaret Rizzo, Systems Librarian, Monmouth University Library Aisha Conner-Gaten. Instructional Design Librarian, Loyola Marymount University Anne Slaughter, Director of Technology Services, RAILS This workshop for female-identifying individuals will start with looking at imposter syndrome and then allow participants to propose unconference topics such as salary negotiation, creating inclusive job postings, and becoming leaders in the technology field. Beginning GIt and GitHubFriday, June 21, 2019 12:00 – 4:00 pmPresenters: Kate Bronstad, Librarian Web Developer, University Library, Tufts University Heather Klish, Systems Librarian, University Library, Tufts University Ari Gofman, Social Science Data Librarian, Tisch Library, Tufts University Work smarter, collaborate faster, and share code or other files with the library community using the popular version control system Git. Featuring a mix…

Register now for this unique and affordable LITA workshop at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC. AvramCamp 2019Friday June 21, 2019, 9:00 am – 4:00 pmWalter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 150A Join other women and non-binary technology library workers in a safe and welcoming space to explore common challenges faced, learn strategies for dealing with them, and discuss specific tools to build your confidence at AvramCamp, LITA’s AdaCamp-inspired event. Our goal is to create a support network and increase participation from underrepresented groups in open technology and culture to further the library community’s goals of ensuring equitable access to information for everyone. Still Undecided? Read ALA Emerging Leader Aisha Conner-Gaten’s report on her experiences at AvramCamp 2017! Of the 2018 participants surveyed, 100% agreed that they learned new strategies and felt more confident about what they learned. “AvramCamp was well worth attending and one of the most interactive and engaging preconferences I ever attended.” – Joslyn “Thank you…

Executive Perspectives: A Conversation on the Future of the Library Technology Industry Monday, June 24, 2019, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PMLocation: Washington Convention Center, 146A Marshall Breeding, author of the annual Library Systems Report published in American Libraries, has assembled and will moderate this panel of senior executives representing organizations that produce software or services for libraries. Breeding will give a brief introduction and will then lead a lively discussion of technology and business trends. This year, the panel discussion will focus on issues related to the use of open source software for core resource management, repository, and discovery systems. Specific topics will be announced prior to the Annual Conference.  Marshall Breeding, Independent Consultant, Creator and Publisher Library Technology Guides. Laurie Arp, Director of Collections Services and Community Supported Software , Lyrasis Lynn Bailey, Chief Executive Officer and CFO, Index Data Neil Block, Vice President for Global Open Source Innovation,…

Do you want to participate in LITA AvramCamp, a one-day unconference for women and non-binary people working in library technology, at ALA Annual in Washington, D.C.? Would travel funding help you to attend? Thanks to support from individual donors and sponsors, AvramCamp is offering several $500 travel scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded competitively based on the committee’s ranking of applications received by the deadline of May 17, 2019. Scholarship Eligibility ALA attendees are encouraged to participate in AvramCamp if they: Identify as a woman or non-binary in a way that is significant to them; Participate in library technology (in any role); Can actively participate in discussions about women’s and non-binary people’s experiences in library technology, including talking about their achievements and the challenges they face; Want to work together and share strategies to support and promote women in the field; Are young or old; students or professionals; from a diverse…

Agency, Consent, and Power in Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday, June 22, 2019 – 4:00 PM – 5:00 PMLocation: Washington Convention Center, 146B Science Fiction and Fantasy has always held a mirror up to nature and continues to explore themes that resonate in contemporary society. As our current culture grapples with issues such as sexual assault, bodily autonomy, classism, racism, and consolidation of power, both political and economic, science fiction and fantasy writers have been responding with works that illuminate our current situation. Join a panel of popular genre authors talking about how their work is informed by and informs discussion on the topics of agency, consent, and power in the real world and in the worlds of their own creation. Sarah Gailey* Malka Older John Scalzi Martha Wells Register today! If you’re attending the 2019 ALA Annual Conference, join us for one of our practical workshops and check out all the LITA programming at…

LITA President Bohyun Kim welcomes Meredith Broussard presenting: Artificial Unintelligence Sunday, June 23, 2019, 3:00 – 4:00 pm Our collective enthusiasm for applying computer technology to every aspect of life has resulted in a vast number of poorly designed systems. We are so eager to do everything digitally—hiring, driving, paying bills, even choosing romantic partners—that we have stopped demanding that our technology actually work. In this talk, author and professor Meredith Broussard looks at the inner workings and outer limits of technology, and explains why we should never assume that computers always get things right. Making a case against technochauvinism—the belief that technology is always the solution—Broussard looks at why self-driving cars don’t really work and why social problems persist in every digital Utopia. If we understand the limits of what we *can* do with technology, Broussard tells us, we can make better choices about what we *should* do with…

Will this be your first ALA Annual Conference? Or maybe you haven’t been in a while and aren’t sure where to start your planning? Get some help and learn more about LITA in the process by signing up for the LITA Conference Buddy program. It’s a great way to navigate the largest library conference, expand your network, and make new friends. The program is designed to make conference attendance more approachable, foster inclusion, and build connections by pairing you with someone who shares your professional interests and is familiar with Annual Conference. Or Be a Conference Buddy! Want to help someone new to Annual and show them how great LITA is? Sign up to be a conference buddy. Share your experience and network while learning new things and meeting new people. Application deadline to sign up for either role is June 7, 2019. If you have any questions about the program,…