Space Camp ER&L Day 1 Report

The 2024 ER&L Conference had quite the kickoff! Breakfast included local fare, tacos, and a wide variety of fresh fruit and provided an excellent opportunity to meet librarians from across the country. I happened to sit at a table with two from opposite coasts with equally unique takes on e-resource librarianship: one was from New York Public Library and the other from Claremont Colleges consortium outside LA (meanwhile, I’m more in the middle of the country at the University of Dayton in Ohio). Who knew that NYPL has a discovery layer in addition to their catalog, but it makes sense when you consider the vast amount of research their libraries support.

Next up was the keynote address delivered by Kasia Chmielinski to roughly 800 in-person attendees. Pointing out that it’s “not just what we’re doing, it’s how we’re doing it,” Kasai challenged us to consider ways we can make changes to help make AI more ethical, in large part by calling for more transparency on behalf of the corporations developing AI models. I followed this thought-provoking address by attending a suite of sessions. These included but were not limited to, presentations on a new data visualization tool called Microsoft Power BI (the audience was really enthusiastic about the potential!), analyzing article processing charges for gold open access using Python (a steep learning curve!), patron-driven acquisitions for kanopy, and the tough decision-making process of canceling big deal packages in Canada.

Being the first day, these sessions were followed by the vendor reception in the ballroom. While this included the unavoidable sales pitches and free swag, it also involved a chance to grab a cider and catch up with colleagues. In my case, being part of the OhioLINK consortium, I was able to connect with two librarians from the other side of the state to discuss our ongoing ILS migration, providing a relaxing way to bond over a stressful project. Afterward, I opted to stroll across UT Austin’s campus in the 70-degree weather to get some food from a local taqueria before retiring to my hotel. I’d been on my feet for over 12 hours and was really looking forward to an equally busy schedule the next day.

Prepared by:

Simon Robins (he, him, his)
Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Discovery  |  Assistant Professor
University of Dayton