#ASL 2024
Abstracts and Biographies
Fair for All: Creating Equitable and Universal Access to Information
Two excellent Keynote speakers headed up the ASL 2024 conference: Marilyn Clarke and David Hughes. Both are highly experienced and engaging speakers who discussed two very important topics that underpin conversations around addressing equity of representation and access within libraries.
There was also a diverse selection of exciting speakers throughout the day that spoke to many of the current discussions being grappled with across the information profession. Our line up of poster presenters offered another range of valuable perspectives that added to the event.
We have made the presentation recordings and slides available with the speakers’ information below.
Keynote Speakers
Marilyn Clarke
Libraries as Liberatory Spaces: knowledge justice, sites of memory, and acts of resistance.
This talk focuses on whose knowledge and histories are remembered and how we must respect, preserve, and acknowledge the knowledge and histories of marginalised communities through transformational acts and healing practices.
Biography
Marilyn Clarke has an MSc in Race and Ethnic Relations. She has worked at Senate House Library, Imperial College, London, and Goldsmiths, University of London and is currently the IALS Librarian – Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, the national research library for Law. She is a member of the Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment team, and the Libraries’ Inclusivity Group.
Externally, she is a member of the SCONUL – Society of College, National and University Libraries – Executive Board, the We Are Our History Advisory Board at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, and the global CRTc – Critical Race Theory – Collective.
She focuses her work on delivering an inclusive, accessible service to all library users, leads on decolonisation and liberatory initiatives, and highlights issues around diversity, racial inequality, and the lack of Global Majority representation in libraries and HE, particularly at senior level.
She has spoken at multiple conferences and has written several professional articles on these subjects as well as two book chapters published in 2021.
Tyrell, B, Academic & Special Libraries Conference 2024 ‘Fair for All: Creating Equitable and Universal Access to Information’ Report. Available at: https://www.libfocus.com/2024/05/academic-special-libraries-conference_28.html
David Hughes
Why Do We Need “Open”, Anyway?
Open scholarship is becoming embedded in librarianship and contributes greatly to improving access to knowledge, but perhaps it’s worthwhile reminding ourselves why there’s a need for “open” in the first place. This talk looks at trends and developments – such as Digital Rights Management and Generative AI – that pose a possible threat to how libraries provide access to knowledge and how moving to fairer access models may mitigate these threats.
Biography
David has over 30 years’ experience in the LIS sector and has worked in a various of roles in the public and private sector in both the UK and Ireland including cataloguer, indexer, project manager and systems librarian. He worked for a long time in the library at Dublin Business School where he developed an enthusiasm (not a passion!) for open-source software. He currently works for Education and Training Boards Ireland where he manages a digital library for the further education and training sector and has developed an enthusiasm (again, not a passion) for open educational resources. David is a former member of the ASL committee and helped to set up the LAI’s Open Scholarship Group
Presentation Slides: https://aslibrariesblog.files.wordpre…
Speakers
Laura Rooney Ferris, HSE
‘Building a culture of Open Research for Health and Social Care Practitioners‘
A strong culture of research in healthcare is shown to improve outcomes for the organisation, the staff and the patient. Irish Health and social care practitioners who conduct and publish research frequently do so outside the structures of an academic institution. These practitioner researchers are therefore excluded from availing of the transformative agreements that underpin open academic publication, leaving them liable for expensive Article Processing Charges (APCs). This contributes to inequity and can significantly inhibit publication, dissemination, and visibility of health research output.
The Health Service Executive’s Health Library Ireland and Quality & Patient Safety Directorate along with a group of partners including the Irish College of General Practitioners, the Irish Open Access Publishers, and representatives from RCSI and UCD School of Nursing and Midwifery are progressing a project funded by the National Open Research Forums’ Open Research Fund, to support Open Health Research.
This project seeks to establish a formal network for Health & Social Care Practitioners publishing without an academic affiliation. It also aims to provide a route to 100% Open Access for this network through the establishment of a diamond Open Access journal for Irish Health and Social Care researchers.
This case study introduces the barriers to open publication for health practitioner researchers and outline the aims and development of this project.
Biography
Laura Rooney Ferris is a librarian with over 18 years’ experience in the academic, health and non-profit sectors. She currently works with the HSE’s Health Library Ireland (HLI) as Library Resources Manager with a remit for National Procurement and was previously responsible for implementation and delivery of HLIs Digital Library Services. She was a member of the Library Association of Ireland’s (LAI) Academic & Special Libraries (A&SL) committee for over 10 years, serving as their communications officer for much of this time.
She was the recipient of the LAI Library Staff Champion award for 2019. Since 2015 she has produced and presented the podcast series ‘Librarians Aloud!’ which details the professional journeys of librarians from Ireland and internationally. She recently commenced a PhD with TU Dublin’s school of Media with her research focusing on documenting evolving values and power structures of the Library and Information profession as evidenced in librarian led podcast output.
Trevor Boland, Assistive Technology Officer at DCU
‘Inclusive Technology is everywhere: Why is it then so hard to find?‘
Assistive Technology (AT) is everywhere and provides options and supports for everyone about how to read, write, organise and grammar and much more- AT is an essential ingredient in creating an inclusive culture for all to participate and create as fully as possible. Even though AT is ubiquitous in our digital eco systems like Google, Microsoft and Apple systems and devices, it is very much unnamed and hidden in plain sight for most.
In the presentation, Trevor talks about how technology can address common challenges students have with academic tasks, how this tech fits into the lifestyles of students and how they support wellbeing and how this tech facilitates the transition to the workplace too. Within the way he works, UDL is present especially in a H5P resource he has made for students that represents information about multiple tech solutions in different ways – text, image and video.
The H5P files have been shared with the conference attendees and can be edited to suit different organisational contexts. As a community of student facing practitioners, we have so many insights about how students behave and engage – in this presentation, Trevor shares these insights and the solutions that have been manifested to create a student centred artifact.
Biography
Trevor Boland advocates for inclusion in education via Universal Design for Learning (UDL), accessibility, and Assistive Technology (AT). Previously, he worked as the Digital Officer in AHEAD and worked on many projects, including the National UDL Rollout for staff in Further and Higher Education. Trevor has also worked as an Assistive Technology for 7 years in TU Dublin and, as a Lecturer in an Access Programme in DIT teaching Mature Students and as an SNA in Primary and Secondary Schools. His work has included app design for orientation apps, AT resources such as the AT Hive in AHEAD. Currently he is the Assistive Technology Officer in DCU.
Dean Watters, Assistant Librarian at Griffith College Dublin & Dr Ruth O’Hara, Collections and Content Librarian in Maynooth University Library.
‘Diversifying Dewey: Changing the DDC23 to better represent Irish Travellers‘
This case study outlines the process involved in revising the Dewey Decimal System (DDC) to provide a more accurate and inclusive description of Irish Travellers. Also known as Mincéirí, Irish Travellers are a distinctive ethnic community based primarily in Ireland. However, throughout their history they have experienced widespread discrimination, exclusion, and stereotyping. This fact was somewhat reflective in the DDC, as Irish Travellers were frequently misclassified.
This case study examines the treatment of Irish Travellers, who were not specifically mentioned in previous editions of Dewey, prior to these changes. In addition, it looks at the steps taken by the LAI Cataloguing and Metadata group to prepare a successful exhibit which resulted in a new classification number specifically for this indigenous group. It argues that by working with key stakeholders, including Irish Traveller representative groups, library colleagues and academics, we can better guarantee access to accurate and relevant information for all library users.
Biographies
Dean Watters is an assistant librarian at Griffith College Dublin. He is head of cataloguing for the institution and has been a member of the LAI Cataloguing and Metadata Group for 5 years.
Dr Ruth O’Hara is a Collections and Content Librarian in Maynooth University Library. She is an Associate Member of the Library Association of Ireland (LAI) and is on the committee of the LAI Cataloguing and Metadata Group. She has held variety of library roles across both general and special collections as well as several university teaching positions.
Eilis O’Neill, Outreach and Engagement Librarian in DCU Library
‘Let’s take it outside (the classroom): Implementing UDL practices in non-teaching roles‘
In 2023 Eilís completed a UDL digital badge course, learning how to think beyond the “average” student when designing Library communications and information resources. In 2023/2024 she worked with library colleagues to apply UDL practices to an information resource in DCU Library with an aim to improve its accessibility and reduce potential barriers to learning.
The practices introduced mean that the guide takes into account the diversity of DCU’s staff and students and helps them to engage further with the resources included in the guide. This case study demonstrates how libraries can apply UDL guidelines to their own library resources to ensure that they offer users who access them flexibility, accessibility, voice and choice.
Biography
Eilis O’Neill is the Outreach and Engagement Librarian in DCU Library, situated within the Library’s Public Services and Outreach directorate. Prior to this, she was a member of the Research and Teaching team in DCU Library. She has also worked in the libraries of the Irish Film Institute, Fingal County Council, Maynooth University and Trinity College Dublin. She is a member of the libfocus team and is a member of the Academic and Special Libraries committee.
Paola Corti, Open Education Community Manager of SPARC Europe
‘Librarians as agents of change – SPARC Europe’s Strategy to advance Open Education in Europe‘
The European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL) and SPARC Europe are engaged in doing their best to make open education become the standard in European education. With members from 30 European countries, ENOEL supports librarians at various stages, contributing to the implementation of UNESCO OER Recommendation’s action areas. Despite successful initiatives fostering confidence and capacity, librarians face limitations in leadership and financial commitment, posing a risk to sustained efforts.
In response, SPARC Europe is finalising a new strategy, with librarians involved in the design process, to address barriers and limitations together in the next years. The forthcoming OE Strategy 2024-2026, to be published in January 2024, aims to secure a future for Open Education with a vision for librarians as active partners in shaping practices and policies.
Facing challenges, the strategy outlines action areas SPARC Europe will address starting in 2024, seeking a more sustainable foundation for Open Education librarianship. During the presentation, Paola shares the process adopted to develop the Strategy involving librarians directly; the major challenges and plans for the coming year are detailed, and she invites attendees’ input during the Q&A session. The goal is to foster collaboration in overcoming obstacles and advancing Open Education in the European landscape.
Biography
Paola Corti is the Open Education Community Manager of SPARC Europe, working with the European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL); she supports librarians in taking action to implement the UNESCO Recommendations on OER and helps bridge the gap between educators and librarians to work more together. She is a member of the Board of Directors at OE Global, and she also works as a project manager and instructional designer at Politecnico di Milano, in Italy.
Ann Byrne, Digital Librarian at Hibernia College and Emberly Davey, Digital Library Assistant at Hibernia College
‘Digital literacy for all: reflections on creating a Digital literacy OER‘
In today’s internet-dominated interconnected world, where anyone with a phone can publish something and share it worldwide, critically assessing the integrity of information has never been more important or more challenging, and to do this successfully requires digital literacy skills.
Inspired by global initiatives such as the United Nations SDGs and the European Commission’s DigComp framework, the team in Hibernia College created an open digital educational resource to help foster digital literacy within our institution and beyond. This project ties in with an ongoing academic integrity project within the institution; it also coincides with the increasing availability of generative artificial intelligence systems that can potentially spread misinformation at scale.
In this paper, the speakers reflect on the process of developing the course, share what they have learned along the way, and indicate future directions for the project.
Biographies
Ann Byrne is the Digital librarian for Hibernia College. She has over 20 years’ experience working in academic libraries and previously held positions in TU Dublin, UCD and IICP. Ann has particular interest and expertise in digital libraries, information literacy, open access, and academic writing and referencing. Ann is an active member of the HECA Library Group and conference committee. She holds a primary degree and two post-graduate degrees from UCD, including her library and information studies qualification. Ann is also an accredited psychotherapist.
With more than 15 years of experience in the library industry, Emberly Davey began her career in public libraries in the United States before accepting a position as a Digital Library Assistant at Hibernia College in Dublin. As a recent graduate of the MLIS from UCD, and with a passion for teaching and education, Emberly believes that all libraries are a haven for lifelong learning. In alignment with this overarching motif, Emberly strives to advocate for and integrate essential and complementary topics, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Open Access.
Jane Buggle and Marie O’Neill, Institute Librarian and Deputy Librarian at IADT
‘Diamond Open Access Publishing: Navigating the Impact of a Single Library Published Journal‘
This presentation outlines the challenges and significance of Diamond Open Access Publishing with a specific focus on library publishing and bibliodiversity. It also describes the distinguishing features, growth and impact of library publishing, incorporating an analysis of future developments in the context of Diamond OA publishing globally. The presentation outlines the importance of engaging in communities of practice nationally and internationally, including the LAI Library Publishing Group, the Irish Open Access Publishers (IOAP), the Library Publishing Coalition, and the IFLA Library Publishing Special Interest Group.
The presentation further discusses the quality standards, capacity building, social justice and sustainability of next-generation library publishing, and with a focus on key NORF projects, including the feasibility study for a national Diamond OA platform. The impact of the publication of Science Europe’s Action Plan for Diamond OA is also explored. Throughout the talk, the presenters demonstrate the impact that even a single library published journal can make to the growth of a high-quality Diamond OA publishing.
Biographies
Jane Buggle is the Institute Librarian at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology. She is the Convenor of the IFLA Library Publishing Special Interest Group. She is founder and chair of the Library Publishing Group of the Library Association of Ireland, and founder and Co-Manager of the IOAP (Irish Open Access Publishers) Community of Practice. She is on the Executive Board of AISHE-J and on the Advisory Board of the DBS Applied Research and Theory Journal. Jane was previously the Programme Manager of the MSc Information and Library Management, Dublin Business School, on which she taught the Library Publishing Coalition’s Library Publishing Curriculum.
Marie O’Neill has over thirty years’ experience in librarianship acquired in the libraries of King’s Inns, Technological University Dublin, Waterford Regional Hospital, the Welsh Office, University College Dublin, the Oireachtas and Dublin Business School. She is employed as Deputy Librarian at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art and Design (IADT). Prior work experience also includes roles in EDI and academic enhancement at CCT College Dublin.
Marie is the originator and Co-Founder of the MSc in Information and Library Management at Dublin Business School which is accredited by the Library Association of Ireland. She is currently enrolled on a part-time PhD in Librarianship in the School of Information and Communication Studies at University College Dublin on the subject of open access scholarly publishing. Marie is a member of the Executive Board of the All Ireland Journal of Higher Education (AISHE-J) and is active in the national and international library publishing community. She is a committee member of IFLA’s Special Interest Group on Library Publishing and the Library Association of Ireland’s Library Publishing Group. She is a Co-Founder and Co-Manager of Irish Open Access Publishers (IOAP.ie), a national community of practice comprising librarians, academics and other stakeholders with the mission of advancing diamond open access scholarly publishing (free to publish in and free to read).
Poster Presentations
Catherine Ahearne, Assistant Librarian with Responsibility for Engagement & Information Services (EIS) at Maynooth University
‘Moving from that’s the way it is to this is what it can be: Finding the means to improve service’
This poster explored the pivotal role of university libraries as inclusive and accessible spaces, fostering an environment that transcends physical and digital boundaries.
This poster presentation examined the questions the team needs to ask before conducting a review of the accessibility and inclusivity of Maynooth University Library.
At the end of this review, the team plans to have a deeper understanding of their user’s needs, both their access needs and their accessibility needs and how they can meet these needs going forward.
Biography
Catherine Ahearne (BA, MLIS, ALAI) is the Assistant Librarian with Responsibility for Engagement & Information Services (EIS at Maynooth University Library. She has experience working in special, public, and academic libraries. She also worked in the private sector for EY as an Information Officer. She is interested in supporting those returning to learning and improving user experience.
Maura Flynn, OER Librarian, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest and Celine Peignen, Deputy Librarian and Open Education Librarian, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
‘Open Educational Resources at TUS: Pressing Forward to Provide Access for All‘
This poster outlined the evolution of the Open Educational Resources (OER) service in the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS). Key milestones included: the creation of an OER Library Guide; the compilation of a Faculty Specific Library Index of OER; collaboration to secure National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning funding for a multi-HEI Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement project called the DOERs Project; and the creation of Ireland’s first dedicated Open Educational Resources Librarian post.
The aim of the DOERs Project is to increase awareness of OER, copyright and open licensing and to empower HEI staff and students in their OER practice using the CARE Framework. TUS is continuing to develop their OER service as they explore the Pressbooks platform to share their OER.
Biographies
Maura Flynn is the Open Educational Resources Librarian at the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest. She is a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Galway and University College Dublin. Maura has worked in a variety of information and library settings, including management, academic and healthcare. She has a broad range of professional interests including: Open Education; Information Literacy; Health Literacy; Universal Design for Learning; and Graphic Design.
Celine Peignen is Deputy Librarian and Open Education Librarian at the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS and a member of the library team for over 10 years. Celine has a particular interest in Information Literacy, Digital Literacy and Teaching and Learning. Her previous experiences working with International Students as an International Office and Information coordinator and as a lecturer in Life Skills, Communications and French have given her a comprehensive understanding of the Irish and International Higher Education Landscapes and adequate knowledge to further develop services for all library stakeholders.
Recognizing the gap in awareness and use of Open Educational Resources, Celine secured funding from different sources including the National Forum to further advance the OER agenda A&SL Conference 21 March 2024 nationally and internationally through her work with ENOEL (SPARC Europe). Celine is a member of the LAI’s Professional Standards Committee and the current chair of the Western Regional Section of the LAI.
Genevieve Larkin, Head of Library Services, Marino Institute of Education and Anne Poénot, Systems Librarian, Marino Institute of Education
‘Empowering Future Educators: Enhancing Library Collections for Inclusive Education‘
This poster illustrated the Marino Institute of Education Library project to diversify their collections. By illustrating how diversifying library collections and providing targeted guides and reading lists can enhance awareness and representation in education, the library team aimed to shed light on the significant role libraries play in nurturing informed, inclusive, and empathetic educators, thereby contributing to the overarching goal of creating equitable and universal access to information.
Guided by a new collection development policy and in collaboration with academic staff, the team have broadened library collections to include substantial resources on Irish Traveller education, autism spectrum resources, and LGBTQ+ issues. This inclusive approach is crucial in providing future teachers with diverse and representative educational materials. It equips them with the knowledge and sensitivity needed to foster inclusive learning environments in their future classrooms.
To facilitate easy access to these new resources, the library team developed intuitive LibGuides. These guides are instrumental in helping both students and academic staff navigate our expanded collections alongside relevant web resources, thereby enhancing their awareness of representation in literature and education.
They have curated specialised reading lists using our new reading list management software. These lists are not only beneficial for student educators but also serve as a resource for academic staff, encouraging them to incorporate a wider range of perspectives in their teaching and recommended reading lists. These lists will be openly available on our Library website, ensuring wide accessibility.
Biographies
Genevieve Larkin began her career in the public library sector in 2006, and moved to academic libraries in 2008. She has acted as Secretary for the Career Development Group of the LAI and is currently the Treasurer for the Academic and Special Libraries section. She was appointed Head of Library Services in the Marino Institute of Education in 2019, and is particularly interested in designing and managing inclusive and user-focused library services, collections and spaces.
Anne Poenot is MIE Library’s Systems Librarian. She’s passionate about making the online study and research environment the best it can be. Anne is always trying to find new ways to improve Library digital infrastructure, making it easier for students and lecturers to find the resources they need.
Colm O’Connor, College Librarian & Research Specialist, Innopharma Education
‘Innopharma Education Library: As open as possible as closed as necessary‘
This poster focused on the Innopharma Education library’s use of Open Source software. Its Integrated Library System (ILS) is KOHA, the world’s first free and Open-Source Library System. Their institutional repository has been created using DSpace, an Open-Source repository software package. The library also promotes the use of Zotero, an open-source reference management tool.
The Innopharma Education Library encourages the use of OERs and OA Resources and the library has developed a resource for lecturers which informs them of the range of OERs available. Many OA books have been added to the library catalogue and the library links to collections of OA Books and OA journals. Lecturers are encouraged to add OA books to reading lists.
The “As Closed as necessary” portion of the title refers to the fact that the library is not fully open and accessible to all as it is part of a private institution.
Biography
Colm O’Connor is the College Librarian and Research Specialist at Innopharma Education and established the college library in 2021. He has worked in Academic Libraries since 2007 and has held several different roles including Clinical Librarian, Research Librarian and Information Resources Librarian.
A&SL 