Published: January 15, 2019 by Violet McCrigler
In November I was given the opportunity to attend the ASIS&T Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The theme of the meeting was Building and Sustaining and Ethical Future with Emerging Technology. This was particularly appealing to me for a number of reasons. As an iSchool student, I am very interested in the future of libraries, especially as technology evolves and creates new opportunities and challenges for information professionals. I am also passionate about social justice and the ethics and values of our profession. Finally, as a member of both our ASIS&T and ALASC student chapters, I appreciate how getting involved with professional organizations has enhanced my education and career. I was thrilled to be selected as a student volunteer for the event, where I got a behind the scenes look at the work that goes into hosting such a large conference and was able to meet ASIS&T leaders and researchers doing fascinating work in the field of Information Science. As a volunteer, my primary responsibilities included helping panels and paper presentations stay on schedule by timing speakers, meeting with moderators prior to events, and connecting with tech support and event staff as needed.
Prior to the start of the conference, ASIS&T offered a tour of University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology and Xwi7Xwa Library, their center for First Nations scholarship. This was an incredible experience, especially of interest to me because I work in an academic library at a University that is committed to better serving our local Native American community. It was inspiring to see the ways that the Xwi7Xwa Library has developed as a student and community-centered space, and especially fascinating to learn about their Indigenous Knowledge Organization systems and subject headings. It was also a great experience to connect with my small tour group, made up of ASIS&T members from around the globe, and learn about their research.
During the conference, I attended as many sessions as possible, in addition to the ones I was assigned as a volunteer. I especially enjoyed the presentations on Investigating Youth Learning and Data, as I’m following the Youth Services pathway in our program. The data and tech programs for teens, presented by Amelia Acker and Leanne Bowler, offered inspiring examples of how libraries can provide data literacy opportunities that are engaging for young people. I also enjoyed the paper presentation on information resources for young fathers, by Caroline Mniszak, Heather O’Brien, Cathy Chabot, and Jean Shoveller, which was an excellent reminder of how libraries need to be aware of marketing strategies, outreach, and providing appropriate services for diverse demographics. Finally, a panel titled Fandom, Food, and Folksonomies: The Methodological Realities of Studying Fun Life-Contexts was just as entertaining as it sounds, and brought me back to my INFO 200 research on the information practices of hobbyist gardeners.
In addition to all I learned by attending conference sessions and presentations, I enjoyed attending the ASIS&T Business meeting and lunch, where I got a better understanding of how ASIS&T serves members, and the hard work it takes to keep a professional organization running. As a relatively new ASIS&T member, learning from those who have been members for decades was particularly valuable. I was inspired to hear them speak on the ways the field has evolved. The Plenary speakers were also incredible, and really brought to light the impact that information, data, and technology have on our lives.
A final highlight was getting to meet Dr. Hirsh, Dr. Hicks, Dr. Alman, fellow iSchool student Sarah DeWitt, and iSchool alumna Tamarack Hockin. Tamarack’s presentation when she served on the ASIS&T student chapter’s executive committee was what first inspired me to get involved, so meeting her was a fun, full-circle moment for me. Before I became an iSchool student, I worried that online education might be isolating, but I quickly learned that it is full of opportunities to connect and engage with our community. Attending the Annual Meeting was an incredible chance to learn and connect with others. I am immensely grateful to the iSchool for providing funding for me to attend. It was an experience I will remember for the rest of my career.