Changes: Turn and Face the Strange
Keynote for the 2021 Regional Conference
July 29, 2021
Description: Libraries find themselves in a strange spot as things get back to some semblance of “normal.” It could be tempting to put new service models developed in response to COVID-19 behind us and return to the same old practices and routines. But before reinstating business as usual, we should think about whether what we are doing (or what we were doing) is relevant, necessary, and in alignment with our values. We can’t just keep adding more and more to our plates and doing more with less, but we should take the time to learn from the gaps COVID revealed and the pivoting it required of us. By realigning our deeply held values and user needs with library goals and services, we can withstand much of what the changing world throws at us. We just need to remain creative, flexible, and open to what the library can be.
Bio: CALLAN BIGNOLI is the director of the library at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts. She gathers inspiration from everywhere to inform user-centered practices and push the profession forward. Callan studies and speaks about user experience design, library management, and social issues in technology, challenging students and colleagues to fight for a more just and human future.