Apologies for cross-postings
Join the ULS (University Libraries Section) Current Topics Discussion Group for a presentation on Friday, May 21st at 12:00 EST / 11:00 CST titled, Making Connections through Changing Priorities: Textbook Affordability and the University Library Confirmation. A full description of the presentation can be found below, including speaker biographies.
REGISTER (FREE)
The webinar will also be recorded for later viewing. We hope you can join us!
Making Connections through Changing Priorities: Textbook Affordability and the University Library Confirmation
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected higher education: at the University of Texas at Tyler's Muntz Library, it obscured our financial future and changed the nature of student life. Not knowing what our future budget would look like and given our students' financial insecurity, we wanted to use what budget we had to support our students. In the two most recent semesters (fall 2020 and spring 2021), Muntz Library made purchasing textbooks a top priority. This project has paid off in two major ways: first, it was well-received by students, faculty, and university administration; second, it led to increased collaboration and conversation with faculty. As librarians, we are always looking for ways to engage with faculty, and this project has given us a great opportunity. Like it has for many others, COVID-19 forced us to change our approach to student support, and in this case, change has been positive. We share our story to demonstrate how a disaster response can lead to innovative approaches to student success and faculty outreach. We hope to further the conversation among fellow librarians regarding the changes caused by the pandemic, their influence, and sustainability. Attendees will leave the presentation with "do's and don'ts" about how to implement a similar program at their institution.
Christine Forisha is the STEM & Criminal Justice librarian and Outreach Coordinator at the University of Texas at Tyler. She has a BS in Criminal Justice and an MLIS in Library Science. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, working out, and camping with her son and dog.
Sarah Norrell is the Business Librarian and Instruction Coordinator at The University of Texas at Tyler. She has a BA in English and Writing, an MSIS, and an MS in Human Resource Development. In her spare time she enjoys baking, spending time with her two scruffy dogs Marshall and Petey, and taking care of her ever-growing collection of house plants.
Sarah Meisch-Lacombe is the social sciences librarian at the University of Texas at Tyler. She has an MA in French studies from NYU and an MSLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a dog person, an avid reader, and a Francophile.
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Sara Scheib
ULS Current Topics Discussion Group
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