Maryland State Library Resource Center

Enoch Pratt Free Library

SAILOR E-Resources Symposium - Maryland State Library Resource Center

SAILOR E-Resources Symposium

The SAILOR E-Resources Symposium is an annual all-virtual conference that brings together library staff from across the state to explore the latest trends and topics in electronic resources and digital librarianship. Our conference aims to promote the SAILOR statewide database project and to provide a platform for sharing ideas, experiences, and best practices related to the world of electronic resources and digital librarianship.

This year's conference will be held virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, February 6th and Wednesday, February 7th, 2024.

As always, all SLRC conferences are free of charge for library staff.

Registration Is Now Closed

Schedule & Session Descriptions

Questions

If you have any additional questions about the conference, please contact (digi.staff@prattlibrary.org).

Schedule

Day One: Virtual - Tuesday, February 6th, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM: Welcome & Keynote: Our New Multimodal World: The Future and Past of AI and Machine Learning

Watch the Keynote on YouTube
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Artificial intelligence and machine learning are fascinating because they are somehow simultaneously banal and magical, every day and marvelous, omnipresent and yet still unusual. In the modern era, the price of computation has fallen so low that we are now inventing entirely new methods of using it, and the continued decrease in cost means that the next 5 years will be an ever-expanding universe of potential new uses for these tools. The major technology leaders are all betting their future heavily on AI, and it is going to be necessary for everyone who interacts with technology and information to understand how these systems work.

This talk will survey the current state of possibilities with AI and Machine Learning tools, explore how we got where we are, and will explore at least one potential future for libraries.

Jason Griffey is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at NISO. Prior to joining NISO, Jason ran his own technology consulting company for libraries, has been both an Affiliate at metaLAB and a Fellow and Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, and was an academic librarian and tenured professor at the University of TN at Chattanooga. His latest book, co-authored with Jeffery Pomerantz, will be published by MIT Press in 2024. A full list of his work can be found on his website: http://jasongriffey.net.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Bridging the Gap: A Spotlight on African American Resources Using SAILOR Research Databases

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Presented by: Christine Iko & Kaanan Lewis, Librarians, African American Department, Enoch Pratt Free Library & Maryland State Library Resource Center

Join SLRC librarians Christine and Kaanan as they put a spotlight on the SAILOR databases that can be used to research African American History. Relevant Pratt resources that can be accessed for free by Maryland Residents.

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Amplifying Voices and Advancing Research With Your Sailor/Gale Resources

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Presented by: Stacey Knibloe, Gale Training Team Lead, Cengage Group

Join us to enhance your understanding of Sailor’s Gale resources. We’ll share the work we’ve done to amplify the voices of historically marginalized communities and ideas on ways AI can assist in more efficient and effective research.


Day Two: Virtual - Wednesday, February 7th, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM: Useful AI Tools

Watch on YouTube
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world, and libraries can take advantage of AI tools to improve a wide variety of library services, from providing personalized recommendations to answering complex questions. In this event, library technology expert Laura Solomon will discuss a variety of AI tools, including those for marketing, research, transcription, writing and more. This webinar is ideal for any library staff member looking for a basic orientation to the world of AI.

Laura Solomon, MCIW, MLS is the Library Services Manager for the Ohio Public Library Information Network and a W3C-certified front-end web developer. She has been doing web development and design for more than twenty years, in both public libraries and as an independent consultant. She specializes in developing with Drupal. She is a 2010 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She’s written three books about social media and content marketing, specifically for libraries, and speaks internationally on both these and technology-related topics. As a former children’s librarian, she enjoys bringing the “fun of technology” to audiences and in giving libraries the tools they need to serve the virtual customer better.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Libraries Lifting Lives: Resources for Job and Career Help

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Presented by: Emily Sachs, Workforce Strategist, Neighborhood Library Services, Enoch Pratt Free Library & Maryland State Library Resource Center

Neighborhood libraries across Baltimore City are a critical part of the workforce development infrastructure, offering access to technology, digital skills training, and a variety of resources to support the needs of job seekers. In this session, we’ll discuss online tools useful for: finding local labor market information, streamlining your customer’s job search and application process, and locating adult education and upskilling opportunities.

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Business Meeting: Maryland Public Electronic Resource Librarians (MPERL) Committee

Presented by: Michael Johnson - Deputy Chief, Central Library & Sarah Kuperman - Electronic Resources Librarian, Enoch Pratt Free Library & Maryland State Library Resource Center

The Maryland Public Electronic Resource Librarians Committee facilitates communication among Maryland Public Library electronic resource librarians as they consider online database products for purchase through the Sailor budget and/or local library budgets. This meeting will initiate the renewal cycle for the SAILOR databases project, to be completed by July 1, 2025. Please note that this session does not offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Statewide Training & Events

Calendar

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