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09.08.2015 | SSP News & Releases

Fall Seminar Preview – A Day in the Life of a Librarian

On September 16 and 17, the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) will be holding its annual Fall Seminars at the American Geophysical Union in Washington D.C. The second day of the seminars is the Professional Development Day, when topics related to the quotidian activities of the SSP membership will be discussed. These panels include “A Day in the Life of a Scholarly Publisher” and “A Day in the Life of a Librarian.”

The “A Day in the Life of a Librarian” panel will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and will cover the kinds of emerging technologies and skill sets that librarians at every stage of their careers will need to be familiar with, and the ways that they will continue to change librarianship and how it interacts with publishing and publishers. Panelists will be Dr. Marilyn Kay Harhai, Professor, Clarion University of PA; Stacey Marien, Acquisitions Librarian, American University; Rachel Borchardt, Science Librarian, American University; and Peter Catlin, Reference Librarian, University of Mary Washington. The panel will be co-moderated by Sara Rouhi, Product Sales Manager at Altmetric, recipient of the 2015 SSP Emerging Leader Award, and the moderator of the recently-held Librarian Focus Group in Chicago.

To find out what attendees will take away from the seminar, we spoke to co-moderator Dr. Janice Krueger, Associate Professor, Clarion University of PA:

Who should attend your seminar? What can they expect from the afternoon?

Publishers, librarians, and those involved with the delivery of scholarly communications can benefit from the session. They can expect engaging conversation regarding the creation, processing, and dissemination of scholarly communication.

How was the topic chosen?

I believe [the selection of the topic by the SSP Educational Committee] stems from a desire to open the lines of communication between librarians and publishers for a better understanding of each profession.

What new technologies do recent library school graduates and future librarians have to know well? Do you think they are acquiring these skills even before they begin professional careers?

Technology skill sets can be varied dependent on the aspect of librarianship. Library schools and new librarians are poised to address the emerging technologies. More will be learned during the conversation.

How do you think the skill sets and requirements for the library profession will change for existing library professionals?

Again, I believe the conversation will highlight this aspect for existing library professionals. Libraries have a history of adapting to the times.

How will the relationship between librarians and publishers be affected by the changes in the profession? Do you think publishers should also plan to attend this seminar to better understand this dynamic?

Publishers should plan on attending so they have an increased understanding of what’s involved in the library profession.

For more information, complete speaker and moderator biographies, and registration, please visit the SSP Fall Seminar registration page.

By Katie Greenock, Communications Committee

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