Sunday, May 18, 2025
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm — Registration — Barlow Room
5:00 pm to 6:15 pm — Welcome & Table Talks — Ullman Hall
- Enhancing Negotiation Skills in Library Acquisitions: Strategies for Effective Vendor Engagement
- Megan Horn, Electronic Resources & Acquisitions Librarian, The University of North Texas Health Science Center
- Navigating Change: Staff Perspectives on Library System Migration
- Catherine Christian, One Time Acquisitions Associate, Knowledge Access and Resource Management Services, New York University
- Avoiding the Seven-Year Itch: Maintaining Sustainable and Transparent Relationships Between Librarians and Vendors
- Hannah McKelvey, Electronic Resources & Discovery Services Librarian, Montana State University
- Rachelle McLain, Collection Development Librarian, Montana State University
6:30 pm to 7:45 pm — Dinner — Raven’s Nest
8:00 pm — Optional gathering — Ram’s Head Bar
Monday, May 19, 2025
7:30 am to 9:00 am — Breakfast — Raven’s Nest
9:15 am to 9:30 am — Welcome & Housekeeping — Ullman Hall
9:30 am to 10:15 am — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Starting and Then Starting Again: Challenges and Victories in Hiring, Retaining, and Training New Acquisitions Staff
- Amy Castillo, Director of Access and Discovery, University of Texas at Arlington
- Since 2018 the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries has experienced a near complete turnover in staff within the Acquisitions Unit at least twice. From retirements, promotions to other positions in and out of the Libraries, and new opportunities elsewhere, the Acquisitions team experienced several rocky years. However, due to hiring vacant and formerly lost positions, as well as making intentional efforts to onboard staff thoughtfully and support their development we have been able to stabilize this critical unit. This session will share snags we experienced in recruitment, particularly for an Acquisitions Librarian, as well as successes in filling each of the vacancies and working with each person to develop their skills and reset the foundation for an effective team. The audience will be asked to share in group discussions about their experiences with hiring, staff retention, and training teams handling collections with an aim to explore common struggles and best practices.
- Amy Castillo, Director of Access and Discovery, University of Texas at Arlington
10:15 am to 10:20 am — Break
10:20 am to 11:05 am — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Copyright, Collaboration and Cutting Costs: Revolutionizing Course Reserves for Student Success at UNTHSC
- Kristina Stolte, Development Manager, Technology from Sage
- Elizabeth Speer, Associate Director of Digital Scholarship, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
- Academic librarians and students are increasingly concerned about the rising costs of textbooks and course materials. Research from a 2023 Course Materials Survey from Illinois on student perspectives found that 69% of students surveyed said that the rising cost of required course materials has resulted in them not purchasing the required materials. How can librarians manage course reserves effectively to ensure that students have access to all the class resources they need as and when they need them, and are able to avoid unnecessary purchases? This session will explore a use case of how the library at University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) has handled the resource-intensive task of managing course reserves and the impact this has had on students, faculty and librarians. UNTHSC will share how course reserves management technology has resulted in streamlined cross-departmental collaboration, by opening dialogs around copyright, OER, and purchasing options with faculty for meaningful collaborations. Finally, we will discuss how better insights into library savings has informed collection development at the university; the library can better track and estimate course reserves spending, improving availability for students and combating student spend on course resources – saving over $125k annually for one class alone.
- Academic librarians and students are increasingly concerned about the rising costs of textbooks and course materials. Research from a 2023 Course Materials Survey from Illinois on student perspectives found that 69% of students surveyed said that the rising cost of required course materials has resulted in them not purchasing the required materials. How can librarians manage course reserves effectively to ensure that students have access to all the class resources they need as and when they need them, and are able to avoid unnecessary purchases? This session will explore a use case of how the library at University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) has handled the resource-intensive task of managing course reserves and the impact this has had on students, faculty and librarians. UNTHSC will share how course reserves management technology has resulted in streamlined cross-departmental collaboration, by opening dialogs around copyright, OER, and purchasing options with faculty for meaningful collaborations. Finally, we will discuss how better insights into library savings has informed collection development at the university; the library can better track and estimate course reserves spending, improving availability for students and combating student spend on course resources – saving over $125k annually for one class alone.
11:05 am to 11:15 am — Break
11:15 am to 12:00 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- A New Crystal Ball?: Using Labor Market Data in Collection Development
- Mary C. Aagard, Head of Acquisitions and Collections, Boise State University
- Heather Grevatt (in absentia), Librarian, Boise State University
- Marlena Hooyboer (in absentia), Manager of Receiving and Collections, Boise State University
- Case study: the Idaho State Board of Education recently passed a requirement that program proposals require market data to demonstrate the need and potential demand for new degrees and certificates. Boise State University has contracted with a research and analytics firm to assess student demand for academic programs, labor market demand, jobs data, and information about competing programs across the state and region. Albertsons Library is using labor market data reports as an additional source in anticipating learning and research needs that will influence collection growth. Library administration review is often a requirement of program and curriculum proposals before they are approved, but being able to see the same market data the departments are using to develop the programs, helps libraries forecast potential changes. Getting access to the market data at the same time deans and chairs are reviewing them in their program development allows library staff to see what proposals may be likely and therefore may be more prepared to address requests for new or upgraded resources. This session will be a discussion around the potential usefulness of labor market data in predicting future collection needs.
- Case study: the Idaho State Board of Education recently passed a requirement that program proposals require market data to demonstrate the need and potential demand for new degrees and certificates. Boise State University has contracted with a research and analytics firm to assess student demand for academic programs, labor market demand, jobs data, and information about competing programs across the state and region. Albertsons Library is using labor market data reports as an additional source in anticipating learning and research needs that will influence collection growth. Library administration review is often a requirement of program and curriculum proposals before they are approved, but being able to see the same market data the departments are using to develop the programs, helps libraries forecast potential changes. Getting access to the market data at the same time deans and chairs are reviewing them in their program development allows library staff to see what proposals may be likely and therefore may be more prepared to address requests for new or upgraded resources. This session will be a discussion around the potential usefulness of labor market data in predicting future collection needs.
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm — Lunch — Raven’s Nest
1:30 pm to 2:15 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- From Legacy to FOLIO: Acquisitions Lesson-learned in Migrating to FOLIO
- Juleah Swanson, Head of Acquisitions & Accounting Services, University of Colorado – Boulder
- Zeynep Buyukonal, Ordering Librarian, Stanford University
- Libraries have witnessed the competitive marketplace of library vendors shrink through years of mergers and acquisitions. This has notably hit the integrated library services (ILS) or library services platform (LSP) market hard, limiting choice and while tying budgets to costly vendor products. Counter to this trend is FOLIO, a community-driven and developed, open-source library services platforms. FOLIO offers libraries agency in the development, roadmap, and future of the LSP. It is built to be flexible and adaptable over time. FOLIO can be hosted through a vendor or self-hosted, meaning a library can implement FOLIO all on its own using in-house staff and infrastructure. Within Acquisitions, migrating to a new system, while an opportunity for efficiency overtime, can be a challenging change management task in the short-term, especially if the legacy system has been in place for many years. In June of 2023, the University of Colorado Boulder migrated from Innovative Interface’s Sierra to FOLIO. The lead up to the migration faced many cultural headwinds and challenges. Post implementation has been less fraught, not without challenges, but significantly more openness, flexibility, and adaptability among staff. Stanford University migrated from SirsiDynix Symphony to FOLIO in September 2023. While FOLIO presented an opportunity to streamline our workflows, there was a need to develop workarounds to effectively adapt to its operational and technical framework. The feedback from the Acquisitions staff during pre-migration was mixed; however, the team ultimately embraced the change with a more positive attitude. This presentation looks at FOLIO migration and post-migration from the perspective of Acquisitions functions and staff. We will discuss adaptations made, lessons learned, and strategies moving forward for managing change amongst Acquisitions staff when migrating to FOLIO. We will explore questions such as: is FOLIO so different to implement than any other system migration? How are the experiences of vendor-hosted versus self-hosted FOLIO libraries different? What were the cultural challenges leading up to migration? How have Acquisitions staff adapted post migration? And finally, what lessons were learned?
- Libraries have witnessed the competitive marketplace of library vendors shrink through years of mergers and acquisitions. This has notably hit the integrated library services (ILS) or library services platform (LSP) market hard, limiting choice and while tying budgets to costly vendor products. Counter to this trend is FOLIO, a community-driven and developed, open-source library services platforms. FOLIO offers libraries agency in the development, roadmap, and future of the LSP. It is built to be flexible and adaptable over time. FOLIO can be hosted through a vendor or self-hosted, meaning a library can implement FOLIO all on its own using in-house staff and infrastructure. Within Acquisitions, migrating to a new system, while an opportunity for efficiency overtime, can be a challenging change management task in the short-term, especially if the legacy system has been in place for many years. In June of 2023, the University of Colorado Boulder migrated from Innovative Interface’s Sierra to FOLIO. The lead up to the migration faced many cultural headwinds and challenges. Post implementation has been less fraught, not without challenges, but significantly more openness, flexibility, and adaptability among staff. Stanford University migrated from SirsiDynix Symphony to FOLIO in September 2023. While FOLIO presented an opportunity to streamline our workflows, there was a need to develop workarounds to effectively adapt to its operational and technical framework. The feedback from the Acquisitions staff during pre-migration was mixed; however, the team ultimately embraced the change with a more positive attitude. This presentation looks at FOLIO migration and post-migration from the perspective of Acquisitions functions and staff. We will discuss adaptations made, lessons learned, and strategies moving forward for managing change amongst Acquisitions staff when migrating to FOLIO. We will explore questions such as: is FOLIO so different to implement than any other system migration? How are the experiences of vendor-hosted versus self-hosted FOLIO libraries different? What were the cultural challenges leading up to migration? How have Acquisitions staff adapted post migration? And finally, what lessons were learned?
2:15 pm to 2:20 pm — Break
2:20 pm to 3:05 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Unexpected Spending Reduction: Opportunistic Decision Making for Cancellations
- Alyssa Resnick, Associate Dean for Technical Services & Collection Development, University of Southern California
- USC Libraries expected a flat budget for FY25 and then with very short notice it changed to a significant spending reduction. I plan to share the strategies employed for the initial flat budget and then what needed to happen fairly quickly for a reduction after most of the July renewals were finalized. This then put pressure on changes for January renewals not already in a multi-year agreement. Usage statistics, cost per use and librarian input were all used to make difficult decisions for a small pool of resources. The timing of the budget distribution forced us to make opportunistic decisions based on what resources could be paused, cancelled, or reduced since we were unable to evaluate all of our ongoing acquisitions. All subjects were impacted with subscription cancellations, an immediate stop to all approval plans and firm order limitations. I expect to be able to share the aftermath of these decisions, the difficult decisions and negotiations, and progress for future approval plan changes. Depending on timing, I should be able to include some details on what is expected for FY26. The bulk of the presentation will be about the impact on acquisitions, but I will give an overview of the timeline for the budget news, the communication difficulties and how it has impacted the libraries services.
- Alyssa Resnick, Associate Dean for Technical Services & Collection Development, University of Southern California
3:05 pm to 3:15 pm — Break
3:15 pm to 4:00 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Chin up! We are Managing Down!
- Kristin Hart, Dean of Libraries, California State University – East Bay
- Linda Dobb, Librarian, California State University – East Bay
- It has been called everything from rightsizing to managing down to the twilight of libraries and the death of civilization, nevertheless “weeding” is an inevitable part of library life in the 21st century. Many of us know the reason why it is happening– high level directives to transform physical libraries– but big questions remain about how it should happen in a way that preserves the intellectual record and strengthens the collective collection. Colleagues from CSU East Bay, a mid-sized academic institution with a large legacy collection and a member of the SCELC shared print trust since its inception, talk about the reasons behind their current deselection process, the complex tools they are using to try and conduct the process with insight and care, and the hard facts behind reducing a collection by 80% and still trying to, cooperatively, preserve part of the human record in a way that reflects the community’s values and retains the collective sense of worth of the librarians.
4:00 pm to 4:05 pm — Break
4:05 pm to 4:50 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Embracing Change: Mapping New Workflows in Times of Transition
- Keri Prelitz, Collection Development and Management Librarian, California State University – Fullerton
- Justin Stewart, Acquisitions Coordinator, California State University – Fullerton
- Technical services workflows often reflect the resources available at the time of their creation, but too often library departments delay updating them until technology forces a reevaluation. At Pollak Library, the technical services unit faced leadership changes and gaps, staff turnover, faculty sabbaticals, Rialto implementation, and budget challenges. This presentation will explore how our department transformed these challenges into an opportunity to rethink and innovate workflows.
For years, workflows were based on the knowledge of long-time staff members, but as key individuals left, much of that institutional knowledge was lost, and new staff and management lacked comprehensive documentation. Rather than waiting for the “right time” to implement changes, the technical services unit adopted a radical acceptance approach to workflow redevelopment, acting swiftly and collaboratively.
Through weekly workflow meetings, staff and faculty leveraged the collective knowledge and experience of each team member, fostering a creative environment to build new workflows together. This presentation will highlight the strategies and successes that were encountered as the Pollak Library team embraced significant change and uncertainty as the ideal time for workflow reconstruction, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and adaptability in times of transition.
- Technical services workflows often reflect the resources available at the time of their creation, but too often library departments delay updating them until technology forces a reevaluation. At Pollak Library, the technical services unit faced leadership changes and gaps, staff turnover, faculty sabbaticals, Rialto implementation, and budget challenges. This presentation will explore how our department transformed these challenges into an opportunity to rethink and innovate workflows.
4:50 pm to 5:05 pm — Final Remarks
5:45 pm to 6:45 pm — Lodge Tour — Optional; Sign-up required
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm — Dinner — Raven’s Nest
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
7:30 am to 9:00 am — Breakfast — Raven’s Nest
9:35 am to 9:45 am — Welcome & Housekeeping — Ullman Hall
9:45 am to 10:30 am — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- The Evolution of Print in Academic Libraries: A Decade of Change
- Rhonda Glazier, Assistant Dean of the Library, University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
- In 2014, I delivered a presentation at the Acquisition Institute at Timberline Lodge, focusing on keeping print materials relevant in academic libraries. This presentation will examine the transformations in academic print collections over the past decade, identifying both the changes and constants. Additionally, it will explore how constrained budgets and diversity of formats have reshaped academic physical collections.
- Rhonda Glazier, Assistant Dean of the Library, University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
10:30 am to 10:35 am — Break
10:35 am to 11:20 am — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Are We Facing a Crisis in Research Sharing?
- Elizabeth Berney, Content Development Librarian, Kansas State University
- Over the past 12 years, libraries have increasingly shifted toward purchasing ebooks. When researchers need content from books their library does not own, they rely on Interlibrary Loan (ILL). However, as fewer libraries purchase print, borrowing becomes more challenging. With limited publishers permitting controlled digital lending, collection development often faces the burden of acquiring titles. Yet, vendor bundling in expensive packages and the challenging access to digital ala carte or print purchases create barriers. What happens when researchers require access to entire works that are unattainable? Kansas State University conducted a detailed analysis of ILL statistics from over 10 universities, uncovering how many requests fall into this “ebook gap.” The findings raise an urgent question: are we facing a crisis in research sharing?
- Over the past 12 years, libraries have increasingly shifted toward purchasing ebooks. When researchers need content from books their library does not own, they rely on Interlibrary Loan (ILL). However, as fewer libraries purchase print, borrowing becomes more challenging. With limited publishers permitting controlled digital lending, collection development often faces the burden of acquiring titles. Yet, vendor bundling in expensive packages and the challenging access to digital ala carte or print purchases create barriers. What happens when researchers require access to entire works that are unattainable? Kansas State University conducted a detailed analysis of ILL statistics from over 10 universities, uncovering how many requests fall into this “ebook gap.” The findings raise an urgent question: are we facing a crisis in research sharing?
- Elizabeth Berney, Content Development Librarian, Kansas State University
11:20 am to 11:30 am — Break
11:30 am to 12:15 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Subscribe to Open (S2O), Establishing and Growing a Sustainable Non-APC Based OA Funding Model
- Keith Layson, Senior Sales Manager, Annual Reviews
- Robin Sinn, Director of Collections and Open Strategies, Iowa State University
- At the 2019 Acquisitions Institute, Annual Reviews presented a then-hypothetical subscription-based open access funding model, Subscribe to Open (S2O), during one of the table talk discussions. Fast forward 5 years later, and both the 2023-2024 volumes of all 51 Annual Reviews journals have been published open access under a CC BY license. The S2O model has also expanded from less than a handful of publishers and a couple dozen journals in 2020 to 23 publishers and 192 journals. In this presentation a publisher and a librarian will explore the history of S2O, including how the model was defined and demonstrated, and how publishers and librarians came together to support and grow the model beyond Annual Reviews. Finally, we’ll discuss what opportunities and challenges lay ahead for Subscribe to Open. Specifically, how S2O will be factored into library collections decisions including cancellations, OA usage, and new tweaks to the model
12:15 pm to 1:45 pm — Lunch — Raven’s Nest
1:45 pm to 2:30 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Considerations for Establishing and Running a Collections Council Model
- Jane Nichols, Head of Resource Acquisition and Sharing, Oregon State University
- Academic Libraries have a long tradition of relying on a subject selector model to develop their collections (Wilson 2024). Over time it has become valuable to consider new models to support changes in how libraries organize their work, the varying positions involved in collections work, and to accommodate changing strategic priorities (Chadwell 2012, Ralph 2024). This presentation outlines a Collection Council Model where key stakeholders from Acquisitions, Collections, branch libraries, and public services carry out the majority of the collection development activities. We share the history of how and why we moved from subject liaisons led by a Head of Collection Development, to a collection development team model which included representative subject liaisons, and to our existing model. We share productive practices from our existing Council model. Attention is given to how we involve all library staff, including subject librarians, as well as our patrons. We share reflections on areas for growth and leave time for participants to discuss their current practices and ideas for adapting their practices.
- Jane Nichols, Head of Resource Acquisition and Sharing, Oregon State University
2:30 pm to 2:35 pm — Break
2:35 pm to 3:20 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Building Shared Print Collections: Insights from the Big Ten Academic Alliance
- Karla Strieb, Visiting Program Director for Shared Collections, Big Ten Academic Alliance
- The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) has made significant strides in expanding its Shared Print Collection to include distributed monographic collections held by member libraries. This presentation will delve into the learnings and experiences of BTAA research libraries as they navigate this expansion and the opportunities ahead for shared collection building and enhanced access and stewardship. A key focus will be on the effects of implementing the comprehensive Collection Analysis Tool, which aggregates the full holdings of member libraries and is accessible to all employees within the alliance. The Collection Analysis Tool has revolutionized how member libraries understand and manage their print collections, providing valuable insights into how individual collections relate to the broader community collection. This tool supports strategic decision-making and fosters a collaborative approach to collection management. Attendees will gain an understanding of the foundational principles and practical applications of building shared print collections, as well as the benefits and challenges encountered by the BTAA. The session will also highlight the importance of collective action and sustainability in managing print collections. By attending this session, participants will leave with actionable strategies for implementing shared print collections in their own institutions and a deeper appreciation for the power of collaborative tools in enhancing collection management.
- Karla Strieb, Visiting Program Director for Shared Collections, Big Ten Academic Alliance
3:20 pm to 3:30 pm — Break
3:30 pm to 4:15 pm — Presentation — Ullman Hall
- Transforming the Collection Development Process: Roles, Responsibilities, Results
- Roger Smith, Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources and Services, University of California – San Diego
- Laura Schwartz, Program Director of Content Acquisitions and Resource Sharing, University of California – San Diego
- The role of the academic liaison has been evolving for some time. More specifically, the distributed model of collection development can be inefficient and unwieldy. This is particularly true at an institution facing budgetary challenges and where liaisons are overcommitted. Many institutions have consolidated collection development responsibilities and charged a much smaller team of strategists to develop resources. UC San Diego Library had maintained the traditional model until Spring 2024 when a library budget cut of 8% was announced. This spurred our collection development team to get creative in managing our budget. This team includes experts in collection development, acquisitions, and finance. This group led a significant pivot towards streamlined processes, allocations, and expectations of selectors. While there was a significant amount of planning up front, the experience for the selector has become simplified. Acquisitions staff are able to leverage their expertise in new and exciting ways. We will review the specifics of changes, principles applied, communication and next steps. Presenters will cover how to engineer change in a collection development community while preserving a diverse range of inputs and ensuring that collections maintain richness; all while serving emerging campus needs with fewer staff and a reduced budget.
4:15 pm to 4:30 pm — Final Remarks
5:15 pm to 6:15 pm — Wine Tasting — Optional; sign-up required
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm — Dinner — Wy’East Day Lodge and Bar
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
6:00 am to 7:00 am — Continental Breakfast (for travelers departing early) — Raven’s Nest
7:00 am to 9:00 am — Breakfast — Raven’s Nest
9:00 am to 10:30 am — Full Institute Wrap-up & Planning for 2026 — Jefferson Room