2024 Registration Now Open

Register For The Hybrid Event


Registration is now open for the 20th Annual Paraprofessional Conference, hosted by the SHRA Assembly of ECU's Academic Library Services. The Conference will be held on Friday, May 10th from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Please join us this year as we explore the themes of Engagement & Assessment. This year's conference will be a hybrid event, with sessions offered in-person and selected sessions streamed virtually.
Scroll down the page to view a simplified listing of this year's compelling sessions!


ATTENDING IN-PERSON

In honor of celebrating our 20th year, the cost to attend the in-person event will be reduced from $30 down to $20! The registration fee covers breakfast, lunch, snacks, and parking. Because it was so popular in the past, we will be bringing back Sam Jones BBQ for lunch. The meal will include eastern barbeque (vinegar based), smoked turkey, mac & cheese, and various vegetables. A vegan lunch option that includes freshly made black bean patties and multiple sides will be offered upon request. Any currently enrolled MLS student may attend for free. To qualify for the student discount, please contact us to receive a code.
In-Person Registration (Reduced to $20)


ATTENDING VIRTUALLY

We will also stream some of the sessions free of charge for the people who are not able to make the trip to East Carolina University. Our goal with hosting a hybrid event will be providing access to these informative presentations to as wide an audience as possible. Most of the sessions will be recorded and will be available to view soon after the conference has concluded.
Virtual Registration (Free)


2024 Presentations, Panel, and Posters


Session titles and presenters may change on the day of the conference.


KEYNOTE:
  • Dr. Kawanna Bright
  • Assistant Professor of Library Science at East Carolina University®
PRESENTATIONS:
Allyship and (Self-)advocacy for Students and Colleagues with ADHD (Recorded)
Amy Harris Houk & Ian McLaughlin
The Importance of Diversity in Children’s Literature
Vatoyia Gardner
Bridging Communities: Engaging Library Workers and Students for Enhanced Assessment (Recorded)
Carlos Groomsm, Candace Jacobs, & Ciera Williams
Checking In with Those who have Checked Out (Recorded)
Cynthia Wise & Mary Jordan
Don't Fear the Reaper: Discussing End of Life Wishes with Loved Ones
Carrie Forbes
East Carolina University's Office of Economic and Community Engagement: A front door for connectivity in Eastern North Carolina and beyond
Jennifer Jones, Carlyle Rogers, Merrill Flood, Keith Wheeler, Annette Kariko, & Angela Lamson
Empowering Excellence: Building a Mentoring Culture in Libraries
John Dunning, Jessica Deel, & Erin Gray
Fostering Library Engagement: The Vital Role of Dedicated Staff
Michelle Bone
"I Know It’s In Here Somewhere”: Using Student Interviews to Improve the Search Experience
Patricia Dragon & Rebecca Tatterson
Improving Library Services and Web Presence using Project Outcome
Nicole Vandiford
Introduction to Embedding Evaluation (Recorded)
Emily Burgess & Crystal Edwards
"Is Your Time Well Spent?" Engaging Teens in Conversations About Social Media
Charlene Loope
Marketing, Branding and Engaging: A former sportswriter talks library life and communications
Ronnie Woodward
The Perfect Recipe: Engaging and Assessing Library Book Clubs
Ronald Headen & Beth Sheffield
The Silent Influence: An Example of Passive Engagement in an Academic Library
Krystal Dean
Using NorthStar to Engage and Assess
Wanda Brown & Sharnette Evans
PANEL:
An Evolution of Community Engagement within an Academic Library: A Look at How Libraries Transform Communities, and How Communities Inform Change
Heather White, Alston Cobourn, Jennifer Daugherty, & Community Member (TBD)
POSTER SESSIONS:
Exploring the Underrepresentation of African American Male Librarians and Their Crucial Roles
Bobby Bynum
Random Fandom: Pop Culture's Place in the Library
Max Profitt & Margaret Goodrich
Aiming for the Stars: Collaborating to Build a Nighttime Event for a Niche Campus
Lorena Jordan & Lex Spencer

Dr. Kawanna Bright is Our 2024 Keynote


Photo of Dr. Kawanna Bright

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Kawanna Bright (she/her) who is an Assistant Professor of Library Science at East Carolina University® will be this year's keynote. Dr. Bright earned her PhD in Research Methods and Statistics from the University of Denver in 2018. Prior to earning her doctorate, Dr. Bright worked as an academic librarian for 12 years, with a focus on reference, instructional services, and information literacy. Dr. Bright’s current research focuses on assessment in libraries, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in libraries, the application of research methodology to the study of LIS, and the importance of the liaison librarianship role in academic libraries. 


2024 Paraprofessional Conference


Twenty years in the making! We will be celebrating our 20th anniversary of hosting the event this year. The conference is scheduled to occur on Friday, May 10th, 2024. We will be keeping with our hybrid delivery. The focus of the conference will be "Engagement and Assessment".

The conference gives staff and students the opportunity to network and attend presentations on a variety of topics. Presenters come from a wide array of institutions. The goal of the event is to provide training and information that will allow paraprofessionals to bring constructive change to their home institutions.

Although the main audience of the conference is library paraprofessionals, it is open to any person who registers for the event. Many of the presentations would be of interest to anyone who works in a paraprofessional capacity. Registration costs for the conference are very reasonable and the fees cover parking, breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Parking will be provided in the deck that is adjacent to the library.

All questions or comments can be directed to paraprofes@ecu.edu.

Sponsors & Supporters


The planning committee would like to thank the following groups who have provided support for the conference! Please visit their websites to see the exceptional services they provide.

ECU Main Campus Library Logo and link ECU Library Science Department Logo and Link Sam Jones BBQ Logo and Link

North Carolina Library Paraprofessional Association Logo and Link