2017 American Theological Library Association Annual Conference

In 2016 the Association of College and Research Libraries adopted the new Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The Framework represents a striking shift from the previous ACRL Standards. The Framework attempts to provide conceptual grounding for information literacy, and as such, it’s more philosophical and less concrete. For theological librarians, the more philosophical Framework offers exceptionally good integration points with our classroom contexts.

Karl Stutzman (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) and Matthew Thiesen (Western Seminary) have designed and delivered instructional activities using the Framework that fit their institutions’ unique curricula and perspectives. They will share strategies and experiences as well as invite conversation about how the Framework can be implemented in theological and religiously-affiliated academic libraries.

Librarians have varying professional and personally held values relating to the topic of intellectual freedom (IF). This session frames a conversation about participants’ values on IF through American Library Association (ALA) policy documents on the topic and asks participants to consider their own values and where religious values may support or oppose IF.

Conversation questions:
1. What does “intellectual freedom” mean to you?
2. Where does religion support intellectual freedom? Where does religion oppose it?
3. What role should personal religious beliefs play in the professional practice of librarianship (if any)?
4. What role do personal ethics and/or personally held religious beliefs have in your professional practice of librarianship?

Though not a prerequisite, conversation may be enhanced by these suggested readings.

Suggested readings:
Smith, G. A. (2002). Christian librarianship: Essays on the integration of faith and profession. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co.

“Christian librarians and the ethics of the Library Bill of Rights” by S. Kaihoi:
https://theolib.atla.com/theolib/article/view/353

“Expressing Intellectual Freedom: A Content Analysis of Catholic Library World from 1980 to 2015” by M. E. Welsh:
https://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/27980/21034

The Library of Congress uses volunteer Name Authority-trained librarians to create cataloging records for their Electronic Cataloging in Publication (E-CIP) program. This session will describe the details, process, expectations, drawbacks and rewards of participation in the project.

Annual business meeting of the Small Libraries Interest Group.

Recent high-profile plagiarism cases have highlighted the challenge documented cases of plagiarism in published works present for libraries. Librarians must consider whether to pull items from shelves, add notes to physical items or catalog records, or leave previously-valuable research in place. In this session, we consider how libraries should handle documented cases of plagiarism by exploring the recent case of Peter O’Brien’s admitted plagiarism in his New Testament commentaries. There are two components of this presentation. First, we will report on a survey of ATLA librarians regarding policies and/or procedures of handling plagiarism in their institutions. To facilitate this, we are distributing an online survey through email. Second, we will have a panel conversation with a public services librarian, interested in the instructional value of documented plagiarism; a special collections librarian, interested in matters related to the access and description of the particular works in question; and a faculty member, interested in how to handle documented plagiarists in research and citation. We have intentionally selected panelists from the same institution to demonstrate how these roles interact with one another in one particular situation. After introducing the O’Brien case and reporting on a summary of how ATLA institutions have handled this particular case, each panel member will consider the problems (or opportunities) instances of plagiarism present for his or her role in theological education.

Thoughtful, authentic, Information Literacy Instruction (ILI) ought not to be seen as an ancillary activity for the student of theology. It is directly related to the core concerns of the academic endeavor: formation of mind, practices, and person. While ILI is certainly not less than preparing students for a successful career in higher education and professional life, students are underserved when it is reduced to a means (semi-remedial preparation for academic work proper) and not seen as an end (the formation of curious, capable lifelong learners).

Although broad themes emerge, spiritual formation is never generic. In this study, spiritual formation will indicate engaging in certain practices, cultivating certain habits, and even developing certain virtues to align with the continuing, transforming work of the Holy Spirit in restoring the self into the full image of God in the context of Christian community.
ILI can easily and quite naturally embrace such spiritually formative dimensions as discerning helpful conversation partners, developing habits of honest engagement, and cultivating deep attention. Not only can this integration contribute to student learning in significant ways, it can move the conversation about ILI from the periphery of curricular considerations into being a life-giving, necessary part of a theological education.

The world has become a much smaller place and our daily interactions are likely going to include many people from backgrounds different from our own. While these different cultures will differ greatly in their similarities and differences from our own culture in customs, body language, directness of communication, and many other areas, there are ways in which we can work to anticipate the communication problems in our interactions. Relevance theory, as a theory of how we understand and receive language-based communication, can provide some insights into how we can work to communicate clearly and effectively with others in our personal interactions and in our written communication.

The open access Anti-racism Digital Library and International Anti-racism Thesaurus (ADL/T) is a clearinghouse of anti-racism resources (http://endracism.info). By developing and using the language of anti-racism, it mitigates the unintended structural racism of library information infrastructures, such as the LCSH. I will highlight recent ADL/T developments, specifically, in the areas of communications, media, and digital justice. I will show how the ADL/T can be used in theological libraries for informational professional growth and development, research, and the promotion of critical thinking and learning about information access, authority, value, and privilege.

This session will demonstrate how Research Services is different from traditional reference services and the benefits that this change has brought. The change is in its first year of existence and the findings are fresh and "hot off of the press." Attendees will learn the benefits of having at least two professional research librarians and of having limited, yet dedicated, scheduled hours for patron interaction as well as small scheduled workshops

As libraries work to incorporate the ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy into their instruction, theological institutions in particular face potential hurdles based on the various religious commitments of their communities. Perhaps the greatest difficulty comes with the Framework's first section: "Authority is Constructed and Contextual." Isn't such an assertion relativistic in a way that threatens religious faith? Whenever creedal, magisterial, scriptural, or other authorities are recognized as privileged within religious institutions, the ACRL Framework may be met with considerable student anxiety. In these situations, librarians need to be equipped to help reduce anxiety before their efforts at information literacy training can be successful.

This paper will first discuss how authority in research is similar to and different from authority in a religious context, in order to assuage some anxiety (perhaps even among theological librarians themselves) about the supposedly relativistic commitments of the Framework. Next, it will offer some resources for information literacy training in academic contexts where the authority question remains a sensitive one. Finally, it will propose some ways that the Framework itself could actually be used to stimulate new and creative theological reflection within religious communities.