The Center for Sustainable Forestry at Pack Forest provided the perfect backdrop for the annual joint conference of ACRL WA/OR. In late October, the hint of rain and mischief (Halloween being just on the horizon) was in the air, and the rustic setting enabled many of the states’ academic librarians (and budding academic librarians) to converse, collaborate, and cut loose! Having entered the i-School at the University of Washington with the ultimate goal of working to improve universities’ library instruction, I have sometimes been overwhelmed by the daunting tasks involved in achieving this goal. The conference provided me with a wealth of professional inspiration, encouragement, and solace to draw from by reminding me that these tasks are made more manageable by the teamwork that is so much a part of the library profession.

The first day of the conference was a whirlwind. After getting settled in bunk bed-filled rooms¹ and partaking of a tasty taco bar lunch², we settled in for a short film fest. The theme was university libraries, and the films were creative³, hilarious⁴, and (having been written, produced, directed, and acted by librarians) informative. As the laughs died down and it became time to make our way to the first session, I was paralyzed by indecision⁵.

I opted for “From Here to Eternity: the long road to information literacy/competency for students in higher education” and was glad I did (although I heard nothing but raves from attendees of the simultaneous session, “Mine, Yours, Ours: Collaborating in a Combined Library/Computing Lab”⁶). John Holmes, Mary Ann Goodwin, Sarah Leadley, Kelley McHenry, Jeff Purdue, and Francine Walls discussed moderated small group discussions seeking to identify ways by which we, as librarians of two- and four-year universities, could help provide a bridge for students leaving one for the other? Each small group compiled a list of competencies appropriate for students to have achieved by the two year mark, and then discussed ways in which community and technical colleges might collaborate with neighboring four year institutions. The whole group conversation at the end of the small group discussions was lively and full of great ideas. The list of competencies echoed those articulated at the national level by the ACRL, but prompted us also to examine the need for a bridge between high school and university work. Beginning the conversation helped those of us working at two- and four-year universities make steps toward more lasting collaborative relationships.

After a break for fruit and cookies, I made my way to Session Two⁷: “Tale of Two Classes: Taking Different Paths to a Common Goal.” Presenters Theresa Mudrock and Heather Ward shared their personal experiences developing and executing unique library research classes. Both Theresa and Heather created their courses out of a desire to genuinely engage students in the research process. Theresa’s “Teaching 1918” offered students a chance to role play from the perspectives of (fictional) historical figures of the era by researching their characters’ experiences and fates. Heather sought to make archival research come alive for her students in her “Primary Sources from the Inside Out.”

One activity entitled “Evidence of Your Life” asked students to list the artifacts people might discover about their lives in the wake of a Pompeii-style natural disaster. Their classes were a hit with students, but students’ level of engagement was no match for the librarians’! All of us were reminded of the pure joys of the research process, and the importance of instilling those joys in our students.

The break before dinner left time for hikes in the surrounding Pack Forest trails, and many librarians donned their safety orange (it was open season) to hunt for mushrooms, look at trees, and catch up with colleagues. Upon returning to the Center, we warmed up with rousing games of Apples to Apples and then made our way to the cafeteria (following our noses and the smell of fresh-baked bread) for a hearty dinner. Chapter meetings convened and then disbanded for the ACRL WA/OR annual joint party! Groovy tunes and an endless⁸ supply of spirits, snacks, and candy helped librarians get in touch with their vast stores of trivial knowledge. Teams competed in a Halloween Trivia Quiz for various prizes. The crisp air and full day made for a peaceful night’s slumber.

The second day of the conference began bright and early with an “everything you could possibly imagine wanting to eat before noon” breakfast bar and piping hot coffee. Our stomachs full, we made our way to Session Three⁹. I chose to attend “Building for the First Tow Years—What Are the Hallmarks of Collections for First and Second Year College Students?” Natalie Delker Beach and Jennifer Sundheim provided a history of the undergraduate library, and shared their struggles to identify a core collection for users of such libraries. They wondered whether a core collection for these users must necessarily be prescriptive, and then offered a list of the collection tools they rely on for their own libraries.

The session ended with a lively discussion about the questions facing collection development. For example, is the role of the core collection to provide a context for the disparate bits of information students receive in increasingly specialized fields? Is a core synonymous with a canon? What role do digital resources play in core collections? Do textbooks belong in undergraduate collections? What about “non-curricular” materials (And what do we mean by “non-curricular”?)? The session was eye-opening and encouraging—especially given the precarious position many undergraduate libraries currently find themselves in (my own Odegaard Undergraduate Library included).

The final session¹⁰ I attended was Leza Madsen and Hazel Cameron’s controversial¹¹ “Mythbusters: A new look at Millennials.” The millennial has received a lot of attention in academia, and this attention is lauded by some, but resented by others.

This session was attended by members of both camps. While some of the characteristics of the millennials are not unique to this particular generation, the take-away lesson that Leza and Hazel conveyed strongly is that the library, as a major player in academia must make a concerted effort to keep up with the demands of our increasingly tech-savvy, multi-tasking, remote-access-needing users—or we risk losing them. This final session led perfectly into David Levy’s closing address.

The irony of David Levy’s having to jet immediately following his “Information and the Quality of Life: Environmentalism for the Information Age” only served to underscore the significance of addressing issues of quality of life in a technological age. Coming on the heels of a discussion about an entire generation of people weaned on the Internet and cell phones, the question of where to find contemplative moments in everyday life was front and center. Levy discussed Aristotle’s view of scholarship as resulting from this contemplation or reflection, and appointed librarians and libraries as the protectors of the reflective realm. Levy’s interactive and thoughtful presentation was the perfect way to end a conference centered on addressing the realities of academic librarianship by reminding us that each of our days are in reality, a tapestry of moments.

The ACRL WA/OR conference was, to me, one of the more significant tapestries of moments that I am to encounter during my time at the Information School and I would like to thank ACRL WA/OR for granting me the scholarship which made it possible for me to attend; the presenters who worked to get at the realities of academic librarianship; the conference organizers who worked to make the experience meaningful and valuable; and all of the attendees who contributed their time, thoughts, and energy toward improving a profession I couldn’t be more proud to join!

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