2025 PASCAL Member Conference

The June General Membership Meeting will be held during the conference. Members may attend the business meeting in-person or via Zoom.

Additional information and meeting documents are available on the General Membership Meetings page on the Member website (password required).

Teaching research skills to religion majors in a predominantly online society poses distinct challenges: undergraduates’ unfamiliarity with physical books, limited exposure to library stacks, and the allure of easy internet searches. This presentation examines strategies to address these issues, drawing on experiences from teaching in various undergraduate religion programs. It emphasizes cultivating critical thinking amid abundant, often unverified online resources while countering students’ preference for convenience over depth. Attention is also given to students’ unfamiliarity with standard citation styles (Chicago, Turabian), essential for fair research documentation. By introducing religion majors to key physical resources, sharpening critical thinking skills, and promoting proper citation practices, educators can offer a more robust learning experience. This approach bridges the gap between digital reliance and scholarly rigor, preparing students for academic success in an increasingly online world.  

Moderators: Rachel Smith, PASCAL

Soft skills are non-technical abilities that influence how we interact with others, such as communication, empathy, and teamwork. In library roles, these skills are crucial for providing excellent service, collaborating with colleagues, and managing conflicts. This presentation will cover the importance of soft skills in library work and how to effectively highlight them on resumes to attract potential employers. It will also discuss the inclusion of soft skills in job descriptions to ensure the recruitment of well-rounded candidates. Additionally, participants will learn how to assess soft skills during interviews using behavioral questions and during performance evaluations through goal-setting and feedback. Finally, the presentation will offer practical strategies for continuous improvement of soft skills, such as active listening, conflict resolution, and seeking feedback. By enhancing these skills, library staff can create a more efficient, harmonious, and customer-focused environment.

Moderator: Pamela King, The Citadel​​​​

This hybrid session is a space just for Library Deans and Directors to engage in open discussion about key issues facing our community. Facilitated by members of the PASCAL Board, the conversation will be shaped by participants, but may include topics such as increasing collaboration as we enter a second contract cycle for our shared library services platform, advancing collaborative collection development, streamlining integrated Alma/Primo workflows, enhancing communication and engagement across the consortium, coordinating advocacy efforts, and continuing to foster a culture of transparency and trust. Join in person or via Zoom and come ready to share and connect with fellow directors.

The Lightning Talks session will feature four 20-minute presentations back-to-back in a 80 minute time slot, with a moderator for introductions, Q&A, and time keeping. Each speaker will give a 15-minute presentation with 5 minutes for Q&A.

AI in Cataloging: Opportunities and Pitfalls
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool and assistant. AI models like ChatGPT and Copilot have demonstrated the potential to enhance cataloging processes. These AI systems can assist in generating Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) by interpreting complex prompts and providing relevant suggestions. Using studies on ChatGPT and Copilot, this presentation involves learning what is possible and what could be the future of coding and cataloging. AI's ability to process vast amounts of data and learn from patterns makes it an invaluable resource for cataloging professionals. AI has pitfalls because it is not always correct, and human judgment is needed to analyze the answers currently. Although it is a good place to start assembling records, it is not an end-all technology presently. One of the issues is it does not understand RDA. This presentation will examine AI's capacity for cataloging now.

Moderator: Chris Morris, Clemson University

The Lightning Talks session will feature four 20-minute presentations back-to-back in a 80 minute time slot, with a moderator for introductions, Q&A, and time keeping. Each speaker will give a 15-minute presentation with 5 minutes for Q&A.

Inventory Show and Tell
This presentation will serve as in-person follow-up to our Inventory Webinar. It will provide an opportunity for attendees to see and try out the scanners we used, see and hear about interesting items found in books during the inventory process, get some helpful tips for performing their own inventory project as well as an opportunity to ask questions about the inventory process.

Moderator: Chris Morris, Clemson University

The Lightning Talks session will feature four 20-minute presentations back-to-back in a 80 minute time slot, with a moderator for introductions, Q&A, and time keeping. Each speaker will give a 15-minute presentation with 5 minutes for Q&A.

Saving a Sinking Ship: Managing a Skeleton Crew in Acquisitions
Over the last five years, Clemson Libraries' Acquisitions department has had three separate leaders who managed a continually changing and depleted staff. During those years, at least ten positions were modified or vacated. Individuals departed due to retirement, illness, finding new positions at other organizations, or by adopting new roles or titles within Clemson Libraries following a reorganization. Through a mix of creative solutions and careful planning, our department continues to function at a high level.

Moderator: Chris Morris, Clemson University

The Lightning Talks session will feature four 20-minute presentations back-to-back in a 80 minute time slot, with a moderator for introductions, Q&A, and time keeping. Each speaker will give a 15-minute presentation with 5 minutes for Q&A.

USC's Research Data Analysis and Statistics Support Service - Data Help for the Campus Community
The Research Data Analysis and Statistics Support Service at USC's Libraries provides free stats and analysis help for faculty, students, and staff at the Columbia campus. This service, staffed by a Statistics PhD student, is in its second pilot year. As the only service of its kind available to anyone on campus, it has become an important source of help for researchers who lack the statistics background to complete projects. As the largest user group, graduate students are particularly well-served. In this lightning talk, participants will learn about the need for this service and first-steps that can be taking to bring a similar service to their own campuses.

Moderator: Chris Morris, Clemson University

Libraries have been providing information and resources for centuries. Innovations in libraries have improved the ability of libraries to broaden the capabilities of resource sharing, which has increased libraries relying on these services to supplement their budgets. Though resource sharing libraries are expanding access to information that would not usually be available. The innovations in Interlibrary Loan Systems and the introduction of AI have made a big impact on resource sharing. The purpose of this proposal is to provide information and strategies to show how resource sharing can open resources and develop collaborative communities but also not overwhelm already overloaded staff. It will also touch on how AI is affecting resource sharing.

Moderator: Maggie Mason Smith, PASCAL