Kara Gadeken, Doctoral Candidate, Dauphin Island Sea Lab & the University of South Alabama

Soft sediments underlay the vast majority of the ocean, from shallow coastal waters to its deepest depths...but what are they doing down there? Join us for a whirlwind tour of marine sediments - their wild diversity, complex chemistry, and crucial importance for understanding global change. Through it all you will hear the unique perspective of an early career female scientist of color, and thoughts on ways to expand opportunity and access to marine sciences.

Janet Essley, Northwest artist, muralist, art educator, lay naturalist, citizen scientist

Geoff Timms, timmsgp@cofc.edu

Development of RDM competencies traditionally focuses on equipping graduate students and faculty to plan, organize, secure, describe, archive, and share their research data effectively. With undergraduate research experiences gaining emphasis at the College of Charleston, I developed and taught a 1-credit asynchronous online course to introduce undergraduate students to RDM. Unlike graduate students, most participants did not have imminent research projects. To provide an engaging and immersive learning experience, I prepared a case study framework to enable students to apply and consolidate RDM theory from lectures in practical assignments. Over seven weeks, 17 students from several academic disciplines and levels each adopted the role of an Inshore Fisheries Section (IFS) team member within the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). In this role, students had to learn RDM competencies to lead their IFS team to improve data handling and sharing for an estuarine research project. Participants planned data file organization, described datasets, and created project metadata. Instead of creating a data management plan, students critiqued an existing plan and concluded the course by developing a proposal to implement RDM across all SCDNR Marine Resources Division research sections. This presentation describes the case study-based course structure and assignments, lessons learned, and anticipated refinements for the next offering of the course. 

Gina Hodson, Jasmin Graham jgraham@mote.org, Rachel Buissereth rachel@mote.org 

Geosciences, which includes marine Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ranks among the least ethnically diverse of STEM fields and has one of the slowest growth rates of underrepresented minority (URM) participation.  Mote Marine Laboratory (MML), an independent non-profit marine research institution (IMRI), has created the “Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation: Marine Science Laboratory Alliance Center of Excellence” (LSAMP/MarSci-LACE) to serve as a “nexus” training, resource, and supporting partner to other IMRIs, degree granting institutions, LSAMP students, mentors and faculty. The Center’s mission is to increase the number and preparedness of the proposal’s target population underrepresented minority (URM) students earning undergraduate degrees in marine/ocean sciences and related natural resource fields. Experiential learning internships at marine laboratories can provide great value to URM students. MarSci-LACE helps to leverage authentic research and training opportunities by creating resources and developing best practices, which may be shared widely among the LSAMP network. This helps guide faculty and staff to improve academic and career retention success in the marine sciences. This presentation will include an overview of the project, our structure in recruiting, support, and retaining URM students in an internship setting, and how our resources and tools can be applied to Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers.

Denise A. Wetzel, dwetzel@fsu.edu

This presentation examines and compares oceanography library research guides across 35 United States and Canadian institutions to understand the how libraries support the research needs of oceanography degree-granting programs. Schools were chosen using the Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement OceanCareers.com website and narrowed to include institutions which met the study parameters of having both an oceanography or marine science programs and associated research guides. After completing a parameterization analysis of research guides, data collection took place from January 27, 2021 – February 10, 2021. The collected data and analysis of resources provides a basis for outreach using multiple methods. First, outreach to faculty and students through the integration of research guides into leaning management systems can serve as a method of attracting more awareness to academic library resources.  Additionally, the use of a targeted email campaign to oceanography teaching faculty based on findings from this study can lead to a better relationship with teaching faculty. Finally, this project shares for research guide content itself is a method of outreach and looks at included content.

Justin Easterday  justin.easterday@usm.edu

As public and academic libraries continue to respond to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to increase adaptation of electronic resources that provide effective educational outreach has increased. The need for these adaptations has been most critical for the younger generations we serve. Research has shown that younger students are move visual, non-text-heavy learners. As a new librarian, I followed the examples of published User Experience research articles to design an avoiding plagiarism subject guide. The guide uses a mix of multimedia and short paragraphs to deliver the key points of the university’s academic integrity policy to the students. Based on the current usage data, I discuss my conclusions on how to adapt our resources to better present details on plagiarism and an academic integrity policy.

Jamie Stanfield, jamie.stanfield@usm.edu and Joyce M. Shaw, joyce.shaw@usm.edu

The use of graphic novels in classrooms across the spectrum significantly increased over the past few decades. While graphic novels in medical fields have earned broad acceptance, using graphic novels in STEM areas has begun gaining momentum. Whether it is grade school or a senior class at a university, graphic novels offer different types of learners the opportunity to engage in conversations about science, our oceans and rivers, sea level rise, climate change, and the environment while learning about ways they can help care for the Earth. Graphic novels not only appeal to reluctant readers, but they appeal to visual learners as well. Text and pictures are retained longer in the brain and have easier memory recall than text alone. Accompanying this poster is a bibliography of recent graphic novels, comics, and other graphic publications.  These are geared toward teaching and learning in an academic setting and focused on oceans, rivers, climate change, sea level rise, the environment, and other issues that impact our water world.

Charlotte Schiaffo, charlotte.schiaffo@gulfcouncil.org

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) is the main law that governs fishing in U.S. federal waters, ranging from 3 to 200 (or 9 to 200) miles offshore. First passed in 1976, the MSA established a 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and created eight regional fishery management councils to manage our nation’s marine fishery resources. This unprecedented management system gives fishery managers the flexibility to use local level input to develop management strategies appropriate for each region’s unique fisheries, challenges, and opportunities.  The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, headquartered in Tampa, Florida and one of the eight Councils, is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The EEZ extends off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and the west coast of Florida. The Gulf Council consists of 17 voting members and four non-voting members who are responsible for establishing conservation measures for reef fish, shrimp, spiny lobster, coastal migratory pelagics, corals, essential fish habitat, and red drum fisheries. This talk describes some of the research resources developed by the Gulf Council that are available to researchers and the public including: Council amendment archives, Coral portal, Interactive poster sites, and Barotrauma information.

Jeanine Scaramozzino, jscaramo@calpoly.edu 

For years museums have been nimble in their use of new technologies to inform and engage the public. Businesses and government websites have been moving away from human chat help tools to chat based on artificial intelligence (AI). Libraries can use this same technology to create robust and interactive tools for services, particularly reference and instruction, and provide these services to patrons in a way they already use when gathering information online (ex. exploring art, banking, and shopping). Library chatbots (a “chatbot” is akin to Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, or Google’s Assistant) can be programmed with relevant content, using AI to answer patron questions, learn to anticipate follow-up questions, and provide a two-way information exchange through text or voice-based software. If libraries allow patrons to self-direct learning through the tools they use every day to gather information, they may create connections that drive people to engage more fully with information resources. Libraries could collaborate to reuse code and revise content as needed and create new and exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary work. The future is here and information specialists and librarians need to decide how best to serve patrons by integrating machine learning, human computer interaction, and artificial intelligence into their information discovery, access, sharing, and preservation services.

Amanda Whitmire, thalassa@stanford.edu and Jeanine Scaramozzino, jscaramo@calpoly.edu

This year kicks off the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. As the international community works toward creating better frameworks for connecting ocean science with the needs of society, there is a role for information professionals in democratizing ocean knowledge. The social, cultural, and economic benefits of the ocean span many sectors and dimensions of equity, and we know that there are disproportional harms and benefits in the current ocean economy. Many of their benefits are accumulated by a few, while most harms from development are borne by the most vulnerable. Can we make intentional changes in our collection development practices that not only support the needs of our research community, but also contribute to reducing information inequities? For example, in the geographic regions where Hopkins faculty are active in research and policy, indigenous cultures are playing a leadership role in research, resource stewardship and policy development, and information that they are releasing is not available through “normal” channels. Can we develop a library collecting strategy that isn’t merely extractive, but is instead collaborative with indigenous and underrepresented groups in a way that is beneficial to them? Can centering indigenous knowledge and experiences bring attention to where and how solutions to ocean inequities can be developed? How can we break free from our approval plans and use our purchasing power with a more critical lens? This panel presents an unconference discussion centered on issues of diversity and representation in marine science library collections.

Guided by GCRL Marine Education Center Director Dr. Jessica Kastler, we will virtually explore the Lake | Flato designed buildings and the natural setting that was preserved during the construction of this award-winning facility. Opened in 2018 as the replacement for the JL Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium that was lost in the storm surge and winds of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Marine Education Center was recognized in 2020 by the AIA Committee on Environment with a Top Ten Award.

Link to virtual tour: https://youtu.be/31fSUiIc9EQ 

Amanda Whitmire, thalassa@stanford.edu 

Since the advent of print as an information sharing medium, the creation of content and access to it have been mediated and inequitable. The arrival of the Internet has radically shifted the dynamics of information transfer by creating opportunities for anyone with access to share and receive content. Wikipedia is the largest information platform in the world, with over 56 million articles published in 300 languages. Wikipedia, and its partner sites Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, can and do play a huge role in democratizing access to scientific information. A recent example is the article on COVID-19, which has been edited over 6,500 times by over 1,250 editors, has over 430 unique references, and has been viewed over 8.6 million times across 151 languages. Wikipedia offers an unprecedented opportunity to make access to scientific information more equitable. In this 1-hour workshop, we will review the scope and purpose of Wikipedia and Wikidata, introduce WikiProject Limnology and Oceanography, and offer an introduction on how to edit and create articles. We will review the process and goals of editathon events. The goals of the session are to demystify Wikipedia and to generate enthusiasm and capacity for engagement with the platform.

Whitmire, Amanda L. (2021). Librarians + Wikipedia: Building skills to reduce information inequality in the aquatic sciences. Presented at: 2021 SAIL/Cyamus Joint Annual Conference. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/sh105rr3576

Kristen Culp, Kristin.Culp@proquest.com

How ProQuest is addressing these timely topics:

• After a year of challenges including closures and remote work, what short term responses will become long term changes to services and resources from Library Vendor partners.
• Collections from ProQuest & Alexander Street with a spotlight on increasing diversity and inclusion.
• Library Solutions from ExLibris for better delivery of products and engagement with your library patrons faculty and students.