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Save the Date!

Save the Date! Joyner Library’s 21st Annual Paraprofessional Conference, hosted by ECU’s Academic Library Services will be on May 16th, 2025 from 8:00am – 4:00pm (Eastern Standard Time)! Please join us this year as we explore the themes of Technology & Digital Fluency. This year’s conference will be a hybrid event, with sessions offered in-person and selected sessions streamed virtually.

Presenter applications are open! Please read on for more information.


ATTENDING IN-PERSON

The cost to attend the in-person event will be $30. 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 will be offered upon request. Currently enrolled students may attend for a reduced fee of $15. To qualify for the student discount, please contact us once registration opens to receive a code.


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.

 

Dr. Erezi Ogbo-Gebhardt is Our 2025 Keynote

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Erezi Ogbo-Gebhardt (she/her) who is an Assistant Professor in Information Science and the program director of Online and Extended Studies at the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) will be this year’s keynote. Dr. Ogbo-Gebhardt is a nationally recognized digital inclusion scholar and uses mixed methods to investigate the socio-economic and socio-technological factors that impact broadband and digital technology acceptance, use, and impact of use, predominantly among marginalized populations and communities often underrepresented in technology research. Her work also evaluates the broader impact of digital inclusion initiatives (e.g., subsidized broadband or digital literacy training) on the recipients.

Dr. Ogbo-Gebhardt earned a Ph.D. and an MSc. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2019 and 2017, respectively, an MSc. in Management and Information Technology from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, in 2013, and a B.Tech. in Information Technology from Bells University of Technology, Nigeria, in 2011. Before joining the faculty at NCCU, she was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California, where she reviewed existing research on the effectiveness of digital inclusion initiatives and built analytical models to evaluate the effectiveness of digital inclusion initiatives and inform broadband policymaking.

Present at the 2025 Paraprofessional Conference

It’s that time again! The Paraprofessional Conference is seeking proposals. Our 21st annual conference will be held May 16, 2025, at Joyner Library in Greenville, N.C. Sponsored by East Carolina University’s Academic Library Services SHRA Assembly, the conference is aimed at providing professional development for library workers in academic, public, and special library systems, as well as students pursuing degrees in library and information sciences.  

This year’s conference will be focused on our theme: Technology & Digital Fluency. At this time, the planning committee would like to extend a call for proposals. We would be honored if you would be interested in creating a presentation, participating in a panel session, or displaying a poster at our conference. 

This year’s theme emphasizes the integral role that technological proficiency plays in the modern library environment. We invite you to share your insights and practical solutions on how paraprofessionals can address the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving digital landscape. We are particularly interested in proposals that explore:

  • Digital Literacy: Approaches for bridging the digital divide by teaching patrons about useful technologies and online safety.
  • Emerging Technologies: The impact of new technologies on library services and how paraprofessionals can effectively integrate them.
  • Cybersecurity Best Practices: Strategies and tools for safeguarding library systems and user data.
  • Tech Support and Troubleshooting: Tips for providing technical support to library users and managing common tech issues.
  • AI Integration: The ethics of AI use, tips on when and where to use it in a professional setting.

Important points:   

  • Technology & Digital Fluency is the 2025 conference theme. 
  • The conference will be a hybrid event but fully pre-recorded presentations are not accepted.
  • Session lengths are 45 minutes and should include time left for discussion & questions. 
  • Adherence to the theme is suggested, but not mandatory, and a wide range of topics will be considered. 
  • The deadline for submitting a proposal is Friday, February 14, 2025.

If you are interested, please fill out the conference proposal form. 

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

TBA 2025 Schedule of Sessions and Parking

The Keynote and all sessions in the Faulkner Gallery will be live streamed on the day of the event. Many of the sessions are going to be recorded and will be available to watch online soon after the conference has concluded.

Parking will be provided free of charge in the Main Campus Student Center garage, which is adjacent to the library. Directions and additional information related to parking can be found here.

View 2024 Conference Recorded Sessions

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful presenters, volunteers, and everyone who joined us virtually and in-person at our recent conference. Your presence and active participation truly made the event a tremendous success! We are incredibly grateful for the energy and enthusiasm from all of those who contributed to the conference.

Use the following link to view and download conference resources:
Session Recordings, Presenter Contact Information, and Presentation Downloads