B&F Programs and Events
Conference 2021

Events

B&F Community College and Universities Business Libraries (CUBL) Section Roundtable Discussion Forum https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/virtual/YsZbQQ9H6j2H5xQn6 

Aug 4, 1pm

B&F Quickshare: This event will include a lightning round style presentation from B&F members to share projects they are working on. https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/x7feBkfMmNS5XBLQx/ 

Aug 5, 2pm

B&F Vendor Showcase / Meet & Greet: Join the B&F Community to hear presentations from five invited vendors. After the presentations, attendees will move to hosted breakout rooms with the vendors to engage in smaller conversations with vendors. https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/MAhcskcMkW3xPC85w/ 

Aug 6, 12:30pm

B&F Corporate Information Centers (CIC) Section Event: Seeing Around Corners – Lessons from Crisis Communications: For this year’s annual Corporate Information Centers (CIC) Section Event, we are delighted to welcome Heidi Crowe, Director of Research and Information Services at Abernathy MacGregor, a leading strategic communications firm. Heidi will share with us how she seized the challenge of the pandemic to re-engineer information services at her firm to add more value and become a trusted partner to leadership. In a “fireside chat” with Section Chair Penny Leach, Heidi will summarise the key steps and outcomes of her department's journey, and lessons learned on the way. You will leave the session with a best practice document and concrete steps for success. https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/3YkDBxiPESF4mu8M8/ 

Aug 9, 6pm

Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting with the B&F Community: Join the B&F Community for a virtual tour of Escape Velocity Brewing, a small brew pub that opened during the pandemic, and a guided beer tasting. Participants will be given a list of beer styles to acquire from their local breweries or liquor stores. https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/LKQECciXk9uKPc9Jv/ 

Aug 13, 4:30pm

B&F Community Awards & Trivia Reception: This event will be to award the annual B&F travel and achievement awards and to celebrate with a reception that includes a game of trivia. https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/eFnohK8ZXhuKhCbbP/ 

Live Sessions

Aug 11, 12:30 – 1:30pm

Work-Life Pivots: Tales from the Trenches https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/EkywyoGyRdjAbq6n4/

Description

The pandemic threw a monkey wrench into the work lives of just about everyone. Pivoting from going into our workplaces every day to working from home was wrenching for many. How have special librarians coped and what lessons have we learned from pivoting? This panel shares personal experiences in pivoting, from the perspective of various work environments. Although everyone's individual experience will be different, insights from our panelists will put pivoting—perhaps to flexible working hours, taking on new responsibilities, balancing family and job responsibilities, or changing jobs—in perspective. Learn how to identify the opportunities inherent in our new working environment and how to shape that monkey wrench to your advantage.

Aug 11, 2:30 – 3:30pm

CryptoCurrency and FinTech: Opportunities and Challenges https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/FKBYapMCouXymHY7z

Description

Financial technology, as manifest in the world of cryptocurrencies, is becoming a bigger part of everyone's lives, both personal and professional. Information professionals need to be able to understand and communicate effectively the following 1) how these technologies work 2) the impacts on banking and securities law and regulation 3) the short, intermediate and long term implications for commerce in general.  In addition, it is vital that information professionals have a deeper understanding of the these technologies so that they can identify career opportunities. Information professionals need to be able to move beyond the theory of these technologies and understand the practical application of them so that they can better do research in relation to financial technologies and cryptocurrencies.

Aug 11, 2:30 – 3:30pm

Librarians in the LaunchPad: Collaborative Approaches to Supporting Inclusive Entrepreneurship https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/xwGBLHfJLYE4Zsvf8/

Description

This session will discuss an expanding collaboration between Blackstone LaunchPad and a university library through the lens of their latest entrepreneurial partnership. The group will speak to the development of a micro-credential supporting inclusive student entrepreneurship and the circumstances that prompted the invitation for library collaboration. To meet the needs of first-year international students participating in the micro-credential program, three librarians collaborated to develop a workshop series to introduce students to patent and standard research, market research, and data visualization. The process of pivoting to a virtual instruction format and outcomes for the library will also be discussed. Attendees will learn about the process of cross-unit collaboration on a micro-credential program, the challenges and successes of the workshop series, and recommendations for how they might build partnerships at their own institutions to expand inclusive support for entrepreneurs.

Aug 12, 10:00 – 10:45am

Love 'Em or Leave 'Em: What Business Librarians Say They Want From Their Professional Associations https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/7QpzzBhP7m8SppFGY/

Presenters will summarize and discuss their survey of 136 business librarians concerning the career benefits of organizational membership and the characteristics of successful library organizations. In response to declining memberships, what can library organizations do to better serve the needs of members, and to be more inclusive and welcoming of early career and professionals of color? Based on our survey, we will make recommendations for association leaders as well as professionals seeking more learning and service opportunities. The presenters will invite discussion with the audience, who will likely have experiences and opinions to share regarding professional development and their organizations.

Aug 12, 11:00am – 12:00pm

Getting More: Learn to Negotiate Your Salary with Skill and Confidence https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/e5ebaRoFPeNMQQqsr/ 

Description

This live session will present results from a study of librarians’ experience with and perspective on compensation and benefits negotiation in libraries of all types. Presenters will share best practices for salary negotiation, and review common scenarios and discuss frequently asked questions. We hope this information will grow participants’ confidence, skill, and comfort with negotiating compensation in the library workplace through increased awareness of negotiation success rates, scope of negotiation topics, and variables impacting outcomes. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and ask questions in a supportive environment.

Aug 13, 2:00 – 3:00pm

Fundraising 102: Grantseeking – A Funder’s Perspective https://sla2021.pathable.co/meetings/bGrteZKGfHuKF9ge9

Description

What does it take to win a grant? Hear from representatives of different types of foundations on what they look for in a proposal and learn how grantseekers can cultivate lasting partnerships with funders. Panelists will offer insight into the entirety of the grantseeking process, from identifying potential funders to submitting a grant proposal. This session will be particularly relevant for anyone interested in seeking foundation support for projects or special initiatives. Following the panel discussion, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions directly of panelists.

On-Demand Sessions

What's your Niche?  

This presentation will highlight the growing research area of niche tourism (or special interest tourism) by defining the field, highlighting resources and examples to provide insight about the field. Participants will also be given the opportunity to discover their own niche interest.

Intelligence for the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

This session explores the essential question … How can information professionals offer improved services to the entrepreneurial ecosystem? In order to better understand the value-add of the information professional in this value chain, this presentation will:

(1) spotlight key players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem (including but not limited to entrepreneurs, VC funders, business-information librarians, research-grant funders, etc.),

(2) explore their information needs, and key resources used to secure relevant intelligence and 

(3) underscore variation in how these stakeholders prefer to have the information presented (quad charts, simplified ppt, comprehensive analysis, etc.). 

This session will also spotlight how some information professionals are sourcing info specific to underrepresented entrepreneurial communities, including Women, Black And Latinx, LGBTQ+, etc.

Supporting Business, Entrepreneurship, & Agribusiness

Business information can be intimidating to those new to the resources, and often Ag librarians and others find themselves reaching out to colleagues when confronted with business questions. This session will cover how non-business librarians can use business information to support agribusiness, entrepreneurship, and innovation in areas such as climate change technologies, cannabis, agritourism, and more. We will discuss the business information consultation process, including topics such as ideation, learning about your target customer, and determining target market. We will explore the main areas of business information: company information, industry/market information, and business news, including both paid and free resources. Additionally, we will consider other relevant uses for business information, such as helping students with career research.

Don't Get Fooled Again: Critical Thinking for Business Research

Researchers confronting business information are not immune from finding misinformation, disinformation, and the just plain weird. Critical thinking, being able to objectively analyze and evaluate information, is just as important in the business world as with other disciplines. Becoming highly sensitized to incorrect information in news stories, conspiracy theories, bogus market research reports, the validity of press releases, and misleading financial data is a core competency for business research. Veteran researcher Marydee Ojala spells out some of the pitfalls and provides key elements for critical thinking about business information.

Agribusiness trends, statistics, and dataset resources for the 21st century

Agribusiness is huge. Beyond the growing of crops and livestock, it encompasses the industries of packaging, transportation, marketing, agritourism, and Farmers Markets, plus cottage industries like home canning and marketing, craft breweries, and wineries. Local, state and federal agencies participate, serving multiple roles in regulating the safety and security of farmers and food production through delivery, but which does what? Join Suzanne Teghtmeyer, Michigan State University Agriculture Librarian, in an overview of agricultural agencies and agribusiness resources for the 21st century. She will address the current landscape, trends, research, and policies, and provide resources for finding federal and state-specific agribusiness information, statistics, and datasets.

Discovering Data Sources Through the Dataset Presentation

Economics, at all levels, has become an increasingly data-driven, empirical discipline. Alongside this, the advantages of undergraduate research have become more appreciated. These trends merge with students employing empirical techniques in undergraduate research. This presentation addresses a potential hold-up: how to acquaint students with major data sources. In understanding major data sources, research questions are more accessible and informed. We propose an assignment (prompt, list of data sources by difficulty, and grading rubric) in the form of a short, data-driven presentation designed to have students learn, acquire, and work with a publicly available dataset and present the dataset to peers.

Government Information for Business, Finance, and Legal Research

Due diligence and thorough company research are crucial for informed and responsible decision-making, especially for investors, attorneys, and business researchers. While there are robust commercial databases that offer company insights and litigation histories, these resources can be prohibitively expensive. Government publications and other free or low-cost resources can provide a convenient alternative to fill information gaps. This presentation will outline fundamental resources for company research, including how to read company filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as sources for federal and state case law, and descriptions of other relevant government agencies that house company information.

The Evolution of Outreach: Emerging Approaches to Community Outreach and Engagement

Librarians have approached community engagement and outreach in many different ways. Whether presenting to members of community groups or hosting events and tours, librarians have actively worked to promote and inspire the use of information resources in the communities they serve. Due to the impact of COVID-19, methods of community engagement and outreach have changed immensely, calling for new and innovative approaches to creating, connecting, and engaging communities. This session highlights emerging and evolving approaches to engagement and outreach for librarians, offering attendees a variety of methods to consider as they work to safely and creatively connect with their communities.

SEC Documents are a Financial Analyst’s Best Friend

There are a handful of documents public companies need to file with the SEC periodically.  These documents, while steeped in legalese, contain a great amount of information. This session will detail walk through the different documents and the content that they contain.   

The data from these SEC documents are often extracted and accessed entirely electronically.  This is needed when analyzing many companies at once.  Looking at the source documents adds a level of understanding that looking just at the extracted numbers cannot convey.   For instance, if there is a change in control, how much does the current management team stand to make as a result?  Or is the company leasing land from the company’s founder?   

The goals for this session are to increase your familiarity with the relevant sources, and to demystify the SEC documents.  For those accustomed to doing company research, this will likely be a review, but for those who only have looked at the extracted numbers, there is much to learn from the documents.    

This session will be led by a librarian with extensive finance research experience.  

From the Rocks to the Stocks – Library Research with a Geosciences Librarian and a Finance Librarian

This session will review and share information on locating geoscience and financial data on natural resources (oil, natural gas, renewable energy, and mineral resources/commodities), and how the subject areas are interwoven. This session will discuss the sources of the data, including governments and private data vendors.   

 Our goals for this session are to increase your familiarity with the relevant sources, and to demystify how these areas are related.  For those comfortable with company research, in some key ways natural resources research is similar, but there are important differences.  The end markets for natural resources are global, and valuable natural resources are found worldwide. 

 This session will be led by two librarians with extensive experience in geosciences and finance research

Promoting Equity in Entrepreneurship through Business Information Services

Small business ownership can provide a pathway to wealth building and prosperity. However, racial disparities in access to resources and capital have resulted in the historical underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic Americans among business owners in the United States. Libraries and similar organizations that offer business services for the public have a responsibility to help address this gap by providing targeted information and education for entrepreneurs in communities of color. This session will explore how librarians at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh are each working to support diverse entrepreneurs in the community. Attendees will hear about current initiatives and models of community outreach, learn about recommended business information resources, and gain insight into how public and academic libraries can work together to promote equitable access to business information.