Registration is now open for Tenn-Share Showcase 2025 which will be held virtually, November 3rd-5th, 9am- 1PM CT // 10am-2pm ET daily. The event remains free of charge to Tennessee librarians and staff.
This year’s conference theme is Library Rewind, focusing on low tech and old school library methods that you’re bringing into the 21st century. Sessions cover everything analog, from time management to programming to whatever else is bringing you library joy these days. Come and learn about the cool things Tennessee librarians are doing!
Register here, and zoom room info will be shared closer to the event.
| Monday, November 3, 2025 | Session Type | Room 1 | Room 2 |
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| 9 - 10 CT // 10 - 11 ET | General Session | Keynote Speaker and Tenn-Share Awards Slow Librarianship: Navigating Change with Intentionality and Mindfulness Presented by Ashley Rosener, Online Instruction Librarian, New York University, Liaison Librarian for School of Community Leadership and Development, School of Social Work, and the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University In a field shaped by constant change, competing demands, and rapidly shifting technologies, slow librarianship offers an alternative approach rooted in intentionality, mindfulness, and care. This keynote will introduce slow librarianship as a values-driven practice that pushes back against the pressures of speed and productivity by centering equity, relationship-building, and a deeper understanding of community needs. Together, we’ll consider why this approach matters now more than ever and explore practical ways in which library workers can embody slowness through small, reflective practices, as well as organizational shifts that support sustainability and belonging. Ashley Rosener (she/her) is a Senior Librarian at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, where she recently transitioned into the role of Open Education and Scholarly Communications Librarian after more than a decade as a liaison librarian. With over 13 years of experience in academic libraries, her scholarship explores mentoring, professional development, and slow librarianship, with a particular focus on cultivating reflective and sustainable practices in librarianship. She is the editor of the forthcoming book Slow Librarianship: Reflections and Approaches (Litwin Books). Ashley is passionate about building supportive professional communities rooted in care, community, and critical reflection.  |
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| 10 - 10:30 CT // 11 - 11:30 ET | Vendor Partner Presentation |  Design Trends in Contemporary Library Spaces Presented by Stephen Gower, Design Manager Today’s library environments need to inspire, promote discovery, support collaboration while offering flexibility, variety and choice. Join Demco and go on a visual journey through a series of contemporary Public and K12 library spaces that illustrate how designers combine space, product and color to create multi-functional, inspiring and vibrant interiors. |  One Platform, Many Stories: Uniting Bloomsbury’s History Collections Presented by Marybeth Hope – Account Manager Discover Bloomsbury History, a forthcoming digital platform that connects students, researchers, and faculty with a rich range of primary and secondary history resources—including e-Books, audio, articles, museum objects, maps, manuscripts, and more—bringing global history to life for all learners. Uniting existing, respected collections such as Bloomsbury Cultural History, Bloomsbury Medieval Studies, and Bloomsbury History: Theory and Method with exciting new global history collections, this accessible, cross-searchable platform helps link periods and topics with theory, method, and context. Attendees will also explore teaching and learning tools, including subject guides and lesson plans, designed to draw relevant connections across collections and inspire fresh approaches to historical study. |
| 10:45 -11:15 CT // 11:45 - 12:15 ET | Recess! | Master Your Minutes: Time Management Hacks for Busy Bees Presented by Jennifer Breuer, Regional Director, Holston River Regional Library In this session, you'll learn essential time management techniques to boost productivity and reduce stress. We'll delve into the concept of time management, discussing its importance and benefits, such as increased efficiency and decreased stress levels. Common challenges in managing time effectively will also be highlighted. The core of the presentation focuses on key time management techniques. You'll learn about prioritization methods like the Eisenhower Matrix, planning tools such as to-do lists and calendars, and the strategy of time blocking to allocate specific times for tasks. Tips on overcoming procrastination will be shared to help you stay on track. Throughout the session, we'll explore various tools and resources that can aid in time management. Recommendations will include digital tools, as well as books and articles for further reading. Join us to master your minutes and make every moment count! | Microthemes for Macro Gains: using mini essays for a reflective and generative learning practice Presented by Sam Mandani, Online Instruction Librarian, New York University This hands-on presentation centers on using the intentions of mini-essays, or microthemes, to return to form: (re-)building foundations in order to effectively explore a generative and reflective learning practice. Participants will go through a short writing sprint that culminates into a reflective microtheme, so they can practice organizing their observations, questions, and reflections in chunked and digestible formats. By connecting to the three pillars of the information loop (information gathering, information inquiry, and information creation), we review the fundamentals of observing, questioning, and creating that are so often pushed to the wayside in favor of our administrative and logistical everyday tasks. This versatile and adaptable writing system focuses on meaningfully and purposefully allowing ourselves the space, time, and attention to consider our thoughts and ideas beyond a passing sequence that remains in our minds. Participants will use this reflective microtheme method to collect their thoughts and ideas in order to develop (or re-develop!) their voice—activities that can be used and modified for instruction or for one’s own reflective library practice. |
| 11:15 - 12 CT // 12:15 - 1 ET | Librarian Presentation | Tiny Desk, Big Impact: Fostering Engagement, Learning, and Community through Music Library Outreach Presented by M. Nathalie Hristov, Music Librarian, University of Tennessee, Knoxville The third annual Tiny Desk Concert in the George F. DeVine Music Library, held on April 11, 2025, demonstrated the power of music library outreach in fostering student engagement, learning, and campus collaboration at the University of Tennessee. Inspired by NPR’s popular Tiny Desk series, the event was a joint effort between the DeVine Music Library, the Black Musicians Alliance, and the UT College of Music. Designed to draw new audiences into the library, the program featured a vibrant and varied lineup of student musicians representing styles from classical and jazz to indie, original compositions, and rap. The evening began with a reception and exhibit outside the music library, highlighting its resources, collections, and services. Audience members enjoyed refreshments and informal conversations while viewing the exhibit and interacting with performers. The concert followed, with performances that blended musical storytelling, technical skill, and expressive creativity. Acts included classical saxophone with piano accompaniment, acoustic indie vocals, original singer-songwriter material with keyboard, jazz interpretations of R&B classics, and original rap with electronic beats. The event was promoted through a coordinated marketing effort involving digital signage, campus calendars, social media, and mailing lists. A post-event survey yielded a 40% response rate, reflecting a strong positive reception and interest in future events. By offering a platform for diverse student talent, fostering community, and providing experiential learning opportunities, the Tiny Desk Concert aligns with the University of Tennessee’s strategic goals of inclusivity, innovation, and student-centered engagement. The program illustrates how academic libraries can serve as dynamic cultural spaces that support learning, creativity, and connection. | Film for Film's Sake: Reintegrating 16mm Film to the University of Tennessee’s Classrooms Presented by Louisa Trott, Arts & Humanities Librarian and Associate Professor, University of Tennessee, Eleni Palis, Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies and English, University of Tennessee Like many institutions in the early 2000s, the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) discarded much of its 16mm film collection. By sheer chance, a significant collection of “modern art” films stored in a professor’s office miraculously survived, along with two working projectors at the library. Collaboration between a Cinema Studies librarian with extensive film archival expertise (Louisa Trott) and a Cinema Studies professor engaged in archive-inflected research and pedagogy (Eleni Palis) has resulted in successfully reintroducing 16mm film to UTK’s classrooms. Students enjoy the sensory, immersive experience of watching film projection, and participate in “film petting zoos,” which provide the opportunity for them to handle film, closely inspect its physical characteristics, and even learn how to splice it. This presentation will recount how the collection was rediscovered and made available for classroom use. We will discuss how 16mm film expands access not only to the particular films’ content but also film form, materiality, apparatus, history, and theory, thereby opening new collaborative conversations within UTK’s Cinema Studies program. |
| Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | Session Type | Room 1 | Room 2 |
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| 9 - 9:45 CT // 10 - 10:45 ET | Librarian Presentation | Common today, rare tomorrow: Collecting contemporary ephemera for future researchers Presented by Susan Martin, Special Collections Librarian, Middle Tennessee State University, Susan Hanson, Curator, Special Collections, Middle Tennessee State University Paper ephemera – catalogs, cards, advertisements, event flyers, playbills, tickets, newsletters, bulletins – is, by definition, short-lived, used once and then often discarded. However, those pieces that do survive are an important part of material culture and provide context and enrichment for researchers in numerous disciplines. Ephemera collections exist in many special collections and archives, and often the collecting rationale is to preserve vulnerable materials that are decades or even centuries old. Some of our favorite items in our collection are pieces of our historical ephemera, and these items are used in our exhibits and instruction, providing good examples of material culture from their time period. Due to the cost of these items, we are selective in purchasing 19th-century and early 20th-century ephemera. Collecting contemporary ephemera is not only culturally valuable but also practical and economical. These materials are often free or low-cost, readily available in the community, and require minimal processing. Contemporary ephemera can be gathered through everyday interactions—picking up flyers from local businesses, saving event programs, or collecting promotional materials from community events. We first delved into collecting contemporary ephemera as part of our Distilling, Fermenting, and Brewing Collection before branching out and adding other contemporary ephemera collections: bookmarks (with an emphasis on libraries and booksellers), sale catalogs, and a collection that focused on our city of Murfreesboro. In this presentation, we will discuss the importance of collecting ephemera, why we decided to collect contemporary ephemera, how we obtain and store our materials, how we provide access to and use these materials, and how collecting this type of material allows institutions with limited budgets to build unique, locally relevant collections that reflect current societal trends, voices, and aesthetics. | Literacy and Tradition in Current Spaces Presented by Thura Mack (Assistant Dean) - University of Tennessee Libraries, Angelica Rose Nepomuceno (Library & Engagement Specialist) - University of Tennessee Libraries, Anna Duren (Graduate Student Library Assistant) - University of Tennessee Libraries, Elizabeth Nix (Student Library Assistant) - University of Tennessee Libraries In an era defined by screens and emerging technologies, the act of reading aloud remains an unparalleled cornerstone for early childhood literacy development. Read-alouds display engaged scholarship in action. Reading helps students reimagine library spaces and work for our communities and beyond. The read-alouds immerse young learners in language, fostering vocabulary acquisition, phonological awareness, and narrative comprehension long before independent reading takes hold. Through shared stories, children develop critical listening skills, build a love for books, and implicitly grasp story structure and character development. This traditional approach directly impacts cognitive development and continuing strong reading practices. The presenters will share and discuss the utilization of two successful outreach programs that implement and infuse traditional reading practices with emerging technologies. Not only do we include traditional reading spotlights in our outreach programs, but we also adapt reading practices to other frameworks and the state’s curriculum. Reading aloud, when properly emphasized and applied, is crucial to promoting substantial literacy growth and accomplishment, cultivating reading enjoyment and success throughout an individual's life (Hoppe, 2022). Beyond individual skill-building, read-alouds cultivate a reading community and honor oral tradition. Libraries have an ongoing opportunity to be strategic and forward-thinking, designing new reading purposes and infrastructures into our vision and work. The library’s role is pivotal in showcasing how these ""old school"" approaches are not just relevant but profoundly impactful today. By embracing and innovating around the read-aloud format, we empower children with robust literacy skills, bridging traditional learning with contemporary needs. A recent literature scan confirms that the read-aloud topic is much needed to help us not overlook the impact of read-alouds play in our everyday work, especially in outreach innovations. These are exciting times for libraries to rethink how to utilize current tools and skills to make reading aloud a vibrant piece of our outreach and engagement. We have a rich opportunity to be creative in our service. By sharing our process for incorporating read-alouds into emerging topics and engaging dialogues, we aim to challenge conventional thinking around reading into a model that is adaptable for any library type working with K-12 literacy programs. |
| 9:45 - 10:15 CT // 10:45 - 11:15 ET | Vendor Partner Presentation |  GALE Resources and Support within the Academic Scope Presented by Shannon Boyd - Executive Library Sales Consultant, Becky Sowers - Trainer, Academic Outreach & Engagement Join GALE for an informative session which will elaborate on frontlist content designed to reinforce a wide range of academic disciplines. The newest Gale Primary Sources collections support inquiry into topics which are intrinsic to the human experience and researchers of nearly every discipline will find valuable historical data to support their study. Support with current resources maintained by your institution is always a top priority so we will expand on the essentials of GALE Support and how we can outreach to faculty and students alike. |  Rediscovering the Human Library Presented by Suzanne Knight - Regional Sales Manager, EBSCO Information Services In an age of algorithm fatigue and AI overload, libraries remain sanctuaries for thoughtful, intentional discovery. This session explores how traditional library values—like human connection, curation, and contextual understanding—are not just relevant but increasingly vital. Join us as we rewind to rediscover how soft skills, analog touchpoints, and trusted vendor relationships (like those with EBSCO) are helping libraries navigate change without losing their soul. |
| 10:30 -11 CT // 11:30 - 12 ET | Recess! | Guardrails, Not Grind: Setting Boundaries Without Losing Impact Presented by Jessica McClure, Virtual Instruction Librarian, The University of Memphis In a profession rooted in service, many librarians internalize a self-sacrificing work ethic that glorifies overextension and quietly rewards burnout. This session challenges the belief that intrinsic value is measured by exhaustion, selflessness, and productivity. This session will discuss the use of “guardrails”—personal boundaries that promote sustainability—and how to use these guardrails to produce practical strategies for managing time, setting realistic expectations, and protecting your energy—without sacrificing their impact or commitment. Let’s trade the grind for a healthier, more effective approach to library work. Come prepared with scenarios for us to work through together! | Email - What's Old is New Presented by Lauri Thompson, Continuing Education Coordinator, Tennessee State Library and Archives Rediscover the power of email as your library’s marketing MVP! In a world buzzing with new platforms, email remains a trusted, flexible, and highly effective tool to engage your community. This breakout will spotlight the latest trends making email marketing fresh again—think hyper-personalization, interactive content, AI-powered subject lines and graphics that will boost open rates and drive action. Let’s look at email through a new lens. Our old friend still has a lot of steam left. |
| 11 - 12 CT // 12 - 1 ET | Librarian Presentation | Reimagining Library Events: Balancing Tradition & Innovation Presented by Dr. Andrea Fowler, Director of Library Services, Trevecca Nazarene University, Dr. Prilla Speer, Online Learning Services Librarian, Trevecca Nazarene University, Ms. Katie O’Connell, Evening Supervisor, Trevecca Nazarene University & MLIS Student, Valdosta State This presentation will explore how Waggoner Library at Trevecca Nazarene University maintains familiar event formats while incorporating simple updates to better engage today’s students and campus community. We will highlight a variety of events that reflect this approach, from long-standing programs like author talks and game nights to collaborative efforts introducing emerging technology. For example, Digital Learning Day featured a panel on artificial intelligence and a vendor fair focused on technology, yet its format was based on the classic professional development workshop. Similarly, popular events such as Blind Date with a Book, Trevecca Authors, and March Literary Madness were refreshed through modest updates that included both digital and traditional enhancements. This session is both reflective and practical. We will share tips for event planning with limited staff, strategies for fostering cross-campus and cross-department collaboration, and ideas for sustaining programming on tight budgets. Participants will be invited to share successes from their own libraries. Together, we will explore how traditional library programming remains a strong foundation for engagement and how small updates can help extend its appeal to students, faculty, and community members. Whether you want to refresh a long-standing event or launch something new without starting from scratch, this session offers practical strategies grounded in real experience. | Reweaving the Tapestry: Strengthening Library Linking for a Seamless User Experience Presented by Marie Peeples - Electronic Resources Librarian, University of Memphis In a digital environment, library users expect to find what they need at the click of a button, but behind the virtual curtain, things are a lot more complicated. The links that connect library interfaces and resources are part of a massive web that requires active maintenance; not only to ensure that links are working, but that they’re presented to the user in a straightforward, intuitive way. In an ideal world, a library’s virtual linking system would follow a precise, predetermined pattern, where each link has its designated place to form a perfect tapestry of interconnectedness. In reality, however, most libraries are working with a tapestry that was constructed with a more “stitch-as-you-go”-type method. As libraries take on new platforms, databases, and resources, these are linked together one by one with the best method available at the time. A library may benefit, therefore, by periodically stepping back to consider how their linking system can be reconfigured, on a granular or holistic level, to create a more cohesive, unified experience for their users. This presentation will rewind to the building blocks of library linking and how they might be evaluated and rearranged to create a sturdier linking environment. It will cover changes implemented in the University of Memphis Libraries’ linking system: from standardizing visual cues for link clarity, to enhancing link resolver options for better navigation. This ongoing maintenance results in a gradually improving linking tapestry that can better help users understand and navigate the Libraries’ search interfaces and subscription databases. |
| Wednesday, November 5, 2025 | Session Type | Room 1 | Room 2 |
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| 9 - 9:45 CT // 10 - 10:45 ET | Librarian Presentation | Analog allies: low-tech tools for restoring calm in the high tech library workplace Presented by Dr. Wendy Doucette, Associate Professor and Graduate Research and Instruction Librarian, Charles C. Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, Rebecca Tolley, Professor and Director of Research and Instruction Services, Charles C. Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN "More tech will make your job easier, right? It may, after you get past the learning curve of one more interface to learn while you stay abreast of the changes and expectation of being fully functional across your various types of pre-existing software (even those you use only annually and with little training). Do you enjoy the immediate communication advantages of chat—while keeping up on email, system requests, phone calls, meetings and unexpected pop-ins? In reality, the increasing pace and demands of technology can contribute to occupational stress, leaving workers feeling overwhelmed in the form of increased anxiety and a diminished sense of personal and professional efficacy. As a shield against the unrelenting creep of high tech into the library workplace, we offer some simple, practical, low-tech strategies for reclaiming equilibrium and calm into personal planning and organization. Suitable for workers at all levels in all types of libraries, we will discuss how an abundance of technology can destabilize work rhythms, blur boundaries between personal and professional lives, and fragment attention and concentration. Grounded in their separate yet aligned work in constructive living (Donald K. Reynolds) and trauma-informed librarianship/leadership Doucette and Tolley present several reliable, low-tech visual and analog tools for those seeking digital detox for potential reduction of technostress and occupational burnout in library work. We begin with setting tech-use boundaries, scheduling focused time blocks, and designing personalized workspaces. We will discuss the power of using visual methods like visual schedules (e.g., white boards, index cards, bullet journaling), first-then boards, checklists, nope lists and mind mapping as a brainstorming tool to create predictability and routine, bolster your communication, refine productivity, and slow the pace of processing ideas. We then conclude with the role old-school/low-tech tools have in creating thresholds for transitioning between workflows, meetings, and other scheduled tasks throughout the workday. | Unwinding Reliance on Print Resources: Creating Space for a 21st Century Collaborative Learning Commons through Strategic Collection Review Presented by Erik Nordberg, Dean, Paul Meek Library, UT Martin, Bridgette Whitt, Acquisitions Librarian, Paul Meek Library, UT Martin, Hannah Crawford, Tech Services Supervisor, Paul Meek Library, UT Martin, Ariana Claros, Copy Cataloger, Stacks Maintenance, Paul Meek Library, UT Martin Academic libraries face ongoing challenges in balancing print and digital resources to support teaching, learning, and research. As digital databases expand in scope and accessibility, students and faculty—particularly at primarily undergraduate institutions—increasingly rely on online resources. This shift has contributed to a marked decline in the use of physical library spaces, especially for reference materials and bound journals. As institutions seek to optimize campus space, underutilized library areas risk being repurposed without library input. At the University of Tennessee at Martin, the Paul Meek Library responded proactively. Over the past three years, the library has led a collaborative initiative to transform underused space and print collections into a vibrant, integrated “Library Learning Commons.” This reimagined space offers centralized academic support, including a staffed welcome desk that connects students to research librarians, writing coaches, supplemental instruction leaders, and other specialized support services. A critical foundation of this transformation was the thoughtful reduction and reorganization of print collections. The library undertook two major review projects: one assessing the relevance of its print reference collection using established professional tools, and another engaging campus faculty in evaluating bound journal holdings. Both projects resulted in substantial deaccessioning—volumes were removed from catalogs, responsibly recycled, or relocated—freeing space for collaborative learning areas and enhancing digital access to core resources. This session will outline the strategic processes used to evaluate and streamline the collections, the logistical and intellectual efforts involved in large-scale deselection, and the campus-wide collaboration that made the transition possible. Presenters will share insights into stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, and change management, offering a roadmap for other institutions considering similar initiatives. |
| 9:45 - 10:15 CT // 10:45 - 11:15 ET | Vendor Partner Presentation |  Ingram Library Services is a trusted partner for libraries, offering comprehensive solutions including collection development, cataloging, processing, and ordering tools. Their services help libraries streamline acquisitions, enhance discoverability, and meet the evolving needs of their communities. With a focus on innovation and support, Ingram empowers libraries to deliver exceptional experiences to their patrons. |  OverDrive: Where ebooks, audiobooks, and film meet—Kanopy & Libby power learning. Presented by Your OverDrive Team: We’ll be sharing a brief overview of Libby and Kanopy, highlighting the benefits of working with TennShare—such as member-only discounts, streamlined access, and shared resources—along with a short demo. We’ll also provide an update on the status of our partnership with TennShare, including key usage statistics that show how members are taking advantage of these programs. Following the presentation, there will be time to answer questions and offer opportunities for trials and customized quotes. Learn more about Tenn-Share's Overdrive for Academic Libraries group here: (LINK) |
| 10:30 -11:15 CT // 11:30 - 12:15 ET | Librarian Presentation | Serendipity in the Stacks Presented by Tiffany Day, Metadata and Catalog Librarian & Assistant Professor, University of Memphis, Brannen Varner, Graduate Student Outreach Librarian & Assistant Professor, University of Memphis As part of our summer dissertation writers retreat for graduate students, we asked attendees to step away from their laptops and explore our main library’s physical collection to further inspiration, ideas, and research for their dissertations. As a research method, serendipity or accidental discovery is often seen as non-essential, but oftentimes it is a catalyst for extraordinary research and writing. In this presentation, we will discuss our experience with facilitating the session and how the session went, share our findings and feedback from attendees, and share guiding literature on the joy of exploring research inspiration. | The Pig Room: Exploring the History and Mentality of Collecting Presented by Kelly Maust, Lambuth Campus Librarian, University of Memphis My husband’s great-aunt Etta in Moss Bluff, Louisiana has a room in her house absolutely stuffed full of pigs. Pig figurines, pig potholders, pig calendars, pig ashtrays, dishware, pencil cups, and everything else imaginable. Apparently, during her long career as a teacher, the word got out that she liked pigs, and every teacher appreciation and holiday gift from generations of children was something pig-themed. What does something like “the Pig Room” have in common with an art museum’s holdings, a knowledgeable collector’s set of ancient coins, or a library’s collection of print books and digital resources? This presentation will explore the history and mindset of collections both public and personal – from the cabinets of curiosity in Renaissance Europe to someone’s attic full of Beanie Babies to those weird NFT pictures of apes you may have heard about. We will also look at the dark side of collecting, examining the role of colonialism in some of the most famous collections, pathological behaviors around collecting, collection-motivated crimes, and more. Come ready to explore why so many of us feel compelled to create, maintain, and even treasure our collections, and to reflect on a librarian’s role as the ultimate collector. |
| 11:15 - 12 CT // 12:15 - 1 ET | Librarian Presentation | Digitizing Old Films and Audio Presented by Scott Lillard, Memphis Public Libraries Do people in your community have old VHS tapes, cassettes, vinyl records, or other types of media lying around? Want to help them preserve what's on them? Well, it's pretty easy. And it's possible to do on a budget. Learn how to set up your own digitization station using donated equipment. Help your customers preserve childhood memories and your community's history. | Push Play - Presenting to your Funding Body without Coming Unwound Presented by Vanessa Cain, Director at McIvers Grant Public Library, Carolina Conner, Director at Obion County Public Library Making presentations to your city or county funding bodies is an important task for every library director. Join us for a conversation on how to create a Mix Tape that strengthens your relationship with your stakeholders while celebrating your community's unique politics and personality. |