ATGthePodcast 320 - A Conversation with John Unsworth, Library Dean, English Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia

Today's episode features guest host Michael Upshall (guest editor, Charleston Briefings) who talks with John Unsworth, Library Dean, English Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia. John is a distinguished humanities scholar and professor, and retired last September as University Librarian and Dean of Libraries at University of Virginia. He earned his PhD in English from the University of Virginia in the 1980's, with his doctorate being in contemporary literature. John talks with Michael about how he combined his interest in the humanities with a career in libraries, not becoming a library director until later in his career in 2012. He discusses how he sees the role of libraries today: essential for not only preserving print collections but providing access to complex digital collections. He also discusses the role of a humanities scholar, the shift in digital humanities and the challenges brought on by AI with the aggressive scrapping done by large language models and the disruption caused to digital humanities projects and libraries and the inability to solve digital copyright issues as he sees it. He also covers how the Google Books Initiative helped Libraries with the work of Hathi Trust. Lastly, he talks about the imminent challenges he sees currently for Universities in the U.S. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/vpeP9DfpBJw Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mupshall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-unsworth-2709995/ Keyword #DigitalHumanities #DigitalPreservation #DigitalCollections #LibraryScience #DataScience #MachineLearning #TextMining #DigitalScholarship #LibraryLeadership #LibraryInnovation #PracticalLibrarianship #Library Resources #InformationLiteracy #LibraryInstruction #LibraryCollaboration #CriticalThinking #InformationProfessionals #AcademicLibraries #LearningResources #EdTechTools #career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

Today's episode features guest host Michael Upshall (guest editor, Charleston Briefings) who talks with Stacey Greenwell, Librarian, Author and Instructional Designer.  Stacey has authored and co-authored several books on library practice, including Management Information for Professionals and Academic Librarianship, and she currently edits the open-access journal Practical Academic Librarianship. She coordinates educational services at the University of Kentucky libraries where she brings together all the instruction librarians at the University and those within their library system who have an interest in instruction to talk and learn from each other, develop courses together and discuss AI literacy tools.    In this conversation, Stacey talks with Michael about her early love of libraries. Her first job was working in a public library during high school where she filed catalog cards and got early exposure to IT being part of an automation project. She also talks about why, after she had earned her MLIS, she made the decision to move away from public libraries to an academic library at the University of Kentucky, where she began teaching as a liaison librarian almost 25 years ago, teaching her colleagues how to use office productivity tools and various website building tools, and creating online tutorials. Stacey decided to go back to school and earned a PhD in instructional systems design. She provides hands-on learning tools, materials and guidance for students and faculty, helping them critically evaluate information to gain the skills they need to be successful.   The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/nU02W1jm3O4 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mupshall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceygreenwell/ Keyword #LibraryScience #LibraryLeadership #LibraryInnovation #PracticalLibrarianship #Library Resources #InformationLiteracy #LibraryInstruction #LibraryCollaboration #CriticalThinking #InformationProfessionals #AcademicLibraries #LearningResources #EdTechTools #career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

Today's episode features guest host Michael Upshall (guest editor, Charleston Briefings) who talks with Rachel Caldwell, Academic Engagement, University of Massachusetts, Amhurst, and Robin Sinn, Director of Collections and Open Strategy, Iowa State University. Rachel and Robin are two librarians who co-founded the Library Partnership Rating which is a "collaborative and library-developed framework for librarians who seek to quantify the alignment of publishers with themselves as they consider investing library resources." It's an open, rubric based system to evaluate journal publisher practices that now has a large advisory council of five library organizations along with publishers and university presses. In this conversation, Rachel and Robin talk with Michael about what their current job titles entail, how they came into librarianship, and why they felt the need to create the Library Partnership Rating and the problems they hoped this decision-making tool would solve.  Robin says they aren't taking on publishers but, instead, working to show publishers what libraries want and need while gathering information that libraries want and need and pulling together those data points for useful conversations and collaboration to forward academic publishing. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/ETePSv0zMFo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mupshall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-caldwell-947a10247/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-n-sinn/ Keyword #LibraryPartnershipRating #LibraryLeadership #LibraryInnovation #Library Resources #LibraryCollaboration #PublishingEthics #PublisherPractices #InformationProfessionals #AcademicLibraries #career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

The following interview is part of the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. In this series, we sit down with leaders and innovators who are making a real difference in scholarly publishing, libraries, and the broader information world. Each conversation is a chance to hear firsthand how these decision makers tackle new challenges, rethink traditional models, and collaborate across sectors. Today's episode features the next conversation from the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. Heather Staines, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, talks with Lorcan Dempsey. Lorcan is a librarian, consultant, writer, advisor and keynote speaker at the 2025 Charleston Conference. Lorcan has had a long, distinguished career beginning over 30 years ago in public libraries in Ireland, to working at the Centre for Catalogue Research at the University of Bath to JISC and then to OCLC for over 21 years where he worked in research, served as chief strategist and Vice President. He is currently a visiting professor at the University of Washington.  In this conversation, Lorcan explains why he feels that library education should think about libraries as social organizations, and in that context, a set of skills that would be required to manage them as social organizations, very much embedded within the environments they serve. He also talks about the importance of the role of library directors as storytellers to explain the library's value, the fragmented state of libraries, and how it hinders collective infrastructure, how the move to the cloud changed the relationship between libraries and vendors, the complexities of libraries sharing systems and data within those systems and managing the collective resource. Lastly, he talks about his teaching experience and the current trends he is seeing with recruitment within libraries. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/LZKrbox9USs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorcand/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaines/ Twitter: Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #KatinaMagazine #AnnualReviews #LeadershipInLibraries #InnovationInLibraries #TeamWork #Team #ConferenceEvolution #LibraryCommunity #Librarianship #ProfessionalDevelopment #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #libraryCareer #librarySchool #LibraryLove #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication  #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf ##career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

The following interview is part of the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. In this series, we sit down with leaders and innovators who are making a real difference in scholarly publishing, libraries, and the broader information world. Each conversation is a chance to hear firsthand how these decision makers tackle new challenges, rethink traditional models, and collaborate across sectors. Today's episode features the next conversation from the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series.  Heather Staines, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, talks with Elizabeth Bik, Science Integrity Consultant and Microbiologist. Elisabeth is a prominent microbiologist and renowned investigator into scientific misconduct, particularly the manipulation and falsification of research data. She has uncovered issues in over 7,000 scientific papers, resulting in more than 1,000 retractions. Her work has gained international attention, earning her the 2021 John Maddox Prize. In this conversation, Elizabeth shares with Heather about her early work in the field of microbiology with dolphins and discovering plagiarism of her own work using Google Scholar which began her drive to become a "scientific sleuth." In 2014, she began searching for not only plagiarism but also for images that had been duplicated. In 2019, she quit her job to work full time as a consultant to investigate cases for scientific publishers.   She talks about her frustrations over the slowness in correction or retraction, or complete lack thereof, and says that only about one-third of the papers she identified had been corrected or retracted after 5 years. She also talks about a human using their eyes to find duplications vs. AI tools designed to detect duplications or other problems within scientific papers. Elizabeth says there is often a battle between the tools to find misconduct versus tools to create or enable misconduct, create fraudulent data sets and fake AI photos that are very difficult to detect.  Elizabeth says she will continue to work diligently to raise awareness of scientific misconduct in its many different forms. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/kOOtgsI1CUg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-bik-4376782/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaines/ Twitter: Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #KatinaMagazine #AnnualReviews #LeadershipInLibraries #InnovationInLibraries #TeamWork #Team #ConferenceEvolution #LibraryCommunity #Librarianship #ProfessionalDevelopment #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #libraryCareer #librarySchool #LibraryLove #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication  #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf ##career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

The following interview is part of the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. In this series, we sit down with leaders and innovators who are making a real difference in scholarly publishing, libraries, and the broader information world. Each conversation is a chance to hear firsthand how these decision makers tackle new challenges, rethink traditional models, and collaborate across sectors. Today's episode features the next conversation from the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series.  Erin Gallagher, Chair, Acquisitions & Discovery Services at the University of Florida, and a Conference Director, talks with Xan Arch, Dean of Libraries, Portland State University. In this conversation, Xan shares with Erin her library origin story which began with her love of checking out books from the public library as a child and a temp job at the Duke Business Library that she took after college while doing temp work.  She talks about switching institutions post pandemic and her move to Portland State University and working to understand that library's experience during the pandemic. She talks about the plenary panel she was on at the 2025 Charleston Conference, "Leading in Times of Crises", the colliding crises libraries are currently facing along with burnout from pandemic days. Xan recently posted a video called "Dean's Decoded" shortly before completing her dissertation on equity in hiring practices in academia and earning her PhD.  Lastly, Xan talks about serving her students and serving the public, to combine that personal and professional affection for Portland and, as she says, "to let knowledge serve the city." The video of of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/EyMevTpJN1Q LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xan-arch-3216bb3/ Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #AnnualReviews #LeadershipInLibraries #InnovationInLibraries #TeamWork #Team #ConferenceEvolution #LibraryCommunity #Librarianship #ProfessionalDevelopment #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #libraryCareer #librarySchool #LibraryLove #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication  #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf ##career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

The following interview is part of the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. In this series, we sit down with leaders and innovators who are making a real difference in scholarly publishing, libraries, and the broader information world. Each conversation is a chance to hear firsthand how these decision makers tackle new challenges, rethink traditional models, and collaborate across sectors. Today's episode features the next conversation from the 2025 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series.  Heather Staines, Senior Consultant, Delta Think, and a Conference Director, talks with Lucy Santos Green, Director, Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of Iowa. In this conversation, Lucy shares with Heather the myriad of details of her current role, which she says involves working with faculty to develop and implement the SLIS (school of library and information science) strategic plan, leading innovation in the curriculum and making sure that it responds to current market needs, managing the school's budget, all of the financial allocations, overseeing facilities,  hiring, performance evaluations for staff, tenure and promotion for faculty, HR resources and awards associated with SLIS, promoting and fund raising, encouraging and advocating for faculty and students, establishing and maintaining strong external partnerships and making sure that everyone is living and experiencing a welcoming and fair work and educational environment. Lucy also shares what her middle school librarian did that made her want to be a librarian, her later career journey from being a choir teacher into librarianship, and the overlap between these two jobs.   She went on to earn her MLIS at Texas Women's University and later a doctorate at Texas Tech in Instructional Technology with a focus on technology enabled learning and online pedagogy and became a professor of instructional technology.  Lucy also talks about the session in which she presented at the 2025 Charleston Conference. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/8IefVrpZ8wY Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-santos-green-376322272/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherstaines/ Keywords: #CharlestonConference #AgainstTheGrain #AnnualReviews #LeadershipInLibraries #InnovationInLibraries #TeamWork #Team #ConferenceEvolution #LibraryCommunity #Librarianship #ProfessionalDevelopment #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #libraryCareer #librarySchool #LibraryLove #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication  #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf ##career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

Today's episode features guest host Michael Upshall (guest editor, Charleston Briefings) who talks with Ciaran Talbot, Director: AI and Ideas Adoption, The University of Manchester Library. Ciaran studied computing and began his career as an IT support analyst in the central team at Manchester University before an IT position opened up in the library, where he has now been for over 15 years.   He says his current role allows him to work more connectedly with students, researchers and collections, and he encourages staff in open discussion and the adoption of useful tools in technology and to experiment with technology while balancing it with ethical and environmental concerns. Ciaran says he believes that libraries sit at the center of the AI landscape and are evolving from service providers into facilitators of innovation, guiding users with critical thinking, and helping them navigate and critically engage with AI-driven tools while maintaining trust and academic integrity. The video of this interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/DlInQ56FZa8 Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mupshall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciarantalbot/ Keyword #EdTech #FutureOfEducation #FutureOfLibraries #DigitalAdoption #InformationAge #ResearchInformation #OpenScience #AiLiteracy #Generative AI #TechLeadership #HigherEducation #AIInEducation #DigitalTransformation #AcademicWriting #InformationProfessional #AI #AIandLibraries #career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

Today's episode features guest host Michael Upshall (guest editor, Charleston Briefings) who talks with Thorsten Fröhlich, Professor of IT Management and Big Data at IU International University of Applied Sciences. Thorsten has over 35 years of experience in higher education, IT & digital transformation, and curriculum development and he holds a doctorate in chemistry.  He is an entrepreneur, having founded several companies in scientific publishing and software development, including LUMITOS AG and Unchained Intellect Press, and he's an author of textbooks and publications on academic writing and AI in creative fields. In this conversation, Thorsten shares his journey from a rural upbringing to becoming a prominent figure in chemistry, technology, and academia. He discusses his early interest in chemistry, the founding of his first startup, and his transition back to academia where he focuses on guiding students in thesis writing. Thorsten talks with Michael about the innovative use of AI in evaluating theses and the importance of self-reflection in the age of digital tools. He reflects on his artistic ventures and the role of public art in community engagement, highlighting his multifaceted career and the intersection of science, technology, and creativity. The video of this interview can be found here:  https://youtu.be/AzXsqxfw7H0 Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mupshall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-dr-thorsten-fr%C3%B6hlich-334005195/   Twitter: Keyword #EdTech #FutureOfEducation #FutureOfLibraries #InformationAge #TechLeadership #HigherEducation #AIInEducation #DigitalTransformation #AcademicWriting #BigData #InformationProfessional #AI #AIandLibraries #career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

Today's episode features guest host Michael Upshall (guest editor, Charleston Briefings) who talks with Phillip Bradley, Consultant on AI and the Internet. Phillip has titled his life story "From CD-Rom to AI". He says he decided as a child that he wanted to be a librarian and obtained an Honours degree in librarianship from the Polytechnic of North London. Phillip then went to work for the British Council in the UK, where he became involved in training people from overseas offices that would come to the UK. He discovered that he really enjoyed teaching people about information work.  He was running training courses on how to use reference books, and eventually how to put promotional videos together. He taught a Basics of Librarianship course in Lesotho, South Africa.  He started to do more training for British Council offices and went around the world to different countries teaching aspects of librarianship. He took an interest in CD-Roms, which the British council was not interested in, so he left to join Silver Platter, which was the pioneer of CD-ROMs. He talks about his first experiences with the internet in the early 90's, the training courses he created at the request of librarians on how the internet worked and how to be more effective with search engines, and his views on current developments with AI and the role of the information professional.  Philip emphasizes the critical role of librarians in society, arguing that they are the most powerful and important information professionals. He expresses frustration over the lack of appreciation for librarians' contributions and seeks to redefine their identity as essential figures within organizations. The video of this interview can be found here:  https://youtu.be/XFHAZ-J_xZs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mupshall/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/philbradleyuk/ Keyword #LibraryScience #Innovation #DigitalLibraries #FutureOfLibraries #InformationAge #DigitalTransformation #InformationProfessional #AI #SearchEngines #AIandLibraries #career #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts