Thank you for the opportunity to attend LibTech at Macalester College on March 20-21, 2019. I went to several useful workshops, but two I thought stood out were Taking LibGuides to the Next Level and Digging Deeper Into Google Extensions. Taking LibGuides focused on small tweaks we can make to our LibGuides and websites like adding icons, breaking up text, and including context links to make our information more accessible to all users. The presenter suggested webaim.org for more tips and tricks. Digging Deeper showed several Google extensions that can help with productivity, education, security, and utilities in our daily work. A full list of the extensions mentioned is available at bit.ly/libtechextensions.
My favorite part of the conference was listening to the keynote speakers, Shilad Sen and DeRay McKesson. Sen focused on the bias of AI technology as a result of limited, peer-reviewed online sources and the collection of personal data by social media platforms; McKesson spoke about government corruption, hidden documents, and biased media coverage, and how these things prevent equity and reconciliation in America. Both presentations made me think about the power information holds, both for individuals and our country as a whole, and how important it is that we seek out and demand information that is as complete and unbiased as possible.