Cal State San Bernardino was well represented at the recent CSU inaugural Libraries Conference, which brought together library faculty and staff from across the California State University system to promote collaboration, foster innovation, share resources and highlight expertise and best practices.

“Collaboration: Stronger Together” was the theme of the conference, which took place virtually on June 3 and led by the CSU Council of Library Deans, with support from the Chancellor’s Office and sponsors that included Sage, Elsevier, Clarivate, EBSCO and Oxford University Press.

In the conference session titled “Reorienting Library Technology with Slowness and Care,” Sanjeet Mann, systems & discovery librarian at CSUSB, facilitated discussion of the impact of technology on libraries as workplaces, introducing concepts from the scholarly literature on Slow librarianship, ethics of care, and repair studies. 

“It was a rich opportunity to discuss issues of pace and work-life balance, as well as how to advance a humane approach to technology through our collective work in CSU libraries,” said Mann, who is currently involved in user research to understand how the Pfau Library can contribute to AI literacy at CSUSB.

Librarian Eric Milenkiewicz, head of the Pfau Library’s Special Collections & University Archives, participated in a panel, “Surfacing Black Histories at CSUs,” which highlighted CSU libraries’ collaborative efforts to uncover, preserve and celebrate Black histories. Presenters shared archival projects, partnerships and strategies to make underrepresented narratives more visible, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, equity and inclusive practices in archival work. 

“The opportunity to learn from my colleagues across the CSU about the projects they were working on was a huge help to me as I developed my own local project to capture the experiences of our Black community here at CSUSB,” said Milenkiewicz. “Having a supportive group to share ideas with and receive feedback from has been instrumental to my project’s success.”

In “In It Together: Sustaining a Shared Service Desk Model,” a joint presentation organized by CSUSB Access Services Librarian Shana Higgins, faculty librarians and library staff from four campuses — Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco and San Marcos — discussed the structure and sustainability of shared service desk models. Through a facilitated conversation, panelists explored communication strategies, student employee integration and interdepartmental coordination.

“The inaugural CSU Libraries Conference was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of CSU library workers and share that talent,” said Rebecca Lubas, dean of CSUSB Libraries, who, in collaboration with the Faculty Center for Excellence, hosted a watch party in PL-4005. “I’m looking forward to making this state-wide conference a tradition in my role as Council of Library Deans chair.”

To view a complete list of conference sessions, visit the 2025 CSU Libraries Conference Schedule webpage.

For questions or more information about the CSU Libraries Conference, contact Rebecca Lubas at rebecca.lubas@csusb.edu.