ACRL | NEC

New England Library Instruction Group

The New England Library Instruction Group (NELIG) is a volunteer organization that sponsors events and an annual program, all of which provide a forum to showcase the innovations, talents, and lessons learned of librarians in New England and to discuss nation-wide trends in library instruction. Founded as NEBIC (New England Bibliographic Instruction Committee) in 1974, NELIG is the oldest of the ACRL | NEC interest groups.

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Upcoming events

NELIG Winter Gathering: Living in the Future, March 18, 2024, 9 am - noon

Registration is now open for our free, half-day Winter Gathering!  Join us in person at UMASS Amherst's W. E. B. Du Bois Library or select online registration to attend virtually.  The theme for our gathering is “Living in the Future.” We’ll begin with a panel discussion of AI in academic librarianship (bring your questions!), followed by the chance to try out generative AI tools and network with your colleagues from around New England.

Past events

The Missing Emoji: Learn to Draft a UNICODE Proposal for a New Emoji

Did you know emojis are controlled by UNICODE, which is made up of a handful of large, dues-paying organizations, including Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Google, Netflix and the government of Oman, to name a few? Though some multinational organizations are involved, most of them are from the United States, and each organization pays tens of thousands of dollars in order to have voting rights over what becomes an emoji. But the good news is that anybody can draft and submit a proposal for a new emoji - including you!

In this active workshop, you will work with a librarian (and NELIG member) who has successfully proposed 4 emojis (sloth, skunk, ladder, and briefs/shorts) to learn how to draft and submit your own emoji proposal. There will be a discussion of how you could adapt this workshop for students, but the primary focus will be to have fun while drafting proposals for new emojis. Presented by Undergraduate Teaching and Outreach Librarian, Kelly Blanchat (she/her).

NELIG Virtual Winter Program: Lightning Talks | Thursday, January 27, 2022 from 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Back by popular demand... our ‘instruction nightmare series’ part 2!

Join NELIG and other instruction librarians to learn from our mistakes in the classroom or in consults, or maybe what we wish we had thought of doing at the moment. How did you prepare differently the next time, or what do you now make sure you include in your bag of tricks?

To send a proposal, complete this form with a (maximum) 200-word description by 5:00pm EST on Friday December 17, 2021. Plan for a 7-minute lightning talk with 3 minutes for conversation.

To register to attend, please complete this form. Event registration closes at 5:00pm on January 25, 2022.

Comfortable sweaters, fuzzy socks, and mugs of hot cocoa are strongly encouraged.

NELIG Virtual Fall Program: Lightning Talks | Wednesday, October 27, 2021 from 12:00 - 1:15pm EST

Halloween is right around the corner, but what could possibly be spooky in libraries?

...a ghost in the stacks?
...mysterious items in the book drop?
...how about terrifying teaching interactions?

We want to know: What was your scariest instruction mishap and how did you manage it? Or in hindsight, how do you wish you had managed it?

Join other instruction librarians to learn from our mistakes and what we did in the face of classroom nightmares, or sometimes what we wish we had thought of doing at the moment.

Ghost/stacks Image by Willgard Krause from Pixabay; classroom Image by Hands off my tags! Michael Gaida from Pixabay 

2018-2019 Events

2017-2018 Events