Emerging Library Partnerships: Integrating Blume
Services into Teaching and Learning
Friday, Oct. 23 | 10 a.m. to Noon | Law Alumni Room and Zoom | Format: Hybrid
The Community for Teaching and Learning (CTL) invites faculty and staff to the second
session of the Fall 2026 Faculty Development Day. This session will explore how the Blume
Library is expanding its role as a partner in teaching, learning, research, accessibility, and
student engagement.
Facilitators: Felicia Maldonado, Ph.D., Executive Director, Blume Library; Katie Thonen,
Director of Scholarly Communications and Outreach; and Gabriel Lopez, Director of
Collections and Metadata Services
FOCUS
Teaching with Purpose: Formation, Reflection, and Adaptation in a Time of Change
10 to 10:10 a.m. | Welcome and Framing the Library as a Teaching Partner
The session will open with an overview of the evolving role of the academic library and its
growing contribution to teaching, learning, research, and student success.
10:10 to 10:35 a.m. | Emerging Blume Library Services and Initiatives
Participants will learn about current and developing initiatives, including First-Year
Experience integration, the formalization of library instruction, Special Collections and
University Archives inventory work, ADA accessibility improvements, collaboration with
Enrollment Management, and the development of a Library Impact Report.
10:35 to 10:50 a.m. | Connecting Library Services with Courses and Assignments
This portion of the session will examine how library instruction, information literacy,
scholarly communication resources, and faculty consultations can be incorporated into
courses, research assignments, and academic programs.
10:50 to 11:10 a.m. | Zines as a Teaching and Learning Strategy
Participants will be introduced to zines as a creative academic format that can support synthesis, reflection, student voice, communication, and engagement. Examples will illustrate
how zine-based assignments can be aligned with course learning outcomes and adapted
across disciplines.
11:10 to 11:20 a.m. | Collaborative Course Design Conversation
Participants will consider one course, assignment, or learning outcome that could benefit
from library collaboration. The conversation will focus on student research challenges,
available library support, creative approaches to demonstrating learning, and the resources needed to put an idea into practice.
11:20 to 11:30 a.m. | Questions, Resources, and Next Steps
The session will conclude with participant questions, information about available instructional and scholarly support, and guidance on initiating future collaborations with the
Blume Library.
11:30 a.m. to Noon | Reflection and Closing Remarks
Facilitators: CTL Co-Directors and CTL Team
Participants will reflect on one intention they are leaving with from Faculty Development
Day. The morning will conclude with optional table sharing, connections across the two
sessions, and closing remarks.
For more information about CTL programs and events, contact Ajaya Swain, Ph.D., at
aswain@stmarytx.edu or Angeli Willson, Ph.D., at awillson@stmarytx.edu.