Engaging Technical Services: Diao's Research Highlights at ALA Conference

Junli Diao, EdD, York's associate professor and head of Cataloging and Serials/ AcademicWorks Coordinator, recently presented his doctoral Applied Improvement Project (AIP), titled "Engaging Technical Services Librarians in a Professional Learning Practice to Improve Teaching Preparedness," at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Pennsylvania.

This action research was conducted to address the gap between having all librarians prepared to teach and technical services librarians’ unpreparedness to teach in a university library system. The implemented intervention involved developing a professional learning community among technical services librarians with diverse teaching experiences to improve teaching preparedness by sharing, discussing, and reflecting.

As one of only three national presenters selected by the Core Role of the Professional Librarians in Technical Services Interest Group under ACRL, he shared his research with an audience of technical services professionals from academic, special, and public libraries.

The learning topics covered library teaching basics, motivating students, self-assessment, planning to teach, using Wikipedia for critical thinking, embedded librarianship and credit-bearing courses, teaching and research, and building a teaching portfolio and librarianship portfolio. A qualitative approach, including the implementation journal, reflective writing, and interviews, was employed to assess the learning process and outcomes. Process analysis showed good attendance, a challenge in scheduling due to time conflicts, and practical knowledge transfer. Outcome analysis demonstrated that the professional learning community had a positive impact on participants’ teaching attitudes, motivation, and self-efficacy.

Professor Diao began his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) journey at Capella University in 2021 and graduated with honors in 2024. He participated in the official graduation ceremony on March 1, 2025, at the Louisville Convention Center in Kentucky. His AIP is available at CUNY Academic Works. The adapted and abridged version is published as a peer-reviewed article in Technical Services Quarterly, 42(2), 115-138..

More information can also be found in LibWire.