Dear Code4Lib Community,

I would like to invite you to consider volunteering for Community Support Squad for our upcoming Code4Lib 2023 both in-person in Princeton, NJ, and online. The deadline for the call for volunteers is Wednesday, February 1st. You can find the link to the form at the bottom of this email to sign up.


What does the Community Support Squad DO exactly?


As part of the community’s effort to maintain an inclusive, safer environment at the Code4Lib annual conference, Community Support Volunteers (CSVs) are a highly visible point of contact for conference attendees for any questions and concerns regarding the Code of Conduct. CSVs are responsible for taking initial reports of problems and referring them to conference organizers or to appropriate services. CSVs are called on to be kind, articulate, and trustworthy people who model the Code4Lib community values, and this role requires a willingness to engage in emotional labor on behalf of the community; however, CSVs are not expected to perform the duties of professional counselors, security, or other emergency professionals.


What are the ways I can participate?


Community Support Volunteers may participate in one of two capacities:


On-site volunteers - volunteers will provide on-site assistance to conference attendees at the conference. An on-site CSV shift may be up to a half-day long during the conference hours and will be located in the main conference room. These shifts may also include on-call shifts after conference hours. The time commitment will ultimately depend on the number of volunteers, but will likely include two regular shifts and the potential to volunteer to hold the CSV-specific phone overnight. On-site CSVs must be physically present at the conference location.


Online CSVs - volunteers will monitor the various online code4lib platforms (primarily Slack, IRC, and the #c4l23 conference hashtag feed) and provide online assistance to online attendees and community members. Shifts are two hours long during conference hours, and could include on-call shifts after conference hours. The time commitment will ultimately depend on the number of volunteers, but will likely include two or three regular shifts. Online CSVs are not required to be physically present at the conference in order to volunteer, but should keep in mind the disconnect and potential communication and timezone challenges that can occur when following a conference remotely.


CSVs can expect to be in regular, but generally low-volume, contact with the rest of the Community Support Squad during the conference, and brief meetings may be convened in order to address reports or questions.


How do I qualify?


To qualify to be a volunteer, the person must meet the following two requirements:


1. Previously attended at least one code4lib annual conference

2. Attend one mandatory hour-long training


Training will take place online during the week before the main conference. Makeup training sessions are possible if you are unable to attend the scheduled one, but we do ask that you complete training before your first shift.


Bonus qualifications include:

- Managerial/supervisory experience

- Online moderator/community manager experience

- De-escalation training

- Active bystander training


I’m in! Where do I sign up?


If you would like to volunteer with us, please fill out the google form https://forms.gle/2H5N19Nn9XKKeFxm7 by Wednesday, February 1st at midnight ET.


What happens next?


After the deadline, the CSS Coordinator, in consultation with the Local Planning Committee [LPC] contact, will draft a list of volunteers. The draft list will then be submitted to the community for anonymous feedback in an attempt to ensure any community concerns are taken into account before the volunteer list is finalized.


We hope this will pique your interest in volunteering, and look forward to working with you. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact CSS Coordinator Soojeong Herring <[log in to unmask]>.



Best,
Soojeong


Soojeong Herring, MLIS (she/her)

Collection Metadata Librarian

Colorado State University Libraries

Campus Delivery 1019

Fort Collins, CO 80523-1019

[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> | (970) 491-3140

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