The Collaborative Futures Mini Conference is an opportunity to share knowledge and learn about best practices for collaborative library technologies and projects.
Watch recordings of Collaborative Futures Mini Conferences to learn how OCUL members are making data discoverable, managing shared e-resources, implementing new technology systems and more.
2026 Collaborative Futures Mini Conference
Watch the 2026 Mini Conference on YouTube
Presentations:
- The PDF Pitstop: Tuning up File Accessibility
- Presenters: Crystal Mills, Nancy Waite, and Adam Snively (McMaster University)
- Presenter slides: The PDF Pitstop - PDF, 303 KB
- Widening the Table: Collaboratively responding to accessibility issues in a shared library service platform
- Presenters: Mark Weiler (Wilfrid Laurier University), Catie Sahadath (Ontario Tech University), Dan Sich (Western University), and Lynne Serviss (McMaster University)
- Presenter slides: Widening the Table - PDF, 540 KB
- A License to Lend: Supporting whole e-book interlibrary loan in Alma and Primo
- Presenters: Harjinder Rana and Erin Calhoun (University of Toronto)
- Presenter slides: A License to Lend - PDF, 4.7 MB
- Invoicing: EDI versus AI
- Presenters: Sharon Whittle and Matt Thomas (Wilfrid Laurier University)
- Presenter slides: Invoicing - PDF, 701 KB
- Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: What's Happening with Collaborative Futures
- Presenters: Anika Ervin-Ward, Alex Fletcher, and Nicole Morgan (OCUL)
- Presenter slides: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work - PDF, 565 KB
2025 Collaborative Futures Mini Conference
Watch the 2025 Mini Conference on YouTube
Presentations:
- Carleton University's "Better Record" Project: Sharing Progress and Future Goals
- Presenter: Kevin Burke (Carleton University)
- Presenter slides: "Better Record" Project - PDF, 122 KB
- OCUL Interlibrary Loan Request Form Update
- Presenter: Michael Walker (OCUL)
- Presenter slides: Interlibrary Loan Request Form Update - PDF, 295 KB
- All of our problems: Summarizing 3 years of Brock's Omni "Report a Problem" form
- Presenter: John Dingle (Brock University)
- Presenter slides: All of our problems - PDF, 419 KB
- Making claims count: Enhancing workflow efficiency using Alma's claims list
- Presenters: Courtney Bremer and Melissa St. Marie (University of Waterloo)
- Presenter slides: Making claims count - PDF, 680 KB
- Is deduping a kind of overlap analysis? Can you model it in Analytics?
- Presenter: Susan Bond (University of Toronto)
- Presenter slides: Is deduping a kind of overlap analysis - PDF, 1.7 MB
2024 Collaborative Futures Mini Conference
Watch the 2024 Mini Conference on YouTube
Presentations:
- Combining data fields of multiple subject areas in Alma Analytics using SQL Join
- Presenter: Nirmal Prasad (University of Waterloo)
- Maximizing E-Collection Management Efficiency with Community Zone Updates Task List
- Presenters: Iman El Gamal and Andrea Bee (University of Guelph)
- Why are there so many M&M boxes on the third floor?
- Presenters: Matthew Fesnak, Paige Roman and Cameron Wheaton (McMaster University)
- Big Picture of Alma Workflows: Dissection in Alma Workflows post migration & pandemic
- Presenters: Johanna Whitson and Alexa Evans (University of Waterloo)
- Improving accessible discovery and reading experiences: Collaborating to integrate a “Get Alternate Format” link into Primo VE brief records
- Presenters: Mark Weiler (Wilfrid Laurier University), Bart Kawula (Scholars Portal), and Nancy Waite (McMaster University)
- LendIT, the all-in-one solution for self-serve: The overall experience at uOttawa
- Presenter: Marie-Hélène Tanguay-Bérubé (University of Ottawa)
2023 Collaborative Futures Mini Conference
Watch the 2023 Mini Conference on YouTube
Presentations:
- Making Data Discoverable: Connecting Omni to Dataverse and Beyond
- Presenters: Danica Evering and Wei Zhang (McMaster University)
- Harvesting eCampusOntario Open Library Collections
- Presenter: Tuan Nguyen (York University)
- Alphabet Soup: AtoM into Omni through OAI-PMH
- Presenters: Jeremy Heil and Henry Han (Queen's University)
- Failed Jobs: Import Data to PrimoVE - Institutional Repository Edition
- Presenters: Christina Zoricic and Alie Visser (Western University)
- Resource Sharing Clues: Charting the Statistical World of ILL
- Presenter: Crystal Mills (Western University)
- Selecting Alma Digital for Digital Asset Management
- Presenter: Carolyn Sullivan (University of Ottawa)
- Shall the shelves remain ever the same?
- Presenters: Adam Taves, William Denton and Patti Ryan (York University)
2022 Collaborative Futures Mini Conference
Watch the 2022 Mini Conference on YouTube
Presentations:
- A Bit Beyond the Basics: Three Helpful Tips for Using Alma Analytics
- Presenters: Megan Burke and Dylan Weltman (Queen's University)
- That Datasyncing Feeling
- Presenter: Geoff Sinclair (Trent University)
- Floating a Collection
- Presenter: Geoff Sinclair (Trent University)
- Enabling Open Library Covers API
- Presenter: Carolyn Sullivan (University of Ottawa)
- The Power of Power Automate
- Presenter: Daniel Andrade (Brock University)
- OCUL/CF Evidence-Based Acquisitions
- Presenters: Jax Cato and Shawn Hendrikx (Western University)
- Bridging the Distance with Omni/Rialto
- Presenters: Gisella Scalese, Chris Tomasini, and Kim Vallee (Lakehead University)
- Using Alma and Primo to enable Marrakesh Treaty Fulfillments: An Interim Report
- Presenter: Pascal Calarco (University of Windsor and ARL/CARL Visiting Program Officer)
For More Information
Please email ocul-cf@ocul.on.ca with any questions about the Mini Conference.