News from the SBU St. John's College of Nursing Library

2011 MOBIUS Annual Conference Session 6

2011-06-08T15:45:00.003-05:00

Assessment is the New Black: Evaluating the Growth of Student Research Skills
Kasia Leousis & Kristine Helbling

Why assess?
-we can learn about the impact that we have on our users
-in the moment assessment can provide immediate feedback
-allows you to change the direction while you have the student there
-assessment must be intentional

Using pre/post questions to do assessment
in pre questions found students use wikipedia and google. Used wikipedia in B.I. for students to find keywords to begin their research project.

Post questions - find out how their research process has changed since the B.I. session.

Have students recreate a search to see how they got the resource they have, the keywords they used, the process they took.

Tracking data
-presenter sat in on a class, and noted if they raised their hand
-question mark if the student asked questions
-wrote down if the student took notes
This started out as an assessment of the presenter, but then turned around and gave information about the student.

Develop a handout where they have to fill in blanks as you instruct them.

Analyzing an assignment
Look at the reference page to see what resources the students have found.

***This session has made me realize that I am already doing assessment with the information literacy sessions that I teach. I just need to keep a more formal track of the results that I find during these assessments.

2011 MOBIUS Conference Session 5

2011-06-08T14:45:00.003-05:00

Teaching on the Edges: Finding Opportunities Outside the One-Shot
Kristine Helbling/Kasia Leousis

60 minutes = 45 minutes
20+20 Model (20 minutes of instruction/20 minutes of hands on)

Building blocks
-Communication, open lines of communication to help build relationships
-Relationships with students and faculty, be confident in yourself so faculty will be confident in you.
-student responsibility, there has to be buy-in from the students

Undergraduate Highlights
-Informal co-teaching
-Folders and videos-pre/post

Major and graduate highlights
-One-on-one research consultations (in lieu of group BI)
-Bibliography or single source share
-Project-based consultations

Require students to bring at least one resource with them to an appointment. It allows the librarian to see what the students know about research. It also gives you ready made keywords and citations to follow.

-Use your expertise
-exude confidence
-build trust
-relinquish control and coverage

***Good presentation, makes me think of new things to incorporate when working with my students.***

2011 MOBIUS Annual Conference - Session 2

2011-06-08T10:26:00.004-05:00

Discovery Services Showdown
Alaina Culbertson & Emily Scharf

Web-scale discovery - the library version of google

But what about federated searching? With a discovery search, the information is pre-indexed which makes the results come back faster.

Features of discovery services
-facets on the side. There is a lot of difference limiting that can be done was a search is run
-will find all formats, books, ebooks, cd's, dvd's, etc.

Student percpetions of discovery services
-students like the one stop shop, searching in one place to find their research
-liked the limiters so that they can have some of the features of an advanced search without having to do an advanced search

With discovery services can do a search without having to login to a proxy server first, can wait until you click on a source.

MU Libraries has Summon
Drake University has EBSCO discovery service
Norwich University has WorldCat Local

All three of these does predictive searching, can help students search on subject headings when they wouldn't otherwise know what a subject heading is, and make their search more relevant to what they are looking for.

Discovery downsides
-cost
-search neutrality
-new features changes workflow

Discovery upsides
-streamlined services
-students can search everything in one place
-library catalogs are hard to use, discovery services are more user friendly

New and upcoming services
-Primo - positioning themselves as the most neutral
-Purpoogle
-Meresco
-Vufind

***I know that we have discussed discovery services in our library faculty meetings, but it was in a pie in the sky kind of way. I think that this is what the future is, the way that libraries need to go. For us the cost will need to come down. This was a good presentation.***

2011 MOBIUS Annual Conference Session 1

2011-06-08T09:31:00.003-05:00

E-books and Audiobooks and Overdrive, Oh My.
Michael Washburn, Missouri River Regional Library
Robin Hastings, Missouri River Regional Library

In January 2011 Kindle ebooks surpassed the paperbook sales on Amazon.
Current Trends
-Kindle
-Nook
-iPad
All of these are dedicated ereaders, hopefully as this continues to grow there will become a universal reader.

Adding to the mess of having difference dedicated ereaders, is digital rights management. It can be challenging licensing ebooks that patrons check-out from the library

Digital Rights Management allows the company an assurance and security that only one person can check-out a book and read it at a time. This cuts down on piracy, but it can also mean barriers for people who are trying to access the ebooks legally.

Future Trends
-Limits to checkouts/use
--Purchasing a license rather than a book. HarperCollins requires libraries to repurchase an ebook after 26 check-outs.
-Libraries in a holding pattern
-Changes to the business of publishing
--Authors are publishing directly to Kindle, rather than going the normal route
-E-Textbooks (Nook Study)
--Can rent them for 60 or 90 days, KNO-textbook application for the iPad, Released June 4th

Missouri Libraries 2 Go - consortium for libraries that provide audiobooks and eBooksto their patrons.

Can possibly create a perception of patrons that have devices and those that do not have the devices. At this time while some libraries provide ereaders, but there is a licensing issue because the ereaders are supposed to be a one use, one person item.

Overdrive is a free software that allows patrons to download ebooks and e-audiobooks that are available from libraries. Overdrive currently does not work with Kindle, but they have recently come to an agreement with Amazon.

***This session was great. It really made me think about some options that need to be discussed with my faculty and the support of their online courses. I am currently purchasing ebooks, but only through NetLibrary because of us having an account with them. I think that we are missing the big picture when it comes to ebooks and we need (meaning I need) to start branching out.***

MLA Conference 2010: Making it Happen, FAST!

2010-10-08T09:53:00.003-05:00

Presenters: Brent Husher & Cindy Thompson, UMKC Miller Nichols Library

This presentation is how to incorporate an idea into your library fast.

Beginnings
-How do you make the decisions
-Sometimes if you don't have the authority, you may still need to take the authority

Authority
-If you don't feel comfortable taking the authority by yourself, get others to help
-Understand the culture you work in
-Write a proposal if others initially say no

Buy In
-Politics is a part of most of our work environments
-Negotiate and try to get buy in from those that would be the most involved/interested before throwing it out to everyone
-Think about everyone who will be affected by your proposal and talk to then first
-If you are not the person in charge, make sure you have buy in from your administrator(s)
-Say "I think this is important for our library, I would love to be involved in this, what do you think." Start a discussion, don't just go straight to asking permission. A dialogue should be started which should then lead to permission in the end.

Keep the Ball Rolling
-Need to have frequent follow-up
-Do not necessarily need to have a lot of meetings, but a lot of communication
-Pull a team together thinking who needs to be on the team
-Keep your group focused
-Set deadlines and follow them
-Keep all stakeholders informed as the process is going on

Stumbling Blocks
-Missed deadlines - having a good leader to keep in top of things, and when forming a team if you know they are good at being on top of things can help keep deadlines
-If only one person has the ability to work on a specific area, yet is busy with other things can delay the project. Try to get progress reports and keep communication going with the person.

Finish Line
-With almost any project, there really isn't a finish line. There will always be something that will need to be updated, follow-up, etc.
-Try to have some sort of finish line so that there is some gratification that this process has been completed.

This was a good presentation, with lots of ideas that I can take and use.

MLA Conference 2010: The Role of the Academic Library in the Future

2010-10-08T09:02:00.004-05:00

This presentation's full title is - The Role of the Academic Library in the Future: Perspectives from a Sabbatical Visit to the U.K.
Presenter: Genie McKee, Dean of the University Library, Maryville University in Saint Louis

The presenter decided to tour aroung Great Britain looking at modern libraries. She started in Glasgow and finished in London and attended a seminar sponsored by the UNC Library School and UCL Library School: "British Libraries and Librarianship: Past, Present and Future."

The presenter was able to visit with Bodley's Librarian, JISC representatives, SCONUL chair, consultant who focuses on strategic visioning for the future, the author of "Recent Developments in Cambridge College Libraries", and others.

What the libraries do and the services they provide is really tied to the educational purpose of the university.

Libraries use a smart card access. The smart card allows access into the library and also allows the user to self-checkout the book. It also allows for retrieval of statistics.

University of Edinburgh has a HUB Room (Highly Used Book)
-Access to assigned readings
-Secure entrance
-Self check out
-No staff needed

Because they have the self-checkout the circ desk has become a help desk with a combination of library and technology people.

Subject Liaison Librarian
-Paid by the History Dept.
-Office in the Department, not the library
-Does hold a library degree and two degrees in history
-Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

De Montfort University - Combined Service Desk
-Combination of IT and Professional Librarian
-All staff are roving and are expected to have front-facing activity
-Each person has a certain knowldege set

Chartered Librarians
-Librarians apply to be chartered through CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (formerly Library Association)

Glasgow Caledonian Univeristy
The Saltire Center
Services for our students
Active approaches to
Learning and
Teaching, a 21st centruy way of managing our
Information, the repository of our
Research collections, and
Engaging our students

Librarian's Place in the University
Librarians are considered the bes hybrid managers
-operational mangers (offer a big and complex service)
-acadmic orientation
-have professional and technical expertise
Including a 24/7 opportunity for service

Future of the Academic Library
-Technological Assistance to Students
-Library as the Learning Place with Many Services
-Collaborative Spaces for Learning
-Books will still be an Integral Part of Learning

The presenter stated that after this trip, she has learned that anything that helps student learning she is willing to try in her library.

This presentation was really interesting. There was so much more that I didn't write in the blog the information was great and makes me want to take a trip to England to see these libraries in person.

MLA Conference 2010: Firefox Add-Ons

2010-10-07T14:24:00.005-05:00

Presenter: Bob Martin from Morenet

Firefox Add-Ons
Do not turn on more than 2-3 add-ons at a time because it can slow down Firefox the first time you bring it up.

Most of these add-ons are version specific, so if Firefox updates, then the add-on may not work. Will need to reinstall the add-ons so that they will work, after updating Firefox.

To find Add-ons, in Firefox, go to Tools and click on Add-ons. Then choose Get Add-ons. Can also click on Browse all Add-ons and it will take you to the Add-ons page for Firefox. Can also search if you know the name of an add-on.

Zotero - collect bib information in one place as you are doing research. It is going to watch what you do and watch where you go. Will not work with Gale and Ebsco, can still put in the information manually.

Amplify - clip and share excerpts from articles, blogs, tweets, and webpages.

Zoodles - Kid mode for Firefox. A safe place for kids to play online.

Video Download Helper - Instead of streaming video, will download it and store it on your desktop. Can also convert the file if you need to.

Similar Web - searches for sites related to the one that you are looking at. You can rate to see how similar it really is. You are allowed to vote if it is similar or not similar.

Cooliris.com - media browser plug-in. Need to prescreen if showing to kids.

Good presentation. Lots of stuff to play with. Can't wait!

MLA Conference 2010: Top 5 (or more) Online Tools

2010-10-07T13:32:00.003-05:00

Presenter: Denise from MLNC

Jog the web is where the presenter's presentation is located. Search for dtksmile and find all of her presentations.

Top 5 (or more) Tools
1. Jogtheweb.com
2. Yolink - will keep searching in the background as it looks through all the results.
Adds some boolean searching, will highlight all the search terms.
3. Next Vista For Learning - an online library of free videos. Lightbulb videos are put there by students and teachers.
4. Creative Commons - A way to license your works to share with others. This is another form of publishing. Can also use without having to ask for permission.
5.International Children's Digital Library - Books available in different languages. Nothing flashy, but good quality children's literature.
6. Google Search Features - able to get weather, conversion charts, etc.
7. Learning Express Library - practice for multiple tests
8. Symbaloo - allows you to organize your bookmarks with a visual organizer. Looks like app icons which are becoming more popular.

Good session, just some technical difficulties. Looking forward to getting home and trying some of these out.

MLA 2010 Conference: Web 2.x Tools to Make You Look Cool: The Internet Strikes Back!

2010-10-07T09:48:00.003-05:00

Presenter: Cynthia Dudenhoffer, Director of Information Services, Central Methodist University

Will be discussing all free, web based,.com that require no downloads.

Aviary - image editor, screen capture, audio editor, music creator effect editor, eolor editor, image markup, etc.

Analogue - ondemand, anonymous, multi-user chat interface

Bubbl.US - brainstorming tool, do need to create an account to keep. create flowcharts, etc.

Bounceapp - Let's you comment, share, or post stuff to any website, great for comments for webdesign

Cramberry.net - make your own flash cards, also available as an iPhone and Blackberry app

Crappygraphs.com - can make a graph of whatever you want, really just for fun.

Dragontape.com - lets you stream videos together so you can string them together to watch all at once, instead of watching in sections can watch all at once.

Followupthen.com - Time management system that sends emails and reminders to do your work.

Heapr.com - aggregated search engine that allows you to search social networking as well as search engines

Kwout.com - Can highlight and quote a webpage and email it out to someone

Librivox.org - free audio books, or create your own audiobook and share it with others

Lynda.com - free tutorials on anything you can think of.

MyWeboo.com - manages everything that you do on the internet.

Prettygraph.com - lets you make professional graphs for free, and provides the source code so you can put it anywhere you want.

Paper.li - allows you to read twitter as a daily newspaper.

Redkid.net - a safe, educational website for all ages, for tweens, does have image generators, upload image and make into a sign

Replyz.com - People asking and answering questions in real time. Caution: may not always be appropriate.

Scribblemaps.com - Let's you write and more on top of any google map and then share. Can search any google map or google earth.

Sciencestage.com - Includes science tutorials, demonstration videos, lectures, etc. Starts at middle school and then goes up.

ShareSomeSugar.com - Allows you to borrow items from others within your zip code. Allows you to share items without having to buy something.

Smories.com - Original stories for kids, by kids, and read by kids.

Totspot.com - A safe place for kids that allows you to create a safe website for and about your child to share with those you want to see.

Visualizing.org - A creative commons infographics.

XSketch.com - Online pictionary, realtime virtual.

YourFonts.com - Does require a scanner, but allows you to create a font from your own handwriting.

YTTM.tv - YouTube time machine, goes back all the way to 1880 up to current day. You can choose a year and pick a video from that year. Can filter subjects such as commercials, current events, sports, etc. Great for the assignment of students looking to see what happened the year they were born.

ZamZar.com - convert files from one format to another.

This is a great presentation. Lots of websites I want to go home and play with. I can't wait.

MLA 2010 Conference: Mobile Library: What's Important and What's Practical

2010-10-07T08:54:00.003-05:00

The presenter for this session is Ying Z. Lin, Electronic Resources and Information Literacy Librarian from Maryville University.

People use mobile phones, especially iphones to get information, so libraries need to go where the users are. Sometimes all the user has is a mobile phone and it is all they can use where they are. Libraries need to provide that information or they will not be used. Users wil find other resources to use.

Mobile Components - smart phone (a phone that is able to use applications in order to find information)

Web App - what you can find on the web to download. Example: http://m.mit.edu
This is what a lot of Universisties use because of cost and time.

Native App - What is developed initially for the phone. Download and install it and can use it across different phones.

Network 3G and 4G - Allows you to call and access the internet at the same time. Only difference between 3G and 4G is the speed. 4G needs to be at least 4x faster than 3G. At this time really can't tell the difference because of the phone rather than the network. The phones at this time can not handle the amount of information.

Important vs. Practical
-Important: what users care about
-Practical: what can we do to best satisfy them with our limited resources

When speaker went to look at to see what libraries had mobile apps and found that a lot of libraries hide their resources.
12 common library website features on their mobile pages. Research on this done in Nov. 2009
-Catalog
-Database Search
-Subject Guides
-Computer Availability
-IM a Librarian
-Text a Librarian
-Feedback
-News/Features
-Hours
-Contact Us
-Help/How to
-Available Computer

What Maryville Mobile page has: Directions, Databases, Hours of Operation, news and Events, and Ask a Librarian

The hours and the news and events are done within a mobile blog page.

Why did they do it that way? They have 5 out of the 6 highest ranking features except the catalog. They did not include the catalog because they can't really make it mobile. Need extra money in ordder to make an open API.

When repeated the research on mobile library pages a year later, the most rapid growth on what was included was text a librarian, database search, and news & events.

More and more libraries are using blogs for their news & events, which means these blogs can be mobilized very easily.

Took a closer look at the catalog search feature. Out of 29 libraries, 20 had the library catalog feature, but only 14 had a real mobile catalog. On the database search, 22 out of 29 libraries had this feature on their mobile page, but only 20 had a real mobile database search.

Out of the 20 real mobile database searches, 15 of them provide users with a partial list of all their database. These are the databases which come with mobile interfaces.

The Trends
On the interface side more icons ad graphics are friendlier and easier to read than text. Citation tools are going mobile. A lot of universities are making a separate page for medical/health professions.

What Now?
Practical: Implement the hours, locations features and give links to databases tha provide mobile interfaces, which from most vendors is free. The important part is to take a look at the discovery service, and text a librarian would be a good way to promote ourselves.

What about Native Apps?
It can do everything that was talked about, plus you could utilize the camera as a scanner to scan the barcode to do self-checkout or to scan the ISBN of a book to see if your library has it, or request it. You would also be able to use smart phone to locate a book's specific shelf location inside the library.

yzhang@maryville.edu

This was a great presentation. Filled with information about apps in general and also about how libraries are using them. I don't know how this speaker was able to provide all the information she did a the little time provided, but I am so glad that she did!

MLA Conference 2010: How to Get Others to Do What You Want: Leadership in the Library

2010-10-06T15:11:00.005-05:00

Presenters: Steven Potter, Laura Rein, and Shirley Baker

Steve Potter, Director of Libraries, Mid-Continent Public Library
Topic: Pulling Together So You Don't Pull Apart

Need to make sure that everyone has the same perception of what "real" work is. This includes desk work, helping patrons in the stacks, and doing outreach. It takes all of this to make the library work. This led to writing a vision for the library. If everyone knows the vision of the library and if everyone can articulate it, everyone can be on the same page. Everything that was done needed to be attached to the goals and vision of the library. Strategic environment matters. There are a couple of keys to this. There needs to be buy-in from the highest level. The plan also needs to be presented to the employees. Communication and connecting everything back is key. There is a distinct difference between managing and leading. Take time to plan and make sure that you are moving in the right direction. Need to think of things as one of four criteria: Urgent and Important, Urgent and not important, Not Urgent and important, and Not urgent and not important.

Laura Rein, Dean of University Library, Webster University
Topic: Bottom-up Strategic Planning and Finding ways to say Yes!

2/3 of the students and faculty do not reside on campus. They are either online or at a different campus across the world. Bottom-up strategic planning is writing the goals and objectives from the staff and then up. One of their library goals is take the library to where users are. Another goal is to integrate the library into university life, by saying yes to the groups that want to use the library outside the normal use of the library. Also do continual assessment, which get a high response by allowing the students to entire a drawing for an iTouch. By doing this they get 1000 responses. Basically this director not only listens to the users, but also responds to the user needs by acting on the requests and doing something about what is being asked for. It is not always possible to say yes. Also there are times where some staff are upset, and also some students are upset by decisions, but in the end there is a reward in seeing the users happy with the library overall.

Shirley Baker, Dean of University Libraries & Vice Chancellor for Scholarly Resources, Washington University.
Topic: Fearless and Fair

It is important to look for the potential in your staff and nurture each one. Even if they do not want to be challenged, or to do more than the basic necessities, but it is important to push them to their full potential.

In a new job, 20% will accept you no matter what, 20% will oppose you no matter what, and the rest will sit on the fence and see who wins. A leaders job is to fix those that aren't doing anything. Hold up pay check and say to get this you have to do what I want, If you don't want it, then you can do anything you want. You won't always succeed when doing something brave and firm, but you will succeed more times than not.

Remember: It is either you or your replacement that will do what it takes to get the job done.

This presentation was good. With three presenters each having only 10 minutes there was more that I would have wanted to hear from each one of them. However what they did say was good food for thought which I can take back to my job and incorporate.

MLA (Missouri Library Association) Conference

2010-10-06T15:08:00.002-05:00

I am now attending the 2010 MLA conference at Lodge of the Four Seasons. I am attending my first session since I have been working on the registration desk. Looking forward to a great conference!

Persuasion, Influence, & Innovative Ideas, CIL2010 session

2010-04-14T10:14:00.002-05:00

Persuasion, Influence & Innovative Ideas
Rebecca Jones, Partner Dysart & Jones Associates

How to influence your colleagues and your users

Important to Keep in Mind
-An idea or anything new = change
-People don't like change when it involves them, unless there is something in it for them.
-Group = people brought together to work

Discovery, knowledge, exploring, inspiration - words used in mission/vision statements, yet libraries don't really want ideas to inspire or discover or change.

Why are some naysayers?
-Don't see what's in it for them
-Fear
-"laters" or "laggards"

Influencing is built on:
-competence
-clarity
-relationships

Influencing others starts with ourselves
-Presence is the most important part of influencing
-We have to see ourselves as influencers
-We must be clear on what we want to see happen
-We must learn new approaches

"Influence is one of the highest skills that we have as humans" Rebecca Jones

Consider the broader Context
-"Leadership is a process of social influence through which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task." Chemers

Some Underlying Principles
-One in ten Americans tel the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy
-Passionate, informed, well-connected, articulate people with broad social networks, to whom others look for advice & recommendations
-"talkers"

Effective influencers tend to be:
-"expert" in a specific domain
-"early adopters" or certainly know how to build relationships with early adopters to move change through
-Opinion leaders
-Knowledgeable about the issues being dealt with
-viewed as trustworthy
-with connections

Influence without authority
-Assumptions/everyone is a potential ally
-Clarity/be clear on your goal or objective
-Diagnosis/Understand the other person's situation
-Currencies/Identify what's important at this point for our & them
-Relationships/Develop & deal with
-Influence/Through give & take

Wooing (The Art of Woo)
-Knowing what you want
-Getting it in front of a few people
-Forming, molding & building a snowball
-Following the network
-One idea, one ally, one email, one conversation, one meeting, one presentation at a time
-use their knowledge & connections to help others

Competence
-Know your strengths & weaknesses
-Work to your strengths
-Keep the organizational perspective
-Critical success factor for credibility & expertise

Relationships
-Get to know people, what they do, & keep in touch - regardless of level
-Build trust; it's incremental & fragile
-Must understand your organization's hidden yet important relationships & where the real power lies

"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time." J.S. Knox

Our language needs to change to make it more streamlined. Presenter never wants to hear the term "bibliographic instruction" again. No one really knows what that means.

Being Part of the Quotient - To move to the decision-making table:
-Clear direction which can be articulated

Clarity
-Be clear on what you want
-Be clear on what you've got & where your lines will be drawn
-Communicate clearly, in the style of the listener

Influencing Styles
-Involving: "pull" communication style matches others'; building collaboration
-Inquiring: "push" listening carefully to identify others' needs & 'currencies'; to give & take
-Leading: "pull" engaging people to share stories & common grounds
-Proposing - "push" presenting possible solutions or a choice of options; structured & rational

Inquiring
-Based on assumption that people are more motivated by what they'll lose
-Requires a good blend of both expertise & credibility - & trust
-Use images & metaphors, not facts & logic

YES!
Core principles that increase your persuasiveness:
1. Reciprocation
2. Authority
3. Commitment/consistency
4. Scarcity
5. Liking
6. Social proof

***This was another good session with lots of information to process.***

The 24th Thing CIL2010 Session

2010-04-14T09:27:00.002-05:00

The 24th Thing: What's Next
Sean Robinson, Allen County Public Library
Lori Reed, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Christa Burns
Michael Sauers

Helene Blowers was supposed to present this session, but unfortunately she was unable to attend.

What is your vision?
-What are you trying to do with these 2.0 tools?

3 tenets of the 23 things
Engage
Enrich - reach people, if you blog you want people to read it. How can you have a message that resonates?
Empower - empower others and fight for what you love

What is your strategy? "If you are in a great organization your mission/vision statement is a cooperative effort among all." -

3 Questions
1. How are people finding us
2. What are they

How are they finding us?
-Users need to find us outside the actually building
-We need to go where are users are

Engagement is not an idea, it is a practice

"I'm not desperate for attention, I just like spending ten hours a day on twitter."

Nebraska now has an ongoing 23 things that started in May of 2009. They learn 1 thing a month until they run out of things. May have been better to have 2 things a month to keep participation up.

Have to keep promoting the 23 things in order to keep people participating.

Innovating During a Time Of Change
Libraries are facing a time where budgets are being cut and some are being completely closed.

At the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library -
Budget was cut by 2 million, and 120 people were laid off.
Now they are talking about losing over half the staff in July

"In calm weather, all ships have good captains"

To get through these tough times had to advocate and started SaveLibraries.org

Five Quick Ways your library can innovate during tough times
1. Innovation is more than technology
2. Be willing to do what's right for the organization and the profession
3. You can't communicate too much
4. Accept the fact that libraries are going to look very different in the future
5. This is an opportunity to learn, grow, adapt, improve, and let go of what's not working

We should not have to tell people why libraries are important, that should be inherent in everything that we do.

***This presentation was very good. It took a turn at the end, but Lori had some great thoughts on libraries in peril. I really enjoyed this session and while I didn't get to hear the presenter that I was hoping to, I thought they did a great job at the last minute.***

Making It Happen Key Note CIL2010

2010-04-14T07:57:00.003-05:00

Making It Happen: Getting Things Done
Dr. Ken Haycock, Director, School of Library & Information Science, San Jose State University

Applying What We Know
-Users don't complain about needing more money for the library **not sure if I completely agree with this***
-As long as the library employees smile, the users are satisfied with lousy service.

Death by Opportunity
-Where can we make the best difference/where we have the opportunity to make an impact

Opportunity Costs
-We need to be more strategic in what we do. We can not be all things to all people.

We are all Leaders
-Leadership is a process of social influence through which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.

Power or Influence
-Power: possession of control, authority or influence ver others
-Types of power
-Influence: act of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command
-Control>Direct Influence>
Indirect Influence>Zone of No Influence

Successful people are influential
-Trust is the most critical component in relationships
-A good reputation is priceless
-Integrity cannot be bought and should never be sold
-Most people are filled with self-doubt
-Listening is more important than talking
-Caring managers always help their staff to succeed
-Carefully select those you wish to mentor
-Mentoring is a manager's most powerful tool
-Some people are not interested in being mentored

Trust
-Character
-Competence
-Confidence
-Credibility
-Congruence

Advocacy Defined
-Public Relations are not advocacy, public relations is all about us
-Need to stop talking about libraries and start talking about social and cultural issues and how we are making a difference to what matters (student success, faculty research, etc.)

Advocacy Rules
-It is all about respect
-Connect the agenda
-Recognize that people do things for their reasons not ours
-Connect with the values of the people
-Make a deposit by letting people understand what you are about and how you affect people

Advocacy is like banking, you can't make a withdraw until you make a deposit.

Universal Principles
-Reciprocation (feel obliged to return favors)
-Authority (look to experts)
-Commitment/Consistency (with commitments and values)
-Scarcity (less available more we want it)
-Liking (more we like more we want to say yes)
-Social Proof (what others are doing)

Yes! (Book)
-When they think about persuasion, most people emphasize their own experiences too much, rather than depending on data or techniques.
-Increase your persuasive power by understanding the core principles:
--A small gift or favor will make you more persuasive. People will want to pay you back.
--The public believes in authority, so enlist higher-ups on your side

Pillars
-The relationship
-The intended approach
-The desired results
-The context - for the issue, for the individual, and for the organization

R.O.T.I. - Return On Time Invested

We can't afford to be perfectionists, we do not have time. The most precious resource is time. We need to spend the most time on those things that are the most important.

Basic Questions
-Am I the right person
-Is this the right time

Focus
-Flexible
-Observable
-Courageous
-Useful
-Supportive

Focus and Plan
-On the Relationship
-On the Approach
-On the Context (Individual; System; Organization; Culture; Timing)
-On the issues (arguments that support/against;

A mediocre plan today is far better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

Major Inhibitors
-It is not my job
-Lack of competence (or a plan)
-Talking is not influencing
-There are no silver bullets or quick fixes
-Do not try to influence everyone (focus on reports and opinion leaders)

***This was a good session with some thought provoking ideas on advocacy. So many times we are advocating for a building, not for our services. We don't make the connection for others on how our services impact students, faculty, and staff. I thought this was very good and also one that I need to go back and digest at a later date.***

Instructional Technology: It's A Team Thing CIL2010 Session

2010-04-13T14:57:00.003-05:00

Instructional Technology: It's a Team Thing
Beth Filar Williams, Distance Education Librarian
Lynda Kellam, Data Services & Government Information Librarian
Amy Harris, First Year Instruction Coordinator
Hannah Winkler, Libraries' Digital Designer
University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

High Impact/High Effort
-JIT instruction
-Outcome based assessment

High Impact/Low Effort
-Wikis
-Clickers
-Pod/Vodcasting
-LMS content

Low Impact/High Effort
-Virtual Worlds
-Games

Low Impact/Low Effort
-BIZ Game
-Subject specific content

***I should have just stayed in the room during this session. This isn't a slam to the presenters because they were very good and engaging, my heart just isn't in it right now.***

Virtual Learning & Training: From Classrooms to Communities CIL2010 Session

2010-04-13T13:16:00.003-05:00

Virtual Learning & Training: From Classrooms to Communities
Alison miller, Distance Education Research, The Internet Public Library (IPL)
Meredith Farkas, Head, Instructional Initiatives, Norwich University

Online learning needs to include more than just written lecture notes, written assignments, etc. f2f classes include more discussion, questions that can come up during lectures, etc. How do we translate that to an online environment?

Web 2.0 ideas for the classroom
-Age of participation
-The wisdom of crowds (can learn from the students as well as the instructor)
-Social constructivism (the instructor should be more of a facilitator)

Used Drupal an open source resource that can be used as websites, LMS, etc.

Students can blog and they can find it all in one place. The core of the classroom is the conversation between students and teacher

Why Blogs?
-Familiar medium: new types of blogging: in MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
-Faculty communication with students
-Builds student sense of ownership over the medium
-Community-building
-Reflective learning
-Discussion and debate
-Writing in public
-Everyone is teacher and learner

Blogs can...
-Promote critical and reflective thinking
-Enable collaboration and knowledge-sharing
-Create an informal environment for student discussion and community-building
-Encourage dialogue and debate
-Encourage students to teach as well as learn and co-construct their learning experience

Lessons Learned on blogging
-Looking good on paper isn't enough
-Take advantage of key moments
-The most exciting technology isn't always the best for users
-Own your disasters
-Define success
-Ill-considered ideas hastily implemented can be a great success

***This session was really good and had some great ideas for me to take back and incorporate in the course that I teach. I already knew that I need to add more interaction within the course, but this session really solidified this.***

Usability & Libraries CIL2010 Session

2010-04-13T12:38:00.004-05:00

Usability & Libraries
Peter Webster, Systems Librarian, Saint Mary's University
Yu-Hui Chen, Bibliographer & outreach Librarian for Education
Carol Anne Germain, Networked Resources Education Librarian, University at Albany

Libraries know that their online services are not perfect.
But users view library online services as "broken" and unusable

What We Hear from Users
-There are too many places and choices to search, I can't find what I need.
-The library needs more stuff. Finding good references that are not available is really frustrating. ***I get this ALL the time.***
-I'll just use Google instead. Everything is in Google anyway.

Beyond user friendly software and reliable hardware
-users expect easy, direct and immediate access to needed info
-users have ever improving alternatives to judge library services by
-users have little tolerance for services which fail to meet rising expectations

Basic Service expectations
-Confusing, Inconvenient, Unreliable, Slow = broken
-Less than immediate access to information = broken
-Limited or incomplete collections = broken

Areas for focus for the future
-seamless, simple, fast and reliable systems and services
-Common interfaces, seamless and integrated discovery
-Comprehensive information access

Project Overview
-Online survey ARL academic libraries
-84 institutions participated
-Survey content
--Policies/standards/guidelines
--Usability testing
--Resources (staff, time, training)

Issues, Challenges, & Recommendations
-Stakeholders
--Little knowledge of and support for usability
--Limited usability expertise
--Political agenda

-Resources
--Staff and time
--Organizational knowledge

If we have good usability, then users will stay. If we do not have what they want or can use then they will go elsewhere. ***I have been saying this for years, yet I still do not have any listeners. Librarians do not necessarily know what is best for the user.***

Critical Thinking: Getting to the Right Decision CIL2010 Session

2010-04-13T10:19:00.003-05:00

Critical Thinking: Getting to the Right Decision
Rebecca Jones, Partner, Dysart & Jones Associates
Deb Wallace, Managing Director, Knowledge & Library Services, Harvard Business School

If you are not prepared to change, don't even bother doing a strategic plan. - Rebecca Jones
So true!

slideshare.net/beckyjojojones

Critical Thinking is really about
-Decision-making & problem-solving
-Open-mindedness
-Productive dialogue

We can't make decisions alone or in a vacuum, the decisions & problems we face are increasingly complex. The decisions we make end up impacting someone else.

Good Critical Thinking
-Raises the right questions
-Focuses on the real problem or decision to be taken
-Gathers & assesses relevant information
-Uses abstract ideas to interpret info effectively
-Develops well-reasoned conclusions & solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards
-Relies on recognizing & assessing assumptions, implications, & consequences
-Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems

Why?
-For our users
-For our organizations
-For ourselves, and our professional credibility

"Set in our ways" won't move us forward

"Naming" the process at first makes it legitimate to:
-Challenge usual practices
-Rethink what has been thought
-Expand the emphasis from short-term fixes to long-term fusion

Common Decision Traps
-Framing
-Status quo
-Anchoring
-Sunk Cost

Critical thinking is not about being critical.

KLS Enduring Goals (Do not change goals every year or two years)
-Deliver the greatest possible value to KLS's customers by integrating our expertise and resources in support of their teaching, learning, and research.
-Build and enrich a knowledge of information ecosystem that delivers what the customer needs when they need it, seamlessly.
-Be the "trusted advisor" for Harvard Business School in knowledge, information and learning practices

Free people up to think in different ways. Think critically about how best to meet our missions, to meet our user needs.

The libraries at Harvard constantly rank the lowest among employee satisfaction among Harvard departments. Need to realize that it is not a top down, but administrators/managers need to listen to all employees.

If you are not happy in your work or your position, will not be able to think critically and contribute to your organization.

Critical Characteristics
-Communication skills; listen
-Self-awareness & self-acceptance
-Curious, interested, & questioning
-Admits lack of valid information & understanding
-Assess & evaluates information & propositions for their value at the issue on hand

What's Critical?
-Awareness
-Discipline your decision making to uncover thinking errors & prevent judgment errors
-Trying it

***Wonderful presentation, lots to think about and process.***

Strategic Planning & Encouraging Change CIL2010 Session

2010-04-13T09:31:00.002-05:00

Strategic Planning & Encouraging Change
Michael Edson, Director of Web & New Media Strategy, Office of the CIO, Smithsonian Institution

Currently developing a prototype for the Smithsonian Commons. A way for users to find what they want to see, plan a trip, find more information about items, take pictures, upload to fb, and share with others as well as make comments for others to read.

Note: There is so much more to this presentation then what I have blogged about. This presentation was great, but provided a lot of information in a short amount of time. The presentation slides can be found at: Slideshare.net/edsonm

Smithosonian Strategic Plan - 5 year
1. Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe
2. Understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet
3. Valuing World Cultures
4. Understanding the American Experience

Strategic planning should let us do work that matters. This is relevance earned through a job well done.

Where is this work going to take place?
What kind of organization, infrastructure, platforms will be needed to support it?
What is the organizational change model?
Who will be the innovators?

In workplace like so may others, is deeply conflicted about these changes

Thermocline (a metaphor) Stratified water temperature between warm water at the top and cold dense water at the bottom. Thermocline issues define the change environment and explain why strategy is needed ( and shy for us the commons is so important)

Thermocline Issues
Complacency
Urgency (John P. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency)
Museums are for...In exchange for public funds and public trust, museums should do work for society.
Institutions built on the model of enduring wisdom
We need to think big, start small, and move fast.
Catalyze innovation/discovery outside the institution
Every user is a hero in their own epic journey, Kathy Sierra

"Most organizations don't get serious about strategy until they are afraid or in pain." Leo Mulen, CEO Navigation Arts.

Web & New Media Strategy Structure
Three Themes
-Updated the Smithsonian Digital Experience
-Updated the Smithsonian Learning Model
-Balance Autonomy and Control within SI
Eight Goals - four external and four internal

Prototype - Push/pull between understanding what this thing is and understanding how to sell it.

Start a public wiki to have everyone talk about it. Change starts from the bottom up.

Vast, Findable, Shareable, and Free

***Presenter is very excited to see how the Smithsonian Institution is used outside the walls. This is how our thinking needs to be. We need to stop being so protective and overbearing when it comes to library materials. The four ideas that the SI Commons embraces is Vast, Findable, Shareable, and Free. As librarians we really need to get not only information, but our resources to our users.***

Tuesday Key Note Speaker CIL 2010 Conference

2010-04-13T08:03:00.003-05:00

Conversations With the Archivist of the United States
David Ferriero, AOTUS

Responsible for the records of the government with about 2% becoming archived.

Typical Day: Just into the 5th month of the job. Still have a steep learning curve. Trying to get a sense of the staff and their needs. National Archives ranks second from the bottom in employee satisfaction. Will spend time trying to change this.

He is the highest ranking librarian in the administration, and the only librarian in the administration.

Q: Why is it important for a librarian to be the AOTUS?
A: Got a call from the Whitehouse wanting him to become the archivist and he didn't immediately respond. President was looking for someone who thinks outside the box, someone who is into technology, and willing to be a forward thinker. David wanted to take this job to make a difference.

Obama has charged him with two extraordinary initiatives
1. Declassification of Documents
Have an enormous backlog of classified documents going back to WWII. The intent is to open up the records by declassifying of them. What it involves is a major review of the documents by the agencies that classified them. There are 2400 different classification guides and the classification guides are supposed to be reviewed every five years. Over 50% of the classification systems have not been reviewed in the last nine years. Need to revamp the classification system so it is more stream lined. Intend to incorporate technology to do this.

2. Open Government Initiative - Transparency and collaboration
Means that government agencies need to have good record management so that open government can be obtained. Two groups that have never met, will meet to discuss this, the CIO Council and the Records Managers to discuss how to better manage records. Every agency has been authorized to go off and build their own electronic record systems, or put them on their shelves, etc. It is the archivist that has to try and corral the records and digest them. He is hoping that they can create one record management system.

Is currently looking at opening up the archives the way it has never been opened up before. This will allow those that have never had access to the archives before. This includes expanding website, especially targeting K-12 aged kids, new exhibits, and really working with public schools to get kids excited about history, and also their country.

In response to a comment about low morale from workers in the archives, David says that he understands a lot of the jobs within the archives are mundane. There are ways of enriching the job and there are ways to make the worker realize how important the job is so that they have a sense of ownership and also feel important which they are. Is really going to all the staff to talk to them and learn what they want and what their feelings are.

The guards of the archives have actually never toured the archives.

In the digital age we save everything, but preserve little. We are not saving what we should be especially when it comes to electronic records. On the federal side e-mail is not recognized as a record. Which means we are not saving, we are losing records.

Thinking about the divide between digital and print, there is something aesthetic about print on page. While he still uses Wikipedia, Google, and he does own a Kindle, he still prefers holding and reading a book.

The greatest burden and challenges that he faces is the electronic records. The greatest joy is a balance between getting to know the staff and the collection. Still in awe of the collection that is in the Archives.

His message to librarians today - push your supervisors, look for opportunities to get involved, get your ideas out there. One of his best hires has taught him so much, when it comes to packaging and distributing information and where the library should be and what it should be to the users.

***This was a great keynote speaker done in the form of an interview. I have learned some great things and realized that the Archives, while housing some of the most important documents related to U.S. History is really just like any other library. They have the same struggles and the same hopes.***

Gen X Librarians: Leading From the Middle CIL2010 Session

2010-04-12T14:12:00.003-05:00

Gen X Librarians: Leading From the Middle
Lisa Carlucci Thomas, Digital Services Librarian, Southern Connecticut State University
Karen Sobel, Reference & Instruction Librarian, University of Colorado Denver
Nina McHale, Web Librarian, University of Colorado Denver

Nina - Generation X and Technology

Generational Generalizations...

Generational diversity can be a positive element of the workplace (Jason Martin)
There are 20-something "digital novices" and 80-year-old "tech gurus"

Generation Terminology
-Traditionalists - born before mid-1940s
-Baby Boomers - born mid-1940s to early 1960s
-Generation X - born early/mid 1960s to early 1980s
-Generation Y/Millennials - born early 1980s-early 2000s

Growing Up and Along with Technology
-Gen X librarians developed technology skills as necessary as computers were introduced for research and productivity in school and work environments

When Computers entered their lives
Boomer - after their education
Gen X - during their education
Gen Y - before their education

Generation X: Between Two Worlds
-Typewriters and word processors
-Card catalogs and OPACS
-Print and Electronic
-Analog and digital
-Traditional and Social
-Land line and Cell phones
-VCR and DVR

There has always been a generation in the middle, but tech adds a new dimension

Proficient with technology
Accepting of change
More likely to connect traditional institutions and new modes of communication

The Sandwich Generation
Two "Sandwich" Perspectives
-In the library instruction classroom
-Interactions among librarian colleagues

Generalizations
-How do we make them?
-Do we make them?

During their educations, Gen X:
-Learned to use computers
-Learned other educational technologies
-Researched in print
-Researched online
-Used many print and electronic formats
-Used the card catalog!
-Learned to adapt

Bridging Gaps in the Workplace
Gen X: "I like technology, but I'm not an addict."

What does it mean to say, "I'm not a computer person"?

Gen X Librarians lead in:
-Technology-related task forces
-digitization projects

Making History
There are currently 4 generations in workplace
-Generation x: In the middle of this organizational dynamic
-Rising into management positions
-Unique values = unique benefit

Independence
-Loyal to profession
-require personal/professional life balance
-self-driven and self-motivated

Innovation
-Flexible, entrepreneurial
-Apply skills in new contexts to achieve goals
-Think "outside the box"

Individualism
-Define own paths for personal fulfillment
-Work is a "lifestyle decision"
-Not tied into traditional career development goals

Promoting Innovation: Seek challenges, integrate lifelong learning
Mediating Change: Building relationships, mentoring, training
Translating Cultural Norms: Making a difference, leaving a legacy

**This session was not quite what I thought it would be. However it did provide some good information about generation x.***

What Administrators Need to Know About Technology CIL2010 Session

2010-04-12T13:48:00.004-05:00

What Administrators Need to Know About Technology
Roy Tennant, Senior Program Manager, OCLC Programs & Research

Writes the Blog: Tech Essence Info
-Blog is targeted to library administrators
Techessence.com/topten

1. Technology isn't as hard as you think
2. Technology gets easier all the time
3. Technology gets cheaper all the time
4. Maximize the effectiveness
5. Iterate, don't perfect
--Get something out there early, learn from mistakes, listen to comments and then iterate and put it back out there. (Look at Business 2.0, Netflix Mailers)
6. Be prepared to fail. We think by being perfect we won't fail, but nothing is farther from the truth. Failure is a useful teacher. We can learn from our failures.
7. Be prepared to succeed.
8. Never underestimate the power of a prototype.
9. A major part of any technology implementation is good project management.
10. The single biggest threat to any technology project is political in nature.
--This includes not having enough support within your organization to see it through to the end, or not having enough resources.

What Others Have Said Via Twitter
1. Have an exit strategy. No platform is forever. Ask not only how you'll move onto it, but how you'll move off of it.
2. Vendor solutions still require knowledgeable staff to make them work.
3. IT won't solve any of your problems without proper staffing and management policies which you should allow techies to shape.
4. Administrators need to know that just because a staff member can support certain technologies, doesn't mean they can support all technologies.
5. Allow your staff time and resources to experiment even if nothing comes of it. Innovation comes with risk.
6. Believe a staff member's opinion over a vendor's. Always. ALWAYS.
7. Never depend on technology alone to save your library.
8. The youngest people on staff aren't automatically techno-geeks.
9. Delegate the discovery phase to those who can dedicate more resources to coming up with concise answers to "how" and justify "why."

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

Technology is easy; it is the people that are hard. Having to change people's thinking is harder than incorporating technology.

Avoid the herd mentality. Don't implement just because everyone else has.

Consult the people that work with the users to find out what are the needs of the users.

An administrator with a little bit of technology knowledge is a dangerous thing. Administrators should have more faith in their tech staff.

Need to have ongoing training for library staff. Change in technology is constant, so training for new technologies should also be constant.

Technology can only take you so far. You still need people to make it happen.

***This session was good, and provided some good information. I have more complaints with the room and the fact that I did not have access to wi-fi in the room. The way the room was set up, it was almost impossible to see the screen and the PowerPoint slides. But there were definitely good points brought up for more than just administrators.***

Achieving Org 2.0 CIL2010 Session

2010-04-12T10:21:00.006-05:00

Organization 2.0 (or Can't Get There From Here)
Meredith Farkas, Norwich University

Why is that Web 2.0 initiatives are failing in libraries? A lot of libraries are going where users are, but not being useful.

To keep 2.0 initiatives going, there needs to have more than one person involved with Web 2.0 technologies. Really need to get as many of the co-workers on board to make it work.

So what's the problem? There are a lot of dead blogs, wikis, etc. out there on the web.

Why does it fail?
-Use of social software is not seen as furthering the library's mission
-Social software is treated as someone's "pet project"
-Social software is not planned for strategically like other technologies
-Once the newness wears off, people are less motivated to contribute
-Staff are not given time to work on social software

Library 2.0 is a state of mind
-Working to meet changing user needs
-Trusting our users (radical trust)
-Getting rid of the culture of perfect
-Aware of emerging technologies and opportunities
-Looking outside of the library world for applications, opportunities, inspiration

Know Your Users
-Find where your users are and what your users are using, then go there

Encourage staff to learn and play
-part of the job should be to keep up with blogs, twitter posts, social media, etc. to keep up with emerging technologies and trends in the profession. This should happen with both librarians and library staff.

Question Everything
-It is so easy to get into a rut.
-When a new person starts, question them what they feel is wrong. Don't try to change them to your point of view, learn from their fresh perspective

Set Technology Goals
-Incorporate technology into strategic plans, there will be more of a buy-in when this happens.

Treat Technologies as Goals and Use them to Solve Problems
-Improve communication with our users
-Provide reference services at the point of need
-RSS feeds by subject
-Put links in wikipedia to library collections, making them more accessible
-Put historical photos in Flickr

Make Our Services More Visible
-Make a plan before starting so that it can be more usable (Manchester Library in FB)

Improve Internal Knowledge Sharing

Develop a Risk-Tolerant Culture
-We can learn so much by failure, than by not doing anything in the first place.

Beware the Culture of Perfect
-Just because librarians love it and think it is great, doesn't mean that it will help users. LISTEN TO YOUR USERS and take their feedback to heart. THEY are the ones that are using the services, not librarians! **Amen, sister!**

Be Agile, Don't Get Attached
-It is okay to let go of old technologies if they are not working anymore. We don't need to hang on to what is not working for our users.

Good Ideas can Come from Anyone and Anywhere

Nurture Talent

Give Staff Time for Creative Endeavors
-Google gives 20% time to staff for creative endeavors

Encourage Network-Building
-Facebook can become your rolodex

Create Partnerships
-Will become harder and harder for librarians to survive if they don't start creating partnerships

Provide a wiki for first year students to provide information. Administration, faculty, staff, and students can contribute.

Be transparent with patrons
-Can have a library suggestion blog. Will let users know that you care and that you are listening and working to provide what they want

Time Must Be Provided! May need to create new jobs, or may just need to shuffle responsibilities.

Aboslutely need to assess everything that we are doing. We must converse with our patrons and learn from them.

http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com

***This session was great! It just solidifies my thinking when it comes to Web 2.0 technologies. The big problem I have is getting others on board. We need to start thinking outside the box, we need to LISTEN to our users, we need to stop assuming that because we are the librarians we know best. We don't! We are there for our users! Why don't we start listening to them and going where they are? We can all learn from each other. We need to stop treating our users like 5 year olds. Okay I will get off my soapbox for now.***

Super Searcher Shares: Search Tips Spectacular! Session

2010-04-12T09:26:00.007-05:00

Super Searcher Shares
Mary Ellen Bates, Owner, Bates Information Services, Inc.
BatesInfo.com

Slide Deck found at BatesInfo.com/extras

Newsy.com - The Week meets YouTube
-Human editors summarize the news
-One-sentence summary
-Walter Cronkite of the 21st century
-Links to original sources

Google Buzz - Competition for Twitter
-Access via Gmail; comments to a post go to email
-Nice browse features
-Includes Google Stars; you can star a link on a search, will automatically be saved to your goole bookmarks; you can star a google buzz
-Rudimentary search; no date sort of results; includes other social media sources
-Offers recommendations

BuZZZy.com
-Searches Google Buzz plus Twitter, Friendfeed, etc.
-Results are chronological (unlike Buzz)
-Can limit by language

***Side note: Google Language Search, need to search other languages***

Factery.net
-Searches Yahoo BOSS and Twitter
-Ranks by FactRank
-FactRank secret sauce includes
--Tweeted URLs
--Frequency of factual sentences (One Riot indexes URLs that have been mentioned in Twitter)
-Looks for more fact based sites
-SERP (Search Engine Result Page) has facts, not extracts
-Great for mobile devices
-Tools to extract data from a web page

See latest web "facts"

Technorati - technorati.com
-Authority is working!
-Cuts out spam
-Search by blog title or blog post
-sort by date or relevance
-shows hottest posts in various channels (topics)

SlideFinder.net
-great search tool for slide decks
-they crawl individual PPT pages; emphasis on university sites
-SERP includes thumbnails of indiviual pages; one click to full slide deck, one click to download
-Search by: presentation name, slide and note text!, language
-Try strategic
-Add in lets you know you can search within PowerPoint

World Govt Data
-Compiled by The Guardian
-Metasearch of govt data from US, UK, Australia, New Zealand
-Standardized format; can compare data from multiple sources
-User ratings

Factual.com
-Search data sets
-Like Wolfram/Alpha, but as a wiki
-Now, primarily wikipedia content

Twitter Lists
-Create and publish an RSS of your faves
-Can see who is listed on other lists
-Can see what lists a user follows; who does the guru monitor?
-Can't search the lists

Listorious.com
-Spiders (public) Twitter LIsts
--Find lists on a topic
--ID experts

What you're worth per hour
-Your salary x 1.3
--$74,000 is SLA median salary (=$96,200)
-Divide by BILLABLE weeks
--47 weeks ($2050/week)
-Divide that by 40 hours/week
--$50/hour

***This has been a great session. Instead of presenting a session such as 45 sites in 45 minutes or Top 20, Mary Ellen really discussed some great websites that are USABLE. While I love to hear about those fun cute sites, these sites she discussed are ones that not only can I use for myself, but also show to my library users, as well as incorporate into my class. I just know my students are going to love it!***

CIL 2010 Keynote Address

2010-04-12T07:57:00.012-05:00

Information Fluency
Lee Rainie - Director - Pew Internet Project

The internet is the change agent

2000
46% of adults use internet
5% with broadband at home
50% own a cell phone
0% connect to internet wirelessly
<10% use "cloud"

2010
75% of adults use intent
62% with broadband at home
80% own a cell phone
53% connect to internet wirelessly
>two-thirds use "cloud"
= fast, mobile connections built around outside servers

Networked Creator Universe
57% are social networking site users
37% share photos
30% share personal creations
30% contribute rankings and ratings
28% create content tags
26% post comments on sites and blogs
19% use Twiter/other status update features
15% have personal website
15% are content remixers
14% are bloggers

The Internet Galaxy, by Manuel Castells
-Four cultures shaped the internet

1. Techno-elites
-Scientific method enshrined, openness, peer review, meritocracy

2. Hackers
-Stallman: Free speech in the computer age; freedom to create, to appropriate, to redistribute

3. Virtual Communitarians
-Early usenet groups, horizontal free communication, primacy of self-directing networks

4. Entrepreneurs
-Netscape IPO

5th culture of the internet: Networked creators
-democratized the voices in media
-challenged traditional media gatekeepers
-Inserted themselves in "expert" affairs
-Enhanced their civic and community roles
-37% of internet users contributed to news
-20% contributed to health content
-19% contributed to civic and political activities

4 ways content creater build communities

1. Produce content that helps them expand their social netowrk and increase their social standing.

Advantages to creators
-Negotiating friendship, status, identity
-Creating spaces for building social netowrks among friends AND those who share their interests
-Creating learning opportunities
-Gaining reputational capital

2. Produce content to create social posses to solve problems

Advantages to creators in posse situations
-Fact checking and transparency
-Crowdsourcing wisdom, especially among "strangers" who share a common purpose
-Production and accumulation of evidence that is easily search-able

3. Produce content to contruct "just-in-time-just-like-me" support groups

Just-in-time-just-like-me communities
-Communities of just-in-time information and support - ad hoc and "on the fly"
-Communities of "rare species" - homophily par excellence (birds of a feather)
-Communities of practice that are "space-less"

4. Produce content unlike traditional news organizations

Social media-sphere is the "5th estate"
70% of the time the top stories in social media are different from those in traditional media

Week of March 30-April 5, 2009
While the traditional press focus on Obama and the Economy, Blogosphere is filled with an eclectic mix of stories including the Guardian Prank, enhanced interrogation techniques by the CIA, Angie Harmon's comments, online security, etc.

5th estate publishing tates
-Technology developments, especially activities in the social media environment
-Bloggers as "rocket boosters"
-Links as social currency
-Off-beat stories, especially those with quirky humor
-American exceptionalism stoires
-Cultural cleavages and social issues more than economic issues

Implications for libraries
1. You can be a node in people's social networks as they seek information to help them solve problems and meet their needs.

2. You can teach new literacies
-screen literacy-graphics and symbols
-navigation literacy
-conections and context literacy
-skepticism
-value of contemplative time
-how to create content
-ethical behavior in new world

3. Neet to re-vision your role in a world where much has changed
-Access to information
-Value of information
-Curating info means more than collections
-Creating media - networked creators should be your allies

***This was a good session - a lot to think about, which this early in the morning I will have to reread this post and process later. ***

Computers In Libraries Conference 2010

2010-04-12T07:52:00.004-05:00

I am currently at the Computers in Libraries conference in Washington, D.C. I am very excited about this conference as it has been 3 years since I have been to it and the last one was awesome. I am expecting great things and I am sure that I will not be disappointed.

I will be blogging each of the sessions for everyone to read. I hope that you all enjoy!

Quote for the Day: "Technology is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other." C.P. Snow

MLA Conference - 2.x Tools to Make You Look Cool

2009-10-09T09:09:00.002-05:00

Cynthia Dudenhoffer, Director of Information Resources, Central Methodist University

Speaker is discussing 2.x tools that can be incorporated into the library.

Awesomehighlighter.com - can highlight any webpage and share with others.
Anki.com - flashcard maker that is completely web-based
BibMe.org - bibliography maker
Card.ly - virtual business card maker
DailyLit.com - public domain books
downforeveryone.com - can see if a website is down for everyone or just me
eHub - blog listing web 2.0 tools
FastPencil.com - guide on how to write books
Geni - online family tree maker
Handipoints - resource for kids
ItCanSay - pronunciation guide
Lovely Charts - flow charts for free
Notemesh - collaborative note taking site
Psykopaint - free source comparable to photoshop
Ravelry - knit and crochet community
TicTOCS - Table of Contents feeds from your favorite journals
Vimeo - YouTube for snobs, much better features and better video than YouTubes

My thoughts: there was so much more links presented than what I listed on this blog. I just listed the ones that I thought were pretty cool. It just shows that there is so much more out there than you can keep up with.

MLA Conference - Last Day

2009-10-09T08:38:00.003-05:00

I am waiting for the last day of the MLA conference to start. I have to say that I am very pleased with the conference this year. I have went to some great sessions, learned some new things, and have also had some great conversations with other librarians. I have especially enjoyed the meals with other librarians and hearing the great stories.

To my friend out there who is clueless about librarians and their jobs (yes you know who you are), I think that if you attended this conference you would be in for a big shock as to the future of libraries and librarians. Yes we do know about technology, we do teach our users, and we collaborate with each other. Librarianship is so much more than checking out books and shushing people. The jokes are getting old my friend, the sad part is when you say them you really aren't joking. Well this conference has brought to light the great things that librarians are doing. Libraries are the heart of a corporation, the institution, and the community. The world may be changing, new technologies are abounding, yet the library will still be here. Maybe not in the sense that most people think of libraries, but we will still be here, we will still be instructing users, we will still be collaborating with each other, and we will be incorporating new technologies into our services to give our users what they want. This is an exciting time and I am glad to be a librarian.

MLA Conference - Table Talk on Cost Cutting Measure to Stretch Material Budgets

2009-10-08T09:38:00.008-05:00

Lyn Cline, MSU and Sarah Cron discuss ways to stretch the budget to get more materials to support the courses of the university.

Discussing the following:

Local Fiscal Environments

Library Materials Cost Factors and Pressure Points

Cost Reduction Approaches-Acquisitions

Cost Reduction Approaches-Collection Development

Move standing orders into the approval plan so that they get the discount and also have to be analyzed as to if they really need to be in the collection.

MLA Conference Positive Approaches to Organizational Change

2009-10-08T09:38:00.005-05:00

Speakers Leo Agnew, M. Jean Darbyshire, and Keith Russell

Session discussing Organizational Development (OD)

Ground Rules
-Confidentiality
-Speak up
-Stay on Point

Parking Garage Concept
-Long-term parking, issues that we would like to deal with in future meetings. Long-term issues

Techniques Used
-Radical Inquiry - 3 stage process
--What happened, What is the impact, Now what do we do about this
Used with employee/employer situations

-Elevator Presentations
--short presentations that can be given in the time you ride an elevator

Principles of Practice
-Values-based
--think of others as we go through these values

Get more accomplished if focusing on the positive
Start with the positive and if that doesn't work, go to plan b

Start off to do everything possible to make sure that your organization is healthy. If there is something that needs to change, note it and make decisions on how to change it if it really needs to be changed.

When there are problems or issues there are three things
-People
-Processes
-Problems

With those there are
-communication
-documentation
-accountability

Ladder of Inference
-Select data from an ocean of data
-Interpret the data
-Draw conclusions
Our conclusions are affected by how we interpret data..the data we select impacts the next steps...currently held conclusions affect the data selected to support the conclusion.

Conclusions are often presented as factual when they are actually inferential.

Personal Responsibility
-See that the organization is successful
-Everyone has the opportunity for input
-Get a mentor
-If you can't get experience at work, look at social clubs and volunteer work

Sidenote: Put on your resume that you are nice. Interpersonal skills

Try to find an organization that meshes with your values.
Higher-level thinking in libraries - brought about by OD

Ask new hires what they think about the organization, you can find out what kind of an organization you really have.

Book: The Power of Appreciative Inquiry

My thoughts: I have never been to a presentation that was made up of mini presentations. It was actually very good and a good way to provide a lot of information in a short amount of time. I was very pleased with this session, however there was a lot of information and a lot of handouts. This is one that I will take back to work and try to digest more slowly.

MLA Conference - Up the Career Ladder

2009-10-08T08:45:00.002-05:00

John Furlong and Katrina Stierholz are discussing how to go into library management and some of their experiences.

Presenters are discussing how they fell into librarianship. Sounds like that happens to many of us. I know I did not plan on being a librarian.

General Tips
-Be prepared when searching for a job. Have a lot of different experiences in order to learn and grow. While you are at your current position, look around and see if there are other things that you can do to gain experience.

-Technology is changing the workforce, keep up to date with what is going on in the workforce.

-Reference and collection development are two of the least needed positions to move ahead in the librarian field. (According to a survey). Reference and collection development have always been the corner stone of the library world. This is changing due to changes with technology.

-Partnerships, PR, and Web Development are now the most crucial areas in the librarian field.

-Be proactive by keeping your resume current. Also keep abreast of what opportunities are available.

Lessons learned from experiences
-Think ahead especially with technology. Try to stay ahead of the curve or at least with the curve.
-Think outside the box when it comes to professional development.
-Think of community work/volunteer that can also increase your skills set
-Do something hard, get out of your comfort zone
-If up doesn't work try sideways, because you may be able to go up from there
-Figure out how to motivate yourself and realize when you are at a career plateau
-Get supervisory experience whenever wherever
-Use challenges at work as developmental opportunities

Perfect timing doesn't exist, work life balance is not perfect, If you want to move ahead, sometimes you have to give up some things with your home life. They are all choices that you have to make.

Book: FYI For Your Improvement
Uses the Lominger Model
Includes competencies that most executives and then most managers present
Also talk about career stallers or stoppers
This is a strength based model so capitalize on your strengths, for your weaknesses, you will never get rid of them, but bring up your weaknesses just enough that they don't get in your way.

Career Stoppers
-Overly ambitious
-Lack of ethics and values
-Failure to build a team
-Insensitive to others

Try not to bring emotions into your work. Keep it professional not personal.

It is my experiences that define me.

My thoughts: This session was not what I was expecting, but it was great! It really made me think not just about moving up in my career, but what I need to do where I am at now to improve my experiences. I actually needed this session since things at work have not been the best. I am seeing now that everything that is going on at work, is a learning experience. I can use the negative and turn it around to make it a positive learning experience. Thanks John and Katrina!

MLA Conference - Meeting Makeover: From Frankly Frustrated to Positively Productive

2009-10-07T15:12:00.003-05:00

Tracy Rochow Byerly from the Missouri Library Network Corporation (MLNC) is discussing how to makeover your meetings to make them more productive.

First think about selecting meeting participants by looking at what you want to accomplish.

First think about why you want to have a meeting. Have a meeting for actions.
-make decisions
-generate ideas
-get status reports
-communicate something
-make plans

Next step is to develop the agenda.
-state desired outcome
-list activities to reach that outcome
-next to each activities include the type of action needed
-next to each topic, include a time estimate for addressing each topic
-be prepared to change the agenda
-think how you label things

Consider your agenda
-priorities must be addressed
-in what order should the topics be covered
-when will the meeting take place
-where will the meeting take place

Opening Meetings
-start on time
-review agenda and clarify if needed
-model the kind of energy and participation needed
-if you want a more successful meeting get things out in advanced

Ground Rules - can even include ground rules on the agenda
-everyone should be participating
-stay focused on the agenda items
-maintain momentum
-reach closure on discussions, even if it is just to table the discussion till the next meeting
-clarify the use of electronic devices upfront

Time Management
-keep moving
--ask participants to help you keep track of time
--if timing is getting out of hand, present it to the group & ask for their input as to a resolution

Closing a meeting
-come to a conclusion
-end on time
-review action items & assignments

My thoughts - there are some great ideas that were presented in this session. Some of these things we are already doing in our meetings, others we aren't. I am hoping to take this back and see if we can make some changes to our meetings to make them more productive.

MLA Conference - The Net-Geners Are Calling. Can You Answer?

2009-10-07T14:07:00.003-05:00

Alice B. Ruleman, Access Services Librarian from the James C. Kirkpatrick Library at the University of Central Missouri is discussing net-geners as library users and how mobile technology fits into the library.

2008 Horizon Report
-Mobile broadband name as one of 6 major emerging tehcnologies
-Expected to have a significant impact on education within 3-5 years
-Students expect mobile access

Pew Internet Report
-The smartphone will be the significant source of how users access the internet

Mobile technology is handheld, accesses the internet and also has some other features.

Net-Geners also called Millennials, have always grown up with technology, they have always been connected.

People would rather give up their computer and tv, than to give up their cell phone.

***I say that makes sense, since you can access tv and computer apps on your cell phone anyway.***

1990 - 11 million mobile phones
2005 - 2.2 billion mobile phones
50% of Americans subscribe to services
90% of Asians subscribe to services

Worldcat is available in a mobile format. Can look up a book, see the library that is closest to you that owns the book, give you the phone number for the library, and also give you the directions to the library.

***It really is amazing how many mobile apps are available - almost anything that you can think of. It shows how people really are wanting mobile services.***

AirPAC - Innovative's mobile online catalog for libraries to use for users.

M-Libraries - wiki on mobile libraries http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=M-Libraries

Reaching your mobile patrons
-Texting reference
-Twitter
-Ebooks for mobile
-Mobile library tours
-Texting courtesy/Holds/Overdue notices

My thoughts - this was a good session that really made me realize how our library is lagging behind. However it is not necessarily because we are not aware, it is more because of money, time, and staffing. Even though we may be lacking in those three areas, we do need to discuss how we could incorporate some mobile apps into our services for our students. Good strategic planning discussion.

MLA Conference Keynote - Library Advocacy from the Frontline

2009-10-07T13:04:00.007-05:00

I am sitting here at the Missouri Library Association Annual conference. The keynote speaker is the first line up. I am hoping to be able to blog throughout this conference to keep everyone up to date on what is going on here at the MLA conference.

Dr. Camila A. Alire, the president of the American Library Association is the keynote speaker and discussing how advocacy must start with the library staff and faculty.

She defines advocacy as "active support of a cause or course of action." Her presidential initiative is involving library staff in library advocacy. "We all must advocate for the value of our libraries and all of us must also be able to articulate our value as library employees."

Types of Advocacy
-Legislative
--Library Administrators
--Trustees
--Friends
--Grassroots

What's not happening is frontline advocacy coming from librarians and library support staff.

So how can librarians and library staff advocate for their library?
1. Articulate the value of your respective libraries and the value to their communities.
2. Intermediaries - Improve the quality of resources and services in the library environment.

Typically frontline librarians and staff are not charged to do library advocacy. Usually they are just responsible for services and outreach. The main thing that should be being done is to talk about how good your library is.

Level 1 Advocacy - Involve people by the virtue of their title and/or responsibilities
Level 2 Advocacy - Involve other librarians and library staff

Build an Advocacy Team
-Determine the extent of frontline staff involvement
--Provide scripts and/or "cheat sheets"
-Articulate that involvement and add to job responsibilites

Remember that staff must do advocacy at their comfort level by matching the message with the venues (grocery store, ballgame, etc.), work with staff for input, and then allow the staff to meet so that they can assess the outcomes of advocacy.

"Anyone who thinks they are too small to be effective has never been in bed with a mosquito."

My thoughts - this was a good session with a lot of good things to think about. We don't really think of librarians and library staff needing to advocate for the library, but it really is part of our job.

It's That Time of Year Again

2009-08-07T09:25:00.005-05:00

This week has definitely shown the signs of school starting. Faculty are back and even some students are back. I am in the midst of trying to get caught up on my work before we get into the full swing of things. This year there are going to be a few changes that I hope will help students with getting information and with accessing the library.

The first change is that we have moved a few things around in the library. I have to admit I love rearranging things and this goes for at work, not just at home. We now have a "workroom" where the students can access their prints, make photocopies, punch holes, staple papers, etc. You will no longer have to go back and forth from room to room to get all of this done. I have also created some short tutorials on accessing and searching our databases. I am hoping to have these posted to our website probably at the beginning of September. Which brings me to another change, our website is being redesigned with what I think will help with a good user experience. And last but not least, we have a new evening person working. Kathy McGovern is our new Part Time Patron Services Assistant. For those of you who know Sharron, she resigned due to health issues. Kathy has taken her place and is doing wonderful. Kathy will be working Monday-Thursday 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This fall semester is going to be busy but good. I am looking forward to everyone being back and getting back into the swing of things.

Using Web 2.0 Tools for Library Instruction

2009-07-15T13:25:00.003-05:00

I am currently working on a presentation dealing with the use of web 2.0 tools, how to incorporate them, and how to market them to students. I would love to hear from other librarians and instructors to hear what they are doing in their coursework to implement such things as blogs, tweets, Facebook, podcasts, etc.

My personal experience that I have found is that students use such things for personal use, but when it comes to education, they try to stick with more traditional settings. This is completely opposite of what the literature is saying. So what is going on? I am on a quest to find out if it is just our area that is having this issue or not. Are students just not ready to use social networking tools in their education? Any thoughts that you have out there would be great.

Mobius Conference - VuFind at Truman Next-generation Open-source Blues

2009-06-03T13:40:00.004-05:00

This session is about using an open-source next-generation catalog. Presenter is Stephen Wynn, Head of Technical Services and Systems at Pickler Memorial Library, Truman State University.

Last-generation catalogs are unfriendly, have limited feature and are no longer cool.
Next-generation catalogs have visual organization of results, faceted searching, results from catalog and more, social software, tag clouds. Examples include Encore and Aquabrowser. Presenter is showing an example of Encore and it looks really cool. So much nicer than the regular (old-fashioned) library catalog.

Right Generation Interfaces
-are told that libraries are losing users to Google and Amazon, but are we really in competition with them?
-Cool is nice, but most of the time libraries are not cool.
-Libraries should be interested in useful features such as faceted searching, breadcrumbs and social features

Options for Open Source catalogs:
Blacklight, Fac-bac-opac, LibraryFind, Scriblio, VuFind

VuFind - pulls info out of the last generation catalog such as if a book is available, descriptions and holdings, with next-generation users can then tag or rate the item. This also has a "cite this" option for different style guides. Students love this feature!

Features of VuFind include faceted searching, social software, real-time data from catalog, customizable index, breadcrumbs, statistical information available through SOLR Admin Module, locally created fields may be addded to the index in any way you please, relevancy ranking is completley customizable, and links to book cover images, reviews and other vendor content.

VuFind Social Software - users can set-up an account, add tags, rate items, etc. Does not currently have visual organization (tag clouds)

Fuctions for placing holds and obtaining "My Library" information are not yet written.

This library ran into problems with the installation instructions, they had to write their own.

There is a large learning curve for this product, not just this product but all the others that have to be used to support this (i.e. MySQL, Linux, Apache, etc.)

Result: did not end up implementing because of problems such as placing holds, viewing checked-out items and fines, built-in security measures, and optimizing SOLR.

While it did not work for this library, other libraries out there are using this and other's like it.

Mobius Conference - LibGuides

2009-06-03T10:59:00.004-05:00

Second session getting ready to start. This one is about LibGuides presented by: first Rebecca Power anbd Chris LaBeau from UMKC, second Jaleh Fazelian and Melissa Vetter both from Washing University in St. Louis and Rick Dyson from Missouri Western State University . Several presenters from Wash U today.

LibGuide - predesigned website librarians can update easily can include RSS feeds, embedded chats, Delicious tag clouds, embedded video, student feedback, polls, etc.

Chris LeBeau - uses LibGuides first as classroom instruction and then for reference help. Students know what content they want, but not necessarily a specific item. Uses tabs on her libguide for organization purposes. Presenter is giving good information, but really specific to what she is doing - business resources. Study - average student only asks .1 question in class, teachers only ask 3 questions. On a one to one basis students will ask far more questions. On her libguide gives an area a way for students to ask questions after the class.

***Good idea to use for my bibliographic instruction classes.***

This presenter created a Q&A page with questions asked after the class.

Rebecca Power - Embedding the library, can embed a LibGuides widget into Blackboard.

***This is something that I would love to do to give students more information about the library and librarian. Students could have this at home when they are doing research. I am still thinking that I would like to go to their classes so they can see the "face" of the library. But what a great way to connect to the students where they are.***

Jaleh Fazelian and Melissa Vetter - Assessing LibGuides. Are students and faculty really using them? They compared their web based guides to their LibGuides. The overall usage of LibGuides increased exponentially in a year's time. Why? Link to guides better situated on newly redesigned home page, promotion of LibGuides, push to advertise in all areas, links in email signatures. Besides looking at stats, interviewed faculty and grad and undergrad students to see how they liked/used the guides.

Best quote from Jaleh Fazelian "It's not about what we [librarians] want, it is about what they [students] want." Amen sister.

Rick Dyson - started LibGuides in 2007, uses it for subject guides and course guides. What else can they be used for? Currently they have over 40 public guides. Non-traditional guides include special collections, library documents, faculty services, and guidelines for library exhibits.

***side not to my Bolivar colleagues, would be good to have one for the Author Series. ***

Private guides include policy and procedures for staff. Staff can not only access but have write access.

***So my question is with the way he is describing it, how is it different from a wiki? I'm thinking money.***

Rick has a libguide for his presentation found at http://libguides.missouriwestern.edu/mobiuspre

***I really think that this presentation would be better if they could have divded out the information instead of trying to put all this info into one presentation. Five different presenters from three different schools, all talking about something different. The only similarity is that they are talking about LibGuides.***

Mobius Conference - Embedded Librarian

2009-06-03T09:32:00.004-05:00

I am sitting at the first session entitle the Embedded Librarian - hoping to learn new and great things. The speaker is Brian Vetruba, Catalog librarian from Washington University in St. Louis. Right now technical difficulties with the presentation.

Presentation started - via webcast

Started in 2006 holding "office hours" - Official office hours at Main Library underutilized office located off-campus. Departmental lectures and social events became "office hours"

Becoming Embedded
-Regular office hours in convenient setting
-Problem was finding space and computer could use
-2 to 2.5 hours a week in the Dept.

Advertise and Be Visible
-Email, newsletter, signs
-Don't stay put in your office
-Strategically walk the halls
-Strike up conversations with faculty and students

Informal conversations can be productive

Results--Personal touch back into librarianship

***My thoughts is that this is a great idea when you are at a large university, you really need to have that interaction with the faculty and students to find their needs. I was hoping for more information on how to do this virtually which he has not discussed.***

Benefits
-Convenience
-being seen will prompt questions
-good pr for library
-market other services
-collegiality with faculty

Drawbacks/Challenges
-commitment of time
-no print resources available
-space at dept.'s whim

***I'm still thinking that there is a better way to do outreach to other dept.'s and students. In our world of the social web, it would be better to hold virtual office hours. I understand wanting to be "seen" but why not "go" where the students are...Facebook, MySpace, chat, etc. Just saying.***

Suggestions
-have relationship established with dept. beforehand
-walk the halls, meet people

***Presenter is good, but the presentation was not really what I expected. In other words there was good information, but really nothing pertained to what I would be doing in my job.***

Something Has Got To Give

2009-03-18T11:48:00.003-05:00

I am on work overload. It is not necessarily that I have too much to do, although I do have a lot to do. It is just that the work that I have to do all have deadlines starting on March 30th and then every week I have something coming due. I am wanting to present at two conferences this fall, plus I am also currently writing an article for submission to a journal. Also if all goes well I will be co/teaching a course this summer. I also have to write a philosophy statement for events that take place in the library (Bolivar campus, not Springfield), order books and media items (which is always ongoing), teach bibliographic instruction to classes, help students with research, and the everyday work that comes up. Now don't get me wrong I am not necessarily complaining. In fact, truth be told, the researching, writing articles, presenting, and teaching are all things that I love to do. My biggest problem is time management and learning how to get everything done.

So if you come into the library and see me looking harried, be assured that it is all the work that I have piled on my desk, not the question that you have to ask. Also know that if my office door is open, then please feel free to come and see me and ask questions. I will more than welcome the interruption. However if you see my door shut (only while someone else is here in the library), then know it is only so I can have some time to try and get some of the many things done that I have on my plate. I am hoping that all this writing and researching will result in some positive changes for the library in the future. This is really an exciting time and I am so happy to be part of SBU and St. John's College of Nursing.

Staying up to date

2009-03-16T11:25:00.004-05:00

Well, I said that I was going to do better at keeping everyone up to date, but I haven't. Everyone should check out my blog at: http://hollithelibrarygirl.blogspot.com/. This blog is updated at least once a week and it allows you to see what I am currently doing in regards to new technologies in the library field. It may be a good idea to keep posted because I am hoping that you will see some of these technologies used here in the near future.

Next week is Spring Break and I am ready for the break. I will be on vacation next week and the library will have shortened hours. They will be posted on the door of the library today, but I will go ahead and post them here first.

Monday the 23rd - Closed
Tuesday the 24th through Thursday the 26th - 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Friday the 27th 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

I hope that you all can make it through this week and have a great Spring Break!

Follow me as I take a class

2009-02-24T15:25:00.004-06:00

It is not often that I get to take a class and I am enjoying it. You can follow along with my blog for the class at: http://hollithelibrarygirl.blogspot.com/. I am learning about Library 2.0 or social networking technologies that I can use in the library to communicate with students and also to help teach students.

Today I created an account on Del.icio.us. I am working on saving bookmarks that will be helpful to both students and colleagues. You can see the bookmarks that I have currently by going to: http://delicious.com/hollithelibrarygirl. You can always suggest bookmarks for me to add. Also I would appreciate any other comments you might have.

I can't believe it has been a year!

2009-02-10T15:20:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that it has been a year since my last blog entry. A lot has happened in that year with birth of my daughter, and the changes in the curriculum here at the Springfield campus. I am hoping to continue my blog and keep everyone up to date about what is going on in the library.

I am currently working on a class that is titled "Learning 2.0: The 13 Things." Basically I am learning about web 2.0 technologies and how to incorporate them into the library. My first assignment is to create a blog. Well guess what? I already have a blog that I just haven't used in a long time. So here I am posting to my blog once more.

What I would like to learn from you the student, or faculty is what types of technologies do you think the library should incorporate? Perhaps podcasts, RSS feeds, wikis, etc. Maybe there is something that I haven't thought of. I welcome all suggestions and feedback.

Slowing Down

2007-12-06T14:56:00.000-06:00

Finals week are next week and you can tell that things are definitely slowing down around here. This week started out being one of the busiest weeks since the start of school and is ending as one of the slowest.

I would just like to remind everyone to keep the noise down as students are studying for finals. It is usually not a problem and I thank all of you in advance for being courteous to your fellow students.

Good to luck to everyone with their finals!

Monday

2007-12-03T16:27:00.000-06:00

For all of you studying for the A&P test tomorrow, you can take models out of the Model and Slide Study Room. We just ask that you keep the models in the library. It seems that we have had a run on the study room today and at times not all the students that want to study can fit in there. You are more than welcome to study in another part of the library.

Today has been a very busy day to say the least. Just a reminder to those that are still having printing problems - be sure and check the corkboard in the computer labs for instructions on logging into the computers and also on printing. Also you can always ask the library staff or Peggy the IT person.

Kuddos to the students that put their names on the handouts they were printing. It made the printing rush this morning so much easier. Thank you so much for that!!!!

I hope that you all have a good day and good luck to the A&P students!

Library Study Rooms

2007-11-30T15:22:00.000-06:00

I just want to remind everyone about our study rooms and how they are used. We currently have two study rooms that are also viewing rooms for students that need to watch videos for class. Since our videos are checked out for only two hours and have to stay in the library, the students that need to watch videos take precedence over the students just wanting to study.

We also have a study room that is specifically for slides and models. This is brand new this year and the first time that these students have had a place to study. The only time that this room can be used for general study is when there are no tests or quizzes that the A&P students need to study for. If you want to use this study room for general study purposes, please come to the library front desk first and ask.

It would be awesome if we had study rooms available in the library for all that needed them. Right now there are study rooms in the gym area available if all the library study rooms are in use.

I just want to thank the students that have been so cooperative about giving up a study room to students that take precedence. I have had a lot of students that have been very kind, understanding, and gracious. That makes working here a true blessing! I hope that you all have a great weekend!

Long Time

2007-11-28T10:46:00.000-06:00

Well it has officially been over two months since my last blog and I did exactly what I said I wasn't going to do, which is start something and then not keep it up to date. Work here has been very busy and I have had to let a few things go to get other things done. Work still hasn't slowed down much, but I decided that I did need to update you all on what is going on.

Printing - If you are trying to print and can't there are two things that could be wrong. The first is that you are not logged into the computer. When you sit down at the computer you need to logon to Windows by using your ID# as the username and your Blackboard/Netmail password as the password. If you are logged into the computer, and still can't print, then you probably don't have money in your account. Be sure and tell me (Holli the Librarian) or Peggy (IT Person) that you want to add money to your account. You don't actually need cash in hand to do this. Just tell us the amount that you want added and you will get a bill for it later. The money carries over each semester.

Several students believe that they can have a negative balance in their printing account and that they will just be billed for the amount that they "charge." This is not the case you actually have to tell us to put money on your account. If you guys have any questions at all, please feel free to ask me or Peggy about it.

I hope that you all have a great end of semester and I will be adding posts to my blog hopefully every day. Take care and see you all in the library.

TGIF

2007-09-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

Well it is Friday and I will be on vacation next week. Amanda and Sharron will both be here so if there are any problems, be sure and talk to one of them. I won't be checking my email as often, but I will be checking it periodically. I hope that all of you have a good week. Good luck to those who are doing presentations next week. I will see you all on October 1.

Research Assistance

2007-09-18T14:52:00.001-05:00

Many of you are having research papers due very soon. I want to let you know that you can come into the library and ask for me to help you if you are having trouble finding articles. I will be on vacation next week, so if your paper is due soon, be sure and come to the library this week. You can set up an appointment with me, or if I am not busy I can help when you come in.

Remember that if you are also looking for books, and you are not finding what you need at our library, you can always request a book from another library in our consortium. It only takes 3-5 days for the book to get here and it does not cost you anything. Be sure and ask how to request books if you are needing help.

Remember that I am here to help in anyway while you do your research.

Class Software Update and Research Assistance

2007-09-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

We are still having problems with some access to the class software. At first we thought it was a lab issue, and then we thought it was a student login issue. Right now we are not sure what is going on except that if you try to access the class software from any computer lab and it does not give you access to it, let me or Peggy know. Peggy is working on getting the issue cleared up. I just have to say that I am so glad that she is here, especially when these types of issues arise.

If you have any other issues come up, please let us know so we can get them fixed for you. Also I have noticed that a lot of you are having research assignments due within the next couple of weeks. I will be on vacation the week of September 24th so if you need help with finding research articles for your paper, be sure and come in this week to ask for help. You can always make an appointment, or if I am not busy, I will help you right away.

Class Software

2007-09-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have realized that there are some problems accessing some of the class software from Computer Lab A. If you are having this problem, try one of the other computer labs. IT is aware of the problem and is working on getting it fixed. If you can't access the class software from any of the labs, then let me know, or let Peggy know. Thanks for all of your patience with the changes. Like I said yesterday once all the bugs are worked out, then it will be worth it. Hope you guys have a great day!

My first blog entry on this site

2007-09-13T14:27:00.000-05:00

Hey it's great to finally find the time to start blogging. I have started numerous times and haven't kept up with it, but I resolve to keep at it this time around. Things are have been very busy in the library. Over the summer numerous changes have been made. We now have two study rooms in the library equipped with t.v.'s, vcr's, dvd players, computers, and dry erase boards. These rooms have been very popular since the start of school. I am glad so many of the students are using them. We also have a room for studying models and slides. Several students have been using this room with a test coming up in Anatomy and Physiology.

I hope that students will comment and give me feedback on the changes in the library. I know there have been some bugs with switching to how students login to computers, but in the long run it will make things easier and our IT staff is great at fixing all the little problems that keep popping up. If you see our new IT person in the halls, be sure and give her a big "thank you" for all the work she has done. We are so blessed to have her here!

Keep checking in to see what is going on here at the library and feel free to make any coments.