Intro to Library Presentation: Success!

Since Jan was out today, I volunteered to take over her presentation to a mid-start Success Strategies class. All that I know was that the instructor had given me about an hour to talk about the resources in the Online library.

Normally when I give this presentation, I run through the resources (sometimes with students following along, sometimes not) and the results are the same: students' eyes glaze over, they play solitaire or work on assignments, etc. It's frustrating to me, in part because I believe I deserve their respect, in part because I know that I'm sharing information that will be valuable to them down the road - probably a very short road.

I came up with a solution this morning as I was waking up. I'm only blogging about it because it happened to be successful, I think. After I set up the laptop, I passed out 11x14 sheets of paper to each student. I had the entire class turn off their computer monitors. Then, we talked about maps. I talked about how a map gets a person from one point to another, that the legend usually identifies rivers, railroads, Chuck E Cheeses, etc. (they laughed).

Then, I asked them to use the paper to create a map that they could use to navigate the library website. I told them that they could write all text, or they could draw out a map with pictures and arrows, etc. I encouraged them to include the key resources that they thought would be helpful in their program. I also told them that their instructor would collect them at the end of class to take a look at the maps, and then hand them back so that the students could use them as a guide.

The instructor did not know in advance. Thankfully, she likes me.

We walked through the catalog. I identified each of the databases by program, and we took a look at Academic Search Complete and Points of View (may favorite, but all of the students liked it). We looked at the Magnolia sites, and then APA tools. I showed them Noodlebib and how to create a APA-formatted paper using the export feature (they loved it). I showed them Ask a Librarian, and then logged into Meebo and chatted with myself.

They had questions! They asked about getting back into the databases, using Noodlebib, using MEEBO, and about the Magnolia sites. I stayed to watch the instructor collect the maps, and a couple of students were really worried that they wouldn't get them back! Many of the students asked about the assignment that they have for their Success class (a six page paper - egads!) All of the maps contained substantial notes, and many had visuals (arrows, images). I believe that it's a legitimate assessment for what is otherwise a potentially mundane and/or overwhelming workshop.

I need to get back in the classroom more often. I love doing workshops and I miss connecting that way with students.

Constitution Day happenings on GB campus

In addition to everything else happening system-wide, we're going to do a couple of other 'events'.

1. During the week of September 8th, we will be running an in-class competition, completely voluntary. We will be providing all the words of the preamble, mixed up. Each class, as a team, will need to put the words in order. There will be no using the web to find the answer. The closest team will be awarded with a copy of the constitution AND pizza!

2. I'm figuring out a way to display something on the board we have- which is in the student lounge right now - and have some sort of interactive Bill of Rights discussion (which is the most important / why). Students really got into writing on the boards during the Women's Equality week last week.

That's what we're planning right now. Are you doing anything extra?

Perfect Timing for the 'Future of Privacy'

I had just finished glancing at the latest American Libraries Direct when, within minutes, a student asked me for information on "Privacy and the Internet." In the "Actions & Answers" section of Direct, an article says the September issue of Scientific American "focuses mostly on technologies that erode privacy and technologies that preserve it."

The student and I clicked on http://www.sciam.com/sciammag/ and it is really worth taking a look at. The features include "Do Social Networks Bring the End of Privacy," "How RFID Tags Could Be Used To Track Unsuspecting People," and "Privacy in an Age of Terabytes and Terror" -- just to list a few. Fascinating!

Learn with the Librarian

I found great videos about voting in North Dakota on the website for the Secretary of State. I was thinking of a way to share them with my students, and I decided to create Learn with the Librarian blog.

I'm still mulling over ideas for how to market it and other ways to use the blog after Constitution Day is over. I think I might use it to showcase new acquisitions and to market workshops. (Amy, you've done something similar for your faculty, haven't you?)

I'd welcome your comments and suggestions!

Special Projects for Interns

I am hoping to piggy-back on Cynthia’s well received post regarding interns.

In addition to the regular duties (circulation, reference interviews, collection development, workshops, cataloguing), interns will now be asked to complete one major project.

Does anyone have suggestions for what this project should be? I would relish any suggestions my fellow librarians would have.

A few ideas that have been tossed around include; Collection Marketing, Open Workshops, & making a presentation to the Librarians regarding an emerging technology.

New to Facebook?

Check out these EASY Facebook 101 tips.

Survey Updates, Take II

Thanks to those of you (6 of you, where was everyone else?) who submitted comments about the surveys. I will detail changes I've made (or have not made and why) below.

Workshop Survey
- added Fort Myers to the campus list

- I Changed question 2 to a general pick list of workshops that you often give. I also included an "other" box for students to identify a blended workshop of 2 or more topics, if they feel it to be necessary.

- I changed the language of the first two items in #3 to "this information will be useful"

- I put the "effort" question as the last one in the set of #3. This was a suggestion made by one of you and I think it's a valuable question, considering how many students label something as boring/useless right now.

- I added a line in the e-mail portion about the e-mail remaining anonymous. I can send you results without you seeing which person added which response.

General Survey
- Added Fort Myers

- I'm leaving the "online library" language as is. The question is not for students to identify print resources that we are lacking (although, I guess it could be); it's for online students who do not visit the physical library. If we take out the "online library" part, fully online students may not think that the question applies to them.

- Changed "completed" to "attempted research"

- Changed the use of Library question to: The library (or Online Library) is useful for research, individual work, or group study (please note the OR here - I know that not all libraries are used for group study - but some certainly are)

- Added anonymous statement

- Added separate comment/question box

Questions, Concerns??

Survey Updates - Please read & respond

Librarians:

To make it easier for students to complete the online and general surveys, and to assure that the questions in our surveys are relevant and meaningful, I’ve updated both surveys and put them in Survey Monkey.

We have a few discussions before these will be in place, so please do not begin using them in your library, in e-mail transactions, or for workshops. However, I am very much interested in your feedback about
1) The questions themselves (Are they appropriate? Consistent with our mission and needs for assessment? Too many?)
2) The wording (Too “librarian-speak”)
3) What’s missing?

Please login to Survey Monkey today or tomorrow (http://www.surveymonkey.com; if you cannot find the username/password, please IM me) and click on “My Surveys”. The top two surveys are the ones to review. Please comment to this post.

Thank you for your help.

Baker & Taylor stamps

I know I ordered a lot of books, but...
Sara recently received her first box of items with Baker & Taylor processing. She noticed that they were all stamped Bismarck Campus even though they're the items she ordered. You may want to check how your books are stamped.

Plagiarism

Mary came across this site in one of the classes she teaches. One of her students is doing a paper on plagiarism. She wanted me to read it and comment. I felt that many of the thoughts here were on target and I am going to look at plagiarism differently. I truely feel that many of our students fall into the misuse of resources category.

Let me know what you think.

http://wpacouncil.org/positions/plagiarism.html

Practicum Student (Amended)

Starting next month, I will be having a practicum student working with me on Tuesdays. I have come up with a list of tasks for her to do, which of course mirror my own. She should also have a project. One of the things that I have been meaning to do since I started last October is to rearrange the library (collection, not furniture) to make it more accessible for users. I'm thinking this might be a nice project for a LIS student. What projects have you given your practicum students/interns? Any advice/tips you would like to share on managing students/interns?

“Library Accessibility” toolkit

CHICAGO—Anxiety, panic, and fear. When trying to help a patron with a disability, many expert librarians are overcome by these emotions.

Recognizing that education is the most effective method for overcoming these barriers, a team of volunteers in conjunction with the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) developed Library Accessibility –What You Need to Know, which provides critical information and tips for librarians and staff in all types of libraries.

Edited by Monique DeLatte, this toolkit of 15 concise documents outlines the challenges faced by disabled patrons and offers methods for delivering one-on-one library services to these groups. The toolkit content was compiled by a committee of ASCLA members in partnership with experts in the field of library access, library science students at Louisiana State University and patrons with disabilities and their families.

Library Accessibility –What You Need to Knowcan be downloaded through the ASCLA web site


ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association, is devoted to the development of specialized and cooperative library activities, and its members represent state library agencies, specialized library agencies, multitype library cooperatives and librarians who work outside of traditional library settings.

Camel Bookmobile

I just finished a book titled "Camel Bookmobile" it is by Masha Hamilton. It was about a young librarian, who wasn't quite sure why she pursued this career because she felt that she didn't fit the mold. She knew though, that she loved the feeling of helping a person find the right book and she felt that she was pretty good at it. She jumps at the chance to go to Africa to be part of a program where librarians help those in "the bush" become literate. This book is based on a true story and it is an enjoyable read. It will make you become aware that not all cultures place literacy high on their list and that the past is very important.

A successful RSS workshop!

Last Friday I hosted a RSS workshop for the EP Faculty. It lasted about an hour and took the place of our Faculty Friday morning meeting.

We started with a brief introduction and explanation of RSS, which included a viewing of the Common Craft RSS video on YouTube. The viewing went successfully, and several faculty members even chuckled. I recommended that they look for Common Craft videos on other Web 2.0 topics. Next, I demonstrated my own Google RSS Reader and answered a few questions. The final segment of the workshop gave faculty members the time to set up their own Google Reader accounts. There were quite a few questions and much discussion between faculty members.

At the close of the workshop, several faculty members expressed that they were happy they attended the workshop and that they would continue exploring RSS on their own.

In the future I may consider hosting a RSS in the Classroom workshop. However, I think as most of us mentioned in a previous post, I would definately have to get more familiar with RSS on my own first.

Opportunity - ALA President announces virtual poster sessions

From ALA News -

This year, under American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Rettig’s leadership, members will have new opportunities to participate in ALA and to communicate their success stories. One of these opportunities is an ALA-wide virtual poster session.

The first of two poster sessions will debut this fall. Its focus is “Community Central.”

Share your experiences of making your library vital in your community (any kind of community). The possibilities are almost endless. Are you reaching underserved populations? Are you vital to local political activity? Is your library a center of learning? Are you visible outside the building? Demonstrate the specific purpose of your community involvement and the ways that you have achieved that purpose. Photos, images, and sounds may accompany your presentation.

To be considered for inclusion in the poster session, please send a proposal in the form of a summary of your library’s efforts, making sure to address the following points:

Question or problem (need not be stated as hypotheses)
Environmental context of the question or problem (such as public libraries, academic libraries)
Organizational context of the question or problem (internal services, outreach, community analysis, etc.)
Approaches to address the question or problem (i.e., the specific ways the library and its staff have addressed the kinds of programs and activities mentioned in the Community Central description)
Outcomes (details on the effects of the approaches, including data, testimonials or other evidence of community involvement)
The summary must be no longer than three pages, double-spaced (one or more photos or images may be included as part of the three pages).

The deadline for submitting proposals is Nov. 15. Approximately 25 submissions will be selected and will be available for viewing during January 2009. Please send the proposals via e-mail to Dr. John M. Budd at BuddJ@missouri.edu.

A second virtual poster session will take place in the spring of 2009.

Rettig’s initiatives for his presidential term are about “Creating Connections” –connections among our libraries; connections between the communities we serve and those who make funding and policy decisions; connections with prospective library workers; connections with ALA members. His initiatives address three critical issues: Advocacy, Diversity and Member Participation.

For more information about ALA President Jim Rettig’s initiatives, please visit http://jimrettig.org/content/initiatives/initiatives.htm .

WebJunction 2.0

I know that Sara told us all about WebJunction a while ago. Just thought I'd bring it to your attention that they have revamped their website to 2.0

If you aren't familiar with the site, they offer online courses, etc. specific to libraries-

http://webjunction.org/home

Article - As Seen By The Color Blind

I originally saw this article in American Libraries (ALDirect):

As Seen By The Color Blind
By evad in Tools, Guides, Popular, ArticlesPrint this page

In the U.S. 7% of the male population – or about 10.5 million men – and 0.4% of the female population either cannot distinguish red from green, or see red and green differently. Color blindness affects a significant amount of the population, and it is even more prevalent in more isolated populations with a smaller gene pools. It is mostly a genetic condition, though it can be caused by eye, nerve, or brain damage, or due to exposure to certain chemicals.

For those of us who see colors just fine, it is hard to imagine what those with color blindness are seeing. Luckily humans are smart and have created technology like the Color Blind Web Page Filter.


rest of the article, examples at http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/07/24/as-seen-by-the-color-blind/

The Future of Google and Knol

Google and Knol are increasingly making the news, as evident by this article on the front page of the business section in the New York Times on Aug. 11, 2008. (Prime layout spot after a weekend!)

It's titled "Is Google a Media Company?" and the gist is: "While Knol is only three weeks old and still relatively obscure, it has already rekindled fears among some media companies that Google is increasingly becoming a competitor. They foresee Google’s becoming a powerful rival that not only owns a growing number of content properties, ... but also holds the keys to directing users around the Web."

Risky business, these days, to predict the future, but the article states: "While Google helps drive the success of other content providers, it is clear that the company will not shy away from entering what it considers 'high-value' content areas, said David B. Yoffie, a professor at the Harvard Business School.

“ 'If I am a content provider and I depend upon Google as a mechanism to drive traffic to me, should I fear that they may compete with me in the future?' Professor Yoffie asked. 'The answer is absolutely, positively yes.' ”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/technology/11google.html?pagewanted=1&ref=business

NoodleTools Open Workshop

One of my goals for this quarter is to do an open workshop. So, I decided that in week 9 I would attempt a NoodleTools workshop. I am hoping that by this time students who have a project/paper due will have already collected their sources so that they can leave the workshop with their Reference page completed. Has anyone done this and if so, how did it go? I am always looking for tips. If anyone has any flyers that they have used for this purpose that they would like to share, that would be great, too.

Thanks!

Strategic Planning 101: Step 1

I think that a subtitle to this post could be "One more thing they didn't teach me in Library School". Or, perhaps I should have been paying better attention during my management class.

Strategic Planning is neither fun nor easy (or, if it s fun, said fun is masked by the difficulty of planning). One needs only to read the hundreds of strategic plans developed by a myriad of academic and public libraries to determine that there are hundreds of different ways to approach strategic planning.

I started out this venture in an attempt to create a Student Learning Outcomes plan for our Information Literacy Instruction That, however, transitioned into a much broader Outcomes plan for the library. There is not much written about Outcomes-based planning/assessment for the whole library. I've decided that plans that mention "challenges" or "goals" are really talking about outcomes (although, only to a point - some of the goals are really actually outputs).

Some critical questions currently lay at my feet:
1) How can we write this as a team without substantially eating away at your campus-work time (instruction, weeding, cataloging, reference, etc. etc. etc.)
2) Where does one begin? We have quite a bit of content for an environmental scan (stats, LibQual results, etc.) but we've never really talked about a vision or "goals" (outcomes).
3) Am I overanalyzing this? Are we better off approaching this from a needs-based perspective, as we have been for the past two years? We've needed better communication - we developed a blog - now we have better communication. I just don't think that this approach will work in the long term. The problem is, I don't know what approach will work.

Where do we begin?