Showing posts with label ILA/ACRL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ILA/ACRL. Show all posts

Friday, October 13, 2017

Updates Fall 2017

Well, I suppose I'm more than overdue for a blog update. Here goes! After my last post, it was a race to the end of the semester at Grand View, but not before hosting both the Iowa Private Academic Libraries conference and the spring Iowa Library Association ACRL conference. I was a member of the planning committee for the ILA ACRL conference and as a local person, also helped with IPAL. In addition to generally helping, I also helped plan and co-lead the Information Literacy Interest Group morning session at IPAL. But rather than drone on and on, how about we just check out some of my tweets between my last post and now! :) I think you'll see some exciting things!




































You may have noticed a shift in my role. I took a new position at Iowa State University as an Instruction Librarian focusing on teaching and teaching support. This is a big switch from a small, private university to a large, Regent university, but I'm excited to try new things and serve the students and instructors here! Also, I got an adorable puppy (with photos sprinkled in above). I'm sure I'll share more as I develop into this position, but I wanted to write an official update before I left this blog hanging even longer!
Posted by Cara at 10:14 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, July 30, 2016

ILA Leadership Institute 2016

I am thankful to have been provided the opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow with a wonderful cohort of librarians at the 2016 Iowa Library Association Leadership Institute facilitated by Maureen Sullivan (of Maureen Sullivan Associates, past president of the American Library Association, past president of the Association of College & Research Libraries, and more)! Many thanks go out to the planning committee, the Iowa Library Association, the Iowa Library Association Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the staff at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center for making this experience possible!

Posted by Cara at 5:51 PM 2 comments
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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Whirlwind Spring 2016!

It has been a bit of a whirlwind of a past month! Here's just a little highlight of the fun things I've been up to:

Thank you to Amy Getty for snapping this photo! 
  • I attended the AAUW Smart Start Salary Negotiation Workshop on April 14th in preparation for becoming a backup workshop facilitator.
  • I put together the Staff & Faculty Celebration of Vocation, the first time an event of this kind has been held on campus. 

  • My favorite programming event for students was a hit again this semester. You guessed it! Pet a Pup was held April 19th and 20th. Students were smiling and tails were wagging! 

  • We celebrated faculty and staff milestones on April 29th, including 5 years at GV for me. I received this photo frame to commemorate my work-a-versary! 
My question to the manufacturer is: why, instead of using a smiling family or a generic beach or landscape photo, would you use a placeholder photo of a half-naked woman reclining in bed? Now this is on my desk and is not creepy or inappropriate at all... Happy 5 years! 
  • We hosted a workshop sponsored by ILA on Internet Privacy for librarians on May 2. I serve on the ILA Intellectual Freedom Committee and helped plan the event. 


  • I kicked off the Summer Reading Program on May 4th with a record 19 participants in attendance (and 34 35 signed up for the program, overall; updated 5/26/16).

  • I learned more about the LOGOS program and my role as an instructor in the first-year student seminar section of the program on May 9th. 
  • We began foundational work for GV program evaluation.
  • We hosted the first Lemonade Lunch for SRP, and folks were flipping over winning prizes!

  • IPAL is being held at GV this year on May 19th. I am helping coordinate the Information Literacy Interest Group morning session again this year, and I'm also going to be doing a lightning round presentation -- Here's a sneak peek at the presentation: 

  • ILA/ACRL is coming up on Friday, May 20 in Ankeny. I'm excited to attend and am especially looking forward to hearing the keynote speaker, Megan Oakleaf! This is also my first spring conference as ILA/ACRL Executive Board Member-at-Large, and I'm looking forward to all that brings! 
  • More to come on the upcoming conferences and other spring and summer happenings, I'm sure! 
Posted by Cara at 5:14 PM 0 comments
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Friday, May 17, 2013

April and May 2013

I realized I'm a bit behind on posting lately, so here's the "Reader's Digest" version of what I've been up to in April and May.

At the start of April I attended IPAL at Drake. Sometimes conferences can be hit & miss, but this year's IPAL felt practical and relevant.  Not only that, but I felt more connected and open with colleagues from other institutions about sharing ideas, successes, failures, and encouragement. You can find more information about what the iLOVE group discussed during IPAL here: Instruction Ideas & Ask the Masses

After IPAL I spent a few evenings covering a colleague's evening Computers & Information Literacy course wherein we covered the following topics:

  • Creating a Safe and Powerful Online Presence: Socially, Academically, and Professionally 
  • Visual Literacy: Using PowerPoint & Prezi to Communicate Your Ideas

It was a good experience, but also a nice reminder that scheduling myself to work late three nights/week isn't something I want to take on right now. It's fine when I know I'm staying for a specific project that has a definite stopping-point or is something I can take home with me and work on in my pajamas, but different when it is a regularly scheduled thing and I'm in full-on teacher mode all day and all night.

We also had another Library After Hours event featuring Lori Hanson Howe and Dr. Ellen Strachota. They shared their experiences from their recent travels to Rwanda working with Art of Conservation, an organization dedicated to using education and conservation to assist Rwandan children in gaining life skills and building a future for them and their communities using sustainable growth methods. Lori and Ellen also shared their experiences working with the children of Rwanda, their participation in a gorilla trek, and highlights from a three day safari they took into Kenya. Their presentation was followed by a reception.

 

 

This semester I've been serving as a mentor for an English/Theatre student for her senior capstone project.  During finals week the mentors attended the class's poster presentations. What a cool project! The students had to write a pretty intense research/analysis paper and then present on it. I could not have been more proud of my mentee! She knew her stuff inside and out, was articulate, had a well-written final paper, and did it all while being super-involved with various play performances, student organizations, and the rest of life! I am so proud of her!

We're also experiencing some changes around campus, one of which particularly impacts the library: dining services.  Our contract is switching to a new company, and with that change so changes the library coffee shop. Out with Starbucks products and in with and Einstein Bros Bagels.  Right now we don't really know what changes to the physical space will be made, but we're looking forward to seeing what comes of it.

As a library staff we've been working on reviewing, revisiting, and revising our Core Seminar I (freshman course) assessments and modules that we teach. That has been quite the process and is something we will continue to revise as we gain more experience with the new curriculum.

GV celebrated commencement at the end of April and I again volunteered to help usher.  It's always so rewarding to see the new grads so excited and proud and their family members just as excited and proud.

And then I took a quick trip to California. It was awesome. Here's a peek:


The week I returned from California was also the same week as ILA/ACRL held at Simpson College in Indianola. My colleague, Dan, and I presented a session that wasn't exactly the "typical" session.  I'm a big fan of practical ideas, things you can take home with you, things that feel relevant, and things that promote collaboration and brainstorming. Here is our session description (and, yes, it sounds a little info-mercial-y, but I embrace it):

"Calling all who teach library instruction sessions! Have you ever wanted a session that consisted entirely of instruction ideas? Do you want information literacy instruction strategies to add to your bag of tricks or teaching tool-kit? Have you ever been asked to teach a class and wondered 'how in the heck am I supposed to teach THAT?' Then this is the session for you! Not necessarily what one would think of as a 'typical conference presentation,' this session is one that will get you interacting with other participants from around the state. Participants will work together to share ideas and tackle instruction questions as you work with others to think outside the box, generate new ideas and ways of approaching information literacy, and leave with practical ideas. Attendees will be grouped together to brainstorm lesson ideas for a given prompt, then decide on an approach and develop a basic lesson plan outline.  Groups will share their initial brainstorming ideas and discuss why they chose the approach they used for their outline.  The brainstorming ideas and lesson plan outlines will then be compiled and electronically distributed to attendees shortly after the presentation so attendees can modify and apply the shared ideas at their own institutions."

The good news: we all survived this wacky experiment. The even better news: I think it actually worked! Folks shared their ideas, recommended resources, and had great conversations! Here are the lesson plans that were developed by the various groups: http://bit.ly/instantil2013


Lately I've been catching up with the folks in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning on campus to start planning faculty development calendars, sessions, newsletters, and themes.  I've also been meeting with faculty to help plan library instruction for their summer courses, and this week was the Summer Reading Program Kickoff Open House! Despite the construction around campus (see photo below) we still had a great turnout for the open house, wonderful conversations, and some folks even brought books to share! I have some pretty wonderful colleagues around this campus and I'm looking forward to getting to better know them throughout the summer!
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Friday, December 7, 2012

Iowa Library Association Conference Recap 2012 - Thursday

This past October I was very fortunate to have attended the 122nd Annual Iowa Library Association Conference held in Dubuqe, IA.  Here is a very brief recap of some of the sessions I attended.

I was teaching Thursday morning, so I wasn't able to attend the Wednesday pre-conference or early Thursday general sessions, but I did manage to slip one session in on Thursday afternoon, before the breakout meetings and evening banquet. I've been working closely with children's literature class over the past couple of years, so I thought the information shared in the Graphic Novels for Youth and Teens session, led by Andrew Frisbee (North Liberty Community Library), Sarah Latcham (Iowa City Public Schools), and Becky Johnson (Cedar Rapids Community Schools), would be helpful and give me ideas about collection development & instruction for this area. Boy, did it ever! I came away with a fantastic list I hope to purchase, plus I got to visit with a former coworker, Andrew! Below is a list of just a few of the titles that were mentioned. Graphic novels can sometimes be tricky. There is a wide range of of topics covered, and sometimes it can be tricky to determine age-appropriateness.  Particularly if you plan on recommending something to a young person, be sure you have carefully assessed this.  Just because it is presented in a visual format doesn't mean it should be fair game for some of the youngest readers.  This is also something parents don't always realize.  While this won't necessarily be a problem when purchasing for my college population, it is important for me to be aware of when presenting this type of material to our education students.

Click to enlarge

You may find more resources here: www.tinyurl.com/ia-graphic

On Thursday afternoon I attended the ILA/ACRL meeting where we took care of normal business (approval of minutes, individual & committee reports) and began to think ahead about elections for next year's officers (who have since been elected--My coworker, Dan, is the new ILA/ACRL President!).

After the ILA/ACRL meeting, a small group of instruction librarians got together to discuss Becky Canovan's idea for a group space where instruction librarians can come together to share ideas, resources, encouragement, etc. The idea behind this group came from the ILA/ACRL conference held last May in Decorah, IA.  Those who attended the instruction/IL lightning round session noticed that there were many timely, relevant questions being asked by both new and veteran librarians who may be the sole instruction librarian at their institutions.  Many great instruction ideas were shared as well.  This planted a seed in Becky Canovan’s brain and, after a few discussions and emails, the IL Interest Group began to take root. At ILA we discussed goals for the group, how/where we wanted to collaborate (online space), and what we wanted to be included (general post from one of the website moderators or guest contributors, a space where questions can be contributed and then later addressed in a post or responded to by other users, encouraging or humorous stress reliever posts to help everyone stay afloat and take a moment to remember to be a person too, and perhaps a space where users can contribute "this worked" or "this flopped" examples).  This is still very much in the early stages, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it all comes out! This April we hope to coordinate a pre-conference session before IPAL to help connect instruction librarians around the state.

That evening Bob Anderson, Director of the Raptor Research Project in Decorah, IA, spoke during the banquet about the many projects he has worked on over the years, capturing many different species of wildlife (specifically birds) on film.  Thanks to advances in technology, online streaming of the Decorah Eagles has really taken off, but Anderson also shared stories of humor, wisdom, and science.

In my next post I will cover Friday's events.
Posted by Cara at 10:54 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

ILA ACRL 2012 - Session 4 - Ready to Stream? Investigating Offering Online Video Content for Courses

In the final time-slot of the afternoon, Amy Paulus, from the University of Iowa, presented Ready to Stream? Investigating Offering Online Video Content for Courses.



The U of I had the (rare and wonderful) instance where there was a surplus of collection funds available for use and decided to partner with their Film Studies department to form a partnership for a pilot video streaming program.  Paulus clearly articulated some of the considerations to keep in mind when beginning a program like this:
  • Manpower (both within the library and with someone with expertise in using the necessary technology)
  • Vendor with the content available and/or server space for ripped content
  • Someone with the expertise to review and negotiate license agreements 
  • The equipment and ability to rip DVDs
  • Linking URLs
  • Communication with instructors (before during the planning & after, as they are using the videos)
  • Cataloging (for long-term or perpetual access items)
  • Technology (being sure the content is password protected, and computers are equipped with the proper software to work with the materials)
  • Funds (licenses aren't cheap, neither is storage or staff time)
Paulus summarized some of expense totals, noting the cost of digitizing and storing a title or purchasing digital access, along with licensing averaged to $148.76 (some of which weren't perpetual access, but may have to be renewed in the future); they were able to provide streaming access to 75 films.  This pilot project impacted fewer than 100 students.  She noted that this project took significant staff time, but the feedback from the professors was positive and they would like to see the service continue. Distance education classes particularly loved it (I'm sure for the convenience of being able to stream materials rather than track them down locally).  In the future Paulus noted that instructors may request online content/streaming and the library will do their best to make it available if it is provided through a vendor, but because ripping and converting content was so time consuming, they would not offer that aspect of the service in the future.  

One alternative to finding vendors or in-house ripping/licensing negotiation, etc. is Films on Demand--perhaps not the fanciest resource for connoisseurs of film (as this pilot population is), this database holds films on a wide variety of topics and allows for streaming, showing of just a segment of a film, and creating playlists on certain topics.  For an institution the size of GV and with our budget, Films on Demand is a much more reasonable resource and adequately fills the current needs of the learning community we serve.  
Posted by Cara at 7:12 PM 0 comments
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ILA ACRL 2012 - Session 3 - Green Academic Libraries

Green Academic Libraries: Sustainability in Iowa and Beyond was delivered by Mara M J Egherman, of Central College.



Enthusiasm was evident throughout the presentation as Egherman spoke about the responsibility to promote green practices within libraries (beyond the obvious considerations like building design and construction materials). One example that I hadn't previously considered but makes complete sense is the placement of bookshelves around exterior walls.  This creates additional insulation, but does bring a few questions to mind:
     1) How would arranging books in this manner impact the user experience?
     2) How would fluctuation in temperature impact the books' durability? (We talk about climate control, especially during the summer months when humidity tends to creep in and curl our journal covers, but would using books in this way compromise our efforts to preserve materials?)

Egherman brought up big questions like:
     How have smart phones, student laptops & tablets, and other devices impacted the power needs of libraries, and how can we be more proactive about how we handle those needs?
     Should students be able to use the library as an e-recycling point for their electronics?
     How do libraries and universities dispose of their discarded electronics?
     Is cloud power greener than on-site storage?
     Which resource is greener, print or e-book (keeping in mind user habits)?
     Moving forward, what can individual libraries & larger library systems do to reverse their carbon footprint?

We all know of the daily can-dos.  Things like using recycled paper products, carpooling, choosing reusable materials over disposable, double-sided printing, and choosing eco-friendly fonts (like Century Gothic, which uses less ink), but what else can we do?

Others brought up an important point noting that manpower must also be sustainable, and there are certain limits to which it can be stretched.  This needs to be considered when looking at implementing a green initiative.  Do the green benefits outweigh the costs to the institution, the population you serve, and to the staff.

One of the most helpful parts of this presentation, beyond just getting a dialogue started, was the great selection of resources Egherman shared.  Below are a few:
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Thursday, May 31, 2012

ILA ACRL 2012 - Session 2 - Bringing Information Literacy Skills to the Tablet

In the afternoon the librarians all headed over to the Union for a working lunch.  It followed the same format as past ILA/ACRL lunches, but this time I actually had a hand in some of what was happening.  The Membership Committee submitted our report early, as our chair knew she wasn't going to be able to attend the conference.  I particularly enjoyed the awards portion.  As a member of the Awards Committee I read all of the research submissions & scholarship applications a while back, but it was particularly nice to see the recipients and hear from them firsthand how excited they are about their work!

After lunch we jumped into the afternoon sessions.  The first I attended was a session on iPads.  Usually I have my conference game plan pretty well mapped out before I even arrive, but this time slot was one where I didn't decide where I would be heading until right before (and I'm not going to lie; a little part of my decision was based on the fact that I got to play with the iPad). Another reason I attended this session was because a former Dorian camper of mine, Charlie, who has been a student at Luther for a few years now (gah, I'm getting old), was the tech helper, which is just too adorable (I'm pretty proud of that kid!).  But enough about how I chose this session; let's talk about content!

Bringing Information Literacy Skills to the Tablet was presented by Luther College's Rebecca Sullivan.  As a Luther graduate I was aware of some of the space and technological constraints in the library's instruction areas, the largest issue being no computer equipped instruction lab.  There are labs around campus, but not one within the library that is suitable for instruction.  Bu using iPads, Sullivan was able to work around some of these issues, and allow more flexibility for students to directly apply the skills they learn while being able to move freely around the library (including the stacks...imagine how many post-its they might save!). Sullivan discussed some of the traditional uses for iPads (roving reference/chat, student/faculty petting zoo to help them feel more comfortable with technology, e-readers for books, OPAC stations for service spots, self-guided tours, conveniently located instruction videos, student worker use with shelf reading/weeding, and -- as they did at UD -- and easy way to keep in-house statistics for materials use & space use).  Essentially, Luther uses the iPads as a classroom set, similar to a laptop cart.  She highlighted a few apps for classroom use and noted the importance of syncing all of the iPads to one iTunes account (so they all have the same apps laid out in the same way, making instruction easier).  Just as with laptop carts, this classroom set of iPads is stored and charged within a secured cart.  The cart may be checked out as a whole, and then each iPad is individually barcoded & signed out to individual students (as to better prevent the iPads from disappearing).  They also are able to track the devices on campus by looking at when & where the device last accessed wireless.  They've only had one issue with an iPad not being returned, which, given the portable nature of the device, isn't too shabby! Sullivan mentioned a couple of particularly useful apps for reading and annotating PDFs: GoodReader and iAnnotate.  Luther just began working with Mac AirServer (only $4 per computer for a bulk license), which allows you to project your iPad screen onto another computer (or in this case, through a computer and then onto the screen wirelessly). It made me think of a less sophisticated (less expensive) version of SynchronEYES.  You can project your own screen, or have students access the Mac AirServer to project their screen, but you don't have the ability to take over the devices to project your screen onto each device (as you do with SynchronEYES) or to choose and display a student's screen on your own (without asking them to access the AirServer), which could potentially slow things down in class.

As with any technology, there are always some challenges to consider.  First: distraction. A simple solution is to just ask students to close the covers when you need to deliver instructions or prepare them for an activity, and then have them open the cover back up when it is time for them to apply the skills that were introduced. Another challenge (and this is big with me and my uber-love for multiple windows with multiple tabs) is that it can be difficult to multitask using iPads because navigating multiple applications can be a little cumbersome.  You must have cloud storage available, so students can later access their documents from any device.  Another big thing to keep in mind is that printing from iPads (or any wireless device) to a networked printer can sometimes be tricky.

I asked about using this technology with students who may have special needs.  Traditionally Apple products have been very user friendly & disability friendly, but I wondered about how that would work with a large classroom set of these devices.  From the usability standpoint, the product itself is fantastic, but students with disabilities would have to bring in their own devices in order to be sure their accessibility settings were kept.  This brings up two large concerns for me: 1) in my mind this creates an even greater rift between the "haves" and the "have-nots" -- particularly when you add a learning or physical disability into the equation on top of financial concerns.  2) From a logistical standpoint, there would be issues with the apps and other pages instructors may have pre-loaded or synced onto the classroom set of iPads that wouldn't be loaded or arranged on the student's personal iPad they brought in because they wanted to be sure their accessibility settings were available to them during the class...
Posted by Cara at 12:45 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

ILA ACRL 2012 - Session 1 - Honoring the Leisure Nook

Saving Space: Honoring the Leisure Nook was presented by Kathryn J. Morgan, Julia Dickinson, Stella Herzig, & Joyce Haack, all from St. Ambrose University.

 


This session discussed both the research and practical pieces supporting having a leisure collection within an academic library.  Here is just a little bit of the research they mentioned (I'm more of a practical bits of wisdom & ideas for implementation kind of a person, but still value the literature review they shared). This is something we've assumed for some time: recreational reading promotes better reading comprehension of academic texts, higher order reasoning skills, and civic participation, all of which are desirable attributes from college educated adults (Rathe, 2006, p. 82).  In addition, students gain access to the library in a non-intimidating way, transferring their familiarity of their school or public library's leisure collection and attaching that (in a small way) to the college/university collection.  

The nature of spaces within the library was also an important part of the presentation.  One must consider access, visibility, and, just like in business, how using high-traffic spaces & strategies that capitalize on the "impulse buy," or in this case the impulse check-out, can really serve your population well. In addition to the placement of the collection, the librarians also had to consider the other spaces in the library.  Many students may seek a space that is safe from everyday distraction, one that is disconnected from technology, but still promotes a sense of community.  At one point I tweeted "social vs communal space--students like to see others as they study alone (misery loves company?)." And that's right.  It's nice to know where you can go to find a brief distraction from your studies, but at the same time having that study place you can call your own is where the real work happens for students.  By adding the leisure reading nook, the library helps to nurture the whole student, not just the academic side, making the library the student's Third Place (or at least moving it up in the rankings).  St. Ambrose marketed the leisure collection using a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and by using traditional email alerts to those who are subscribed.  

As for the logistics of the program, the library began by leasing books from a vendor, but switched to purchasing materials after realizing their popularity.  They are able to purchase between 40-50 new materials per year, and get donations through their partnership with the public library.  The public library participates in a "rapid read" program wherein they purchase many copies of newly released popular materials.  Once the demand begins to drop, they weed the duplicates from the collection and send them to St. Ambrose to be used in their leisure collection.  The collection is weeded yearly and they generally try to keep only new and fresh materials (under 5 years old).  They sell their discards at the campus book sale.  What especially caught my interest was the Summer Reading Program they developed for all interested staff, faculty, and summer student workers.  They had a kick-off party with root beer floats, and one end-of-the-program prize winner received a Kindle.  

I was curious as to how this program had impacted developments with academic departments, increased instruction, or improved foot traffic in the library.  While they had anecdotal evidence, they had a technical malfunction and lost many of the statistics that would help them assess that impact.  Another interesting topic that arose in the time for questions was the idea of a bridge collection, that features popular reading as a bridge to lead students to academic reading.  There is also the Alex Awards list that features titles written for adults, but would have appeal to young adults, which may help with title selection and help with that transition from high school to college.  

I particularly enjoyed this session and am looking forward to beginning a leisure collection here at Grand View! I've been wanting to do some programming around YA books, and perhaps beginning this collection will build further interest in a shared group reading experience with our students.

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention earlier, but saw that I tweeted about, is that the library & college/university as a whole can present the library resources, leisure nook, and summer reading program as an employee benefit at new employee orientation, which may help attract and retain invested faculty/staff. 
Posted by Cara at 11:58 AM 1 comments
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

ILA ACRL 2012 - Preconference & Keynote

This spring's ILA/ACRL Conference allowed me to return to my undergraduate institution, so basically it was like going home for a few days and nerding out with fellow librarians (meant in the nicest way, as I embrace my enthusiastic nerdiness).  The events began with a Thursday evening tour of the Seed Savers Exchange library & labs.  I am a hard-core Decorah lover, but there are still many Decorah attractions I've not yet seen and Seed Savers was one of them.  Bill Musser, former Luther librarian & current do-it-all, one-man-show librarian led the library portion of the tour, while another Seed Savers employee shared the lab portion.  I'm not big into gardens or agriculture, but I still had a great time learning about how this one place serves a wide range of purposes, and how the library supports that mission.

  

 

After the tour there was a fun reception, and then the evening dine-arounds.  I lucked out and chose a fantastic bunch of librarians with whom to share the evening (but, since librarians are the nicest people ever, it would have been pretty difficult to not have had a wonderful dinner with any of the groups dining around at various restaurants).  We had a lovely supper filled with the delicious food, fun conversation, and a fair dose of laughter at Rubaiyat Restaurant. I got to better know other librarians from the Des Moines area and beyond and also got a chance to visit with the keynote speaker, Michael Porter, who joined us for the evening.

The next day began early, as I arrived on campus around 7 a.m. to assist with setting up Membership Committee materials and other signs.  The conference began with a general welcome and introductions from the ILA/ACRL Spring Conference Committee Chair, the ILA/ACRL President, and the Vice President/Dean of Luther College.  Then Michael Porter, President of Library Renewal, shared his passion and ideas for the future of libraries with us. He began with a simple, yet important equation: libraries = content + community.  I think this speaks to the heart and mission of libraries: service to patrons is why we exist.  We need to bring them the content they need (and oftentimes the content they don't yet know they need) in order to fully nurture them as an entire person (meeting their educational needs, social needs, and even emotional needs in the case of programming & support meetings held in group spaces).  As Porter noted in his presentation, libraries balance out economic and other disparities and are a place where all can come to access information, be a part of the community, learn, and exchange information and perspectives.  The library serves as an equalizer, providing opportunities for all, no matter the circumstance.

This is something I am very passionate about and found myself agreeing with much of what he had to share.  I find myself drawn serve those in need; in my past life as an orchestra teacher I served children in a community that was struggling (and continues to struggle) economically.  Currently I am in an institution where students have struggled academically or financially but are working hard toward a better future for themselves. I often think of Grand View as a place that embraces all kinds of learners, especially those who may not have been accepted anywhere else, and this is a part of my vocation as a librarian and educator--to meet students where they are and help them reach where they need to be.  We can talk about the principles of librarianship (access, community, preservation, learning, literacy, dissemination of knowledge, etc.), but, in my opinion, when you boil those all down to their simplest form they would all fall under this larger umbrella of service.

Porter also emphasized the importance of adaptation to meet the needs of those we serve (and, for libraries to survive in the future, we must adapt).  So much has changed in the past two decades, but how have libraries embraced this? I think the nature of change in academia has already been a form of hindrance to the type of progress Porter and Library Renewal seek, as it does tend to take a very long time.  Library Renewal looks to forward the switch from the current emphasis on print and what I'm calling "broken e-content" (clunky, inaccessible, overpriced, not managed in a way that best serves users, etc.) toward a more open and transparent information sharing platform, changing the infrastructure so that libraries & patrons have a say in how they receive digital content, as opposed to being at the mercy of the greater publishing industry.  That's not to say all publishers are evil--they are also currently experiencing a huge shift in how they do their business and are learning to adapt, but how is the way they are choosing to adapt hindering big picture progress (and at what cost to the public)?

If nothing, I heard an awesome new phrase I can begin incorporating into my quirky phrase repertoire: completely borked, so that's a pretty sweet deal.  Seriously though, I share much of Porter's enthusiasm and passion for raising awareness of these issues and for bringing about change, but at the same time, I know I'm starting my second career as a new librarian in an institution with 4 librarians to staff all instruction, reference, outreach initiatives, do liaison work, and all of the other things that come along with academic libraries, so the change I can make at this point (especially as a non-bigwig person) involves speaking out to legislators, doing what I can to promote change on a local and individual level--and change takes time...
   
Posted by Cara at 11:16 PM 1 comments
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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Week 13: More LOEX Paper Writing, English 101, and a Fun Surprise!

Though it may not sound jam-packed, this week certainly was. Between juggling LOEX writing, teaching, and assisting patrons at the reference desk, I was definitely kept on my toes! Anne Marie and I have spent several hours fine tuning the LOEX paper, working from a modified outline I used for my presentation at the Iowa Library Association/ACRL conference. Originally we were concerned about being too long-winded, but between the two of us we have been able to be clear and concise (and stay within the required word count limit).

We also continued our work with English 101, finishing up the unit about scholarly research in preparation for their paper deadline. What is unique about this class is that essentially, the entire class writes the "same" paper. They create the same research question, analyze the same resources, take the same notes, and craft their thesis statement together. Even their bibliography is provided from the start. What is left is the writing of the paper. By extracting these elements and doing them together the students really learn the process before jumping in and trying to start from scratch on their own. By giving students this foundation, they are better prepared for assignments later in the semester, and later in their college careers, as they advance to the next level of research writing. In this last class period with the students and librarians together, we explicitly defined the connections between the different articles they dissected before. In making a chart and examining the similar factors and measures of success (factors: student engagement/involvement, metacognitive skills, locus of control, action behaviors, relationships with faculty, relationships with peers; measures of success: degree attainment and the amount of time it takes to earn the degree, cumulative grade point average), students noticed much overlap between the articles. We also worked together to define unfamiliar terms, and crafted a thesis statement together ("Engagement, internal factors, and relationships positively influence college students’ success as measured by cumulative GPA, and timeliness to graduation .").

This week I also received a fun surprise in my email inbox. I was very excited to hear that the American Library Association, New Members Round Table selected Indiana University’s IU ALA-SC as Student Chapter of the Year for our work in 2010. Having served as president in 2010 I was very excited that the efforts and activities of the membership and board were recognized. I, along with the current President, am looking forward to heading to the Annual conference in New Orleans to accept the award and represent Indiana University and the IU School of Library and Information Science!
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Monday, April 11, 2011

Top Ten List: Number Seven (ILA Keynote)

From the Iowa Library Association/ACRL Conference, in reverse chronological order:

7. Keynote Address: What To Do With the Time That Is Given Us, given by Kenning Arlitsch from University of Utah
  • As we are well aware, library services are in a state of flux. Economic pressures are mounting, and educational organizations are feeling the impact. In addition to financial considerations, library services that were once acceptable are no longer meeting the needs of library users. The shift from print to technological advances (including remote access and online education) is forcing libraries to focus less on the local collection and more on shared digital collections. Redesigning spaces (and librarian attitudes) to facilitate group work (both in person and online) is important, but what do we do with the print assets and other physical collections as they (or their format) becomes irrelevant (particularly special collections)? The move to digitize special collections not only makes a "back-up" copy, but also makes the information found within the item more easily shared and accessible to library users. One concern over digitization is the long-term preservation of the digital data (and how it adapts to upgrades in technology). Another concern, and this is regarding any information, is that data can be overwhelming. Making it understandable and usable through linking and data visualization is key. The question Arlitsch left us with was: what is your response to adversity? It is easy to stay in your comfort zone, particularly if technology is not your strong suit. But, as a public servant, it is your responsibility to adapt to the changing needs of those you serve. That may mean examining and completely redesigning the way you approach information services. 
    Resources mentioned throughout:
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Top Ten List: Number Eight

From the Iowa Library Association/ACRL Conference, in reverse chronological order:

8. Skillful Scaffolding: Integrating Information Literacy Outcomes into Literature Courses, given by Dan Chibnall and Dr. Amy Getty from Grand View University
  • While one-shot instruction sessions may still be the norm for many classes, the presenters took an integrated IL approach to their American Literature I and Literature for Children and Adolescents courses. They provided a detailed handout to conference attendees highlighting the skills taught, the assignments, and activities associated with those skills. Throughout the semester resource evaluation skills are taught and reinforced, specifically finding quality websites, books, and journals as well as understanding scholarly vs. popular publications. Much of what the presenters were sharing is what I have been observing and actively doing in my internship. The last piece, having both instructor and librarian taking an active part in summative evaluations tied to course grades, is something not yet incorporated at UD. Based on the way the IL program has expanded over the last several years, I could see this as an eventual possibility (however, additional staffing would need to be provided to allow for the time it takes to evaluate learning artifacts).
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Top Ten List: Number Nine

From the Iowa Library Association/ACRL Conference, in reverse chronological order:

9. On Being Essential: Making Connections and Facilitating Access, Collection Development as Public Service, given by Kevin Engel, Rebecca Stuhr, and R. Cecilia Knight from Grinnell College
  • The presenters gave a brief background about the structure within the Grinnell College Libraries. One of the points that stood out to me was their patron driven acquisition program (similar to that at UD, but specific policies differed). Their criteria for ILL initiated acquisitions looked at date published, the availability (would it arrive in the same time or less as compared to traditional ILL transactions?), and the purchasing cost (under $100). Usually items could arrive within 2 days, be cataloged the next, and be available to the patrons by the fourth day. The librarians know the items will circulate at least once. For their serials acquisitions, the librarians went through an in-depth serials review in 2008 (initiated partly as a result of strictly restricted budgets). As a result, the library cancelled 145 journals and 309 switched to online-only format. They also switched Elsevier and Wylie to a pay-per-view model. Students request Pay-per-view articles through librarians; faculty are able to access articles without that step. This approach is most appropriate for high-cost, low-use journals, and the downloads can not be used for ILL sharing. Another important thing to note: Rather than pay-per-view, it is really pay-per-day-it-is-accessed, meaning once the library has purchased access to the article, it may be accessed as many times as needed, by a variety of users during that 24-hour period with only one purchase fee being charged.
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Top Ten List: Number Ten

From the Iowa Library Association/ACRL Conference, in reverse chronological order:

10. Seeking Wisdom in Community: Shaping a First-Year Research Experience given by Andi Beckendorf, Germano G. Streese, of Luther College
  • This session was particularly interesting to me, partially because I'm a Luther grad, and also because this program targets first-year students and their learning experiences. As a transfer student into Luther, I did not take Paideia. While I had heard stories about the course from my friends, this session allowed me to see the instructor side of the course. Germano and Andi provided a brief history, how they identified the need to modify the program (both the course and library approach). With new needs identified, the library was able to utilize LibGuides to support student learning. This integration led to changes in what was observed at the reference desk; questions shifted from the seemingly simple "how do I," skill-based questions (that can be answered with a set of directions), to more complex, strategy-based questions.
(Go Norse!)
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Week Ten: On the Road

Week ten was filled with road trips, random music, librarian chats, conference sessions, and (of course) a Pulitzer Prize winning musical. The week began with the faculty and staff gathering to listen to run-through presentations for those presenting at the Iowa Library Association/ACRL Conference and the Library Technology Conference. The run-throughs allowed presenters to share what they are doing and work out some of the bugs before the "real deal." It was also a good reminder to me about what is expected of presenters (not that I haven't seen my fair share of conference presentations*).

Becky Canovan, Reference and Instruction Librarian at UD, and I then hit the road for the Twin Cities. She was presenting at LibTech and I was planning on going before I even knew that I would be at UD for my internship, and certainly before I knew she'd be presenting. It worked out nicely that we could carpool together. We arrived in the Twin Cities on Wednesday, in time to grab dinner with some awesome folks. Becky and I were staying with her friend from grad school, Amy Commers (Youth Services Librarian at South St. Paul Public Library), and met up with Rachel Slough (E-Learning Librarian at UW La Crosse) and Vicki Gruzynski (Information Services Instructor at South East Missouri State). Rachel was a classmate of mine at Indiana University, and Vicki is another IU alum. I always love spending time with librarians who love their jobs--thanks for being an inspiration, ladies! Throughout the next couple of days we attended sessions, shared ideas, caught up on some of the things happening in each others' lives. After LibTech wrapped up, Becky and I hit the road to Pella, this time for the ILA/ACRL Conference. Stay tuned for my "Top Ten List" of Library-Related Conference Sessions (a la The Late Show with David Letterman)! I wrapped up the weekend by visiting with a former teacher-colleague of mine, spending time with family, and catching Next to Normal with some Dorian Camp counselor friends at the Civic Center in Des Moines. Busy is the best way to be--especially when your time is shared with folks who are so excited about what they do and who they help.

* So far I've attended the following library-related conferences:
ILA/ACRL, Pella, IA, March 2011
LibTech, St. Paul, MN, March 2011
Brick & Click, Maryville, MO, November 2010
ILA, Coralville, IA, October 2010
ILA/ACRL, Cedar Rapids, IA, April 2010

Non-library-related conferences:
Iowa Music Educators Association, Ames, IA, November 2005-2010 (serving as Assistant to the Conference Registration Chair, 2007-2010)
International Society of Bassists Convention, Oklahoma City, OK, June 2009 (assisted with merch and registration)
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Week 9: Humanities, Technology, and Presentation Preparation

The week of March 7th was filled with great discussions, observations, and reference work, and instruction experiences. Monday I observed additional RES104 Humanities sessions and worked with the students to understand the Humanities in relation to their next paper. In Humanities Day 1 the students worked in groups to find resources to provided questions. They then gave an informal presentation demonstrating how they found a resource containing the requested information.

I taught the "Q" section of Research 104 and we discussed finding credible resources to be used for their Humanities paper (we focused on web evaluation and finding relevant articles/books for their annotated bibliography, due shortly). The students submitted their website examples and, as a class, we discussed what aspects of the website made us think it was credible, and what aspects made us hesitant to use it to write papers. I also showed them a couple of databases and where to find humanities resources on the library's website. The students came up with great topics and I was excited to hear their paper ideas.

We had another Web Committee meeting, discussing more details of the changes we would like to make on the "How do I?" page. There are lots of pieces we'd like to see incorporated (embedding Jing videos, mobile interface, continuing to tweak/modify language and categories for tutorial content and other questions). In addition to technology related to the website, we are looking at bigger-picture issues such as the use of QR codes, computing in the cloud, and other software and technologies that can help UD grow in terms of technology offered to help students, faculty, and staff be their most effective.

The rest of the week was spent tweaking my ILA/ACRL presentation, "Cultivating Future Librarians: Turning Students into Colleagues Through Mentorship." I got a call from one of the ILA/ACRL Awards Committee members informing me that I was selected as the 2011 ILA/ACRL Spring Conference Scholarship recipient! I am very excited to not only be attending and presenting, but to also have received this award!
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