Saturday my co-worker Anne Marie Watson and I are presenting at the Alberta Library Conference in Jasper, Alberta.

The topic of our discussion is affordable ways to integrate mobile technologies into library services, including text reference, QR codes, and mobile-friendly websites and apps.

In other [...]]]>

Scan this code with your phone or visit http://rdc.libguides.com/goingmobile

Saturday my co-worker Anne Marie Watson and I are presenting at the Alberta Library Conference in Jasper, Alberta.

The topic of our discussion is affordable ways to integrate mobile technologies into library services, including text reference, QR codes, and mobile-friendly websites and apps.

In other words, it will be about ways to go where library users are these days… on their cell phones, anywhere, anytime…

Our presentation slides and more information about technologies and resources are available on a Going Mobile LibGuide I created to complement the session.

Registration is now closed [edited May 8] for WILU 2012 happening May 23-25 at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton Alberta. This year’s theme [...]]]>

The Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU) is an annual conference that highlights the latest research, education, and innovations in the areas of information literacy, library instruction, and research skills. http://sites.macewan.ca/wilu2012/about-2/

Registration is now closed [edited May 8] for WILU 2012 happening May 23-25 at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton Alberta. This year’s theme is “Vigour, Thrift, and Resourcefulness.” And I am presenting… twice (on Open Access, and on Human Libraries with a professional development twist).

Why WILU is my favourite conference:

• It’s small so there is lots of time to network, share, and interact with others.
• It’s very focused; if you’re interested in library instruction then there’s lots and lots of interesting sessions to attend.
• The event features “dine arounds” where you can explore local restaurants with other delegates.
• The conference is hosted by a different Canadian institution of higher learning every year; it’s a great excuse to see Canada. On that note… Edmonton in the spring will be a fantastic place for WILU this year. The city caught me by surprise when I moved to Alberta: great music, delicious food, beautiful scenery, good people… and Grant MacEwan itself has a great campus in the heart of the downtown core. It’s well worth the visit!

Take a look at how librarians around the world are documenting their days using social media by visiting the Library Day in the Life Project Wiki. Or check back here for my own daily updates.

To catch up, here is how my Monday-Tuesday of this [...]]]> … started yesterday (January 30) and goes until February 5.

Take a look at how librarians around the world are documenting their days using social media by visiting the Library Day in the Life Project Wiki. Or check back here for my own daily updates.

To catch up, here is how my Monday-Tuesday of this week went down.

Monday

I got a drive to work, still basking in the afterglow of a great few days in Edmonton, where I attended the Forum for Information Professionals at the library school at the University of Alberta, as well as Canmore and Banff, where I enjoyed a much needed weekend getaway filled with music, food and friends.

I am teaching classes for the Computer Learning @ the Library program at Red Deer College this year, so I started my day by doing my office hours. A few students dropped by to ask questions. I then marked a few assignments, prepared for my Tueday classes, and worked a shift at the Information Desk in the Library.

The highlight of the day was receiving an email letting me know my conference presentation proposal for WILU 2012 had been accepted. The presentation will report findings from a survey I intend to send out to health sciences librarians about the degree to which they educate students about open access resources. I will be using Canadian-based Fluid Surveys to create the survey and am really excited to move forward with this project.

Tuesday (today)

I woke up around 8am, sent a few emails, walked to work, and prepared for a class I was teaching on creating PowerPoints using principles taken from Presentation Zen, as well as editing images using copyright-friendly photography sites and picnik.com (which will unfortunately be shutting down in April).

After a quick lunch, I made my way to the two other computer courses I teach every Tuesday. I’d given both classes a work period to complete their projects–one on Web 2.0 and another on basic Word Processing–so these were pretty laid back.

At 4:30pm, my classes wrapped up and I headed to my office to drop off my things and join my co-workers at the Long-Term Service Awards ceremony the college holds annually to recognize staff.

On arriving home, I signed in to the virtual reference chat service offered by AskOntario. I am in my second year of volunteering for this service, and do a shift for an hour every Tuesday night. Usually I get one or two reference questions but tonight it was dead quiet so I used the time to email an instructor back who had a copyright question.

And now I am catching up on trashy TV shows and intending to add myself to the Library Day in the Life Wiki before bed.

*BIG thanks to librarian Bobbi Newman for coordinating this bi-annual initiative. It is always a great opportunity to share experiences, and reflect on my own practice and that of others.

The event will be held at the University of Alberta- Augustana Campus in Camrose, AB on Thursday, November 17, 2011.

I attended last year and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of speakers and activities. This year’s [...]]]> Early bird registration is open until October 20, 2011 for the Augustana Information Literacy in Academic Libraries Workshop.

The event will be held at the University of Alberta- Augustana Campus in Camrose, AB on Thursday, November 17, 2011.

I attended last year and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of speakers and activities. This year’s workshop is looking just as great, with the focus of the event centred upon Building the Information Literate University: From Concept to Strategic Change.

The only downside is that the Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Fall Meeting is happening the same day, which is another event that I got a lot out of attending last year.

In other news, Happy Academic New Year! :)

Digital & Media Literacy @ RDC PRESENTERS: Kristine Plastow, Robyn Hall & Teneil Vuori, Red Deer College Library

The ability to interact [...]]]> On Thursday, April 14, I helped lead a workshop (turned webinar thanks to bad weather) at the Annual General Meeting- Spring 2011 of the Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) in Calgary, Alberta.

Digital & Media Literacy @ RDC
PRESENTERS: Kristine Plastow, Robyn Hall & Teneil Vuori, Red Deer College Library

The ability to interact with information across a variety of technological platforms, tools and media is a vital skill for students and faculty to possess in contemporary learning and workplace environments. This session will address challenges and opportunities academic librarians and staff at RDC Library have experienced in seeking to foster patrons’ digital and media literacy skills.

Learn more about Digital & Media Literacy:

• Digital & Media Literacy: A Plan of Action: http://www.scribd.com/doc/41889496/Digital-and-Media-Literacy-A-Plan-of-Action
  White paper by Renee Hobbs; a project of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Aspen Institute outlining steps to improve digital and media literacy education.
• The Horizon Report 2011: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/HR2011.pdf
  Describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education and creative expression over the next one to five years.

RDC Library Guides:

• Research Guides: http://rdc.libguides.com/browse.php?o=s
  Library staff have created subject guides to help students & faculty find resources, including books, articles & websites.
• Copyright: http://rdc.libguides.com/copyright
  Information for students & faculty about using copyrighted materials at RDC.
• Open Resources: http://rdc.libguides.com/open
  This guide will help you find copyright-friendly resources online, including scholarly literature, multimedia, teaching objects, and software.
• Information Fluency: http://rdc.libguides.com/info_fluency
  Learn how to book an instruction session with a librarian. This guide provides an overview of resources, services, and programs designed and delivered by librarians to support students and instructors at RDC.
• RDC citation guides:
  APA: http://rdc.libguides.com/apa
  MLA: http://rdc.libguides.com/mla
  Chicago: http://rdc.libguides.com/chicago

Human Libraries are springing up all over the world. During these events, people become “living books” that can be signed out by library patrons and “read” via sharing their experiences. It is a great way to create stronger social cohesion and understanding among library community members.

I learned about this library phenomenon at the [...]]]>

Human Libraries are springing up all over the world. During these events, people become “living books” that can be signed out by library patrons and “read” via sharing their experiences. It is a great way to create stronger social cohesion and understanding among library community members.

I learned about this library phenomenon at the AAAL (Alberta Association of Academic Libraries) Fall 2010 Meeting.  At the meeting, librarian Melinda Spears talked about her experiences organizing a Human Library at Grant MacEwan University. Similar events have taken place in Canada at a number of public and academic libraries including:

• Augustana Campus Library (University of Alberta)
• Grant MacEwan University South Campus Library
• Humber College
• Toronto Public Library
• University of Guelph’s McLaughlin Library
• University of Victoria

Inspired by these events, RDC librarian/learning designer Sona Macnaughton and I organized a Human Instruction Library last December whereby faculty acted as living books specializing in specific topics around instruction strategies and technologies. This Spring we hope to do this event once more.

Similarly, the Ontario Library Association hosted a Human Library at the 2011 Super Conference. Here, delegates could sign out professionals to hear about their career experiences.

Taking these ideas further, at some point I would like to try a “human training library” and allow library staff to sign out other staff with expertise in a certain area.

To learn more about organizing a Human Library, take a look at: Don’t judge a book by its cover: The Living Library Organizer’s Guide.

However, you can view all of the proposed sessions online. I find this to be a very interesting feature, for it provides an insightful view into the different [...]]]> It is now officially too late to submit a proposal to the next Canadian Library Association National Conference taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia May 25-28, 2011.

However, you can view all of the proposed sessions online. I find this to be a very interesting feature, for it provides an insightful view into the different topics that have Canadian librarians’ attentions these days.

My submission can be found here. (Please ignore the formatting errors/typos that seemed unavoidable when using the system CLA has in place to collect submissions. What ever happened to good ol’ email?)

I hope to have the chance to attend and participate next Spring. It would be my first CLA conference and a great excuse to go home for a visit. Plus, I am very excited to start producing work that acknowledges the fitting marriage of Open Access and Information Fluencies.

Fingers crossed…

This Friday, tweet the name of whatever libraries are your favorite to follow on Twitter along with the hashtag #followalibrary to share your library-appreciation with everyone you know.

More information is available on Facebook, Twitter and the #followalibrary blog.

Library Related Conferences is an exhaustive list of conferences taking place worldwide that has been compiled and maintained by Marian Dworaczek (Senior Technical Services Librarian, University of Saskatchewan Library).

Registration is now open for this conference, which is taking place at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario May 12-14.

I have heard nothing but fantastic reviews of this small, annual conference, where the focus is on library instruction and information literacy.

This [...]]]> Workshop on Instruction in Library Use (WILU) 2010 is right around the corner.

Registration is now open for this conference, which is taking place at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario May 12-14.

I have heard nothing but fantastic reviews of this small, annual conference, where the focus is on library instruction and information literacy.

This year, keynote speakers will include Steven J. Bell (Temple University) and James Paul Gee (Arizona State University) and sessions will primarily focus on instructional design and gaming.