Marketing Director for Edmonton Public Library (EPL), Tina Thomas, led the keynote session entitled It’s a New Day! Rebranding the Edmonton Public Library.

I was thoroughly impressed by the new brand that EPL released last year. The Library’s collection of [...]]]> Last June I attended (and presented at) the NEOS Mini-conference at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.

Marketing Director for Edmonton Public Library (EPL), Tina Thomas, led the keynote session entitled It’s a New Day! Rebranding the Edmonton Public Library.

I was thoroughly impressed by the new brand that EPL released last year. The Library’s collection of promotional materials–including t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, logos, bus ads, & videos–are simple, clean, fresh, captivating…

For more information, take a look at Edmonton Public Library: Spread the words.

There’s also lots of great videos on EPL’s YouTube channel.

& hopefully the EPL Store will be up and running soon.

It’s a good read. It discusses [...]]]> I was on the plane to WILU 2011 in Regina last week when the woman sitting beside me, also headed to the conference (I am pretty sure the plane was full of library folks), handed me a newspaper article in the National Post entitled Can Wikipedia improve students’ work?

It’s a good read. It discusses the merits of Wikipedia as a jumping off point in research, and how it can be integrated into course assignments in a way that challenges students to think about evaluating information and the rigorous work that goes into producing scholarly research articles.

While librarians are not mentioned in the article, it sheds light on the type of assignment design we could be assisting faculty with in our efforts to become increasingly more involved in helping students develop information literacy skills.

Just some food for thought.

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

The ability to interact with information across [...]]]> 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

I attended the Handheld Librarian Online Conference a few weeks ago. QR Codes were mentioned in pretty much every session. So … what are QR Codes and how are libraries using them?

QR (Quick Response) Codes are matrix barcodes that you can scan [...]]]> AKA those funny looking square things cropping up all over the place …

I attended the Handheld Librarian Online Conference a few weeks ago. QR Codes were mentioned in pretty much every session. So … what are QR Codes and how are libraries using them?

QR (Quick Response) Codes are matrix barcodes that you can scan with a QR Code reader installed on your cell phone. (Note: Some cell phones come with this already built in, while older phones–like mine– will not allow for this technology.)

Once scanned, you are taken to a URL … or whatever other information has been encoded in the QR Code.

Libraries are placing QR Codes in catalogues and research guides to provide users with mobile-accessible information about resources, as well as in physical library spaces to provide information about things like library hours and online research guides. The QR Code to the right will take you to a mobile library guide that we have recently created at RDC Library (which is also available here). Soon we will be placing this QR Code at our Information Desk in the library, along with handouts on how QR Codes work.

To learn more…

Read QR Codes: Uses in Libraries

Download a QR Code Reader

Create your own QR Code!

Watch QR Codes Everywhere

The guide features resources and information on Open Access (OA) journal literature, copyright-friendly media (Open Culture), Open Education teaching resources, and Open Source Software.

Creating an “open” guide can increase patron’s awareness of:

- Resources freely available on the Internet regardless of their membership status with a Library [...]]]> I recently created an Open Resources LibGuide for RDC Library.

The guide features resources and information on Open Access (OA) journal literature, copyright-friendly media (Open Culture), Open Education teaching resources, and Open Source Software.

Creating an “open” guide can increase patron’s awareness of:

- Resources freely available on the Internet regardless of their membership status with a Library or financial restrictions.

- Copyright and alternatives to proprietary media and software.

- Opportunities to share work openly with others through, for example, OA journals and creative commons licenses.

* On that note, the content of this guide has a creative commons license attached should you wish to share, copy, distribute or remix what’s there.

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 [...]]]>

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.

It talks about how search engine results are becoming more and more irrelevant and spammy. I could not agree more.

When I teach students how to evaluate websites I no longer have them look at hoax sites [...]]]> CNN recently published an article that caught my eye entitled Humans vs. automated search: Why people power is cool again.

It talks about how search engine results are becoming more and more irrelevant and spammy. I could not agree more.

When I teach students how to evaluate websites I no longer have them look at hoax sites (despite how fun they can be). Instead I have them go to Google and throw in some keywords as they might actually do when researching for their class assignments. Then I have them evaluate the first few results that come up. More times than not these results are pretty terrible and smoothly lead us into discussions around search syntax, advanced search features, scholarly versus popular resources, library databases, peer-review, reliable websites, and the overall conclusion that online searching is messy at best.

On that note, the aforementioned CNN article brought blekko.com to my attention. Launched this past fall, blekko is a search engine that allows users to mark search results as spam, for instance, and they can also indicate that they “like” certain results much like Facebook lets people “like” their friends’ wall posts. It also enables users to search using “slashtags” whereby they can search through only sites they want. All in all I think this search engine has a lot of new and exciting features to paw through at a time where Google is becoming rather frustrating (though I love it still, of course).

A few years ago a librarian in the US named Bobbi Newman began the Library Day in the Life project.

This initiative occurs twice a year and invites library staff to blog (or post content to Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.) describing what [...]]]> Round 6 begins Monday, January 24 through to Sunday, January 30

A few years ago a librarian in the US named Bobbi Newman began the Library Day in the Life project.

This initiative occurs twice a year and invites library staff to blog (or post content to Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.) describing what they do each day at work for one week.

This is a great way to share with others in the library world (and beyond) what it means to work in a library.

For more information and to take part, visit: http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com

I’m going to try to participate by blogging here throughout the week. Given that I have the flu, four instruction sessions to teach (two of which will be formally evaluated), new employees to train, and a faculty dinner and dance to help throw, it should be an interesting time.

Like it or not, September is the month that has most academic librarians running around from class to class doing all that they can to ensure students know about what resources are available to them and how to use them effectively. This is usually accomplished through one hour classes where the librarian talks and [...]]]> Unofficially, anyway…

Like it or not, September is the month that has most academic librarians running around from class to class doing all that they can to ensure students know about what resources are available to them and how to use them effectively. This is usually accomplished through one hour classes where the librarian talks and clicks from one place to the next on the library Web site. The students follow along, ask a few questions, and then walk away a bit more aware of how to do research…

Let’s face it, this can get dull and boring very quickly. Thus, it can be a drag to lead these sessions and it can be a drag to attend them. And the jury is still out as to whether the students truly learn what they will need to know come October and onward, when their assignments start piling up.

Solutions:

• Push for more library sessions throughout the term that are built around what students will need to know for specific assignments. Make it relevant and timely.
• Pre-test students using something as simple as Survey Monkey to get a sense of what they already know before planning an instruction session. No one wants to sit through a session on how to search for books in a library catalogue for the third time in a semester.
• Ask instructors to attend library sessions for their classes. This encourages students to take it seriously and emphasizes the importance of having students develop strong research skills.
• Pressure administration to let you and your colleagues within various groups on campus pilot a research and writing course for first year students where you will have the time and resources to teach them all about the skills they will need over the course of their education and thereafter.
• Make your sessions engaging for students. Join the Boring Library instruction Elimination Eradication Program (BLEEP)/ watch the following YouTube clip:

The responsibilities of volunteering: On the first day of the conference (May 12), I convened an afternoon session: [...]]]> I was very pleased that the Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU) was held in Hamilton, Ontario this year since it made it easy for me to volunteer and therefore attend part of the conference for free.

The responsibilities of volunteering: On the first day of the conference (May 12), I convened an afternoon session: Hybrid Learning: Integrating Online and Offline Activities into an IL Course led by Andrea Cameron and Jennifer Cyr (Concordia). This was my second time convening a session (in February, I convened a session at the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference). I can now honestly say that convening is a pretty simple, stress-free way to become involved with a conference and gain some professional experience at the same time. I just had to introduce the speakers, keep an eye on the clock to ensure the session did not go too long, thank the speakers when they were done taking questions at the end of the session and collect evaluation forms.

The other part of my volunteer responsibilities at WILU involved ensuring people were directed onto the buses that would take them to the University Librarian’s Reception at the Art Gallery of Hamilton.  Pretty easy.

The perks of volunteering: The greatest part about volunteering at WILU was that it allowed me to attend sessions on the day that I was helping out. This meant that I was able to attend a session led by University of Guelph librarian Peggy Pritchard entitled Innovations in Information Literacy Training in the Sciences: Embedding an Electronic-Journal Project. I enjoyed this session immensely, especially because it related to what is at the heart of my own research interests: How instruction librarians can collaborate with faculty in order to effectively and creatively use technology to teach students information literacy skills relevant to the Twenty-first Century. (I want to spend some time very soon writing a post that reflects more directly on this session and similar initiatives currently underway in the world of academic libraries. For now, I’ll just say that the session was very enlightening and I am glad I had the chance to attend.)

The other session that I attended was the one that I convened, as previously mentioned. I quite enjoyed this session as well, especially since it discussed the practical advantages and disadvantages of using Moodle as part of an integrated information literacy course.  (Again, Moodle deserves its own blog post since it is an amazing open source alternative to WebCT/Blackboard for those of us interested in cost-effective course management systems.)

Finally, I got to end my day at the conference reception. This was a great networking opportunity where I got to meet a number of librarians from across Canada while also getting to reconnect with former classmates from Western and former co-workers from McMaster. Additionally, attendees were able to explore the collection at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, which most notably features  Kim Adams’ Bruegel-Bosch Bus.

I would be remiss to not also mention the opening and closing keynote speakers, each of whom spoke to conference delegates as well as the wider campus community who were invited to attend.

The opening plenary was delivered by Dr. James Paul Gee. Dr. Gee reflected on how Twentieth Century learning models are being surpassed by more technologically advanced initiatives focused on gaming and interactivity, which librarians are in a position to help encourage and support. For those who may be interested in learning more, the following is a brief clip where Gee briefly explains his perspective:

The closing keynote was delivered by Steven J. Bell (Temple University). His engaging talk was entitled Exploring the Instruction Mystery: Designing Our Way Past a Wicked Problem. What I got from this discussion was that learning processes go hand in hand with aspects of ambiguity, mystery and discovery that are inherently difficult to fully understand in librarians’ ongoing quest to prove we are making a difference in students’ lives and reaching our desired outcomes (e.g., fostering critical thinkers and lifelong learners). In library instruction, librarians therefore need to more willingly harness ideas of creativity, risk, technological innovation and exploration in what we teach students and the ways that we teach them. This can help ensure our relevance moving forward, and the relevance of what we teach. Hear, hear!

Moving on to next year: WILU 2011 will be held at the University of Regina. Hopefully I will be fortunate enough to attend once again. Small conferences of this nature are of particular value since they put the focus squarely on a topic of interest to all attendees (in this case, instruction). As well, they afford participants the opportunity to connect and engage with one another, which is not always as easily accomplished at larger conferences organized by the CLA, ALA and OLA, for instance.

* For more on WILU 2010, visit the conference Web site: http://wilu2010.blog.lib.mcmaster.ca. Also try searching for #wilu2010 on Twitter (lots of people were tweeting their reflections as the conference chugged along).