ULS Universe

As you plan your ALA calendar, consider the ACRL-ULS program, Millennials in Graduate School:  How do We Support them? on Saturday, July 11^th from 1:30 to 3:00 PM in McCormick Place West, W-196c. Millennials, those born between 1982 and 1994, are entering graduate school and doctoral programs. Surveys suggest that these students use libraries heavily and are less than satisfied with the experience. What do these digital multi-taskers want and expect?  How can university libraries support their needs?

This program will bring together a panel of speakers to discuss trends in graduate education, the expectations of this cohort and the successful approaches that will engage them. Speakers include Susan Gibbons from University of Rochester, reporting on her latest ethnographic study of graduate students, Joan K. Lippincott from the Coalition for Networked information and Barbara Dewey, Dean of Libraries at the University of Tennessee. The program will also feature a video montage of graduate students making their case to librarians. All attendees will receive a chance to win an iPod Touch!

Check out this page for a complete listing of ACRL programs in Chicago:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/annual09.cfm

In March I was fortunate enough to attend the E-Learning Guild Annual Gathering in Orlando, FL, with a couple of colleagues. As our library is moving away from one-shot face-to-face sessions and more towards scalable online instruction, this seemed relevant.

We were the three lone librarians in a conference filled with hundreds of instructional designers from the corporate, non-profit, and consulting sectors. These are full-time e-learning professionals, experts in presenting online content, designing for online learners, and assessment through online mechanisms. We can certainly learn a lot from them.

For one, I’m finding that rapid e-learning tools are fantastic, and there are plenty of them out there. You don’t need to learn Flash or XML to create engaging, dynamic online presentations. A lot of libraries are already using screencapturing software such as Captivate and Camtasia, but not too many have started exploring the more broader world of e-learning tools. At my library we already have Articulate, which is a big one, but I learned about other options such as FlyPaper, Raptivity, and Lectora. These products can be on the expensive side, but there are often academic discounts, and you can always get a trial to test them out and see if they’re worth the money.

Second – which should come as no surprise – designing instruction for online learning is far different than designing for face-to-face sessions. Fortunately, there is a lot of research out there on how to design effective online instruction. Check out Empowering Online Learning, Making Sense of Online Learning, the Online Learning Idea Book, and the E-Learning Handbook. It’s worth taking the time to learn about good design; read up on the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for creating quality online learning experiences for our students.

If you are involved in developing online instructional materials, I highly recommend attending a conference geared towards e-learning professionals. In addition to the E-Learning Guild Annual Gathering, both DevCon and DevLearn are taking place this year.

-Rebecca Blakiston

New This Year!  The ACRL Research Program Committee (RPC) is sponsoring Research Writer’s Workshops at the ACRL 14th National Conference in Seattle, March 12-15, 2009.  Aimed at the new or inexperienced writer, the Research Writer’s Workshops will bring together small groups of two to three writers matched with an experienced writer or editor, who will offer guidance and critique.

AUTHORS
Are you an academic librarian working on a research article? Would you like some constructive feedback?  Submit a draft research paper to the Research Program Committee sponsored writing workshops at the ACRL Seattle conference.  ACRL RPC will match new writers with experienced writers, and the groups will meet face-to-face during the Seattle conference.  Draft research papers must be submitted to RPC by February 16, 2009.  Papers will be shared only among members of the designated groups.

REVIEWERS
Are you an experienced, published writer or editor?  Interested in providing guidance to your colleagues who may be writing their first research article?  Submit your name and a description of your areas of expertise by February 9, 2009. Reviewers are expected to review papers submitted for their small group in advance of the Seattle conference, as well as guide their small group sessions onsite during the conference.

MEET DURING ACRL 2009
At the ACRL conference, the groups will meet during one of two scheduled times below to critique the papers, discuss approaches for writing, and share ideas on where to submit articles.

Session One: Friday, March 13, 10:30 a.m. – noon
Session Two: Saturday, March 14, 10:30 – noon
Location: Washington State Trade and Convention Center, Room 211 – Seattle, Washington

HOW TO SUBMIT
New Writers Submission Guidelines: Deadline for submissions:  February 16, 2009
Include on first page: Author’s Name and contact information in upper left; your session time preference (see below); a paragraph describing what you would like others to comment on about your paper. e.g. grammar, writing style, clarity, presentation of the research methodology, etc.

Page limit:  25 double spaced pages, standard 1” margins

Preferred format:  Microsoft Word Number pages.  Footers should include author’s full name and email.  Draft research papers should be in complete enough form for others to read easily.

Submit by February 16 to: Ruth Vondracek at ruth.vondracek@oregonstate.edu

Experienced Writers or Editors Request to Participate: Deadline Feb. 9, 2009
Please send your current contact information, a copy of your current resume or list of publications, your preference for session times (see below) and a brief description of your current research interests.

*Writing Workshop Session Times:  Please indicate your preference. ACRL RPC will try to honor your preference as much as possible; if not possible you will be placed in the alternate session.

Submit by February 9 to: Ruth Vondracek at ruth.vondracek@oregonstate.edu

No trip to Seattle would be complete without partaking of the myriad of the city’s fine and fascinating restaurants.  There is perhaps no more memorable dining experience than one that is shared.  The Local Arrangements Committee for the ACRL National Conference Seattle 2009 invites you to bring these two principles together and volunteer to host a table for the Dinner With Colleagues program on Friday, March 13, 2009, in the 7pm to 9pm window.

The guests at your table could be members of a single committee or members from the same section.  You could combine experienced members with new members and make it an occasion for orienting the newcomers to the association and its work.  How about facilitating a group of student attendees getting together to meet one another, their future professional colleagues?  Maybe organize a group around professional interests (ala Birds of a Feather), geography (state of birth), a particular cuisine, or an interest in wine or custom cocktails.  Make it a group of friends, or be creative and make it a group of strangers who’ll become friends.

Please visit the Dinners With Colleagues page on the conference wiki for more information, including host responsibilities and a list of restaurants. If you would like to host a table, please email Jessica Albano.

Bon appetit!

Reposted from acrleads@ala.org

Having trouble filling management positions? There has been an ongoing debate in academic libraries about the benefits of hiring from within vs. brining in someone from outside the organization with different experiences and new ideas. Has this dynamic changed? Want to know what other institutions are doing?

The ULS Current Topics Discussion Group will be considering these issues at ALA Midwinter on Saturday, January 24, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Colorado Conference Center Korbel Ballroom Room 3B. Laura Blessing, Director of Personnel Management at North Carolina State University Library will get us started by talking about their program of identifying and nurturing new librarians with an interest in management.

Please spread the word about the discussion and we hope to see you on Saturday!

Vicki Nozero
Chair, Current Topics Discussion Group

Feeling pressed by the current economic situation?  Wish you had someone you could lean on to assist you in delivering your message, someone to assist you in making the case for a smaller budget cut for you when compared to other campus agencies?

The ULS Campus Administration and Leadership Discussion Group will be taking up the topic of “Building Campus Advocacy in Tough Economic Times” at ALA Midwinter on Saturday, January 24 from 10:30 – Noon in Colorado Conference Center Room 402.  The discussion will be facilitated by Georgie Donovan from Appalachian State University, who has experience in building advocates.  Compare notes with your colleagues, learn ways to growing advocacy on your campus, and gain valuable ideas of how to put those advocates to work for you.

Please spread the word to your colleagues.  We hope to see all of you there!

Christopher Cox
Chair, ULS Campus Administration and Leadership Discussion Group