The Librarian in Boots
Walking through technology and the Web 2.0 World in search of ways to keep our users engaged.
Statement on Information Literacy
The traditional form of bibliographic instruction is outdated and no longer useful. Today’s “cut and paste” generation does not learn the same way that prior generations have. They expect to have everything at their fingertips 24/7. Unfortunately, they often lack the critical thinking skills to evaluate and use the information effectively. How do we reach these students?
A gathering place of information on all levels.
The physical set up of the library can provide many opportunities to cross over the line of traditional instruction. Short 12-16 second search tips can stream throughout the library. Through streaming media, we can become virtual librarians and instruct from the screens of computer monitors, PDA’s, cell phones and Sidekicks. Instruction can even be held outside on nice days with laptops.
As the center for many campus activities, the library has many opportunities for marketing and outreach. Perhaps an interesting fact can be printed on the coffee cup sleeve, or a unique display can promote database use. Additionally Instruction can break out of the library mold and focus on other topics, such as plagiarism, copyright issues, upcoming campus events or speakers, or even finding the right book to curl up with after a day of studying.
Instruction: The skills that students want.
The library must instill the skills students desire (maybe without knowing it) to be information literate, in both the digital world and real worlds. We must keep up with changing technologies, letting go of old ones. There are numerous studies that show how today’s first years are more computer savvy, have different values and future concerns than those of the past. We must continue to know our students and be prepared to reinvent instruction whenever necessary.
Recent Presentations and Press
Cyber Zed Shed - ACRL - Make Your Services Smarter: How Smartphones can extend your service and let you work away from your office and the reference desk.
Explore the services your can offer through Smartphones and how they can help you with your workload. Use cell phones for chat reference, text reference and helping patrons locate items in the stacks. Learn how simple it can be to use IM with your cell phone. Also check out some great bluetooth accessories and see how you can mobilize your office!
Learning Objectives
* Understand the key issues driving change in academic libraries, including yours.
* Understand how the forces driving change are impacting academic librarians, and how these forces will evolve to impact you.
* Identify "best practices" and their dynamic potential for your library.
Upcoming Presentations:
Libraries2Go: Library Services for Handhelds
RUSA MARS Hot Topics Discussion Group at ALA Annual 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007, 10:30am - 12:00pm
JW Marriott, Salon IV, Washington D.C.
Articles and Blogs
Librarians struggle to redefine — and in some cases eliminate — the venerable institution
By SCOTT CARLSON
At the University of California at Merced's library, there is no reference desk and there never has been. The way reference services are delivered there would intrigue some and disturb others.
Consider this example: On a recent weekend, a student asked Michelle Jacobs, one of Merced's librarians, how to get journal articles about child obesity for a political-science paper. Ms. Jacobs gave the student the information he wanted right away. For any reference librarian, this is business as usual — except that the student asked his reference question through a text message.
