Lately it seems all I do all day is create informational or educational video tutorials on various topics for my library. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Medical Library at Florida International University in Miami, FL has perfected a system. First, a group of three librarians write and edit a script on a topic. In the past we have done multiple videos on American Medical Association (AMA) and American Psychological Association (APA) citation styles, Evidence-Based Medicine research to support a course, and other titles on basic library services and resources. After a script has been finalized, we record the audio. We have one librarian who has become “the voice of the library,” one simple method to brand the library. After that, I go ahead and coordinate the visuals – a mixture of PowerPoint slides, visual effects and screen video shots. We use Camtasia to edit our videos and produce and…
Category: General information
Interacting with Patrons Through Their Mobile Devices :: Image Scanning
QR codes are not a new technology. Their recent adoption and widespread usage has even led the technology into a pervasive state, mostly due to their misuse. However, I want to address QR codes in this series — because I believe the technology is brilliant. I enjoy the potential of its concept, and what has recently developed from the technology in the form of Augmented Reality codes. Originally developed in 1994 by Denso Wave Incorporated, the Quick Reference Code was devised to increase the scan-ability and data storage capacity of the standard linear barcode. Today, they are most often seen in advertising. Their modern pervasiveness is understandable as an inexpensive, easily produced, versatile method of transmitting information. However, their effectiveness as a mode of relaying information is reliant on their method of use. The QR code needs to provide a direct extension of the information in its proximity, and not…
3D Printing Partnerships: Tales Of Collaboration, Prototyping, And Just Plain Panic
*Photo taken from Flickr w/Attribution CC License: http://bit.ly/1UnoxIN Many institutions have seen the rise of makerspaces within their libraries, but it’s still difficult to get a sense of how embedded they truly are within the academic fabric of their campuses and how they contribute to student learning. Libraries have undergone significant changes in the last five years, shifting from repositories to learning spaces, from places to experiences. It is within these new directions that the makerspace movement has risen to the forefront and begun to pave the way for truly transformative thinking and doing. Educause defines a makerspace as “a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build” (ELI 2013). These types of spaces are being embraced by the arts as well as the sciences and are quickly being adopted by the academic community because “much of the value of a…
The Case for Open Tools in Pedagogy
Academic libraries support certain software by virtue of what they have available on their public computers, what their librarians are trained to use, and what instruction sessions they offer. Sometimes libraries don’t have a choice in the software they are tasked with supporting, but often they do. If the goal of the software support is to simply help students achieve success in the short term, then any software that the library already has a license for is fair game. If the goal is to teach them a tool they can rely on anywhere, then libraries must consider the impact of choosing open tools over commercial ones. Suppose we have a student, we’ll call them “Student A”, who wants to learn about citation management. They see a workshop on EndNote, a popular piece of citation management software, and they decide to attend. Student A becomes enamored with EndNote and continues to grow their skills with it…
August Library Tech Roundup
Each month, the LITA bloggers will share selected library tech links, resources, and ideas that resonated with us. Enjoy – and don’t hesitate to tell us what piqued your interest recently in the comments section! Brianna M. Here are some of the things that caught my eye this month, mostly related to digital scholarship. Yasmeen Shorish unpacked data-related roles in the library. Thomas Padilla gave practical ideas for undertaking text analysis projects. I’m intrigued by the NCSU Libraries Social Media Archiving Toolkit. DH + Lib shared a cool CFP from the Journal of Open Humanities Data. I enjoyed CRL‘s webinar on text mining tools in the social sciences and humanities. John K. Jason Griffey gives us an overview of Carbon 3D who uses ‘stereolithography’ technology in 3D printing I’m a sucker for to-do lists and Bullet Journaling might be the ultimate to-do list! David Lee King has a round-up of…
Jobs in Information Technology: August 26, 2015
New vacancy listings are posted weekly on Wednesday at approximately 12 noon Central Time. They appear under New This Week and under the appropriate regional listing. Postings remain on the LITA Job Site for a minimum of four weeks. New This Week: Librarian for Health Sciences, Old Dominion University Perry Library, Norfolk, VAHead of Systems Development, Old Dominion University Perry Library, Norfolk, VA Huck Chair, and Head of Special Collections, Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Special Collections, University Park, PA Senior Library Manager – Olympia, Timberland Regional Library, Olympia, WA Technology and Content Strategy Manager (Librarian III), Suffolk Public Library, Suffolk, VA Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a job posting.
Learning through WordClouds: Visualizing LITA Jobs Data
I am in no way attempting to create an evidenced-based scholarly study on employment movements. This is an attempt to satisfy my recent fascination with data visualization and curiosity to use them to inspire discussion. On August 4, 2015, sometime in the morning, I took data from the employment opportunities advertised on the LITA Job site in order to see some trends. The jobs are posted under the regions Northeastern, Southern, Midwestern, and Western Regions; none posted outside of the United States at the time of my mini-experiment. This information may be helpful to current job seekers or folks currently employed who may be interested in areas to venture out or compliment their current repertoire. I hope these visualizations will conjure some discussion or ideas. Out of the sixty-seven total ads listed, 34 were from universities, 14 from colleges, 9 from public libraries, and 10 from other libraries such as…
Jobs in Information Technology: July 1, 2015
New vacancy listings are posted weekly on Wednesday at approximately 12 noon Central Time. They appear under New This Week and under the appropriate regional listing. Postings remain on the LITA Job Site for a minimum of four weeks. New This Week Digital Systems, Training, and Support Coordinator, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR Systems and Digital Services Librarian, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR Digital Library Data Curation Developer, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a job posting.
ALA appoints Jenny Levine next LITA Executive Director
The American Library Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Jenny Levine as the Executive Director of the Library and Information Technology Association, a division of the ALA, effective August 3, 2015. Ms. Levine has been at the American Library Association since 2006 as the Strategy Guide in ALA’s Information Technology and Telecommunications Services area, charged with providing vision and leadership regarding emerging technologies, development of services, and integration of those services into association and library environments. In that role she coordinated development of ALA’s collaborative workspace, ALA Connect, and provided ongoing support and documentation. She convened the staff Social Media Working Group and coordinated a team-based approach for strategic posting to ALA’s social media channels. In addition, she has been the staff liaison to ALA’s Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) and coordinated a range of activities, including the 2007 & 2008 Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposia and…
2015 LITA Forum, Registration Opens!
Registration Now Open! 2015 LITA Forum Minneapolis, MN November 12-15, 2015 Plan now to join us in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis for the 2015 LITA Forum, a three-day educational event that includes 2 preconferences, 3 keynote sessions, more than 55 concurrent sessions and 15 plus poster presentations. 2015 LITA Forum is the 18th annual gathering of technology-minded information professionals and is a highly regarded annual event for those involved in new and leading edge technologies in the library and information technology field. Registration is limited in order to preserve the important networking advantages of a smaller conference. Attendees take advantage of the informal Friday evening reception, networking dinners and other social opportunities to get to know colleagues and speakers. Comments from past attendees: “Best conference I’ve been to in terms of practical, usable ideas that I can implement at my library.” “I get so inspired by the presentations…