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LITA announces the 2020 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists

The LITA Committee Recognizing Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction presents the 2020 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists. The lists are composed of notable children’s and young adult science fiction published between November 2018 and October 2019 and organized into three age-appropriate categories. The annotated lists will be posted on the website at www.sfnotables.org. The Golden Duck Notable Picture Books List is selected from books intended for pre-school children and very early readers, up to 6 years old. Recognition is given to the author and the illustrator: Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare. Margaret Ferguson Books Hello by Aiko Ikegami. Creston Books How to be on the Moon by Viviane Schwarz. Candlewick Press Out There by Tom Sullivan. Balzer + Bray The Babysitter From Another Planet by Stephen Savage. Neal Porter Books The Space Walk by Brian Biggs. Dial Books for Young…

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Teach for LITA: Submit Proposals by February 16

Reminder: The deadline to submit LITA education proposals is February 16th. Please share our CFP with your colleagues. We are seeking instructors passionate about library technology topics to share their expertise and teach a webinar, webinar series, or online course for LITA this year. All topics related to the intersection of technology and libraries are welcomed, including: Machine Learning IT Project Management Data Visualization Javascript, including: jquery, json, d3.js Library-related APIs Change management in technology Big Data, High Performance Computing Python, R, GitHub, OpenRefine, and other programming/coding topics in a library context Supporting Digital Scholarship/Humanities Virtual and Augmented Reality Linked Data Implementation or Participation in Open Source Technologies or Communities Open Educational Resources, Creating and Providing Access to Open Ebooks and Other Educational Materials Managing Technology Training Diversity/Inclusion and Technology Accessibility Issues and Library Technology Technology in Special Libraries Ethics of Library Technology (e.g., Privacy Concerns, Social Justice Implications) Library/Learning Management…

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Emily Drabinski, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich to deliver keynotes at the Exchange Virtual Forum

The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) have announced that Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich will deliver keynote addresses at the Exchange Virtual Forum. The theme for the Exchange is “Building the Future Together,” and it will take place on the afternoons of May 4, 6 and 8. Each day has a different focus, with day 1 exploring leadership and change management; day 2 examining continuity and sustainability; and day 3 focusing on collaborations and cooperative endeavors. Drabinski’s keynote will be on May 4, and Smith Aldrich’s will be on May 8.  Emily Drabinski is the Critical Pedagogy Librarian at Mina Rees Library, Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). She is also the liaison to the School of Labor and Urban Studies and other CUNY masters and doctoral programs. Drabinski’s research includes…

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Advice for the New Systems Librarian – Building Relationships 2.0

Advice for the New Systems Librarian – Building Relationships, Part 2 Previous articles in this series: Building Relationships, Helpful Resources, A Day in the Life I am at the two-year mark of being in my role as systems librarian at Jacksonville University, and I continue to love what I do. I am working on larger-scale projects and continuing to learn new things every week. There has not been a challenge or new skill to learn yet that I have been afraid of. My first post in this series highlighted groups and departments that may be helpful in learning your new role. Now that I’m a little more seasoned, I have had the opportunity to work with even more departments and individuals at my institution on various projects. Some of these departments may be unique to me, but I would imagine you would find counterparts where you work. The Academic Technology…

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LITA Education Call for Proposals for 2020

What library technology topics are you passionate about? Have something you can help others learn? LITA invites you to share your expertise with an international audience! Our courses and webinars are based on topics of interest to library technology workers and technology managers at all levels in all types of libraries. Taught by experts, they reach beyond physical conferences to bring high quality continuing education to the library world. We deliberately seek and strongly encourage submissions from underrepresented groups, such as women, people of color, the LGBTQA+ community, and people with disabilities. Submit a proposal by February 16th to teach a webinar, webinar series, or online course for Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall 2020. All topics related to the intersection of technology and libraries are welcomed, including: Machine Learning IT Project Management Data Visualization Javascript, including: jquery, json, d3.js Library-related APIs Change management in technology Big Data, High Performance Computing Python, R, GitHub, OpenRefine,…

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UX “don’ts” we still need from Erika Hall

The second edition of Erika Hall’s Just Enough Research dropped October 2019; although this excellent volume was previously unknown to me I am taking the opportunity now to consume, embody, and evangelize Hall’s approach to user research. Or, as Hall might put it, I’m a willing convert to the gospel of “Enoughening”. Hall is a seasoned design consultant and co-founder of Mule Design Studio but her commercial approach is tempered by a no-nonsense attitude that makes her solutions and suggestions palatable to a small UX team such as my own at Indiana University Bloomington Libraries. Rather than conduct a formulaic book review of Just Enough Research, I want to highlight some specific things Hall tells the reader not to do in their UX research. This list of five “don’ts” summarize Hall’s tone, style, and approach. It will also highlight the thesis of the second edition’s brand new chapter on surveys….

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Announcing the new LITA eLearning Coordinator

We are proud to announce that Kira Litvin will be the new LITA eLearning Coordinator. Litvin has been the Continuing Education Coordinator at the Colorado School for Public Health for the past six months. She provides distance/online learning library services and instruction and works regularly with other librarians, instructional designers, faculty, and educators to collaborate on instructional delivery projects. “I am passionate about being a librarian and working with people in an online environment!  For the past nine years I have worked with libraries that are exclusively online. My roles include administering and managing electronic library systems, including Springshare products, and providing virtual reference and instruction to students, faculty and staff. More recently I have transitioned to working as an eLearning Instructional Designer which means I design and develop instructional content available for asynchronous learning and professional development. As online learning continues to grow, I believe that libraries need to…

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Core Update – 12/12/2019

Greetings again from the Steering Committee of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a proposed division of ALA. Coming up this Friday, December 13 is the last of four town halls we are holding this fall to share information and elicit your input. Please join us! Register for Town Hall 4 today. ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA division staff will lead this town hall with a focus on Core’s mission, vision, and values; benefits organizationally; benefits to members; and opportunities in the future. Our speakers will be Jenny Levine (LITA Executive Director), Julie Reese (ALCTS Deputy Executive Director), and Kerry Ward (LLAMA Executive Director and interim ALCTS Executive Director). We’re excited to share an updated Core proposal document for ALA member feedback and review, strengthened by your input. We invite further comments on this updated proposal through Sunday, December 15. Meanwhile, division staff will incorporate your comments and finalize this proposal document for…

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Support LITA Scholarships this #GivingTuesday

It’s almost #GivingTuesday, so we’re highlighting the difference that LITA scholarships can make, and inviting you to join us in increasing access to LITA events by donating to our scholarship fund today. You can help us to provide more scholarships to events like AvramCamp and LITA Forum, as well as sponsor Emerging Leaders, with your donation today! Your donation of $25 could open up untold opportunities for other library technology professionals. “The LITA scholarship afforded me the opportunity to present at the 2019 AvramCamp and ALA conference. It was an incredible opportunity to network with dozens of information professionals, build connections with people in the field, ask them all of my questions and exchange our technical acumen and job experiences. As a result, I have been offered two interviewing opportunities that were an incredibly valuable experience for my career development. I am very grateful to LITA for the opportunity to…