2007

Library Wide IT Proficiency Preconference

Library-Wide IT Proficiency Preconference Presented by Brenda Chawner and Grace Sines This session was very informative. The preconference covered technology competency frameworks, understanding proficiency issues, discussion on what makes a good IT staff and IT fundamentals. One major point made was that in order to be successful in this process each of need to know our end users needs. Competency Frameworks: The first thing that is needed is a list of competencies. Most of the time you need minimum levels that everyone will need to know and then a second tier or level that is based more on specialist’s or higher level competencies. Some lists are broken down by department or even job type and job level. Most competencies need to be task based so that it is easier to demonstrate and measure. When developing these competencies involve a range of staff so that all aspects are included. Consulting existing…

2007

Library 2023: A Provoked Discussion on the Future of Libraries

Why 2023, you ask? Because that’s when Gregg A. Silvis will probably retire. The first question Silvis posed to the participants was, What if there were 100,000,000 books available for free in full text? First the group critiqued NetLibrary’s business model, then brainstormed about a “killer app” that would make ebooks enjoyable to read. Some folks seemed more comfortable than others with the idea of a device that could be directly implanted into the optic nerve. This blogger was quite comfortable using her institution’s new tablet PC to read magazine articles on the airplane on the way to the conference, and just might download an ebook for the trip home. Whatever happens with ebooks, everyone agreed that maintaining equity of access will continue to be an important and central concern for libraries, and that our role as a place for people to connect will continue to be one of our…

2007

E-books: an account of the student experience

Presenters: Bonnie Tijerina, Julie Griffin, and Heather Jeffcoat King, Georgia Institute of Technology’s Library & Information Center Summary: As e-book platforms change, so does the experience for readers of scholarship in electronic format. Georgia Tech Library’s web usability working group undertook an e-book study in early Spring 2007 in order to gain insight into user expectations and perceptions of this increasingly popular research tool. Presenters will discuss the variety of e-book platforms, the techniques used in the Library’s usability study undertaken at Tech, and the effect of the study’s outcomes on e-books as licensed electronic resources in our library.

2007

Enhancing the OPAC

Enhancing the OPAC: Tagging the Catalog and Keyword-in-Heading Searching Shawn Carraway, Midlands Technical College Michael Bowden, Harrisburg Area Community College Michael Bowden and Shawn Carraway presented on two major customizations they made to their OPACs Both presenters work with SirsiDynix Unicorn but regardless of vendor any system should be able to, and want to impliment these ideas. Michael presented first on “Keyword in Heading” which he defines as a cross between a keyword search and browse authority search, and which allows the user to do a keyword search on the headings fields. The reason he set this up is because he feels students are not familiar with LCSH searching. The search page is located at: http://lib2.hacc.edu/web2/tramp2.exe/goto/guest?screen=home.html Michael pulls out heading from Sirsi into a separate MySQL database every night after the subject headings are compiled. The search interface then uses a keyword in browse field from which a php search…

2007

LITA Forum Blogging Update

As you may have noticed if you are attending LITA Forum 2007 in Denver, the hotel wifi that LITA so graciously provided to us does not extend into the conference rooms. If you are signed up to blog for the Forum, please find me and I will see what I can do to make the process of live blogging slightly easier for you. I am currently in the opening keynote in the back of the room capturing audio for podcast, if you are in attendance there, or email me at griffey@gmail.com.

2007

LITA Forum 2007

Just a quick note for all of the LITA members currently converging on Denver, CO for LITA Forum 2007, as well as those following us from afar. For those attending, if you are taking photos at Forum, uploading videos, blogging on your personal site, etc, please tag your content with: LITAForum2007 That way those at home can follow along if they wish. As photos hit Flickr and other sites, we’ll try and keep a running list of content we are alerted to here on LITABlog. As well, if you Twitter and want to contribute to the LITA Forum Twitter stream, head on over to http:/twitter.com/LITAForum and add LITAForum as a friend. If you want to follow along the Twittering stream: http://twitter.com/LITAForum/with_friends or This RSS feed  To follow along with those of us who might be Twittering along in Denver. We will also, of course, have our crack team of bloggers…

2007

Five Minute Madness at the LITA Forum

Are you working on a cool new project that you didn’t even know about when the Call for Papers came out? Would you like an opportunity to share your work with colleagues in an informal setting? If you’ve read the LITA Forum schedule, you may have noticed the Saturday morning Session titled: 5 Minute Madness. This year, LITA is trying something new and setting aside a session for informal presentations of projects and ideas that weren’t really gelled when the Call for Papers closed back in the winter. The Forum Planning Committee knows that nine months is a looong time in IT, and we want to be able to offer a conference experience that includes new ideas in addition to the more formal presentations that go through the peer-reviewed proposal process. We’re borrowing this idea from the Access conference which has used this impromptu, less formal approach for a few…

2007

Informal Discussion: e-Resources Management at LITA Forum

ER&L (Electronic Resources & Libraries) and LITA ERM IG are hosting an informal discussion during the LITA Forum about the state of e-resource management. The meeting will be Saturday, October 6th from 8-9am in the Molly Brown Room. Grab some breakfast and come in for a discussion. Join us as we continue our discussions (started at ER&L, ACRL and NASIG) on the future of e-resources management. We’ve been exploring ideas of how to create a community, a collaborative work space, an understanding, and a vocabulary about how we need to manage and make accessible our electronic content. These conversations spurred this blog and ideas for other collaborative spaces, like the projects wiki. Bonnie Tijerina will touch on some of the highlights of the discussions held so far and possible future projects. This is very informal, allowing for time to talk about what’s happening in your libraries and your ideas for…

2007

Official Call for Volunteer Bloggers at Forum 07

LITA members will soon be celebrating “Ten Years of the National Forum” in beautiful Denver, Colorado. The LITA Blog will, of course, again be there to report on what is happening — sharing as much of the fun and learning it can with those who cannot attend this year. But, as always, we need your help! Do you like to write? Looking for new ways to get involved? Take this opportunity to become a LITA Blogger! The blog schedule for Forum has been posted and will be updated as we receive more volunteers. We have over 50 sessions to be covered, so your help is needed more than ever. If you are interested, please email Tiffany Smith and let her know what sessions you would like to cover and if you are new to LITA Blog. We will be taking volunteers up to and during the conference.

2007

LITA Forum 2007

The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) is pleased to offer our annual National Forum– Technology with Altitude: Ten Years of the National Forum October 4-7, 2007 Denver Marriott City Center Register now to save $75 off the regular registration rate; this offer ends on August 15th! http://www.lita.org/forum07/ Two full day preconferences on gaming and library-wide IT proficiencies provide opportunities for hand-on experiences and in-depth discussions: Keynote sessions enrich each day’s programming: Local topic with Jeffrey Kiehl, National Center for Atmospheric Research, CO The Scientific and Social Challenges of Global Warming David King, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, KS The Future is not out of Reach: Change, Library 2.0, and Emerging Trends Jeremy Frumkin, Gray Chair for Innovative Library Services, OR In Our Cages With Golden Bars The LITA National Forum provides a wealth of opportunities for growth and development. In addition to the above programs, there are 34…