Author: Chrishelle Thomas

The Boards of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), Library Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) have all voted unanimously to send to members their recommendation that the divisions form a new division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures.  ALCTS, LITA and LLAMA will vote on the recommendation during the upcoming American Library Association (ALA) election. If approved by all three memberships, and the ALA Council, the three long-time divisions will end operations on August 31, 2020, and merge into Core on September 1. Members of the three Boards emphasized that Core will continue to support the groups in which members currently find their professional homes while also creating new opportunities to work across traditional division lines. It is also envisioned that Core would strengthen member engagement efforts and provide new career-support services. If one or more of the division memberships do not…

With stimulating programming, including discussion forums and virtual poster sessions, the Exchange will engage a wide range of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities in a three-day, fully online, virtual forum. Programming includes keynote presentations from Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and sessions focusing on leadership and change management, continuity and sustainability, and collaborations and cooperative endeavors. The Exchange will take place May 4, 6, and 8. In addition to these sessions, the Exchange will offer lightning rounds and virtual poster sessions. For up-to-date details on sessions, be sure to check the Exchange website as new information is being added regularly. Early-bird registration rates are $199 for ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA members, $255 for ALA individual members, $289 for non-members, $79 for student members, $475 for groups, and $795 for institutions. Early-bird registration ends March 1. Want to register your group or institution? Groups watching the…

There’s a seat waiting for you… Register for this LITA webinar today! How to Talk About Library UX – Redux Presenter: Michael Schofield Librarian / Director of Engineering, WhereBy.Us Wednesday, March 11, 2020 12:00 – 1:00 pm Central Time The last time we did this webinar was in 2016 – and a lot’s changed. The goal then was to help establish some practical benchmarks for how to think about the user experience and UX design in libraries, which suffered from a lack of useful vocabulary and concepts: while we might be able to evangelize the importance of UX, LibUXers struggled with translating their championship into the kinds of bureaucratic goals that unlocked real budget for our initiatives. It’s one thing to say, “the patron experience is critical!” It’s another thing to say, “the experience is critical – so pay for OptimalWorkshop, or hire a UX Librarian, or give me a…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…