Category: 2005

The XML and Authority Control program, sponsored by the LITA-ALCTS CCS Authority Control in the Online Environment Interest Group (ACIG) took place in a dim, cavernous room in McCormick Center, remarkably full at the beginning and with sitters on the floor around the walls …

Knowing people’s busy schedules and delays caused afternoon shuttle bus travel, Holley Long, coordinator of the Digital Library and Technology Interest Group (DLTIG) Table Talks, asked the initially small number of attendees to gather around two large tables. As discussions began in King Arthur’s Court- a conference room of the Intercontinental Chicago sporting swanky medieval décor, the number of participants grew till each table had representation from libraries, museums and similar institutions across the country. Talk at my table began with a resounding agreement on the importance of project planning. Organizational issues were zeroed in on, and thoughts/ideas/potential solutions shared in response to questions like: Has your collection development plan been translated to incorporate digital collections? If not, how can one harmonize a current plan to address and include digital formats? Is too much attention given to the development of “sexy” collections while the content and management of more core…

Over the past couple of months, book cart drill teams have been practicing, rehearsing routines, and eagerly awaiting the first-ever Book Cart Drill Team World Championship. Anticipation is in the air… finally, today, Sunday June 26, the day has arrived! For the Pitt Crew from the University of Pittsburgh, pictured here prepping carts for the event, all eyes are on first prize- a full-sized gold book cart from sponsor Demco. Numerous members have been quoted saying, “Burn rubber, not books!” and “Ohmygod, did we remember the CD?” before breaking into spontaneous dance steps. Here in Chicago and need a break from pre-planned conference sessions? Come over to the North Exhibit Hall Lobby at the McCormick Place Convention Center, 1:30-3:30 pm and cheer on your favorite team!

The booth is outside the exhibit floor, not in the Associations section of the exhibits. Tip: If it’s getting too hot for you, stand on the floor grating behind the LITA booth for a blast of cool air.

With over 250 conference-goers in attendance, the Searching Digital Resources: Designing Usability into Digital Interfaces session sponsored by the LITA Electronic Publishing/Electronic Journals Interest Group on Saturday, June 25 was bound to have some good energy flowing, even with the 8:30 am start time. The room hummed with conversation as people clustered about the door while more chairs were brought in to accommodate the crowd. The User The user quickly took center stage in this discussion about the usability of library web pages, online catalogs and search protocols. “People don’t read, they scan,” said Frank Cervone, and user interfaces must be designed accordingly. And, noted Steve DiDomenico, if the students and faculty you’re surveying are not retrieving the desired results, “something is wrong with the site, not the person.” This point provoked laughter from the crowd and hinted, once again, that librarians need to remember that the digital interfaces we…

“Second to hospitals, libraries are the most complicated buildings to build,” said Alan Kirk Gray, Head of Technology, Technical Services, and Planning for the Darien Library in Darien, Connecticut. Gray, who was the first speaker at Changing Technology/Changing Services/Changing Design, is currently in charge of planning the construction of a new library building. He said that increasing staff productivity and meeting rising public expectations are central considerations in his library’s design process. Darien Library is incorporating RFID, wireless Internet, and multi-channel communications to try to meet those considerations. Deborah Jacobs of the Seattle Public Library reported that the new central library in her city is a big success. The press is positive, the staff is pleased, and citizens and tourists are flocking to the building. Usage statistics are way up. Jacobs credits smooth workflow, innovative technology, and environmentally friendly design. City officials are pleased by increased interest in land development…

Preconference on Introduction to Web Services, held on June 24th

The ALA IFC will be discussing policy issues regarding RFID at their meeting tomorrow, 6/26 10-11am @ the Hilton, North West 2. Anybody who was interested in the LITA RFID-related programs may want to attend.

(n.b. Man oh man, you LITA bloggers rock!) If it weren’t for Heidi I know I wouldn’t be sitting here live-blogging the Opening General Session, because my brain wanted to be here but my body was telling me otherwise. “Go to the hotel bar and get a glass of wine,” my feet were saying, even though my mind said “But it’s BARACK, and don’t you want to say someday you remember when President Obama spoke to ALA?” Time for a little help from my friends. With Heidi’s encouragement, just a cab ride later we were in the huge cave of the McCormick’s North Hall, soaking up the mounting excitement and basking in Mayor Daley’s library-uxurious comments (“The federal government should not interfere with libraries. The federal government should be helping libraries!”). The Senator is up on the stage now. He’s cracking jokes about being a rambunctious kid who had to…

Searching Digital Resources: Designing Usability Into Digital Interfaces Frank Cervone Steve DiDomenico & Jeannette Moss Stephen Abram Mike Visser Just when I think the room can not get any more packed, twenty people walk in the door. Sharon and I guard our space by the plugs in the back like librarians hyped on coffee. 😉 The Northwestern group speaks first: Northwestern redesigned their site about five years ago and they found through surveys and interactions that their patrons were currently frustrated with accessibility issues, so they did usability testing to find what actually works and what does not. They asked a random sample of students to complete particular tasks on their website and they recorded the computer screen during the ineraction, which they showed during the presentation. It was enlightening to see the common mistakes that users make on what seems to us to be a very explanatory web site….