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….
Jobs in Information Technology: December 18, 2019
New this week Vice Provost and University Librarian, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Data Migration Specialist (Telecommuting position), Bywater Solutions, Remote Position Research Librarian, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting.
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…
Submit a Nomination for 2020 Awards and Scholarships
Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award The award honors the life and accomplishments of Hugh C. Atkinson by soliciting nominations and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of an academic librarian who has worked in the areas of library automation or library management and has made contributions (including risk taking) toward the improvement of library services or to library development or research. Nomination deadline: January 9, 2020 Winner receives a cash award and a plaque. Learn more about the requirements for the Atkinson Memorial Award. Ex Libris Student Writing Award The LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award is given for the best unpublished manuscript on a topic in the area of libraries and information technology written by a student or students enrolled in an ALA-accredited library and information studies graduate program. Application deadline: February 28, 2020 Winner receives a $1,000 cash and a plaque. Learn more about the requirements for the Ex Libris Student…
Submit a Nomination for the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award
LITA, ACRL, ALCTS, and LLAMA invite nominations for the 2020 Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award. Please submit your nominations by January 9, 2020. The award honors the life and accomplishments of Hugh C. Atkinson by recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of an academic librarian who has worked in the areas of library automation or library management and has made contributions (including risk taking) toward the improvement of library services or to library development or research. Winners receive a cash award and a plaque. This award is funded by an endowment created by divisional, individual, and vendor contributions given in memory of Hugh C. Atkinson. The nominee must be a librarian employed in one of the following during the year prior to application for this award: University, college, or community college library Non-profit consortium, or a consortium comprised of non-profits that provides resources/services/support to academic libraries The nominee must have a minimum…
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…
Jobs in Information Technology: December 11, 2019
New this week Senior Specialist – Makerspace, Middle Tennessee State University, Walker Library, Murfreesboro, TN User Experience Librarian, Auburn University, Auburn University, AL Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting.
Announcing the new LITA Blog Editor
We are proud to announce that Jessica Gilbert Redman will be the new editor of the LITA Blog. Gilbert Redman has been the web services librarian at the University of North Dakota for the past three years. She coordinates and writes for the library blog and maintains the library website. She has completed a post-graduate certificate in user experience and always seeks to ensure that end users are able to easily find the information they need to complete their research. Additionally, she realizes communication is the key component in any relationship, be it between libraries and their users or between colleagues, and she always strives to make communication easier for all involved. “I am excited to become more involved in LITA, and I think the position of LITA Blog Editor is an excellent way to meet more people within LITA and ALA, and to maintain a finger on the pulse of new…
Jobs in Information Technology: December 4, 2019
New this week Digital Discovery Librarian/Assistant Librarian, Miami University, Oxford, OH Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting.
Jobs in Information Technology: November 27, 2019
New this week Web and Digital Scholarship Technologies Librarian, Marquette University Libraries, Milwaukee, WI Digital Access and Metadata Librarian, Marquette University Libraries, Milwaukee, WI Librarian (San Ramon Campus), Contra Costa Community College District, San Ramon, CA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting.