Library Cloud

ALAO 2013: Deadline Extended

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:16:00 +0000

ALAO 39th Annual Conference | October 25, 2013

University Center Kent State University at Stark | North Canton, Ohio

Deadline for proposals extended to June 14, 2013!

Proposals should be submitted via the online submission form:
ALAO 2013 Presentation Proposal

For additional information, visit the conference web site @ http://goo.gl/ryXMa

Weekly Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:25:00 +0000

On the Academic Library as A Critical Institution
"Everyone agrees: libraries are critical institutions. Librarians certainly feel that way, but so does the general population and even (mostly) politicians—especially if asked publicly. In fact, a person of normal intelligence is no more likely to disagree publicly with the statement “libraries are critical institutions” than to answer “no” when an ALA-sponsored pollster asks “Do you love books?” (Headline: 99% of Americans Still Love Books, ALA Informs Grateful Nation.)" -- Rick Anderson, Library Journal - Peer to Peer, 6/6/13

My Advice for New Instruction Librarians
"In the last three months, I’ve been interviewed about information literacy by two students. One was working on her MLIS and taking her first instruction course. The other was working on a dissertation, and I was a participant in her study on information literacy programs. These interviews started me thinking about what I’d tell new librarians interested in information literacy instruction."-- Troy A. Swanson, Tame the Web, 6/7/13

Your Essential "How to" Guide for Using Prezi in an Academic Environment
"Prezi.com is a zooming presentation tool which offers an alternative to PowerPoint. As it grows in popularity it is being seen more and more often across campuses; presentations created not just by academics and librarians but by students too. The quality of these presentations is variable; when used well Prezi can be a fabulous communication tool, but when used badly it can leave the audience feeling bamboozled, and potentially slightly sea-sick… There’s a lot of academic interest to it, so with that in mind here’s a brief guide." - Ned Potter, Impact of Social Sciences, 6/7/13

Once a Librarian, Always a Librarian?
"Dear ALA, Library Journal, and others: I have an MLS. I paid good money for it. I earned it. I am a librarian. Forever. The fact that I do not currently (nor may ever again) work in a library does not change that fact. Please make room for me on your surveys etc. Thank you. Bobbi, MLS Forever." -- Bobbi Newman, Librarian by Day, 6/4/13

Quick Guide to Making Your Website Social Media Friendly
"I'm often asked by clients to work with their web designers/developers to ensure their new website is going to be built and presented in a way that ensures social media tech plays a part in the user's experience. Usually I'm asked to do this after jumping up and down a lot and ramming home the importance of thinking social when it comes to websites!" -- Mike McGrail, Social Media Today, 6/4/13

YouTube: Viva La Library

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:51:00 +0000

A video gem from Dr. James McGrath of Butler University: Viva La Library (The Information Literacy Song) ... enjoy.

ALAO 2013: Help with your proposal

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:23:00 +0000

"Make this the year you present at ALAO! Whether you are a first time presenter, or an ALAO presentation veteran, crafting and submitting a proposal to present is sometimes a daunting challenge." - ALAO 2013: Proposal's: Need Help?

First time and seasoned presenters are encouraged to submit their proposal for the 39th Annual ALAO Conference. If you are having trouble getting started, or would like a quick refresher on creating conference proposals, visit the conference web site. Among the resources available for presenter are abstracts from previous conferences, submission tips from ALA and ACRL, and general ALAO proposal submission FAQs.

There is still time to submit your session proposal!
Proposal Submission Form: http://goo.gl/CgrBm

Weekly Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Social Media Etiquette 101: Attribution
"Today, we are in desperate need of an etiquette manual for the internet. Some believe that social media is much like the wild west of old—anything and everything goes. It creates an energy and excitement that gives birth to creativity and collaboration. Unfortunately, that also means that civil behavior and professional standards are often overlooked. In our race to be first or gain more influence, we often overlook those who helped us find that important information to begin with." -- Chris Syme, Social Media Today, 5/30/13

But What if I Can't Find it on the Internet?
"But because of cost-cutting policies and the mantra of ''digitisation at all cost'', we are in danger of decreasing rather than increasing our access to information over time. Nowhere is this trend more evident than in libraries. It is driven by an over-reliance on new technology, in turn propelled by the forces of managerialism and economic rationalism." -- Pauline Westwood, The Canberra Times, 5/27/13

10 Ways to Use IFTTT To Automate Your Social Media Branding
"IFFT is a new service that stands for If This, Then That. It’s an incredibly easy to use website that lets you set up or copy recipes for automating just about anything. I’ve written about this handy tool before, however in a nutshell it works with 60 different applications including most of the major social media channels, and necessitates filling out simple online forms." -- Ellyssa Kroski, Open Education Database, 5/24/13

5 Reasons Why Your Online Presence Will Replace Your Resume in 10 Years
"We’re seeing more and more recruiters use the web as a place to search for talent and conduct employment background searches. This trend is set to increase year over year and I’ve been predicting that an “online presence search” will become as common as a drug test since 2007."-- Dan Schwabel, Forbes Entrepreneurs, 2/21/11

ALAO 2013: Call for Proposals

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Mon, 27 May 2013 17:43:00 +0000

ALAO 39th Annual Conference

October 25, 2013

University Center Kent State University at Stark

North Canton, Ohio

The ALAO 2013 Conference Planning Committee invites you to submit proposals for presentations for the 39th Annual Conference. Applicants are encouraged to develop creative proposals that show thoughtful exploration of this year’s conference theme:

“The Changing Faces of Academic Libraries:
Transforming, Reorganizing, Re‐imagining.”

Share your experiences, solutions, expertise, and innovative practices with colleagues from all types of academic libraries. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

Transforming:

Collaboration – departments, community, groups
Collections – print vs. electronic
Outside the box – new initiatives
Services – areas of student experience

Reorganizing:

Library spaces – physical and virtual, active learning
Staffing – new roles, new positions, new responsibilities
Budget (electronic vs. print)
Collections – maintenance
Services

Re‐imagining:

Library instruction – 1st year, second year groups, international, special groups (veterans), online
Library reference – online, in person, new methods, assessment, tools used
Library services
Collaboration
Budget – expertise needed?, IT
Collections – digital initiatives, data
Assessment
Library as information portal

Proposal Guidelines:

Multiple proposals are welcome, however no more than two (2) will be included in the final program. Proposals are blind‐reviewed for content, relevance to the conference theme, and overall appeal. A concise, clearly written description and abstract will help the reviewers evaluate your offering more clearly. Presentations may take the form of contributed papers, demonstrations, workshops, research, or panel discussions.

Exclude the name of your institution, department and any personal names in the abstract to expedite the blind review process.
You will be contacted regarding your AV/technology requirements when your proposal is accepted.
All presenters will be responsible for their own registration and travel costs.

Deadline for proposals is June 7, 2013.

Proposals should be submitted via the online submission form:
ALAO 2013 Presentation Proposal

For additional information, visit the conference web site @ http://goo.gl/ryXMa

Weekly Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:27:00 +0000

Leadership Lessons for Higher Education Administration
"Thinking about academic library administration as your next career step? When you do, you become a higher education administrator too. Here are some things you may want to know about moving into higher education administration, and some leadership lessons you’ll learn when you do." -- Steven Bell, Leading from the Library / Library Journal, 5/22/13

What Explanation and Design Have in Common
"We hear a lot about design these days. Apple products are probably the most popular examples. The idea is that Apple became one of the most valuable companies in the world, in part, because they focus on the design of their products.But what does that mean, really? What do organizations who focus on design do differently?" -- Lee LeFever, Common Craft Blog, 5/23/13

MOOC Professors Claim No Responsibility for How Courses Are Used
"Robert Ghrist, a professor of mathematics and electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, knows that wielding vast networks on behalf of nonuniversity benefactors can be tricky business. Mr. Ghrist specializes in applied topology, an abstract math field. In practice, topological math can help someone harness huge collections of sensory inputs—like those collected by cellphones, for example—to model large environments and solve problems" -- Steve Kolowich, Wired Campus, 5/21/13

Open Access: A Quick Factual Post
"Given the growing amount of nonsense being repeated in various ways about OA, here are four simple facts" -- Walt Crawford, Walt at Random, 5/21/13

2013 Social Media Marketing Report
"Are you wondering how your peers are using social media? Wondering if you should focus on Pinterest or podcasting, or put more effort into Facebook? In our fifth annual social media study, more than 3000 marketers reveal where they focus their social media activities, how much time they invest, what the rewards are and where they’ll plan their future efforts." -- Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner, 5/21/13

Are People Stealing Your Content? How (and When) to Fight Back
"If you're drinking the inbound marketing Kool-Aid and regularly publishing content online, there's a good chance you may have experienced content theft at one point or another. Many of us are all too familiar with the feelings that follow the discovery of content thievery: your stomach drops, quickly followed by thoughts of "Why me?" Then the anger sets in." -- Ginny Soskey, The Hub, 5/21/13

Pinterest Widgets

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:35:00 +0000

One of my new favorite Pinterest tools is the Button and Widget Builder. Available (located) with the Pinterest for Business resources, I have found it useful for promoting specific IRC Pinterest boards on the IRC News Blog (see IRC Pinterest Book Trailers, National Poetry Month, and New Ellison Dies); with one click, users access the full board from the blog.

I began pinning infographics, blog posts, and other items of interest about Pinterest on my ACRL 2013 Resources board for my workshop and have continued the practice on my Pinterest News & Info board. Here are examples of the embedded boards.

Update: Well, that was certainly embarrassing (don't forget to load the java). The boards should both be visible now.

Weekly Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:06:00 +0000

Tips for Personal Branding in the Digital Era
"It doesn’t matter if you have the perfect job and have no plans of leaving — consistent networking and personal branding efforts ensure you’ll stay on the top of your network’s members’ minds and be viewed as an authority in your field. Womenonbusiness.com suggests focusing on building a brand instead of a career. That starts with your interaction with others — even in the space of digital. Crafting a beneficial digital brand involves everything from visual development, to content strategy, to digital public relations. Think of yourself as a brand, and start reaping the rewards of your networking efforts." -- Mike Frey, Social Media Today, 5/17/13

Tips from Mentor Scouts Mentor of the Year
"Mentoring can be a difficult relationship to navigate for both mentors and mentees, but there are several steps that participants can take to ensure that they get the most out of the relationship. Finalists for Mentor Scout’s Mentor of the Year award recently talked with Nobscot CEO Beth Carvin about some things to keep in mind when working on establishing a good mentoring relationship."-- Julia Russell, Smart Blog on Leadership, 5/16/13

Five Great Tools for Creating Your Own Educational Infographics
"These fun, mostly free tools can help educators easily create their own Infographics, and bring a very modern twist to instruction. 'A picture is worth thousand words.' That is what infographics do. They convey a wealth of information in a largely graphical format. They can help communicate visually even the most complex concepts in a simple and lucid way. They can be a great educational resource. Have you ever considered creating one for a course you teach?" -- Kathryn Smith, Emerging EdTech, 5/15/13

It's the Small Things That Make a Leader Great
"How unfortunate that our popular ideas of what a good leader should be are so often grandiose. Through current media, television and movies, we expect perfection; a leader is strong, fearless and flawless. If we believe that myth, they should be superheroes, royalty and saviors all rolled into one." -- Mary Jo Asmus, Smart Blog on Leadership, 5/15/13

Simple Steps to Successful Presentations
"Picture this: You’re at a conference, waiting to hear a speaker whose talk you’ve been looking forward to for months. As you sit down, you realize that he appears rattled and is gripping onto the lectern for dear life. He begins to talk, ever so slowly." -- Shannon Alter, Smart Blog on Leadership, 5/10/13

The Ultimate Google+ Cheat Sheet
"Social Media Marketers need to squeeze the most value out of every social media update. Google Plus has some of the most robust posting & sharing capabilities of any social network. From rich snippets to photo editing to individual circles, there are so many features that can make your post stand out from the pack. Here are some highlights from a cheat sheet that I built (Download and print here) to get the most out of Google Plus posts." -- Tatiana Aders, Social Media Today, 5/16/13

The simple things: images in forms

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:50:00 +0000

I was excited to see the following tweet from Richard Byrne earlier this week:

Video - How to Insert Images Into Google Forms ow.ly/kZTys
— Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne) May 14, 2013

I immediately re-tweeted ...

RT yes! can hardly wait to try it myself “@rmbyrne: New post: Video - How to Insert Images Into Google Forms goo.gl/fb/pNm7U”
— Diane L. Schrecker (@dschrecker) May 13, 2013

[Note: I gathered embed codes a day after the original tweet; as a result it looks like I re-tweeted a tweet before it was originally posted.]

Why? When Google moved Forms away from Google Docs into Google Drive a number of useful features, such as simple html for text display, heading tags, and ordered and unordered lists were eliminated. Luckily existing forms did not lose set formatting and functionality remained intact, but project /form presentation options were limited including a diminished number of themes.

That said, I have to mention the updated form menu is easier to use.

I use Google Forms - and spreadsheets - with Flubaroo in an instructional technology course; students create self-grading quizzes. The assignment remained, but it will be necessary to recreate supporting video tutorials moving forward. Access to drive is different and steps for connecting the form to a spreadsheet need to be addressed.

A member of the ALAO 2013 conference planning committee, I was excited to have the opportunity implement Google Forms for conference proposal submissions. Proposals are submitted online and compiled in the accompanying spreadsheet, a quick form script allows for immediate email response for each submission, and each submission form 'type' was branded a different color. What was lacking was opportunity to brand the form with the conference logo for immediate visual impact and recognition.

At least, it was lacking until yesterday ... ALAO 2013 Presentation Proposals

Adding images is quick and easy; the only problem is they are added using the same process as headers and section breaks; text and questions are placed above or below, not with the image. Inserting images into existing questions or the form description is not optioned. Therefore, in order to add the ALAO Conference logo it was necessary to insert the image, create a new section header directly below to incorporate a form title and description, and then delete narrative in the default title and description fields. The empty space created does not display in the live form. Overall, I'm thrilled with the image option and hope Google continues to add more functions in the near future.

ALAO 2013: Conference App

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:55:00 +0000

The ALAO 2013 conference planning committee invites you to stay connected with ALAO 2013 using our new app! Developed for the ALAO conference using Yapp, a free mobile app, users are able to access the conference website, submit a proposal, view information about ALAO presenter grant opportunities, and follow ALAOorg and the conference hashtag #ALAO2013.

Interested?

Here's how it works:

Download YappBox to your mobile device (phone or tablet), it's free from the iTunes Store and Google Play.
Install the ALAO Conference app by visiting this page, http://my.yapp.us/3CCFY9 via your device.
OR - use the "Add a Yapp" function in YappBox and enter the code: 3CCFY9
OR - follow this link to send the link to your mobile device.
OR - Scan the QR Code

Pinterest: notifications & analytics

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Pinterest has been rolling out layout 'tweaks' over the last few weeks; Improvements to the New Look highlighted updates and the return of some favorite features. (An aside: I really need to get my Google Reader feeds moved and organized.) I did not opt-in immediately, so the arrival of the new 'Notifications' drop down menu on the IRC blog this morning was a surprise. Instead of notifications - pin activity - being displayed with pins from people I follow, it is now a drop down menu feature with the account navigation menu (see below).

I liked the notifications panel in its previous location, it helped provide immediate visual feedback for the area. However, since I get email updates for IRC Pinterest activities changing the location of notifications information is not problematic. That said the menu area is getting a bit crowded at the top of the page, especially since I verified the IRC blog to view analytics.

About those analytics ...

It has been three weeks since I verified the IRC Blog to use the analytics function. I have seen interesting site metrics for reach (people seeing pins), impressions (my pins in main feed), clicks (from Pinterest), and visitors. Analytics for most recent show pins from prior to ACRL; most repinned and most clicked only display "we don't have any data for this date" regardless of the date range selected. Email notifications tell me pins are being liked and repinned, so it is odd this has yet to translate to analytics presented.

It may be that I need to exercise patience since these same metrics are not yet visible on my personal Pinterest site either. Time will tell; keep calm and Pinterest on.

ALAO 2013: Proposal Help Page

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:48:00 +0000

"Make this the year you present at ALAO! Whether you are a first time presenter, or an ALAO presentation veteran, crafting and submitting a proposal to present is sometimes a daunting challenge." - ALAO 2013: Proposal's: Need Help?

The ALAO 2013 conference planning committee encourages first time and seasoned presenters to submit a proposal for the 39th Annual ALAO Conference. Visit the conference web site for proposal writing resources such as links to abstracts from previous conferences, submission tips from ALA and ACRL, and ALAO proposal FAQs.

Submit your session proposal online: http://goo.gl/CgrBm

ALAO 2013: Call for Proposals

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:31:00 +0000

ALAO 39th Annual Conference

October 25, 2013

University Center Kent State University at Stark

North Canton, Ohio

The ALAO Conference Planning Committee invites you to submit proposals for presentations for the 2013 Annual Conference. Applicants are encouraged to develop creative proposals that show thoughtful exploration of this year’s conference theme: “The Changing Faces of Academic Libraries: Transforming, Reorganizing, Re‐imagining.”

Share your experiences, solutions, expertise, and innovative practices with colleagues from all types of academic libraries. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

Transforming:

Collaboration – departments, community, groups
Collections – print vs. electronic
Outside the box – new initiatives
Services – areas of student experience

Reorganizing:

Library spaces – physical and virtual, active learning
Staffing – new roles, new positions, new responsibilities
Budget (electronic vs. print)
Collections – maintenance
Services

Re‐imagining:

Library instruction – first year, second year groups, international, special groups (veterans), online
Library reference – online, in person, new methods, assessment, tools used
Library services
Collaboration
Budget – expertise needed?, IT
Collections – digital initiatives, data
Assessment
Library as information portal

Proposal Guidelines:

You are welcome to submit multiple proposals, however, please know that no more than 2 will be included in the final program. All proposals will be blind‐reviewed for content, relevance to the conference theme, and overall appeal. A concise, clearly written description and abstract will help the reviewers evaluate your offering more clearly.

Presentations may take the form of contributed papers, demonstrations, workshops, research, or panel discussions.

Exclude the name of your institution, department and any personal names in the abstract to expedite the blind review process. You do not need to exclude this information in the brief description.
You will be contacted regarding your AV/technology requirements when your proposal is accepted.
All presenters will be responsible for their own registration and travel costs.

Please print a copy of the completed form for your records before submitting. You will receive an email confirmation upon successful proposal submission. If you do not receive this confirmation email, please contact: Diane Schrecker, Ashland University Library using the ALAO 2013 Conference Planning Committee email: alao.cpc at gmail.com

Deadline for proposals is June 7, 2013.

Proposals should be submitted via the online submission form: ALAO 2013 Presentation Proposal

Visit the conference web site @ http://goo.gl/ryXMa

Pinterest Web Analytics

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:50:00 +0000

Pinterest introduced Web Analytics in March and offered it to users with several caveats in place.

Why don’t I have the option to use Pinterest Web Analytics?

You’ll only have access to Pinterest Web Analytics if you've verified your website and are using Pinterest's new look.

If you just verified your website, you won't see your data for a few days.

If you’re unable to verify your website, then you won’t be able to use Pinterest Web Analytics at this time.

I switched to Pinterest's new look prior to ACRL and explored ways to verify the IRC web site and/or IRC blog. For the IRC blog (Blogger platform), meta tags placed in the header <head> seemed to be the best option and I placed the tag in the IRC blog header without success. This morning, a blinding flash of the obvious; place the meta tag in the blog template source code. I removed the IRC web site, added the IRC blog URL, selected the meta tag option, placed the meta tag into the blog header (edit html), saved, continued the verification process ... and ... now I have a verified web site/blog for the IRC Pinterest site and can access the analytics menu.

There is little available, after all I only verified this morning, but I'm looking forward to seeing additional information regarding the traffic flow and usage statistics for the IRC Pinterest page. I'm considering the same process for my personal Pinterest site and this blog (and should have done so prior to ACRL!). Regardless, since I am not ready to commit the IRC Pinterest as a business site this is a nice option for using Pinterest web analytics.

Pinterest "News" section

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:57:00 +0000

	I have been actively collecting and 'curating' Pinterest internet resources for my ACRL workshop and recently read an article on Business 2 Community about a "News" section being tested by a few users. In her blog post, Pinterest Testing New News Section, author Sue Reynolds notes "the test began January 16 and Pinterest is asking for feedback from users via an online form" (Reynolds). As these test are generally conducted with high traffic sites, I was surprised morning to see the "News" feature on the IRC Pinterest site after login earlier this afternoon.
	The news feature appears in upper left portion of the followers area (top image, highlighted in blue), where a list of activity and suggestions of pinners to follow usually reside. In its place actual boards where the images were re-pinned are presented. At this point, only two boards are listed and pins from boards followed surround them. A red "see all news" button is located below the bottom board helping to indicate where boards stop and pins start. I found the news display area, a mixture of pin boards and individual pins, visually confusing. That said, there are two other ways to view news that are definitely more appealing.
	If you select the "see all news" button, it links to a new tab in the profile area (middle image); if users return to their Pinterest home page, the same news tab is visible next to followers (bottom image) and it links to the news area as well. While I do not particularly care for the news in the feed area, I do like the opportunity to view a collection of boards from other followers indicating where my image was pinned. It provides an interesting look at similar pins and collections making it simpler for me to find more resources.

More information is available on Pinterest's Help Center using the What is News? link: "We're currently testing a new feature with a small group of pinners called News. If the Recent Activity on your home feed and the Activity tab on your profile are missing, you are part of this test." Included was a link to a Google form asking how often I use Pinterest (1-2 times per week), if I liked the news feature better than the recent activity feature (not really), and if I found the news feature useful (yes, but not located on the recent activity area). It will be interesting to see when this feature becomes available to all Pinterest accounts.

Weekly Reader: Holiday Break

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:34:00 +0000

Here are a few items "fed" to my overflowing Google Reader during the holiday break (December 15 - January 8, 2013).

The Education Revolution Opens Up the Path Less Taken
"The Chronicle this week published a news analysis questioning whether the current nonstop talk over innovation in higher ed is creating a system for those who can least afford a traditional education but need it the most." -- Jeff Selingo, Next, 12/19/12

Mobile Connections to Libraries
"Some 13% of those ages 16 and older have visited library websites or otherwise accessed library services by mobile device. This is the first reading in a national survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project on this subject" -- Lee Rainie, Kathryn Zickuhr and Maeve Duggan, Pew Internet, 12/31/12

10 Hottest Ed Tech Stories of 2012
"Articles about how free online courses, or MOOCs, could disrupt higher education dominated the headlines last year here at the Wired Campus blog, and they were the most popular with readers as well. Several articles about e-textbooks also topped our list of most-read articles of 2012, highlighting what has been a time of change, and anxiety, for colleges and universities." - Jeffrey R. Young, The Wired Campus, 1/3/13

Thoughts on Weeding
"As much as I enjoy the technology-focused projects I work on as an emerging technologies librarian, I also don’t spend as much time as I might like with our print collection. Since I am also a our psychology liaison, I do have collection development responsibilities which require a better familiarity with relevant areas of the collection. I see the books quite a bit while roaming around the library or helping students locate materials during reference and instruction interactions, but I don’t always have regular occasions to just browse our stacks. This means it was a rare treat for me to spend about an hour of quality time in my liaison area’s reference section this morning." - Kim (no last name posted), ACRLog, 12/20/12

The Simple Power of Finding Stuff Out
"Like many academic librarians, a major piece of my job is helping students find their way around information they might use for course assignments. This fall I met a few times with a class full of smart, curious first year students who were quick to grasp their course content, quick to pick up on ways of finding out more, quick to follow leads into odd corners of the library, and wonderfully articulate when asked to reflect on what they observed. But when asked to write a modest paper using at least one primary and one secondary source, they seemed suddenly insecure and anxious. All of their common sense, inquisitiveness, and confidence fled when asked to practice things they’d learned already. Something failed to connect, and I’ve been wondering about it ever since."-- Barbara Fister, Library Babel Fish, 12/17/12

Tech Trends to Watch Out for in 2013
"With the New Year comes a fresh set of technology imperatives, challenges and opportunities for organizations to consider. The increased innovation in the technology sector means that companies are finally in a position to be smart about the IT decisions they make and truly leverage next-generation tools and strategies to mitigate risk and shape strategies for the future." -- Jeremy Sherwood, IT Leadership, 1/8/13

Pinterest: New Home Page

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:38:00 +0000

I noticed a new Pinterest start page this morning while updating boards on the IRC Pinterest site. Selecting "or preview the site" links to the previous Pinterest start page providing users, or potential users, opportunity to peruse resources before signing up for an account. Choosing "Join Pinterest" leads to the account registration page that now features a link specifically for businesses. I generally login directly via the page I'm working with, so this may not be new, per say. Regardless, I like the new look. It's very clean and inviting.

As the IRC Pinterest page gains popularity and followers, there has been an increase in requests to join boards and work collaboratively with other Pinterest accounts. Unfortunately, I have also had to use the option to block followers more frequently as well. There are pages that should not be associated with a library and Instructional Resource Center page created for education students. It is becoming rather Twitter-spam-esque with quick creation of strange pages seemingly with the simple goal of increasing followers. As Pinterest continues to gain popularity, maintenance of followers for the IRC may need to be monitored with more regularity.

ACRL 2013: Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 18:27:00 +0000

I'm thrilled to be presenting a workshop at ACRL 2013 this spring titled, A Picture is Worth ... Innovative Uses for Pinterest, on Thursday, April 23rd, 8:30 am to 11:30 am. While the IRC @ Ashland University Library Pinterest site will be featured, I have been preparing my personal Pinterest site with resources to support the session. The first two boards highlight Academic and Public Libraries using Pinterest. Here's a sneak peak at the work in progress.

ACRL 2013: Academic

Source: Uploaded by user via Diane on Pinterest

ACRL 2013: Public

Source: Uploaded by user via Diane on Pinterest

If I included your library Pinterest site and you would like to have me remove it, please feel free to contact me via library.cloud at gmail.com. If you have suggestions for inclusion, I would be happy to hear them as well. Add your library Pinterest site to blog comments.

Weekly reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:41:00 +0000

Leading British Universities Join New MOOC Venture
"Earlier this month, one of Britain’s top newspapers noticed a glaring absence on the British education scene: MOOC’s. “U.K. universities are wary of getting on board the MOOC train,” read The Guardian’s headline. Two institutions, the Universities of Edinburgh and London, have recently signed on to offer massive open online courses via the American company Coursera. Yet in Britain, said the newspaper, “there is scarcely a whiff of the evangelism and excitement bubbling away in America, where venture capitalists and leading universities are ploughing millions” into MOOC’s." -- Marc Parry, Wired Campus, 12/13/12

Let's (Not) Do the Numbers
"Over the weekend I had a fascinating conversation over Twitter with Aaron Tay, a brilliant young academic librarian at the University of Singapore. (I’m not the only one who thinks he’s smart; Library Journal named him a Mover and Shaker last year.) We were discussing Library Journal’s recent report, covered right here in Inside Higher Ed, about students’ views of academic libraries." - Barbara Fister, Library Babel Fish, 12/4/12

Common Craft: Online Citizenship
"Sometimes communicating via computers can feel anonymous and make people lose touch with the impact of what they say online. This video highlights the problems this causes and explains a basic idea: that our words matter, online and off." -- Lee LeFever, Common Craft Blog, 12/4/12

Why Women Should Lead Boldly
"For many years, we’ve known intuitively that having women in top leadership positions means superior organizational performance. Today, a body of data from prestigious research organizations documents the positive impact women leaders have on their organizations." -- Sharon Hadary and Laura Henderson, SmartBlog on Leadership, 12/3/12

Badges, We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges
"Inside Higher Education published a story on changes at the University of Oxford’s libraries, implying that the changes were treating librarians like baristas, who apparently all wear “large bright badges offering help to customers,” at least in the UK.(Is that an American thing as well? Whenever I see baristas I’m often still a little groggy waiting for my caffeine that I don’t notice.)" -- Annoyed Librarian, 12/3/12

Google Zeitgeist 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Google has released their Zeitgeist 2012 video; more information about 2012 Search Trends worldwide is also available.

"2012 was a year of big moments, from global games to historical elections and everything in between. With this site, we've analyzed over one trillion queries to showcase what the world searched for." - Google Zeitgeist 2012

Weekly Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:22:00 +0000

A People's History of MOOCs
"Massive, open to all, a democratic space that offers people from all walks of life exposure to the greatest thinkers of our time, and while we’re at it, a fabulous branding opportunity - welcome to the nineteenth century municipal public library." -- Barbara Fister, Library Babel Fish, 11/29/12

Hukkster: The New Pinterest?
"Over the last year or so, the hottest topic has been Pinterest – the pinning, the secret boards, brand elements, driving ecommerce -- it’s on everyone’s mind. Instagram has made a bit of a splash lately, but not of the same caliber, and many have been wondering, when’s the next hottest platform going to come?" -- Christina Giordano, Social Media Today, 11/30/12

The Uneven Value of Academic Credit
"The tight hold American colleges and universities have on academic credit—what it is worth and who awards it—is about to undergo a well overdue stress test. Two announcements in as many months have the potential to perhaps finally better define the value of credits in higher education. The first is the announcement by the American Council on Education that it will review a handful of free online courses offered by elite universities through Coursera and may recommend that other colleges accept credit for them." -- Jeff Selingo, Next, 11/25/12

End of Course Evaluations: Making Sense of Student Comments
"At most colleges, courses are starting to wind down and that means it’s course evaluation time. It’s an activity not always eagerly anticipated by faculty, largely because of those ambiguous comments students write. Just what are they trying to say?" -- Maryellen Weimer, Teaching Professor Blog, 11/28/12

Weekly Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 23:35:00 +0000

In Classroom Experiment, All Discussion Happened via Twitter
"Students at George Mason University shifted their feet and chatted outside a classroom here on Tuesday morning, waiting for Stephen Groening’s class on cellphone cultures to begin. On tap was not an ordinary classroom discussion about the assigned readings. Instead, the entire conversation would take place by Twitter, and students were nervous." -- Alisha Azevedo, The Wired Campus, 11/16/12

What Katrina Can Teach Libraries about Sandy and Other Disasters
"Disaster plans used to seem like “kind of a bother” to Lance D. Query, Tulane University’s director of libraries. Then, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, flooding Tulane’s Howard-Tilton Memorial Library with more than eight feet of water. “I look at them much more carefully now,” says Mr. Query." -- Jennifer Howard, The Wired Campus, 11/14/12

Mozilla's Popcorn Maker Brings Video Remixing to the Masses
"Mozilla has released Popcorn Maker 1.0, the company’s mashup-creating, video-editing suite for the web. Popcorn Maker makes it easy to pull just about any content on the web into a video container you can then publish back to the web. Despite the interactive nature of the web, video on the web remains little more than glorified television in your web browser — a passive experience in the midst of the otherwise interactive online world. It doesn’t have to be that way. HTML5 makes video into just another HTML element — editable, hackable, remixable." -- Scott Gilbertson, Webmonkey, 11/2012

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:15:00 +0000

The ALAO Newsletter is now available, Vol. 30 No. 4 (Dec. 2012). Included in this issue:

ALAO members are encouraged to submit news and information for People & Library News.

Weekly Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Schrecker) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:51:00 +0000

OhioLINK Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Shared Services"OhioLINK, the Ohio Library and Information Network, today celebrates 20 years of pooling resources to provide more than 600,000 college and university students, faculty and staff with access to millions of books and other library materials. OhioLINK is a consortium of 88 Ohio college and university libraries, plus the State Library of Ohio, that work together to provide information for teaching and research. OhioLINK’s membership includes 16 public/research universities, 23 community / technical colleges, 49 private colleges and the State Library of Ohio." -- Zoe Stewart-Marshall, What's New OhioLINK, 11/1/12

Course Management Companies Challenge MOOC Providers
"Two software companies that sell course-management systems, Blackboard and Instructure, have entered the race to provide free online courses for the masses.
On Thursday both companies plan to announce partnerships with universities that will use their software to teach massive open online courses, or MOOC’s. The companies hope to pull in their own college clients to compete with online-education players like Udacity and Coursera."-- Alisha Azevedo, The Wired Campus, 11/1/12

How Teens Do Research in the Digital World"The teachers who instruct the most advanced American secondary school students render mixed verdicts about students’ research habits and the impact of technology on their studies." -- Kristen Purcell, Lee Rainie, Alan Heaps, Judy Buchanan, Linda Friedrich, Amanda Jacklin, Clara Chen, Kathryn Zickuhr, Pew Research Center, 11/1/12