#springshare

This year #CILDC didn’t disappoint. I had the opportunity to attend some great sessions and was able to share my library’s experiences with LibGuides.

Mindmap: Tuesday March 8 Keynote: Innovation & Knowledge Ecosystem (Dave Snowden)

I found Snowden’s session to be the right combination of big picture thinking and practical ideas that I can see working in my own work. I was particularly interested in how he championed the need for generalists. Snowden shared the need for generalists in the innovation process. Highlighting that innovation happens by chance and that critical thinking and engagement are a key part of this process and the role that librarians can play. 

Mindmap: Start Doing UX Research for Little or No Cost (Amy Deschenes)

I really enjoyed Deschenes, no nonsense, to-the-point presentation. I may have even said “Amen” audibly when she proclaimed “You Are Not Your User.” This session was full of practical tips so that everyone can take back, regardless of budget, tying it all together with the the ultimate goal of building empathy with your user. I’m really pumped to try “micro feedback” in our library.

My presentation was a part of the “Improving LibGuides With User Research” session. You can find my part of the presentation here. 

I co-presented with Dr. Kris Markman on using user research to improve our institutional instances of LibGuides. It was great to hear what Kris had to say, while we had many similar experiences, there were also some differences. While at UofG we’ve focused on Course Guides as our main focus and topic guides as important but secondary elements, Markman has found that Course Guides were very unpopular and prioritized topic guides. 

I enjoyed the follow-up conversations with members of the audience after. I think that we often have just accepted LibGuides as they are. I’m glad that Kris and I were able to add to the discussion and challenge people to make meaningful changes to how libraries are using this tool based on user research and the data that we can gather through analytic s and user experience testing.

And what would DC be without a bit of sightseeing? 

I just missed crossing paths with Trudeau by a few hours! But that doesn’t mean that I missed out on all of the hoopla - the streets were lined with Canadian flags, making this Canadian feel very welcome ;)  I also visited the I had a delicious local saison and some amazing pizza as well.

I did the obligatory monument walk from Washington to Lincoln. The last time I was in Washington I wasn’t able to really experience the Vietnam memorial because of the crowds. This time I was able to work my way through this moving monument at my own pace. It’s something I won’t soon forget. My trip also included visits to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.

The Academic Division of SLA is very proud to present for the second year an award for academic libraries, sponsored by Springshare, Inc., creator of LibGuides!

This annual award recognizes a new program or service that demonstrates an innovative approach to academic librarianship. Please feel free to distribute to all innovative academic libraries you may know.

Award

A certificate and a $500 US award, donated by Springshare, are presented during the Academic Library Division Business Meeting at the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference. The winning library is also recognized through the Academic Division’s various public relations outlets.

Criteria

Projects nominated for the award should demonstrate recognized innovation, creativity and quality. Nominated programs or services can have been developed in any facet of the library’s activities, including but not limited to:

reference and research assistance;

information literacy and library instruction;

collection development;

cataloging and/or technical services;

space planning; or

marketing and public relations

Eligibility

Academic or research libraries in a higher education institution are eligible to receive the award. Recipients must have implemented their program or service in an academic or research library no more than two years prior to the nomination submission deadline. Nominated libraries do not have to have a SLA or an SLA-Academic Division member on staff.

Submissions

Nominations must include a 500-1000 words description of the innovative program or service and must demonstrate usage and/or success of implementation using accepted assessment methods. Include any other supporting print or electronic documentation that would assist the committee in evaluating the purpose, content, impact, and innovative aspects of the program or service.   Send nominations to the Academic Division Awards Committee Chair, Catherine Lavallée-Welch, Director, University of South Florida Polytechnic Library,[email protected].

  Note: Electronic submissions are required.  

  Submission Deadline: April 1st, 2012

    Best,

Catherine

Chair, Academic Division Awards Committee

Chair-Elect, Academic Division

  Catherine Lavallée-Welch

Director, University of South Florida Polytechnic Library

3433 Winter Lake Rd - LTB 1115

Lakeland, FL 33803 USA

  [email protected]

(863) 667-7737

Mobile Library Free for All

By now, you've all been shocked and awed by the sheer numbers of mobile users and are likely suitably impressed by the opportunity this presents for libraries. What is disproportionate is the number of libraries offering mobile services, especially applications for instruction.

I recently had the good fortune to speak with a number of Washington library web services experts and learned that one of the factors preventing their academic library's foray into mobile was a World Cat Local catalog and awaiting the OCLC mobile solution. However, I wondered if their library system could benefit from something even simpler than a catalog, i.e. an intereactive map or access to subject guides.

In an amazing post by Tiffani Travis recounting information she presented at ALA Mid-Winter, she explores using LibGuides by Springshare as well as Wordpress to provide students with mobile access to library subject or course specific resources. Because both Springshare and Wordpress offer options for mobile device, the input by the library is minimal and requires no special mobile app dev skills.