All Sessions

This session will introduce the key concepts underpinning the Islandora Digital Asset Management system. Participants will learn the basics of running this rich repository system and how to utilize common "solution packs" to create and theme collections in Islandora. Participants will learn how to begin modeling and curating custom data collections, and how to migrate from other repository systems, including ContentDM, DSpace and more. Textbooks and system access will be provided; participants should bring computers.

High quality metadata: billions of bibliographic records, finding aids, descriptions of digital content - is a major asset of the library community. Agreement is growing on the benefits of transforming this wealth into linked data. Much experimentation is taking place. However, production-quality tools and infrastructure for linked data are in their infancy. This pre-conference will bring together catalogers and programmers to initiate the systematic, consensus-building approach needed to make Library Linked Data reality.

Your library’s new website is powered by a high-octane content management system (Drupal, WordPress, etc.) that gives you more power than ever to communicate with your patrons. But what are you saying? How are you saying it? What kind of service are you providing online? How can you ensure that it’s just as good as in your buildings? Content strategy to the rescue! Topics will include strategy development, training & adoption, production control and governance.

LITA Open House is a great opportunity for current and prospective members to talk with Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) leaders and learn how to make connections and become more involved in LITA activities.

Embedded librarianship is not a new term, however, for librarians being partnered with faculty in online classrooms it is becoming a critical job component. Attendees of the session will contribute a tip or frustration of embedding which will be integrated into the program. Following a brief history on embedding, a panel will discuss different types of embedding models as they involve the audience with interactive audience polling. This panel presentation, facilitated by Debbie Nolan, Dean of University Libraries at Towson University, will present embedded librarian models for distance learning at different institutions.

Panelists will give 20 minute presentations on the following topics:

Three’s Company
Kathleen Pickens-French, Public Services Librarian, Hamilton Campus at Miami University and Krista McDonald, Director, Regional Campus Library, Hamilton Campus at Miami University
Pickens-French and McDonald will describe the core model that their embedded librarians have used to create resources pages within their university’s CMS. They will explain the “Three Rule” of keeping content organized, students interested, and the library’s website where it belongs.

Going Beyond the Embedded Librarian: Creating Online Classrooms to Teach Teachers About Information Literacy
By Kathleen Anne Langan, Assistant Professor, Western Michigan University.
Langan will present a pilot program that was introduced to use e-learning technology to introduce information literacy concepts to university instructors and teach them to incorporate these concepts into their curriculum. This presentation will discuss this experience, the importance of using online classrooms as a means of communicating with instructors, and introduce best practices to create similar classes.

Direct and Repeated Interactions: The Regis Experience with Embedded Librarianship
Paul Betty, Distance Learning Librarian, Regis University
Embedded librarianship at Regis University incorporates collaboration between librarians, students, teaching faculty, and instructional designers. Betty will discuss the model the librarians in the Distance Services department have developed to lead to greater rates of “embeddedness.”

Cloud computing has been gaining popularity in libraries. The session is a beginner's guide to using Amazon web services. It is intended to provide a step-by-step, hands-on session using Amazon cloud computing services, primarily using EC2. Learners will be able to launch /stop/terminate a Linux/Windows instance, create / attach / detach new storage, make / launch instance images, securely copy/delete files, and install / remove a library application such as DSpace on the instance.

We've all been there - you create a new service which has everything everyone wants.... except your customers. Learn to work effectively to create a mobile web app that will be loved by your customers. Scottsdale Public Library Staff will take you through creating the Gimme Engine and discuss the research, technology, and marketing plan that made it a success. For any library new to mobile with little/no internal development expertise.

Users are increasingly self-reliant in their information seeking behavior. Where is the place for the personal interaction with librarians in this new paradigm? Join an active conversation to explore (a) What the DIY user behaviors are, (b) how libraries can respond to them in terms of new services, fiscal and personnel resources, and technologies, and (c) how to leverage technology to create online or face-to-face mediation opportunities that would be welcomed by users.

Many different underserved populations often don’t possess basic digital literacy skills necessary for 21st century work and life. How are libraries meeting those basic needs? What works and doesn't work? How do you identify patrons in need of remedial and basic computer skills training? How should differences in population be handled (Adult basic education, ESL learners, older adults etc)? Examples of successful programs, customization to fit specific populations' needs and funding strategies will be covered.

Colleagues at Bucknell and Illinois Wesleyan University collaborated in a research project designed to compare two discovery search tools (Summon and EBSCO Discovery Service), Google Scholar and the use of library databases. Eighty students completed per-determined search tasks and a debriefing interview. Analysis of the results has resulted in a deeper understanding of the strengths and weakness of these tools, how students obtain and evaluate information, and the value of library instruction.

Kuali OLE (pronounced oh-lay) is in the first year of building a community-source library management system that takes advantage of existing Kuali Foundation software. Operating since July 2010, and supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Kuali OLE is one of the largest academic library software collaborations in the United States. This program will provide an overview of our current software release and how you can get involved with Kuali OLE at your library.

From QR codes to participatory learning platforms to online and mobile applications, hear from library staff developing and delivering cutting edge technology services recently recognized by the OITP Program on America's Libraries for the 21st Century and LITA. Panelist will share information on innovative services and lessons learned for others who may seek to replicate the projects.

How to apply the fundamentals of solid IT project management in libraries without alienating everyone you work with: Mining years of experience figuring out what doesn't work, this session will focus on the project management elements that consistently come through in order to get it done: assessing new technologies, getting buy-in, defining scope, staying on task and within budget, demonstrating ROI and actually crossing the finish line and celebrating a successful project.

Some libraries build new Open Source Products, some adopt existing ones and others buy packaged products. How do libraries make the choice? What are the trade-offs, benefits and pitfalls of building something in house, using an existing OS solution, buying something out of the box or building a hybrid solution. Our panelists will talk about how and why they build systems and what drives their decision making processes.

We’ll discuss the process of implementing, conducting, and evaluating a consortial patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) pilot involving two vendors (Coutts and YBP), 23 California State University campus libraries, and almost half a million users. We’ll explain how technology is enabling libraries to develop and share just-in-time collections of ebooks, and present the results of the pilot in light of the ongoing conversation about what that might mean for library faculty, staff, budgets, and most importantly, users.

We will demonstrate techniques for pulling together a web application using Drupal 7 along with modules and other free components. We will focus on creating a site that provides a good see experience and has a distinctive look without taking a huge effort.

Science Fiction and Fantasy are ever increasingly mainstream genres. Is this because authors are gearing their works towards a wider audience, or is it because big budget films and television shows are spotlighting the genres? As a means for social commentary, what do modern works have to say about the society that gave them birth? Come listen to George R. R. Martin and Blake Charlton (both courtesy of Tor Publishing) speak on the subject.

The "Affordable Learning Solutions" initiative is a California State University system-wide push to lower student costs by encouraging the use of freely- and cheaply-available (mostly digital) alternatives to textbooks. This presentation will detail how the initiative was successfully implemented by CSU Dominguez Hills, a mid-sized campus serving traditionally underprivileged students. We will discuss problems encountered when encouraging faculty to buy into new course reading technologies, as well as strategies for overcoming them.