All Sessions

Join us for a discussion of our experiences organizing, planning, and promoting a series of writing workshops for military veterans in the Washington, D.C. area. Our project builds upon the work of Amy Hartman and Holly Baumgartner that was featured in American Libraries in November 2011; as federal librarians, we were eager to extend such an excellent opportunity for education and lifelong learning to a greater number of veterans. Come learn about the importance of community programming for military veterans, the challenges that libraries may face in the process of developing programs for veterans, and the steps involved in designing our writing workshops! Attendees will gain an appreciation of the art of writing memoir, and will learn that memoir writing offers non-professional writers opportunities to enrich their lives by creating stories based on life experiences, as well as to contribute to the cultural and historical record. Presenters will also discuss marketing, outreach, and promotion of writing workshops, and strategies for overcoming the challenges associated with recruiting participants. We hope you will join us!

Speakers:
- Nancy Faget, Information Resources Branch Chief, Army Research Laboratory; Michelle Dunaway, MLIS Candidate, University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, and ALA NMRT-FAFLRT Liaison, 2011-2012

Discovery systems are powerful tools to help users find information resources across the breadth of the library's online holdings. Many of these tools offer APIs for libraries to build their own user interfaces to the search index, allowing a library to keep site visitors within the library until the time they access the full text of a resource. What are the pros and cons of keeping discovery local? This talk will explore the user interaction, interface design, and user expectations of such homegrown interfaces.

The Hack Library School Blog is for, by, and about library school students. Our guiding philosophy is based on the principle of crowd-sourcing information. We seek to create a collaborative environment where other library school students can come together and share information with one another to enrich their education. We hope to bring the virtual discussion to ALA and get people talking.

This conversation starter seeks to bring together students and professionals to talk about issues pertaining to our education and our field. It will be a moderated conversation with guiding questions such as: what aspects of library school curriculum prepare you for the job? What emerging technologies enrich your education? How do you “hack” library school? Hack Library School is about being the change that you want to see. What would you change?

Library school students, new and seasoned professionals are welcome and encouraged to attend and share information.

Librarians and journalists can work together more effectively to contribute and create value added content to our community. Both thrive on the same mission of providing information to the masses, as well as preserving the history of their communities. This can be done by showing our communities how to make and preserve their own news, build and create community histories and provide access to information in a timely fashion without compromising integrity and validity of the content important to communities at hand.

Speakers:
- Amy Buckland, eScholarship, ePublishing & Digitization Coordinator (McGill University)
- Marsha Iverson, Public Relations Specialist (King County Library System)

Libraries have long served as an access point for researching government information. Libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program are expressly tasked with this responsibility. Libraries also provide access to state and local government information.

More and more government documents appear online only, with no print version available. These documents can be quickly and easily accessed online. But, just as easily, these documents can disappear when an agency is restructured, a new official removes the documents from view, or the agency removes outdated material.

How can libraries ensure access to these born-digital materials? What if an agency is uncooperative or understaffed and cannot provide the library with the needed files?

The Florida State University College of Law Research Center (Research Center) faces similar barriers to other libraries. Staff with expertise in government documents do not have computer programming or strong technological expertise. Information Technology (IT) support is provided outside the library, and the library has limited access to staff who can write computer programs or work with the back end of databases. Nevertheless, there is a need to capture and preserve online government information which is here today, but may be gone tomorrow.

Using simple tools which do not require customization and can be used by nontechnical staff who are comfortable using Excel, the Research Center has “scraped” or mass downloaded thousands of government documents and harvested the metadata from state government websites.

This presentation will demonstrate simple tools and concepts which will allow other libraries and attendees to begin to collect and archive born-digital documents and metadata. Emphasis will be on tips and tricks to work with large numbers of files and large metadata sets at once, but within the constraints of familiar computer tools such as web-browsers and Excel.

Do you still need to convince others of the value of using graphic novels in your libraries and schools? If so, this session will provide you with research, circulation data, and strategies for justifying the use of graphic novels with patrons and students. A panel of graphic novel gurus will provide the ammunition you need to convince others of the validity of having graphic novels in your collections.

Speakers:
- Robin Brenner, Young Adult Librarian, Brookline Public Library, MA
- Karen Gavigan, Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina
- Kat Kan, School Librarian, St. John's Catholic School, Panama City, FL
- Robin Moeller, Assistant Professor, School of Library Science, Leadership and Educational Studies, Appalachian State University
- John Shableski, President of 4ColorPerspective, Consultant, Wildcat Comic Con

Why does outreach matter in academic libraries? And exactly what it is (advertising, PR, instruction, book clubs)? This panel discussion will examine why outreach should be a part of every academic library's mission, how to think about it, and ways to actively engage users through outreach efforts. The panel will share innovative outreach efforts they've done at their institutions ranging from the graphic novel "Library of the Living Dead" guide to hosting a first-year student Information Carnival. This discussion will offer ways to think about outreach for your specific institution and provide ideas to try yourself. This panel will focus in particular on ways to engage students through outreach activities.

Speakers:
- Lizz Zitron Outreach Librarian Carthage College Kenosha, WI
- Rudy Leon Reference & Instruction Librarian University of Nevada, Reno
- Matt Upson Director, Kansas MLS Program, Emporia School of Library and Information Management Emporia State University Emporia, KS

Limitless Libraries, a partnership program between Nashville Public Libraries and Metro Nashville Public Schools, began in 2009 and has taken the city by storm. Limitless Libraries is centered on getting the best possible material to the students of Nashville. With two major aspects: collection development for school libraries and delivery of public library materials to schools, the program is reaching over 24,000 students. This conversation starter will walk attendees through the entire process, from beginning the conversation with the school district to how Limitless Libraries is sending over 7,500 Nashville Public Library items to students monthly.

Speaker: Stephanie Ham, Project Coordinator-Limitless Libraries, Nashville Public Library; Emily Pukas, Collection Development Librarian, Nashville Public Library

Concept: Librarians, technologists, and faculty from Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI) are examining the bold steps taken by MediaCommons Press and the open peer review model tested in the Spring 2010 issue of Shakespeare Quarterly. Building on this model (with support from MediaCommons developers) the team has created a tool that adds to the open review functionality with an eye towards both professional and educational usage settings.

While the program will introduce this technology development the majority of this program aims to start a conversation that focuses more broadly on the concept of open peer review, the dramatic impact potential for altering the process of scholarly communication (economics, purpose, measures of success), and the natural social tendencies the web environment already fosters for peer-to-peer (P2P) review.

In April 2011, Mellon awarded significant funds to MediaCommons to study P2P review. The white paper from this study is expected to be publicly available prior to ALA Annual, and if so, will certainly be a point of discussion during this Conversation Starter program. Libraries are already embracing leading roles in supporting open access journals and open institutional repositories. Supporting P2P tools and/or educating scholars about open peer review is yet another means for libraries to affect positive change in scholarly communication.

The program will begin with a 20-minute presentation from Kristi Palmer, an active member of the open peer review tool development team at IUPUI and leader of open access projects at IUPUI University Library.

The presentation will be followed by and open, facilitated discussion, with the following topics:
- Economics and P2P
- Promotion and tenure and P2P
- Reputation through badges
- P2P in the classroom
- Libraries and P2P
- Culture change and P2P

They say that a good cover letter can be the difference between a hiring manager reading your resume or throwing it into the "no" pile. In this workshop panelists who were hired within six months of graduation after extensive national job hunts will share how they learned to write cover letters that lead to interviews. Participants should bring a copy of a job posting and a draft of their cover letter. After a brief introduction, they will break into groups and critique each others' letters with the goal of writing cover letters that will help their application rise to the top.

Speakers:
- Emily Thompson, Learning Technologies Librarian, Penfield Library, SUNY Oswego (Co-host of LiTTech podcast on EdReach.us)
- Stephen Flynn, Emerging Technologies Librarian, Andrews Library, College of Wooster (founder of OpenCoverLetters.com)

Libraries no longer need to look at far off international destinations to find a sister library. In-state partnerships are proving to be a successful, innovative, and inspiring way to strengthen services provided by participating libraries. Learn more about the Kentucky Sister Library Project, the first formalized program of its kind. Is your library ready to embrace this new model of collaboration and be a trendsetter in your state?

Emerging technologies, patron-driven initiatives, on-demand services and tech savvy users are challenging libraries to employ different service models and library instruction is no exception. Library instruction continues to be a valuable service. However, instruction methods must actively engage users while satisfying learning outcomes. This conversation starter will jump start an important discussion on library instruction in the next generation. What skills and competencies should professionals focus on today to provide relevant, timely and engaging library instruction tomorrow? Who are our prospective partners in reshaping library instruction? More importantly, what will users except from librarian instruction in 2020, and how do we prepare to meet the challenge?

The digital revolution allows library users to access materials and create and collaborate as never before. But how is a digital library created? Julie Judkins, Digital Librarian and Coordinator of the University of Michigan Medical School’s American Influenza Epidemic of 1918: A Digital Encyclopedia, and Krystal Thomas, Dickinson State University’s Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library Coordinator, will share their experiences creating large-scale digital archives from scratch and will offer advice to institutions interested in building their own digital library.

Topics covered will include:
* Questions to ask during initial planning
* Ideal materials for a digitization project
* Resources required
* Copyright concerns and how to tackle them
* Ensuring the longevity of the digital collection
* Tips on collaborating with project partners
* Advice on user testing
* How to promote your finished project
* Successful project examples for inspiration and guidance

A note from the presenters: As practitioners involved with digital projects, we feel a discussion on the use and value of digital libraries is valuable for librarians across many disciplines. Our discussion on digital libraries will offer colleagues the valuable opportunity to discuss how to start a digital library project, issues they have encountered, and the opportunity to seek the advice of their peers. We hope our discussion on the future of digital libraries is inspiring and helpful to institutions just starting to investigate digital libraries, as well as those already embarked on projects of their own. We welcome all interested librarians to bring their questions about digital library projects to this facilitated discussion.

Speakers:
- Julie Judkins, Digital Librarian, Center for the History of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School
- Krystal Thomas, Digital Library Coordinator and Archivist, Theodore Roosevelt Center, Dickinson State University

With slim budgets, ensuring that new buildings and renovations meet your needs for years to come is a priority. What questions do libraries who are thinking of starting a construction project have? What advice can libraries who have recently built offer? Many of the libraries shown in glossy pictures in magazines look fabulous, but how well do they work? Come and share you ideas, concerns, and suggestions about building new spaces for the future.

Ebooks and Ebook readers are a rapidly emerging technology. Many libraries are already circulating Ebooks. Many more are studying the issue. Circulating Ebook readers is less common, but some libraries are experimenting with it. What are the issues, beyond the obvious practical ones? What is the significance of competition from private lenders such as Amazon? What are the issues relating to authors’ rights? to Publishers’ rights? Should librarians be taking a leadership role in trying to resolve these intellectual property issues? What are the implications of loaning the actual readers in public libraries? In college libraries? In school libraries? Which ones should be loaned? Larger screens? Smaller screens? Black and White? Color? The least expensive? The most expensive? Join us in discussing these issues. We’re interested in hearing from those who have programs in place, those who are developing programs, and those who have questions.

“Not always buns and sensible shoes, librarians at various types of libraries have different styles (and dress codes). Check it out here or submit your own.” Librarian Wardrobe, http://librarianwardrobe.com, has been documenting the styles of librarians across different types of libraries, institutions, position types, and geographical locations for a year and a half (by the time of Annual). This blog has spurred discussion on stereotypes and perceptions of librarians within the field and out. In this conversation starter session, we will engage participants in talking about how librarians are perceived in the field (from networking to hiring to presenting) and outside the field (user perceptions, style and effectiveness, stereotypes shifting from buns/shushing vs tattoos/hipness). Do we have to look a certain way to be successful or for users to benefit from our expertise? What impact does style have personally and professionally? The panelists and attendees will be encouraged to share their own thoughts on these discussion points.

Moderator: Miriam Rigby Miriam Rigby is the Anthropology, Sociology, Ethnic Studies, and Clark Honors College Librarian at the University of Oregon.

Panelists:
- Jenny Benevento is a taxonomist currently working at Sears and Kmart, where she categorizes about 30 million items, including apparel, shoes, jewelry, beauty & the much beloved Kardashian Kollection. She was raised by two fashionable Italian men & has worked in several corporations as a librarian. You can follow her blog at jennyjenny.org and @jennybento on twitter.
- Allie Flanary is User Experience and Outreach Librarian at Portland Community College, where she user researches, references, teaches, outreaches, and star bellied sneetches—although she very nearly ended up with the job title “resident nerd”. She also teaches foundations in library services for the PCC library technician program. She tweets, blogs, and librarian wardrobes as shinylib. Currently Allie is fascinated by investigating how personal style within a professional context impacts one's perceived approachability; she's contemplating what the response might be if she began wearing tutus to the refdesk. Shoes, handbags/lunchpails, and stripey socks in all colors and lengths dominate her wardrobe.
- Dale McNeill is currently the Director of Public Library Service at Queens Library. He’s had a decision-making role in hiring librarians for more than 12 of the nearly 30 years he’s worked in public libraries.

Technical services and public services personnel bring very different philosophies, experiences and needs to the development table. What are these differences and how can collaborative working groups bring balance to the often seemingly disparate issues when creating and implementing new technologies that benefit the user?

Why do we feel the need to identify with one or the other, apart from administrative hierarchy? How does this division potentially affect our ability to communicate and collaborate within the library? Is it an asset or a roadblock to innovation? For example, one side-effect of tightened travel budgets is that librarians and staff are much more selective about which conferences they attend. With the stakes of tenure and/or promotion high, one tends to gravitate toward conferences most similar to one’s own field, limiting the chances for “cross-pollination” of ideas and ideology.

This facilitated discussion will give participants a chance to voice concerns and potentially work out solutions in a non-confrontational atmosphere. No “us” versus “them” allowed here. Staff, faculty, and administrators are all welcome.