Computers in Libraries 2009

Coming up and lots of interesting programs to follow up on.

Spring

It’s spring! and in that spirit I’m going to take a new stab at logging here what interests me.

At the CSU Libraries we’ve been looking forward to an upcoming visit with the University of Minnesota Libraries’ Jerilyn Veldof . That’s nudged me to take a fresh look around the Libraries’ website and their Unravel the Library workshop series has me thinking about how I might try differently framing and communicating my instructional services as an individual liaison librarian. Communicating a more descriptive menu of offerings – and including a series or several in the mix - might better explain the variety of ways in which I can support course instruction and student learning. All menu offerings endlessly customizable, but serving as starting points for creatively considering with faculty what might be most effective for a given course/group of students.

SPARC Digital Repositories Meeting 2008

This looks to be a very interesting event. As liaison librarians like me continue to learn about faculty and student perspectives on the value and potential of digital repositories, I’m especially interested to see “How is undergraduate-level work evaluated for worldwide distribution through a campus repository?” and “How can repositories compete with all the other Web services such as YouTube, Zotero Commons, and more?” among questions that meeting papers might explore.

Western Waters Digital Library: John Muir Papers Added

Colorado State University is a collaborative partner in the Western Waters Digital Library. An exciting announcement today that the John Muir Papers from the University of the Pacific Holt-Atherton Special Collections have been added to the library.

Practical Pedagogy for Library Instructors

New from ACRL, this library instruction pedagogy title announced on ACRLinsider.

Creating Change: Teacher Librarians and New Learners

Christopher Hollister and the ACRL Instruction Section (IS) Conference Program Planning Committee organized a great IS program for ALA Annual, presented by Dr. Jeffrey Liles and entitled ”Creating Change: Teacher Librarians and New Learners” (ppt and select resources list). Leads to follow: Eric Jensen’s Brain-based learning: The new paradigm of teaching (forthcoming; see Brain-based learning) and George Siemens’ Connectivism: A learning theory for the new digital age.

Dan Ariely

I closed my time at ALA with Dan Ariely’s very interesting and entertaining presentation for the ACRL President’s Program. I’m looking forward to reading beyond his Predictably irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions.