idea: distance learning wiki

The idea would be to create a wiki populated at first just with distance learning research resources (e.g., links to databases, journals, web sites, RSS feeds, etc.) organized in some easy to navigate way. We would then invite faculty to contribute other resources and also comment on the resources and perhaps add a wing to the site for best practices, success stories, original research, etc. Perhaps also build in a forum for discussion. This would serve both to leverage and share the vast knowledge spread out among our faculty on distance education, and put the library front and center as a useful resource for them.

Dana

video: Building Academic Library 2.0

An interesting video of a presentation by Meredith Farkas about Lib 2.0 in the academic environment (70 min) - gives a good overview of this stuff and how and why it can be used by the library:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_uOKFhoznI

The podcast of it is also here:
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/event_details.php?webcastid=21207&p=1&ipp=15&category=


Dana

idea: custom subject-specific web search engines

Google has a new service that allows you to create you own custom search engines - it will search whatever sites you add to it's index. We could then create customized engines (and each such search engine created gets it's own home page as well as easily generated code to embed a search box widget in a web page) by specific topic or course using only select quality, academic web resources/sites.

We could offer this, for example, as one tool within a new "faculty toolbox" - i.e., when they request it, we create with their input, a search engine using quality web resources combined with an RSS aggregated feed on the topic/discipline and even if wanted, a blog for their students to discuss stuff informally...They could then embed this search engine widget in their Angel course in the appropriate place(s).

Here is an example custom search engine on American Literature I put together in about 15 minutes:
http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=011520625995792447741%3Aqepvcta8gfy

Here is the site for the Google SE creator tool:
http://www.google.com/coop/cse/

Let me know what you think,
Dana

Free Knowledgebase/FAQ software

Ian had mentioned the idea of putting together an online knowledgebase of our canned responses - this software might be a good tool to do so.

Came across this free software for creating/managing an online Knowledgebase or FAQ site:
http://www.kbpublisher.com/

Take a look at the "Live Sites" links below the fold on the main page to see examples. Here is one that gives a good idea:
http://online.fiu.edu/faq/index.php

Dana

idea: faculty-librarian social bookmarking project

idea: set-up a social bookmarking tool via Connotea (scholarly social bookmark tool) so that faculty and librarians can collaborate to organize and share bookmarks and bookmark tag clouds of academic/scholarly interest.

Tag clouds of this content based on subject, etc. could then be made available/shared.

This might help instill a sense of community across the centers and programs and be an easy way for faculty to share the latest and greatest web resources with their colleagues.

It might also be a way to build a better avenue of collaboration between faculty and librarians.

Dana

idea: ESC Library-specific browser plug-ins

Idea: create browser plug-ins so that users can embed various library search functions right in their browser if they chose to. Examples off the top of my head:

• Multi-Database Search boxes
• Library toolbar: would include buttons for most used resources
• Google Scholar ESC search box (would set preferences to show ESC content)
  
• EBSCOhost search boxes

Dana

What technologies other libraries are exprimenting with

Directory of Experimental Library Tools Sites

A fab list of "library labs" -- web sites where libraries of all kinds publicize their experimental, "beta," or trial services.

Information R/evolution

Clever and interesting video intended as a conversation starter to rethink how we (specifically librarians but also society in general) interact with information in light of web 2.0, etc. - possible use as intro to infolit - i.e. to think about the boundless possibilities of information and how to harness it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM

Virtual Reference: online presentations

Thought I'd pass along this link to some online presentations on all aspects of virtual reference. If we want to look into the possibility of implementing chat reference, for example, this might be a good place to start:
http://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/reference/2007VRSymposium/presentations.html

Create Information Literacy Tutorial

An idea for the future:
Create an interactive info lit tutorial similar to Student Tech Tutorial in ANGEL with quizzes, post areas, written assignment areas (ungraded), etc.

Canned Response Web Pages

Idea:
Create live web pages equivalent to our canned responses, where applicable, so we can send patrons links when they have the type of question that can be carried out in a step by step fashion (how do I use FReD, for example). This idea was brought about by the help desk trying to accomplish the same and "skinnying-down" the text used on our web site. See www.esc.edu/cookies for an example of a canned response.

SUNY LiSUG Conference report

Conference: SUNY LiSUG, SUNY Cobleskill, Oct. 5, 2007

Topics:

1. Library integration w/ANGEL CMS (Kathleen Sacco, Fredonia):

• LOR: they use it for an e-reserve system - they add resources and then "publish" specific resources to each course. Only librarians have rights to edit these resources and publish them to each course. Should we start thinking about using the LOR as a way to keep control of links to library resources? This may have huge time-saving and link checking advantages in the long-term.
  
• Use icons to denote file types (PDF, Word, etc.).
• Library Widgets/Nuggets: Wikipedia, Google Scholar, Catalog, 360 Search. We should seriously consider offering similar widgets, especially subject-specific Multi-Database Search boxes that faculty can embed on their course and even students could embed on their portal pages.
  
• Link to Library from Angel portal page
• Chat feature/office hours: make library presence available within courses. Should we investigate possible library uses of this feature?
  
• Library Instruction Survey: used as an online Info Literacy Skills pre-assessment tool prior to in-class instruction: so that instruction delivery can be tailored to needs to specific class. Should we start thinking about ways to do similar things? Example: pre- and post- literacy skills surveys to assess info lit learning outcomes for those courses that contain them.
• Wiki collaborative projects: she uses wikis as a way to teach the research process and the use of primary sources. E.g., students do a group project putting together a History of the College resource. In the long term, if we ever get more directly involved with info lit instruction, this might be a good tool to use.

2. ALEPH X-server (Mike Curtis, Broome CC):

• briefly, an XML API application for building a web OPAC interface that is not restricted by the standard ALEPH template. With necessary programming skills (xml, javascript or php) you can build-in lib 2.0 integration (e.g., WorldCat, Amazon, Google, db subject searching, etc.). If we decide the catalog is a central tool for us (and I don't know if it is or not), this might be a path for us to create a truly usable and integrated e-book catalog. This tool is still in early development use, but Mike said he would continue to make his code available for others to repurpose for their own uses.

3. Other tools mentioned:

• RSS feed code for web sites generation tools: feedity and feedsweep.
• Web site usage tools: WebTrends (high-end web analytics tool - good for full-site analysis, usability and navigation path stats, etc.). We (CLT?) should think about investing in this kind of tool for full-site analysis and stat generation capabilities. Talked about need to maintain stats of various 2.0 tools and sites.
• Citation generation tools (free): Zotero (Firefox ext. for auto population of websites, etc. for citation and biblio generation - weak on journal handling tho) and Son of Citation Machine (for manual entry of data). Perhaps as free alternatives to EndNote for students who don't want to pay for it or install large software packages?
• Blogs: tumblr - a quick and easy, pared-down blog tool. No frills, basics only but easy and quick to use.
• Live Bookmarks: Firefox ext for displaying live, continuously updated RSS feeds right in your browser toolbar.

readings on library website design

Figured I'd share some of the useful readings I've encountered as we begin to tackle the question of redesigning our library website:

http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/09/16/the-future-of-web-services-isnt-the-library-website/

http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2005/05/ten_alternative.html

http://www.jkup.net/terms.html

http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Website_Design

http://libraryconnect.elsevier.com/lcp/0502/lcp0502.pdf

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html

Possible Wimba session topics

[I've updated the date on this older post for further discussion - DHL]
Folks,

As discussed yesterday, here is a list of possible Wimba session topics for your perusal. Please post your feedback/suggestions/additions to this blog entry (that way our conversation can all be gathered in one place rather than scattered all over in e-mails!).

My preference would be to start with the first 2 basic ones and expand to others from there over time. The idea behind most of these is to concentrate on students' practical needs (i.e., finding info, searching, citing sources). I would think a limit of say 5 people per session would be ideal. Let the group know what you think,
Dana

1. Start your Research (session would cover):

• How to get to library web site and how to contact librarians
• All Research Databases and Subject Guides (quick overview)
• Background information sources
• Journals and newspapers
• Books (catalog)
• Citation/style guide resources

2. Basic Search Strategy:

• Finding keywords
• AND and OR
• Quotes
• Parentheses
• Database limit options (peer-reviewed, date, full-text)
• Putting it all together (search examples)

3. Find Journal and Newspaper Articles:

• Multi-Database Search
• All Research Databases/Subject Guides
• FReD
• Basic search strategy

4. Find Full-Text, Peer-Reviewed Articles:

• What does peer-reviewed mean?
• All Research Databases
• FReD searching
• Database limit options (EBSCO, PQ, Gale)
• JSTOR and ScienceDirect (all peer-reviewed sources)

5. Evaluate Your Sources:

• Why evaluate?
• Things to look for (setting the "Rat TRAP"):
• Timeliness (when)
• Reliability (how)
• Authority (who)
• Purpose (why)

6. Search EBSCOhost:

• Getting to EBSCOhost
• Selecting databases to search
• Search interface orientation
• Limit options
• Results

7. Use the Multi-Database Search:

• Basic search
• Advanced search
• Choosing databases/subjects
• Results

8. Cite Your Sources:

• Importance of accurate citations
• Interpeting the citation
• Strategies for notetaking
• Where to go for citation/style guide information

Wimba Session topic ideas

- using Worldcat.org to locate books, and obtaining them (local/SUNY libraries, local library ILL, Amazon.com, etc.)

- locating journal articles (known-item and search/browse) - databases, Article Linker, FReD, Citation Linker

- using Multi-database Search

- using the Web for scholarly research (Google Scholar, portal resources, locating the web presence of reliable organizations, assessing online resources)

- locating books (known-item and search/browse) using the E-book Catalog and the individual e-book collections (includes section on the ebrary reader)

- creating citations for various types of material (guide them through using the resources we have on that)

- using EndNote X1

- using Interlibrary Loan (for grad students)

- what is plagiarism; how to avoid it

- doing current events and issues research (newspaper databases, Opposing Viewpoints, CQ resources, web, blogs as resources, etc.)

New resources via Conference Board

I posted this on the Newsletter blog as well - useful for doing any library resource requests for business/management/economics:

The library's subscription to The Conference Board Business Knowledge Research database now includes several new collections of multimedia tools:

Webcasts: recorded webcasts featuring business presentations that can be used in the classroom and as assignments by faculty. Our webcasts cover a broad range of topical business management and economic issues such as globalization, talent management, ethics and compliance, corporate governance, compensation and benefits, leadership, and corporate citizenship and sustainability.

PowerPoint Presentations: these slides, many of which are based on Conference Board reports, may be used to add value to your own presentations. Among their many benefits are:

• Most are a visual representation of our full research reports
• Opportunity to use slides in your own presentations
• In addition to the slides, we offer a "notes view" that provides additional text and explanations to each slide.

Lib 2.0 product to keep an eye on: LibGuides

We had talked about a place to bring together a lot of the library 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, rss, etc.) into one place and this potentially meets that. Came across this relatively new product (it's not free though):

http://www.springshare.com/libguides/index.html

Especially check out the examples to see how this kind of thing can be used: http://www.springshare.com/libguides/examples.html

They also have a demo.
For a super-quick review of it, go here:
http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/06/libguides.html

Anyways, the kind of software/2.0 content management system we might think about purchasing at some point in the future...

Dana

new study of student research behavior

Beyond Google: How do students conduct academic research? by Alison J. HeadFirst Monday, volume 12, number 8 (August 2007),URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue12_8/head/index.html

Quotes (my emphasis):
"A picture of the student research experience emerged from our survey data:

• Most students were confused by what college–level research entails. Students faced a variety of obstacles working against them, including their own procrastination with getting started on assignments (73 percent).
• Other challenges were related to accessing resource materials, especially what students described as their inability to narrow down topics and make them manageable (59 percent) and their tendency to become overwhelmed by the plethora of available resources (60 percent).
• Students felt they did not have enough information from professors to begin assignments (85 percent) and over two–thirds had difficulties gauging what professors wanted from one class to the next (67 percent)."

Students reported they had the best chance of succeeding (i.e., getting a good grade) when these options were available:

• Turning in drafts of papers, reviewed with comments added by the professor and then rewritten and resubmitted by the student (82 percent).
• Individual sessions with librarians for narrowing down unwieldy research topics (68 percent).
• One–on–one professor to student coaching sessions, focusing on how to overcome obstacles with conducting research (72 percent).

We offer three recommendations, based on our findings, for improving the student research process in a digital age:

• Research assignment handouts disseminated to students should include details about expectations for conducting quality research, including the use of the Internet.
• Professors and librarians should recognize students’ needs for individualized coaching, so that students’ abilities to find, select, and evaluate resources may be improved.
• Above all, the value of “high touch” interactions (human–mediated) with students in addition to “high tech” interactions (computer–mediated) should not be underestimated.

Question for us: is there anything we can do to address these recommendations? For example, will our planned ramping up of Wimba sessions help? Might an additional avenue of interaction (e.g., work with faculty to have them require their students to sign up for a one-2-one Wimba or phone or IM session with a librarian to get them started on their research paper?). And perhaps we should develop a Wimba session devoted to locating a research topic?

New JSTOR Sandbox Feature: Faceted Search

This is an interesting new JSTOR "beta" search feature - here is a description:
"After completing a search, users may see how the returned articles are distributed among the categories, or “facets.” The faceted search will show how many results appear in each discipline, how many are book reviews or full-length articles, and how many of articles fall into each decade over the last 400 years, as well as other useful facets.

By selecting the facets, users may narrow results to fit particular characteristics. For instance, clicking on the "French Language" facet, the "Book Review" facet, and the "1950" facet would automatically narrow the search results down to all book reviews written in French in the 1950's."

You can play with this via this link:
http://fsearch-sandbox.jstor.org.library.esc.edu/search

Question: would this be worthy to add to our News Blog?

Gaming for info lit podcast

An interesting audio file from a recent gaming conference relevant to academic librarians about the use of gaming for info lit:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techsource/~3/147348382/audio-from-glls2007-games-students-play-a-new-approach-to-online-information-literacy-instruction.html

Question: Ask-a-Librarian via EBSCOhost

Question: curtrently there is an "Ask-a-Librarian" link in the upper right of EBSCO databases that leads to an EBSCO e-mail form which then gets delivered to librarian@esc.edu. We now have the ability to have that link go directly to our current online form - should we do that instead?

What we would lose would be the identifying subject line which let's us know users are coming from EBSCO as well as the attachment showing their search history.

What we would gain would be a filled out form where we don't have to cut and paste details.

Please comment as to your preference on this.

New feature to this blog: Blogroll

I've added a Blogroll feed display (in the left menu) from my own Bloglines page to our ESC Librarians blog containing links to various library blogs I find useful in keeping up with developments in the profession - if you have others that are relevant to all of us and our jobs, let me know and I can add.

Multi-Database Search up and ready for testing!

Our SerialsSolutions Multi-Database Search is now up and we need to do some testing on it. Please use the link below to access it, play around with it and test it out. Try to look at it from the pespectives of students and faculty - here are some specifics I could think of to keep in mind.
Be aware that there are definite limits to what can be changed - we can change most any label or heading or help text or subject list of databases, but the basic structure beyond what we looked at in the original search options document (attached below) most likely can't be adjusted too much - but please include all suggestions - those we can't make at present, we can keep a running list of for possible future enhancements:

• navigation - easy to use?
• defaults: do they make sense?
• terminology/labels: what is unclear or too jargony?
• help text: what, when and where might we put it?
• does it make sense to list those database links that don't offer a connection within appropriate subject lists - those that don't have a check box next to them (example: in Books - netlibrary or perhaps we might add to Law, Westlaw Campus?)
• does it make sense to create a splash page before directing users to the interface, with a brief explanation of functions as well as a link to a more in-depth tutorial?
• how might we best integrate this into our web site? We can embed a search box onto any web site, including our library home page (note: I've attached my draft for home page redesign from a few months ago here: - this by default would search the "Multidisciplinary" subject topic).

Link to Multi-Database Search:
http://library.esc.edu/login?url=http://wk4ky4tk9h.cs.serialssolutions.com

Credo/xrefer browser search bar plug-in

For anyone like me who finds themselves looking up definitions a lot, you can add a plug-in search box for xrefer/Credo to your browser via this link:

http://www.credoreference.com/help/help.jsp?hs=30

This doesn't have use for our students or adjuncts who access remotely, but might it be worthwhile to promote this plug-in service to the full-time faculty and staff?

Restrictions:

• only works for computers located within the college network - will not work with remote access
• only works for IE 5+
• browser must be set to accept signed ActiveX controls
• security settings: Browsers need a security setting of medium or lower to install and use the Toolbar

Wimba sessions page

This is my first rough sketch of what should go on the Wimba sessions page. Please comment with suggestions for material to add, remove, and rearrange.

What are we calling these? "Live, online workshops for using library resources more effectively" seems kind of clunky.

* Introductory paragraph about using library resources effectively. Glowing talk about live sessions with opportunity to ask questions and try things for yourself.

* What is Wimba? What does it let me do? How do I get and use Wimba? Link to Wimba site. System requirements. Accessibility issues. Helpdesk contact info.

* Must take Helpdesk prerequisite session - why and how.

* Mini-catalog - sessions offered, when they're offered, basic learning objectives, class limit.

* Link to register for a session with the Helpdesk.

* Link to register for one of the library sessions (how do we verify they've already been through the Helpdesk session?)

Outreach ideas for Wimba Sessions

Outreach Ideas if we’re going to do this for individual students
· RSS feed at top of library website
· Library blog – little blurb included in each issue, which would link to a bigger item on it that we’d put out when we kick off the service
· Little blurb included in the signature at the end of reference questions
· E-mail to Center and CDL faculty. We can specifically ask them to encourage students they think might benefit from it to attend a session.
· College newsletter
· College newsfeed
· Blurb on the webpage that houses the service for which we’re offering Wimba training
· Stack of colorful cards plus a laptop playing a recorded session at the CLT table at Student All College
· Colorful card included in materials sent out to new students at start of term
· Send colorful cards to Centers so they can put them out for students, or even hand them out.
· Blurb on the Ask a Librarian page
· Blurb on the tutorials page (yet to be created)

Outreach Ideas if we’re going to do this only for classes
· E-mail to Center and CDL faculty
· College newsfeed
· College newsletter
· Blurbs on ESCnet, Mentorsite
· Little blurbs on all library pages targeted at faculty

Sarah

interesting discussion: Wikipedia as research resource

History News Network: http://hnn.us/blogs/comments/18864.html

Also has some good thoughts about using Wikipedia in discussions about evaluating information sources - perhaps use this kind of thing when we get back around to updating the Info Lit study?

software comparison guide

Wiki format for comparing features and seeing reviews of open-source and commercial software such as blogs, wikis, and more techical stuff too:
http://www.iterating.com/