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.