Animated Tutorials Sharing Project

ANTS (http://ants.wetpaint.com/) is an animated tutorial sharing project where librarians take on responsibilities for creating/maintaining one or more database tutorials and in exchange get access to the tutorials created by others, including the underlying code to so it can be modified for local needs.

There are some loose guidelines for creating these tutorials.

I think we should consider joining this - it would allow us, for doing something we are already doing, to gain access to a growing repository of useful tutorials designed specifically for distance learners, so that we wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel for our own tutorials.

BTW - there is also a great repository of library instruction documents (mostly word docs) on the LINK Community Portal site here: http://www.eln.bc.ca/irl/

What does everyone else think about ANTS?

ProQuest Search Widget Tool and idea for Angel

ProQuest now has a search widget creator tool - so we could embed a PQ search box anywhere we want, and could even prepopulate the search with search terms and limit to scholarly journals. My guess is that EBSCO won't be far behind creating a similar widget.

My long-term strategy suggestion: we pitch the creation of a separate "library" tab on Angel, which would include by default various search widgets like this, Credo and Multi-Database, as well as the library RSS feed, new e-book additions feed, etc. We could then build on other subject-specific options if we felt there was a need for it.

I think putting direct access to library resources at the place where students are (in Angel) rather than always making them go out of Angel to go find the library is the path to take to improve our services and our visibility to students.

What does everyone think?

Dana

ALA/ACRL Info Lit Standards

With Middle States coming: you can view the ALA Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Ed here:
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm

Dana

longer-term idea: integrate Angel, Wimba and Info Lit Study

The idea here is that we convert/update the Info Lit Study to Angel and then use the available Wimba-Angel integration to deliver live library instruction/workshops which could than also, if appropriate, utilize some of the Angel static content in the live sessions (and students could then also use the Angel course to go back later to reacquaint themselves with the content of the workshop). The Angel course could then be a portal for all students and faculty to access Info Skills/Info Lit info.

Dana

video: Augustana Info Lit Program

interesting video describing the info lit program. It has a small lib staff that offers discipline-specific, for-credit courses in info lit. Personally, I think we should be pushing for the college to go this sort of path (albeit w/ courses delivered online) - the discipline-specific to make the content more relevant and the credits to make the effort on the part of the students more appealing. Anyways, the video (30 min) explains the program from the perspective of the librarian, faculty, admin and student and could be a decent model (and tool to bring the decision makers over to our side) if we decided to undertake pushing for a similar kind of program here.

http://www.augustana.ca/facilities/library/infolit/video.html#Online

What does everyone think?