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ACRL Western New York / Ontario Chapter Fall 2004 Conference
Expressing Ourselves with Technology
Friday, October 15, 2004
Conference Overview |
Session One |
Session Two | Session Three
We are extending our reach in a variety of ways these days. From virtual reference to online forms and through creative and accessible web pages, we are creating a comfortable and user-friendly online library space. In order to do our best we need to know our users and the issues we are encountering in this process. Join us for presentations on the users' searching skills, creating accessible web pages, and a panel discussion on the issues surrounding virtual reference at our fall conference: The Evolving Library: Expressing Ourselves with Technology on Friday, October 15th, 2004 at the White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Robert Simon
From the very beginning in the history of the World Wide Web, searching for information in directories and databases was at the heart of using the resource productively. In the period 1999-2000, the average user did simple searches with few words, and rarely used Boolean operators. This satisfaction with simple searching was most likely because users were happy to get any relevant results with so little effort, delivered almost instantly in a form that could be easily used. Additionally, the hypertext nature of the WWW meant that even if a less-than-satisfactory document was obtained, it may have been only a few mouse clicks away from something with much greater value.
However, the recent evolution in the technology and structure of the WWW has resulted in a significant decrease in the effectiveness of simple searching. The "information space" available to a user is now much more difficult to access, as it is much larger and contains an increasing number of aged or missing pages. Additionally, many valuable, information-rich resources are not even indexed in the largest web databases such as Google. Finally, the nature of the materials on the web has changed. In the beginning, hypertext markup language (HTML) provided both the content and the links between documents. Currently HTML and related protocols are becoming the sole glue that holds together a variety of different document and media types; from doc files and pdf's to movies and sound files. Because these latter materials have no internal links, they represent information dead-ends. Thus, in many ways the information space of the web is beginning to resemble pre-Internet proprietary databases.
Recent data suggest the level of searching skills used by the typical user has not changed significantly in the past fve years, certainly not fast enough to keep pace with the changes in the WWW. Thus, the WWW is an increasingly difficult space in which to find relevant information, and the typical user will have to develop new approaches and use new skills in order to use effectively the vast resources that are now available to them. From the educator's point of view, there needs to be a dramatic, fundamental change in the way we educate students to be good information users.
Robert D. Simon has a Ph.D. in Plant Biology with a Biochemistry minor from Michigan State University. He has been a Professor in the Department of Biology since 1982 at the State University of New York, College of Arts and Science, Geneseo, NY. His interests in Information Technology include teaching and research. For the last several years, he has developed and taught a course in Information technology for Biology majors. He has also constructed an historical database of search patterns. This database is a resource that among other things, allows an analysis of the changing nature of search strategies.
Jane Burpee, Manager of Reference and Information Literacy at the University of Guelph Sheryl Knab, Assistant Director for the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC) Darren Chase, MLS student at the University of Buffalo
Jane Burpee will share the experiences the Ontario Collaborative Virtual Reference Project, a digital reference service offered jointly by three Ontario universities: Guelph, Ryerson and York Universities. One of the topics Jane will discuss is the decision OCVRP has made to change vendors. Sheryl Knab will discuss Ask Us 24/7, formerly known as Ask A WNY Librarian, a project of the Western New York Library Resources Council. Locally, Ask Us 24/7 consists of 14 multi-type (soon to be 15) libraries but it is also a member of the 24/7 Reference network which includes many US and Canadian libraries that collaborate on staffing and monitoring virtual reference desks across the two countries. Darren Chase will discuss the dynamic qualities of virtual reference. How, from a user's perspective, does the virtual compare to face-to-face exchange? Are there options and specific qualities of the virtual that make it especially useful for information requests? Darren will also share his perspective as both a user and a former virtual reference provider with the Internet Public Library.
Jane Burpee is the Manager of Reference and Information Literacy at the University of Guelph Library. She holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from McGill University. Jane has worked as a librarian in a variety of public, academic and government settings since 1997 and has been in her current position since July 2003. She took over the management responsibility for Guelph virtual reference service in May of this year and has been overseeing the service as it moves from one vendor to another.
Sheryl Knab is the Assistant Director for the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC). She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and secondary education from Daemen College and a Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University at Buffalo (1991). Sheryl is responsible for planning and developing professional development and training activities for the 1300 librarians and library staff in the six counties that WNYLRC serves. Sheryl supervises WNYLRC's technical services area and manages the Council's training facility. She is also Project Manager for two major Council initiatives - the Virtual Union Catalog (VUC) WNYLibraries.org project as well as a regional virtual reference service for the Western New York area - Ask Us 24/7.
Darren Chase is a University at Buffalo MLS student in his final semester of study, and he looks forward to becoming a 'full-blooded' librarian. He also works in the Office of the President at UB as a member of the writing team, which is responsible for drafting many of the President's remarks and correspondences. Recently, he created a blog called The Secret Library. He received his undergraduate education at the University of Southern Mississippi where he worked at the reference desk of the university library.
What are the elements of accessible web page design? How can we help the student who is blind or visually impaired make the most of our online resources? Nora Dimmock, Media Librarian from the University of Rochester, will present a checklist for accessible design that you can use at your library. She will also discuss ways to connect to students with disabilities and how to work with the administration to get the word out about special software, hardware and services available in the library. Choosing the right technology and training can be a difficult process. What do you purchase and from whom? This process can be even more difficult when you have to purchase assistive technology and training for people, you may not even know. It sounds difficult, however, if you conduct the proper research, it really isn't. Terry Martin will bring his extensive experience in working with school staff, special education teachers, and parents to help you decide what technologies and training are appropriate for your users. Terry will explain the various types of assistive technology and training methods and discuss strategies that will insure a successful implementation of your assistive technology plan. You'll receive valuable resources and a list of questions to consider when preparing to purchase technology and training. Nora Dimmock is the Media Librarian for the University of Rochester. She manages the Multimedia Center, which houses a collection of over 20,000 videos, DVDs, and 16mm films. She works with subject bibliographers and faculty to collect materials to support the academic mission of the U of R and is the library's liaison to The Department of Learning Assistance, which connects students with special needs to the services they need to be successful. The Multimedia Center provides access to the Internet and the library's collections, both in print and online, for blind and visually impaired students through specialized software and hardware. Terry A. Martin, President and owner of VOILÁ Technology, Inc. is an assistive technology specialist and trainer. He has been in business since 1989. Terry was declared legally blind three months after birth. He went through the public school system in the sixties and seventies. Terry has a B.A. degree in Communication Studies from the State University College at Oswego. His knowledge of computers and assistive technology is self-taught. Terry developed the first multitasking voice input/output interface for the MS-DOS and Windows operating systems. This development allowed blind and learning disabled people to take advantage of voice recognition and text-to-speech at the same time. He is currently working out of his home in Rochester, NY.
Lisa A. Forrest On November 19, 2002, as part of a sit-in demonstration, over 300 students refused to leave the E.H. Butler Library of Buffalo State College. Students wanted a safe place to study, with extended hours and improved technology. The administration listened. Butler Library is now proud to host a new state of the art study facility -- complete with 50 new computers, a scanner, black-and-white printer, color laser printer, photocopier, and wireless internet access with plug in ports for laptops. The self contained StudyQuad, which has its own entrance, was developed to provide a safe environment where students can work late at night. In addition to being open all of the hours that the library is open, StudyQuad has extended hours to help accommodate the academic needs of busy students. This poster session highlights the main features of StudyQuad, including technology, student safety, and accessibility.
the Evolution of the Pathfinder at Reed Library
Katleen Loomis-Sacco and Emily Hart This poster will outline the efforts of Reed Library staff to move from paper pathfinders, to html online guides, to PowerPoint, to the latest Flash technology to create an interactive learning experience for students. The poster will contain examples of the paper and online tutorials, with a computer with examples of the flash tutorial. Guides on how to create the interactive tutorials will be provided to attendees.
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