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At a recent retreat, the staff of the LeRoy V. Good Library at Monroe Community College identified the need for a one point service desk that would combine services currently offered separately at our circulation and reference desks. A committee was formed, with Charlene Rezabek as its Chair, to investigate the potential ramifications such a change would have on the facility and on our personnel. We have conducted extensive literature searches, queried librarians at academic institutions with existing one point service desks and are in the process of developing a more extensive survey. The Leroy V. Good library hopes to make a final determination on whether to implement a one-point desk before the end of 2005.

Alice Harrington is the Reference/Instruction Librarian at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from LeMoyne College and a Masters in Library Science from Syracuse University.

Janet Kaufman

The Learning Commons was established in 1999 and brings together in one location services that enhance learning, writing, research, and technology at the University of Guelph. Located on the first floor of the McLaughlin Library, this visible and accessible space recognizes the role of the Library as the central gathering place for students to study, engage in writing and research, and learn in collaborative settings. Renovation and reorganization of the space have been and continue to be ongoing, as funding becomes available. A defining characteristic of the Learning Commons is its ability to apply the combined expertise of librarians, professional staff, Peer Helpers, and Student Consultants to meet the learning, writing, and research needs of students at the undergraduate and graduate level. By working in collaboration, the Learning Commons partners offer students a more coherent and integrated approach to support services. The Learning Commons recognizes the importance of technology by serving as a showcase for the Library's investment in digital resources. With full service access to computers and laptops, the Learning Commons is able to provide not only the tools, but also the skills, to support students in the effective use of learning technologies in their academic studies.

Janet Kaufman is Head, Information Services and Co-Director of the Learning Commons at the University of Guelph Library. She has worked as an academic librarian for almost thirty years, and has held a number of positions in reference and information services. She also spent three years working in university administration. In her current position, she is responsible for reference services, services for students with disabilities, and with a colleague from student services, co-manages the Learning Commons. She has been a frequent presenter at library conferences on a variety of topics including the Learning Commons. She is active in professional associations and is currently Vice-President/President-Elect of the Ontario Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in Canada.

Vivian Lewis

The Commons is very much a work in progress at McMaster! Although staff have been discussing the need for such a facility for many years, work on the project really just began in December 2003. In Spring 2004, in conjunction with an architectural firm, the University Library produced a Concept and Feasibility Study for a new Commons in Mills Library.

In late 2004 (in the absence of any real funding), a Service Model Working Group was established to step back from the floor plans and the financing and to focus on the service. The group has gone through a process of intense soul searching - chiselling out the "heart" of the facility, establishing new relationships and deftly handling some very large, very hot potatoes. We've been struggling with many of the same issues others have faced before us.In late February 2005, the Library received word that the University had agreed to fully fund the Commons proposal...so the relaxed, exploratory discussions have now taken on a much greater sense of urgency. The Library hopes to have some aspects of the Commons service model in place for September 2005 - but expects work on the physical spaces to be phased in over many months!

Vivian Lewis is the Associate University Librarian for Services at McMaster University where she oversees all reference, circulation, instruction and interlibrary loan functions across three libraries. She holds an M.A. in History from York and a Masters of Library Science from the University of Toronto. Vivian is a former President of the Ontario College and University Library Association. She is currently working on a research study with Professor Brian Detlor from the DeGroote School of Business on the topic of library portals.

Traditional librarianship is marked by a proclivity for organization, the establishment of committees, and collaboration-all antecedents of the information commons and librarian blogs of today. However, blogs are distinguished from traditional forms of professional collaboration in many remarkable ways, including: dynamic interaction between people and information made possible through online technology; global, asynchronous participation by vast numbers of individuals; and the speed at which communities and resources can develop as new information is assimilated into older knowledge. The new challenges and opportunities of online matrix have led librarians to face the issues of access and information sharing with expanded conceptual models characterized by a truly global community and potentially limitless information.

Technology: Revolving the Evolving Librarian
Marianne Foley, Buffalo State College

The ever-increasing use of technology in libraries has played a primary role in librarians' "evolution" or adaptation. This poster session will summarize the development of library technology from the first use of automation by acquisitions and circulation to the current explosion of computer equipment, integrated software, electronic applications, and digital resources.

The desire for librarians to serve their community is often a result of proactively considering the needs of their patrons in the wake of a technological revolution. The librarian has evolved historically and has been a catalyst for social change. Amid the obvious wave of new technology waiting to be invented, librarians are at the frontier aiding in the development and assuming a larger role in the creation and advocacy of an ever-changing technological library world. The central theme of the poster will focus on the ability for librarians to forge a niche between the spectrum of generations by keeping hold of the basic tenet of librarianship-a deeply rooted passion to allow people unlimited access to information.

Mobile Computing in Healthcare Fair: An Educational, Promotional and Social Opportunity for Libraries and Their Users
Dean Hendrix & Michelle L. Zafron, University at Buffalo

New information delivery modalities, such as mobile wireless technologies, have become ubiquitous among the clientele of health sciences library. In response to this salient change, the staff of the Health Sciences Library (HSL) at the University at Buffalo surveyed library users about these technologies to gauge the wireless needs of specific library user groups. Responses included requests for workshop offerings on PDA use, collaborative orientation programs with the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and changes to our MobileHSL site. This technologically driven evolution of HSL librarian roles culminated with the Mobile Computing in Healthcare Fair, an educational mini-conference focused on mobile information technology and the new support role of HSL staff.

The Changing Role of Reference
Jamie Ligas, M.L.S. Candidate, University at Buffalo & Keith Mages, M.L.S.

Since the advance of Internet services, the Reference Librarian has had to change the way they have accessed and presented information. With digital media becoming the preferred choice for information retrieval, the Reference Librarian has not only had to maintain the traditional skills for the job, but has had to become tech savvy as well. The digital age has made the profession rethink everything from teaching methods, to reference interviews, as well as know which electronic resources are best suited for different patrons. As technology becomes more advanced, so must we. The need to keep up on the changing face of the digital world could have major implications regarding education, as well as the type of work environment created.

Advancements in information technology have changed the way technical services departments operate in libraries. Workflows and procedures have been adapted to accommodate changing technologies. The technical services librarian's role has changed as well. Butler Library at Buffalo State College migrated to the Ex Libris Library Management system "Aleph" in December, 2003. This poster session will examine the way library materials are acquired and processed at Butler Library using evolved procedures and a new catalog as well as how the technical services librarian's role has evolved to keep up with the changes.

The Changing Roles of Regional Accreditation: How Middle States Library Requirements Have Evolved
Ann M. Tenglund, St. Bonaventure University

This poster session will compare current Middle States accreditation standards to earlier standards and identify differences in expectations. Many current Middle States standards related to libraries are informed by ACRL and other professional standards. Reviewing the changes from the expectations of the 20th century to those in the early 21st century enables us to further understand why our libraries, and our roles within our institutions, are continuing to evolve.

This poster session will also include a comparison between the Middle States accreditation standards and those promulgated by ACRL. A segment of the poster will address the types of accreditation in Ontario; there are no general accreditation standards for Canada, or even for Ontario, that can be.

The Techie Librarian
Keri Thomas, M.L.S. Candidate, University at Buffalo

More and more, librarians are being asked to assume a higher level of technological ability. The digital divide is seen not only in relation to our patrons, but within the profession itself. Those librarians who choose steadfastly to denounce technology or heed the call for change are being left behind. How do we bridge the gap between the paper library the profession was founded upon and the unseen technological future? Will libraries themselves be the brick and mortar buildings we currently work in or are information commons our new homes? How blurred will the line be between working in Information Technology and Information Dissemination? Librarians need to embrace technology and harness its resources to bring a wider array of information to their patrons. To Google or not to Google, is no longer the question. From digitizing collections to electronic databases to 24 hour reference, a whole new world is open to and needs answers from today's librarian. The goal is to assist patrons from desk to desktop.

A Bridge Over Troubled Water
Patricia T. Viele, Cornell University