Most students never make it this far.

This is one of the sobering truths these librarians, representing a group of Illinois universities, have learned over the course of a two-year, five-campus ethnographic study examining how students view and use their campus libraries: students rarely ask librarians for help, even when they need it. The idea of a librarian as an academic expert who is available to talk about assignments and hold their hands through the research process is, in fact, foreign to most students. Those who even have the word “librarian” in their vocabularies often think library staff are only good for pointing to different sections of the stacks.

Read the entire article here.

Critics say they’re obsolete, but New York’s main branch is a reminder of what the Internet can never do

The main branch of the New York Public Library

by Laura Miller

“…Let’s set aside the obvious rejoinder that many citizens can’t afford e-readers and, furthermore, can only access Google via a library computer. The anniversary of the NYPL’s main building is an occasion to talk about why the library needs to be a place as well as an ethereal mass of data residing somewhere in “the cloud.” Not everything we need or want to know about the world can be transmitted via a screen, and not every experience can be digitized.”

Berkeley Public Library :: About The Library :: Neighborhood Branches :: Tool Lending Library.

Tool Lending Library offers thousands of tools free to Berkeley residents and people who own property in Berkeley. First time borrowers must present photo ID, a Berkeley Public Library card, and a recently received utility bill their name. Berkeley Marina liveaboards should provide proof of residency showing their current MFLAT berth rental coding. Berkeley property owners who do not live in Berkeley must present their property tax bill. These policies are strictly enforced.

Entering the New Information Economy: Professional Preparation Strategies for New Info Professionals

Offered by the iSchool Institute at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

This course provides new and recent graduates with the practical tools and tactics required to successfully enter the information profession.

Complementing the formal learning gained through graduate-level information degree programs, this 8-week course offers participants timely access to practicing information professionals, and the opportunity to develop practical networking, collaboration and leadership skills to prepare them for the transition from graduate school to professional practice.

Course components include:

• Panel discussions with practicing information professionals with a variety of positions, backgrounds and career paths;
• Understanding the differences among a variety of information environments: public (libraries, museums and archives), corporate and special, government, non-profit, academic, sole proprietor;
• Benefits of professional associations, and how to choose;
• Networking skills;
• Career path development strategies
• Entrepreneurship within and without the organization;
• Leadership and your role in the profession

Specific Learning Outcomes:

At the completion of this course, participants will understand the depth and breadth of career opportunities in the information profession; as a result, they will have begun to strategically develop their career paths. Meeting with a wide variety of practicing information professionals will hone their networking and communication skills, and appreciate the importance of professional associations. Participants will know how to create effective, customized resumes and greater confidence during interviews. Finally, they will be able to articulate their role and the value of the information professional and be able to position themselves within the spectrum.

Target Audience:
Master of Information students who will graduate within 12 months, or have graduated within the past 2 years.

Students and graduates from outside of the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto are welcome to participate.

Course Details:

PLC5017S-11W1
Fri. 11 Feb 2011 – Fri. 8 Apr 2011
8 weeks (16 hours) – 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Instructor: Kim Silk

Current iSchool students and recent (up to 6 months) graduates are eligible for a scholarship to reduce the enrollment fee.

Click to find out more and to register.

In 2009, five U of T library school students and a handful of librarians from across the GTA took to the streets to raise money, fight AIDS in Africa, and challenge public perceptions of librarianship.  Armed only with laptops, wireless internet, and some good open-access resources, they set up an outdoor reference desk on Bloor Street, answering any and all questions put to them by passersby.

It was a big success: we raised over $800 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Dare to Remember campaign, answered more than 65 questions (about everything from downtown directions, to the history of music, to immigration policy), and surprised a lot of people with the fact that librarians actually do this. We succeeded, we hope, in giving people a new impression of what libraries are for.

We’ve seen a lot of excitement from a lot of librarians, and many have asked about doing their own Street Reference dare.  Well, Dare season is coming up, and we’re hoping to make things bigger. I’d like to ask librarians across the province to join the team, grab a few friends and colleagues, and hit the streets – between October 19 and December 1^st (World AIDS Day) – to get out there, do some good in the world, and to explore new ways of connecting with your patrons.

It’s easy to get started.  Just go to http://www.adaretoremember.com/ and click “Do a dare”.   Sign yourself up or set up a team.  Give your team’s URL to your friends, family, and your patrons.  E-mail brandon.weigel@gmail.com for more information and any help you need setting it up.

To see how last year’s event went, check out the Access article: http://www.accessola.com/accessonline/onlineonly/archives/summer2010/StreetReference.php.  Street Reference was also covered in Feliciter, and the OLITA 2010 Digital Odyssey conference.

Thanks very much for reading.  I hope you spread the word and give it a try.  It’s a great cause, it’s a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to reach out to your community.  See you on the street!

October 19, 2020 Dear friends of Knowledge Ontario, Knowledge Ontario’s sector partners have pledged sufficient funding to keep KO operational until June 30, 2011.

The “bridging” support we are receiving from all sectors will maintain our programs and services until June 2011 by which time we expect to have a sustainable multi-year funding plan in place.   We announce this gratefully to those who have already pledged support; encouragingly to those yet to respond to KO’s request; and reassuringly to those who have inquired about the status of the KO services they participate in and deliver.

Status of the requests Knowledge Ontario made requests for bridging support from each of the sectors represented on its board of directors: K-12 school boards, colleges, universities and public libraries. Except for the public library sector, that request was coupled with an amount to support continuation of e-resources licensing: The K-12 school boards, through the Council of Ontario Directors of Education, have pledged to date just over $1 million, which is 81% of the original request of $1.25 million; Ontario colleges, through the Heads of Libraries and Learning Resources in Ontario, have pledged $131,000, which is 87% of the original request of $150,000; Universities, through the Ontario Council of University Libraries, have pledged 100% of the request for $200,000, which, like colleges and school boards, includes both bridge funding and e-resources contribution; Public libraries are pledging individually to a bridge funding request of $250,000 and have been asked to respond to the request by November 1. To date, approximately $100,000 has been pledged with nearly two-thirds of that amount still pending board approval. Supplemental funding Knowledge Ontario is also turning to other key sectors for funding contributions: The Ontario legislative library, which has pledged $20,000 towards e-resource licensing and the Our Ontario government docs portal; Other government / health libraries; Our Ontario’s toolkit partners in the culture sector; And special libraries that would benefit from use of the Knowledge Ontario services. Public libraries Thank you to the public libraries that have already responded by supporting Knowledge Ontario’s bridge funding request. For those that have not yet been in touch, please let us know the status of the request by November 1. We hope this update also acts as support and reassurance that your investment is solid. If your library is on the fence and this update tempts you to take another look at our request, we encourage you to do so. Every contribution has the tangible effect of maintaining and strengthening KO operations. Your library’s contribution will also help towards the goodwill of the cross-sector collaboration that has always been the backbone of Knowledge Ontario. E-resource licensing update The licensing process is underway. The Knowledge Ontario Resource committee, which represents the three partners from the learning ministries, has identified priorities and are using those to review all proposals received from current vendors. Knowledge Ontario is also working closely with public libraries through the Southern Ontario Library Service and Ontario Library Service North so that decisions are made in a way that ensures the best value and benefit for all sectors. What’s next? With bridge funding secure, the sustainable funding plan process is now underway. Over the next two months, Knowledge Ontario will undertake a process of consultation with its sector partners to ensure that plans going forward are in tune with the longer term goals and strategies of each of the library sectors.  As part of that, sector partners will be invited to participate in focus groups and a larger roundtable session to help shape a sustainability plan for Knowledge Ontario. KO is also working on a government relations strategy and will ask for help from partner organizations in delivering key messages, particularly in ridings held by provincial Cabinet ministers. Fundraising efforts with foundations and other potential partners are ramping up. And KO will soon go forward with a direct personal request for donations from individuals interested in supporting KO’s vision and its future efforts to raise awareness with funders and community leaders. KO’s latest news and updates can be found on knowledgeotario.ca at latest news (or you can subscribe to the RSS feed). Going forward Knowledge Ontario understands the bridge funding that secures its operations until June 2011 as a commitment to its core values of equity and collaboration. These values will guide our actions over the coming months as we continue to work with all of our partners and supporters to ensure ongoing funding for the vision and the services of Knowledge Ontario. Sincerely,

David Thornley,
Executive Director

In recent weeks Knowledge Ontario (KO) was told it will receive no provincial funding this year for its digital services and products – their request for ongoing funding from the Ministry of Culture was not supported.

This decision deals a serious blow to cross-sector library collaboration in this province and creates challenges for libraries, librarians, library users and all taxpayers. Implications are:

•  no  KO licensed e-resources to K-12 schools, college, university and government libraries (current licenses expire Dec. 2010)
•  no funds  for the other four KO programs (Ask (askON), Connect, Learn and Our Ontario)
•  an additional 22 public libraries, 2 university and 2 college libraries are unable to participate in and offer the askON/ONdemande service in September as planned
•  an end to the askON internship program that provides virtual reference training and experience to dozens to iSchool students
•  KO will need to secure “bridging” assistance to ensure that it has sufficient operating funds to continue from January to June 2011

There are some actions you can take if this news concerns you:

Write to the Minister of Education (responsible for school libraries), the Minister of Culture (responsible for public libraries), and/or the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities (reponsible for college/university libraries), or the Premier himself.

A link to a draft letter is available on Kim Stymest’s blog at http://kimstymest.com/2010/06/18/lets-get-agitated-part-2/

•  Blog, twitter (#KOmatters) and work your networks. Let people know and encourage them to act.

•  Join the Knowledge Ontario Matters Facebook group and watch for more calls to action

•  Find out what your local library is doing about it. Have they passed a Board resolution supporting KO?  Have they written their minister yet?

•  Subscribe to KO News to make sure that you have all the current information. See www.knowledgeontario.ca/jointheflow.aspx

Library collaboration, of the kind introduced by Knowledge Ontario, makes not only good financial sense but offers all of Ontario’s libraries and librarians an opportunity to share, develop and use leading edge tools and services to better serve our profession, our clients and ourselves.

Campus Overload – Got a research paper to write? Friend a librarian.

Spring break is over. April is here. Those end-of-the-semester deadlines are not quite as distant as you think. And chances are your to-do list includes at least one research paper.

Ah, college research papers — it takes most students all four years to figure out how to complete them quickly and accurately (especially through hang-overs or Red Bull jitters).

Your secret weapon? The college reference librarian.

No, seriously. And here are some reasons why:

They can help get you started, even if you don’t understand your topic.

As soon as you get a research paper assignment, stop by your library’s reference desk and ask for help, says Barbara Fister, academic librarian at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minn. “The reference desk is an underutilized site for one-on-one individualized help,” she said. “And if you’re not on campus, chances are there’s a chat reference.”

Understanding the assignment is half the battle, says Beth Mark, instruction coordinator at the Murray Library at Messiah College in Grantham, Penn. “We often work with students to either narrow the research topic or broaden it,” she says. “A topic that is too narrow won’t produce the results needed for the student and a topic that is too broad oftentimes overwhelms the student with thousands of results.”

They are Google experts.

Let’s get this straight: Most reference librarians do not hate Google. They just get frustrated when students think a #1 hit means a reliable source.

And if used correctly, search engines like Google can be beneficial, said Priscilla Atkins, library head of reference and instruction at Hope College in Holland, Mich. Plus, Google offers more advanced search options, like Google Scholar and Google Books. Reference librarians can show students how to do that.

“Googling is not a cause for dismay,” she says. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t use Google; but in 2010, it’s still the case that reference books and scholarly articles provide the most authoritative information on most topics.”

But when Googling, students need to take a hard look at the source of their information.

“Think about your sources being your expert witnesses: if you were in court and your expert witness showed up in jeans and flip-flops… do you think the jury would be impressed?” Fister said. “Pick your expert witnesses with an eye on not just what they say, but what impression they’ll make on your audience.”

But don’t think that being tech savvy alone makes you a good researcher, cautions Donna Miller, a librarian at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Penn.
“A cook can be wonderfully adept with the gadgets found in today’s kitchens, but nevertheless whip up dreadfully tasting meals,” says Miller. “It’s very easy to conduct awful information searches, yet be quite proficient with technology.”

They have access to information you didn’t even know existed.

Most college libraries give students access to online tutorials, online research guides, electronic databases and electronic journal subscriptions. Susan McClintock, head of reference at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C., said a librarian can help you figure out which ones to use.

“We want them to understand that research is like being a detective. Just looking is not enough,” she says. “To solve the case you need to look in the best places for the clues. Then you need to analyze the results to make sure you have solved the case.”

Calling all academic librarians…

Do you have an idea for a great education workshop of interest to academic librarianship? Does it have appeal to beyond your institution?

Then the CACUL Workshop Incentive Grants may be just want you are looking for. Two grants of $1000 each area available to support continuing education projects taking place between January – December 2010.

Full application details can be found at the CACUL website.

Applications must be received by February 1 2010.