PALINET's Technology Conversations podcast series features interviews with leaders in library technology. Lasting approximately 20 minutes and designed for portable listening devices or the desktop computer, each program is a brief take on a different hot tech topic. These sessions are also distributed via RSS.
Possibly on your next commute, or while digging in your brown bag lunch, listen to library innovators discussing their cutting edge technology projects!
ACRL 13th National Conference Cyber Zed Shed Presentations (2007)
Learn how librarians are using new technologies in innovative ways. John Houser, PALINET Senior Technology Consultant, conducted a brief five-minute interview with each Cyber Zed Shed presenter on Saturday, March 31, at the ACRL 13th National Conference in Baltimore. Additional podcasts from the Cyber Zed Shed will be posted as they are released. To get them all, as they are posted, you may subscribe to the Technology Conversations feed.
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Library Instruction Software for Assessment (LISA)
Library instruction has typically been assessed using paper surveys. As technology has transformed many collections and services in libraries, most libraries have only slightly modified their assessment methods by putting those same paper surveys in an electronic format. At the University of North Texas Libraries, we recognized that as finding books and articles has been transformed in the online environment, assessment of students' ability to locate relevant materials should also change. Library Instruction Software for Assessment (LISA) allows us to ask our students to perform searches and then provides us with immediate feedback on whether or not they were successful and allows us to see where they went wrong.
Presenters: Annie Downey, University of North Texas (adowney@library.unt.edu); Gayla Byerly, University of North Texas (gbyerly@library.unt.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Mobile Librarians: Insight into the Portable Web
Discover the potential that smart phone technology offer libraries, including: reference and outreach, collection management, and systems. Explore an on-going pilot project aimed to increase productivity and communication amongst a cross-section of staff. Learn about the possibilities and limitations of smart phone devices and the overall impact of portable web access.
Presenters: Brian Mathews, Georgia Tech (brianmathews@gmail.com); Bonnie Tijerina, Georgia Tech (bonnie.tijerina@library.gatech.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Cite it Right with "Dr. Cite Right", An Interactive Flash Animation on Avoiding Plagiarism
Come see a demonstration of "Dr. Cite Right", an interactive learning-centered Flash animation, in the artistic style of South Park and Jib-Jab.com. The animation was created by librarians at Central Piedmont Community College in conjunction with a student from the college's Information Systems department. Other libraries have created Flash tutorials, but Dr. Cite Right is unique due to the narrative style in which it is presented, the way it was created, and the amount of interactivity within it. It includes branching paths and imbedded quizzes that offer users immediate feedback on their answers.
Presenter: Steve Osler, Central Piedmont Community College (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - The Library Will Now Be Podcast
Podcasting is an emerging technology that allows for the easy online distribution of media files. The use of podcasts for both personal broadcasting and as a media tool has grown greatly in the past couple of years. Many colleges and universities are now utilizing this technology as a method of distributing educational content. This session outlines podcasting efforts at the Georgia Perimeter College Decatur Campus Library and explores how other academic libraries are using podcasts in innovative ways for outreach and learning.
Presenter: David Free, Georgia Perimeter College (dwfree@gmail.com) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Implementing a Technical Services Wiki: Improving Communication and Increasing Productivity The Electronic Resources Cataloging Committee (ERCC) at Princeton University Library created an internal wiki in order to improve its effectiveness. Since its implementation, the ERCC wiki has not only introduced staff to a new technology, it has also reduced the number of committee related emails, provided a one stop place for drafting and revising policies, helped the committee be more timely in making decisions, and has encouraged more widespread participation among all committee members. This presentation will demonstrate the process of setting up a wiki and will cover some of the benefits and drawbacks of using a wiki to facilitate group work.
Presenter: Jennifer Lang, Princeton University (lang@princeton.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Effective Use of Innovative Technologies in Library Instruction Sessions: InterWrite SchoolPad
Learn about the use of interactive classroom technology and see how it makes instructional sessions more engaging and effective for undergraduates. The presenters will demonstrate the use of two innovative technologies and show how they can be used in the classroom. Using an InterWrite SchoolPad, students can interact with a presentation and become more engaged with the material.
Presenters: Emily Rimland, Pennsylvania State University (erimland@psu.edu); Beth Roberts, Pennsylvania State University (ear16@psulias.psu.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Effective Use of Innovative Technologies in Library Instruction Sessions: TurningPoint Software
The presenters introduce TurningPoint Software's Student Response system, which uses polling software that allows the instructor to quickly gauge student knowledge of and interest in the material. Effective uses of the system which engages every student in the class will be discussed, including how polls are created and strategies such as pre and post testing.
Presenters: Emily Rimland, Pennsylvania State University (erimland@psu.edu); Beth Roberts, Pennsylvania State University (ear16@psulias.psu.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - DIY Intranet with Drupal
This “show-and-tell” session will demonstrate how Washington State University Vancouver Library used the free, open-source content management system (CMS), Drupal, to build an intranet that meets our growing and changing communications needs. Drupal allowed us to implement blogs, discussion forums, group-editable web pages (wiki-like functionality), and a bunch of additional exciting features with a single piece of server software. At the start of the semester we were using email, hallway discussions, and an old yellow binder to facilitate information sharing, now we’re up and running with a fully-featured intranet!
Presenter: Rachel Bridgewater, Washington State University Vancouver (bridgewa@vancouver.wsu.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Staff Learning and Sharing Using Squidoo
Wayne State's Emerging Issues Forum uses the web service, Squidoo.com, to organize, provide background information on, and document discussions of topics of interest to the staff of Wayne State University Library System. Each topic has its own Squidoo "lens," which brings together web resources like photos from flickr.com, tagged web pages from del.icio.us, and videos from YouTube, along with polls and a visitor's guest book. The Squidoo lens offers an easy way to compile information of interest on a single topic, through a variety of template modules which the "lensmaster" can employ to create the lens. Squidoo lenses are attractive to the user, accessible by the public at large, self-updating (through RSS) and persistent web records of topics and discussions.
Presenter: Mike Sensiba, Wayne State University (ao9754@wayne.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Using Firefox Extensions to Reveal Library Holdings
Jon Udell’s Library Lookup bookmarklet is a Creative Commons licensed tool that lets users quickly check local library holdings from any Amazon book page. Most patrons are unfamiliar with the “bookmarklet” concept, but may recognize the more widespread model of Firefox extensions. Find out how a non-programmer librarian can take a Greasemonkey adaptation of the bookmarklet, edit it to reflect their library’s catalog information, and compile it into a Firefox extension that shows patrons a view of Amazon.com pages with local holdings information "mashed" in. Also learn how to create and use Firefox search box plug-ins.
Presenter: Priscilla Finley, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (priscilla.finley@unlv.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Make Your Services Smarter: How Smartphones can Extend Your Service and Let You Work Away From Your Office and the Reference Desk
Explore the services your can offer through Smartphones and how they can help you with your workload. Use cell phones for chat reference, text reference and helping patrons locate items in the stacks. Learn how simple it can be to use IM with your cell phone. Also check out some great bluetooth accessories and see how you can mobilize your office! For more information, please go to http://michelleljacobs.googlepages.com/acrl2007
Presenter: Michelle Jacobs, UC Merced (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - Video IM – The Next Step in Virtual Reference
Mourning the lack of face to face contact in your virtual reference interactions? As built in webcams and free video call software continue to increase in popularity, video IM presents a unique opportunity to communicate virtually and visually with users. From stationary reference kiosks to incoming video calls, various applications of the technology are possible. Using a pilot video chat reference program at Ohio University as a case study, this session will cover the trials, tribulations, and technical issues involved in enhancing virtual reference services with video IM. For more information, please go to http://charbooth.googlepages.com/home
Presenter: Char Booth, Ohio University (charbooth@gmail.com) (Posted April 10, 2007)
ACRL Cyber Zed Shed - PennTags – A Social Bookmarking Tool
Learn about PennTags, an example of social bookmarking technology made into a research tool. Developed by the University of Pennsylvania Library, PennTags is a progressive resource for storing, sharing, finding, and organizing research links. Examine how PennTags was developed and see the many ways the tool is currently used.
Presenter: Robert Cagna, Penn Biomedical Library (cagna@mail.med.upenn.edu) (Posted April 10, 2007)
John Brice is Director of the Meadville Public Library and System Administrator for the Crawford County Federated Library System, in Pennsylvania. Nine years ago, he initiated a small open source project in his library system to fill a need for an internet router. Now his library system's web server, mail server, public workstations and internet filtering application all use open source software. This spring, his system will go live with the Koha open source integrated library system. I spoke with John at a recent PALINET Technology Caucus in Philadelphia. (Posted March 23, 2007)
This Technology Conversation features Carl Grant, COO of VTLS Inc. Carl is a librarian who has worked in libraries or library automation companies for the last 32 years. Starting as a shelver at the St. Louis County Library when he was 16, he held a variety of positions in libraries, ending as an Assistant to the Director. Carl then worked for a series of library systems vendors, including DRA, Innovative Interfaces, Ameritech Library Services, and Ex Libris, where he was President. He joined VTLS as President and COO in April 2003. Carl is active in the Coalition for Networked Information, and currently serves on the Board of the National Information Standards Organization. John Houser spoke with Carl at ALA Midwinter in Seattle. Some of the topics discussed were open source library automation products, communications integration and privacy, gaming and virtual communities, global library services, and the disintegration of the library.
This is the continuation of the conversation with Carl Grant at ALA in Seattle. This segment included new directions at NISO, and the future of scholarly publishing.
This is the sixth podcast in PALINET's Technology Conversation series and features Daniel Chudnov, Staff Programmer at Yale's Center for Medical Informatics. The interview took place at the code4lib conference(and is the last in our series of code4lib interviews). Daniel discusses the importance of free software and generally shares his wisdom as a leader in library technology and open source software.
The PALINET Podcasting Technology Conversation series continues with this podcast of an interview with Charles Lockwood, Digital Librarian at Loyola Notre Dame Library in Baltimore. We interviewed Charles at the code4lib conference where he discussed the practical and clever linkr8r program.
Announcing another PALINET Technology Conversation Podcast featuring Jim Roberston, Assistant University Librarian in the Robert W. Van Houten Library at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). This is an interview conducted at the code4lib conference where Jim discusses techniques he implemented to improve the functionality of the online library catalog at NJIT.
From down in Lousiana, J.B. Hill, Head of Reference at the Sims Memorial Library, describes a cutting-edge cell phone texting reference service, also known as reference by SMS.
Assistant Director for Library Systems at the Ehrman Medical Library, Colleen Cuddy is a leading authority on the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in libraries. In this session, Colleen shares some of her insights on librarians and PDAs.
This session features Steven Bell, Director of the Gutman Library, discussing many aspects of library technology, from blogs to tags, with the insight of someone who has looked at the big picture in library technology for many years.
IR Conversations
Institutional Repositories (or IR) are a frequent topic of conversation amongst librarians and archivists. PALINET is pleased to offer this ongoing conversation on IRs in the podcast format.
This session features Linda Langschied (Head of the Scholarly Communication Center) and Ann Montanaro (Head of the Systems Department) at the Rutgers University Libraries. They discuss an exciting implementation and planning of a New Jersey statewide initiative with open source Fedora institutional repository software as well as general considerations of IR policy and planning.
Ed Tawyea, Director of Academic and Instructional Support Resources and the University Librarian at Thomas Jefferson University, shares real-world experience setting up an institutional respository (in this case the IR resource used is Digital Commons).
Included here as an MP3 file, this approximately 20 minute interview features Jeff Riedel, Program Manager for Digital Commons. Jeff provides an excellent overview of institutional repositories and a description of Proquest's Digital Commons IR platform.
