A wave of books and articles, including Mark Bauerlein?s The Dumbest Generation, are calling attention to the declining analytical skills of college students. They read far less. They seem incapable of critical thought and debate. They take the research path of least resistance. And perhaps worst of all, they seem above constructive criticism. Is digital technology at the root of the dumber generation or is technology simply a convenient scapegoat? Some technology advocates, such as Marc Prensky, suggest that the students are fine, and that the educators are the ones who need to change their ways. Continue reading Dumbest Younger Generation or Clueless Older Educators: What Librarians Can Do To Promote Student Excellence→

Planning training and professional development for library staff or for yourself? Have limited funds? How can e-learning be a solution for your library or institution? Many innovative technologies are available in delivering flexible and inexpensive on-site programs. This free online program — which was webcast live from the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim — featured some current trends in e-learning as addressed by creators, experts, and librarians involved with virtual learning, the role of the e-learner, and the use of virtual space in training and development via e-learning. This was a joint program by CJCLS, CLS, and DLS. Continue reading Learning Virtually: Online Professional Development for Library Workers with Tight Budgets and Full Schedules→

Brian Mathews spoke on “breakthrough opportunities” and shared his latest ideas on creating interactive library experiences for students. This session will featured tactics for engaging students in both the classroom as well as in digital environments. Brian also discussed possibilities for the library and librarians to become a more integrated part of campus and highlighted his ubiquitous “push-out” philosophy. Continue reading Opening New Windows of Opportunity: Creating Breakthrough Instructional Experiences→

It’s a tough instructional situation: usually one class session (two if you’re very lucky) to teach students the basics about the library and its plethora of electronic resources. Most of the time, library teachers can’t rely on extrinsic motivators, no points or quizzes. The session may be designed to help students with an assignment, but that’s points delayed and not directly relevant to the session at hand. Are there ways to involve students, techniques that don’t rely on extrinsic motivators, reasons a teacher can give students, demonstrations that grab attention? During this session we will share possibilities and propose a process whereby techniques can be adapted and assessed, so that the likelihood of their success is increased. Continue reading Designing Instruction to get your Students Involved: Doing it Successfully in One Class Session→

In response to OSU Libraries Strategic Plan, librarians planned to make library resources easier to access by building prototype subject portals. However, conversations with faculty and results from a needs assessment changed the direction of our subsequent project. We focused, not on the subject portal, but on course assignment pages built by librarians in close collaboration with faculty because undergraduates clearly wanted to 1) connect with library information at their point of need, the course assignment 2) know that faculty recommended certain library and information resources for success and 3) save time and effort. Hear a discussion of the merits and challenges of using course specific tools, and share your experiences working with faculty to integrate library resources within courses. Continue reading Students, Faculty and Librarians: Making Connections through Course Pages→

Librarians are just beginning to hear more about the concept of the user experience (UX). Many retail and service organizations, such as Starbucks and Disney, design user experiences in order to gain an edge on their competitors or develop strong customer loyalty. The key is differentiation. This webcast will present a general overview of user experience and address why it’s important for libraries. Comparisons to the use of UX in the consumer market will be presented, as well as examples of how librarians can craft better user experiences. Continue reading Keeping the User in Mind: User Experience and the Modern Library→

Knowledge is created through conversation. Libraries are in the knowledge business. Therefore libraries are in the conversation business. This seemingly simple set of statements has profound implications for how libraries are run, and how they measure success. For example, it casts library services as centered on learning, and not access. This presentation will cover the basics of participatory librarianship, and talk about the need for librarians to become change agents within their own libraries and the communities they serve. Continue reading Participatory Librarianship and Change Agents→