* Poster Descriptions  

DATE & TIME:
Thursday, October 28, 2004

DESCRIPTION:
Particularly with web-based and other technologies, we have made it possible for our clients to seamlessly access library resources and services without ever having to visit our facilities--but our clients still need our expertise and support to access and manage information efficiently and successfully. We need to get out of our libraries and reach out to faculty and students in their own environments. 2004's October Conference focused on creative ways to take the library to our clients.

PROGRAM:

8:30-9:00
Registration and coffee

9:00-9:20
Welcome

9:20-10:00
Trading Places -- Personalized Library Services in Non-Library Spaces

Steve Hiller
Head, Science Libraries
Library Assessment Coordinator
University of Washington Libraries
Gordon Aamot
Head, Foster Business Library
Head, Arts, Architecture, and Business Libraries
University of Washington Libraries

The results of the first comprehensive survey of personalized library services in non-library spaces will be the focus of this presentation. The authors developed a survey instrument that ARL libraries were invited to complete in Spring 2004 as part of the ARL SPEC survey program. The survey asked about the types of library services offered in institutional non-library spaces, the nature of the spaces, what types of library staff are participating, and how they are being marketed and funded. Survey results, both quantitative and qualitative, paint a fascinating picture of library efforts to maintain and extend a personal connection to the user community. The results will be published as an ARL SPEC Kit in late 2004.
Presentation (PowerPoint)

10:00-10:30
Radio Radio! -- Using Unusual Means to Reach Patrons

Emily Alling
Reference Librarian
Babson Library
Springfield College
James Miller
Reference Librarian
Babson Library
Springfield College

Presenters Emily Alling and James Miller host a weekly show on the campus radio station at Springfield College in Springfield Massachusetts. Find out how to talk about library resources, information issues, and research skills without boring your listeners to death. What is the purpose of such non-traditional marketing? Does it work?
Presentation (PowerPoint)

10:30-11:00
Virtually Yours -- The highlights and lowlights of Wesleyan University's experience providing live chat reference within a consortium of small academic libraries

Kendall Hobbs
Reference/Instruction Librarian
Wesleyan University
Diane Klare
Reference/Instruction Librarian
Wesleyan University

In 2001, Wesleyan University Library received a grant from the Davis Education Foundation to set up and test a consortial arrangement for providing live online reference service. Presenters Kendall Hobbs and Diane Klare will report on the results of the experiment from the perspective of librarians involved in providing online reference service, including: testing late night hours; one librarian covering many campus libraries; and covering online reference from the physical reference desk. Hobbs and Klare will also discuss the results of a survey of users and compare statistics of online versus in-person reference, and consider some implications for the future of reference services.
Presentation (PowerPoint)

11:00-11:30
Promoting the Library's Collection with a Book(cart)mobile

Sarah G. Wenzel
Reference Coordinator
Humanities Library
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Following a student survey that indicated undergraduates were unaware of the extent of MIT's Humanities Library collection--or even that the library owned "fun" books--MIT embarked on projects to promote the library. In addition to some typical methods of publicity, they developed a book(cart)mobile to bring interesting new books, music CDs, and DVDs directly to the students. The book(cart)mobile has shown students the variety of materials available, particularly those not related to courses or research. It has also allowed the library to introduce its friendly reference and circulation staff.
Presentation (PowerPoint)
Handout (Word Document)

11:30-12:00
MIT Libraries' Information Intersection on the Stata Center Student Street

Patty Durisin Barbera
Instruction Coordinator and Psychology Librarian
Humanities Library
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tracy Gabridge
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Librarian
Barker Engineering Library
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In May 2004, MIT officially opened its newest building, the "wildly innovative" Stata Center. Designed by Frank Gehry, it houses the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory as well as the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. Bringing the ensemble together is a Student Street and other community-oriented spaces where all of MIT can find a fitness center, cafeteria, child care, classrooms, exhibit spaces, a pub, the Writing Center, and, yes, a library space. It is not a typical library space--it is a mere 13' x 13' and is unstaffed. Its name is the "Information Intersection" and it will be used for both traditional and experimental purposes. This presentation will discuss how the space was procured, what it is used for currently, and some of the many uses envisioned.
Presentation (PowerPoint)

12:00-2:00
Lunch (included) and Poster Session

2:00-2:30
Taking it to the Streets

Leslie Homzie
Reference Librarian/Coordinator of Outreach Instruction and Services
Brandeis University Libraries
Jeff Kosokoff
Head of Reference Services
Lamont Library
Harvard University
Dana Mastroianni
Science Reference Librarian
Cabot Science Library
Harvard University

Where do users want help? Can providing a predictable physical presence outside library walls be an effective part of a reference and outreach program? Reference staff at Brandeis and Harvard have experimented with using laptops to deliver reference service in spaces outside their libraries. Just as each institution's context is different, so too was their experience with providing the service. Staffing, technology, and space are all important issues to consider as one looks back at lessons learned and considers future directions.
Presentation (PowerPoint)

2:30-3:00
The Live-In Librarian's Tips for Taking the Library to the Dorms

Karen Antell
Assistant Professor of Bibliography & Engineering Librarian
University of Oklahoma

For the past two years, Karen Antell has lived in a freshman dormitory as part of the University of Oklahoma's "Faculty-in-Residence" program. Although not every librarian can have this kind of "24/7" access to undergraduates, Karen's presentation will draw on both her successes and her failures to offer ideas for bringing effective library services into college dormitories.
Presentation (PowerPoint)

3:00-3:30
Maximizing the Library Presence in Course Management Systems

Susan Fliss
Director of Education and Outreach
Dartmouth Library
Jeff Bohrer
Instructional Technology Specialist--Curricular Computing
Dartmouth College

Course management systems (CMS) provide an opportune forum for library outreach to students and faculty. How can librarians and library resources be incorporated into WebCT and Blackboard courses to support student research needs? How do librarians and computing colleagues partner to integrate library support into CMS? What questions do librarians, information technologists, and faculty need to ask each other to begin collaborating in online courses? Librarian Susan Fliss and Instructional Technology Specialist Jeff Bohrer will discuss collaborative efforts at Dartmouth College.
Presentation (PowerPoint)

3:30 Wrap-up