Understanding Human Information Interaction talk at Simmons

Join NE ASIS&T colleagues and Simmons students for a thought provoking talk by Gary Marchionini: “Understanding Human Information Interaction” on September 15th at 5:30.

Understanding how people interact with information is a fundamental problem of information science. Interaction includes finding information in libraries and the WWW, consuming and evaluating what is found, and using this information to transform personal and global knowledge. Today, most human information interaction (HII) is mediated by technologies and much of the research is informed by principles and techniques that evolved in the field of human-computer interaction. This talk will focus on empirical techniques used to study HII, particularly user studies in laboratories. Investigations of personal health record usability, video retrieval, and exploratory search will be used to illustrate these techniques.

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Jane Austen Society Vermont Chapter Gathering

I am appending information on the next JASNA-Vermont gathering on Sunday, September 14 in Montpelier. (Here is the info in plain text without graphics; if you would like a copy of the flyer to post in your library, please email me directly at bygone.books@verizon.net and I will email you a copy)…if you need any more information, please email me, and of course, we would welcome any and all of you if you are out and about in Montpelier that weekend!The Chapter has also started a blog (a work in progress!), so please check it out for any updates, Austen news, etc, and please post a comment if you are so inclined… http://janeausteninvermont.wordpress.com

Thank you!

Best regards,
Deb Barnum and Kelly MacDonald
Regional Co-Coordinators Vermont Chapter
email: bygone.books@verizon.net

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Interested in Teaching Online? Register Now for Simmons GSLIS Online Instructional Design Workshop

Instructional Design: Creating Materials for an Online Course

Online — August 29 – October 3, 2008

What is the difference between preparing to teach an online course and preparing to teach in a face-to-face setting? A lot! Many who are new to online teaching are surprised at how much planning and writing is involved. This workshop orients participants to the ins and outs of online course design and authorship. This workshop is non-technical and software agnostic; we will not focus on the technical process of posting materials within a learning management system. Instead, we will concentrate on instructional design and materials preparation. By the end of the workshop, you will have developed (1) a sample syllabus and other orienting materials; (2) an online community-building warm-up activity; (3) the text for one online “session,” including an activity/assignment; and (4) a strategy for assessing student learning.

Preview at: http://gailonline.org/GSLIS_course_preview.html

Faculty: Gail Matthews-DeNatale, Ph.D., Associate Director of Academic Technology, Simmons College; gmdenatale@simmons.edu

To register or for more information see http://www.simmons.edu/gslis/continuinged/workshops/ or contact gslisce@simmons.edu

NISO Webinar at Holy Cross

ITIG has purchased access to the NISO Webinar on Open Url’s.

Cost: FREE!!

Date and Time: August 21, 2008 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Location: College of Holy Cross, Scalia Electronic Classroom on the second floor of the library

Please RSVP to: Bob Scheier, rcheier@holycross.edu

Description: “OpenURL Implementation: Link Resolution That Users Will Love.” This follow-up to to introductory webinar on “Demystifying Standards” will take a look at implementing the NISO standard for link resolvers, OpenURL (ANSI/NISO Z39.88), from an end user perspective. You do not need to have attended the previous webinar to participate, however the slides and Q&A from that webinar are available online(http://www.niso.org/news/events/2008/webinars/alcts08/) for those who wish to review them.**

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Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award Announced

Nominations for public librarians open August 15

Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded the American Library Association $489,000 to support the new Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

Administered by the ALA’s Public Information Office and Campaign for America’s Libraries, the award will launch this year and will continue annually through 2013.  The award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community.

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Libraries adapt to Internet age (Burlington Free Press-July 25, 2008)

 

The Internet was supposed to send America’s public libraries the way of eight-track tapes and pay phones. It turns out, they’re busier than ever.

Libraries have transformed from staid, sleepy institutions into hip community centers offering Internet service, classes for kids and seniors, and even coffee and video gaming nights. Some have classes on citizenship for recent immigrants or provide sessions on improving computer skills. Most offer wireless Internet service, and many consult teen advisory councils for guidance on how to attract young people.

At most libraries, traffic is up — in some cases, way up — fueled in part by the lure of free computer use, according to experts and a Gannett News Service analysis of state and federal data.

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When law enforcement comes a’knocking

Dear colleagues,

“It will never happen here!”

Isn’t it human nature to believe that tragedies happen “out there,” in the world, and not in our own communities? Sadly, many communities have cause to know that tragedies do indeed happen at home. My own community, Randolph and neighboring Braintree, has just suffered the agony of the disappearance and murder of 12-year-old Brooke Bennett.

I am writing this because “It will never happen here!” also happened at my library.

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When law enforcement comes a'knocking

Dear colleagues,
“It will never happen here!”
Isn’t it human nature to believe that tragedies happen “out there,” in the world, and not in our own communities? Sadly, many communities have cause to know that tragedies do indeed happen at home. My own community, Randolph and neighboring Braintree, has just suffered the agony of the disappearance and murder of 12-year-old Brooke Bennett.
I am writing this because “It will never happen here!” also happened at my library.
Read more→