This is the Conference Center in Monterey, CA also the home of author John Steinbeck
. Today’s speakers so far (it’s 2:40 p.m. here and the conference goes until 9:00 p.m. tonight.
Joe Janes
Reference 2.0: Ain’t What It Use To Be… And It Never Will Again. Samuel Green 1876 Personal Relations With Readers article. He said in his 1876 article the primary motivation for helping people is that there is too much information and people can’t find it. Special Libraries were first to offer reference help in finding materials, public libraries were next and academic last as they viewed finding information as part of the role of teacher and students. Today there is still a lot of stuff that people can’t find. Reference was developed at a time that is much different than today. Today people can do reference work on their own and there is a lot of ways to get help. Traditional reference is where many of us were trained and it is not going to sustain itself in its present state, trying to fit a round peg into square hole. We have to change the way we think about reference work. In so doing it is fair to say It is going to be an ever more digital world and very different ways of searching. There are different interactions with content using horizontal and federated searches. Horizontal is scanning across multiple sources. Federated is bringing in multiple formats. These are different information environments of finding parts instead of whole things, i.e. encyclopedias, books, journals. There is a need to insert reference into social networking, reference work in blogs, Wikipedia. Explore areas of strength and niches. Niches include reference work as people in deep dives which are quality, accuracy, authority for the information they seek and people who prefer to be helped. Reference work becomes focus, sharpening and developing for fitting into a very different information environment. Social networking is participatory tools – there is not an end product as much as the product itself as participation as the point. People being heard collectively but contributing individually. Roughly half of our communities are living and participating in the digital world. People want to create as a means of being heard and making a difference. Librarians can help people make their creative works more user friendly but we have to be more easily found. You have to be in and out, somewhere, everywhere in delivering library services. People in social networks are helping each other; they are intertwined and more intrapersonal. There is a segmentation of reference services – diving deep is reference and research. Print will likely remain but have less strategic emphasis. Using the method over material approach that stuff doesn’t matter but how you engage people does. For the needs that are quick or transitory the method should be to move them forward as they won’t spend the time getting more until they want the next step. The gap you cover is relatively small. For digital people participate with them through the network including training (that doesn’t look like training), lead by example – how to make things more useful, how to do great reference work without telling them. For those that are not information users let them be. But let all know about libraries – time saver, can find anything. Whatever we do online has to be more efficient and compelling because those online are gone in a sec. Physical presence brings a level of commitment that is different than online with the effort needed to travel and face to face conversations. There is a lot of what we know so we should be confident but we shouldn’t be complacent. There are more and better opportunities for services, professional growth and contributions.
Have you got a Game Plan? Adapting library services to the needs of gamers. Chad Boeninger, Ohio Universities Libraries boeninge@ohio.edu Library Voice Blog (he also blogged some notes on sessions he was attending) Looking at a popular media to leverage what makes them popular in services delivered by libraries. Games encourage exploration and immersion – decision making, learning while doing (a challenge for teaching/training). As libraries we encourage exploration, immersion and learning by doing. The Kids are Alright: How the Gaming Generation is Changing the Workplace If they have to ask about our library language, it limits exploration. Use of consistent interfaces that are intuitive-a llow users to control their virtual environments. Facilities – more inviting, café, technology, movable furniture, wireless. Incorporate hands- on experience and application. Use instant help – IM, mebbo. Help them help themselves.
Information Skills Training for High Tech Workers; Karen Draper Adobe Systems:
Types of learners – Self paced, One-on-One Training/Demonstrations
Wiki FAQ – includes newsletters, RSS Feeds, Dept. Correspondences, Tutorials-search by topic (screen capture and audio), Feedback-survey of training portal. Interactive classes and online resources
