Yearly Archives: 2012

190 posts

“Club Milner”

“We cannot keep libraries the same exact way. We cannot hope that our students will use the old technology. Hope is not a strategy for us,” she said. “We need to change; we need to transform; we need to find new ways to deliver information. And we are after the whole person, not just the brain.” Dean of University Libraries Sohair Wastawy http://blogs.ilstu.edu/illinois-state-magazine/2012/02/01/long-overdue/ Don’t miss this article about the changes at the Milner Library at Illinois State.

Think Like an Activist

At several points in my life I have had the opportunity to work closely with activists. I have seen political, social, and union activists up close and in action. The true activist is a special breed who is in touch with a different reality that is just outside the reach of the present. They have been touched by a holy spirit of change that drives them forward. Librarians can learn a great deal from activists. Activists do not just have energy and passion. They are absolutely goal focused. Ego is left behind. Partnerships are a necessity because resources are always […]

New Article: Transforming Online Learning @ SJSU Today

http://blogs.sjsu.edu/today/2012/transforming-online-learning/ Here is a bit of an article I wrote for SJSU Today: I believe a focus on play and experimentation is needed for 21st century learning success. These newer forms of learning – play and experimentation – can prepare students for the world they will work in after they graduate, and for years to come. I emphasize this focus on experimentation via the assignments in my online courses. In my class called The Hyperlinked Library and Emerging Technologies, students create media-based reports on recent books related to society and culture. Any media platform or 2.0 tool that can be […]

Office Hours: The Age of Participation

My February column is up at Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/02/opinion/michael-stephens/the-age-of-participation-office-hours/ IT’S THE MUSEUM DIRECTOR’S conundrum. She has six brief seconds to grab the visitor’s attention as they walk past each exhibit. Once they pass the exhibit, they’re gone for good. That thought went through my mind as I stood talking with a museum administrator at a stammtisch [“regular get-­together”] in Berlin in March 2010. Could this brief window of opportunity be maximized by adding a social, participatory component to museum ­exhibitions? I couldn’t help but think that this is the same problem facing libraries. How can we grab the public’s interest despite the […]

Trzeciak named university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/23471.aspx Jeffrey G. Trzeciak, university librarian at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been named university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis, effective July 1, 2012, announced Provost Edward S. Macias, PhD, executive vice chancellor and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences. Trzeciak replaces Shirley K. Baker, vice chancellor for scholarly resources and dean of University Libraries, who will retire after 23 years of service to WUSTL on June 30. “Libraries are critically important to Washington University’s mission in supporting our strong programs of teaching and scholarship.” Macias says. “Library materials and the […]

E-Everything in an Ever-Changing World

I just finished Carson Block’s article, If Books Are Our Brand, in Public Libraries magazine. It’s yet another look at the changing world of libraries and how e-books have shaken things up. Block says, “I would love our brand to be ‘access to the resources and tools in an ever-changing world.’ That means access to e-everything, including the tools and training needed for content creation, and in physical spaces. Places to gather and discuss ideas. Places to learn, and places to teach.” I agree with Block when he says we need places to gather, learn, and teach. But, Block’s statement […]

Enriching the library experience: an idea

GetGlue and LibraryThing got me thinking about how we could make the library an even neater place if we could somehow integrate these services into what we do.  Imagine going into a library and heading for the catalog.  You start your search and because of LibraryThing you can read other library members thoughts on that item.  The stack map then will help you locate what you’re looking for.  Imagine if we took that a step further and GetGlue made a product called GetGlue for Libraries.  Members could opt in to the program and check in to what they’re checking out at the […]

Create, Play, Read – Lending Devices to Teens (PART 2)

(for the first post in this series, please click here) Once I had the idea for lending out iPods with pre-selected apps to teens, I had to do some investigating and thinking about how these devices would be used. I would describe the iPods as “locked down”.  By that, I mean that the borrower can’t do much other than use the iPods for their library defined purpose (play or create) and use the internet.                     To access restrictions, visit your settings on your iPod.  Under the General tab, scroll down to […]

Thanks Dominican of California!

    Greetings from California! I’m out for SJSU SLIS Faculty Retreat  next week but today found me on the lovely campus of Dominican University of California. I spoke today at a faculty workshop, presenting an updated and expanded version of “The Hyperlinked Campus” with an emphasis on emerging technologies for teaching and learning. The discussion and interaction was wonderful. AND a big shout out to the DUCA librarians who attended! The slides are here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/239835/HyperlinkedCampusDomCA.pdf