Mark your calendar now for an exciting opportunity to attend a very special event in which you will “explore cutting edge trends” in “evolving libraries.” Opening keynote speaker, Michael Stephens will speak about how libraries can play a vital role in how “emerging technologies” can change the way we “live and learn.” Other scheduled presenters include: Kyle Felker and Kristin Meyer from Grand Valley State University, Amy James and Elizabeth Walker from Spring Arbor University, Sonya Schryer Norris, Library of Michigan and Rebecca Renirie from Central Michigan University. Registration Earlybird Registration Deadline: May 22, 2015 Advance Registration Deadline: June 4, […]
Contributors Michael Stephens
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Congrats to Justin Hoenke, TTW Contributor, on his invitation to keynote LIANZA 2015! Iam so excited he’ll be talking about his ideas for humanistic, user-centered library services with the good folks of NZ. Justin writes: I’m happy to announce today that I will be attending the LIANZA 2015 Conference in Wellington, New Zealand this year from November 7-11 2015 to speak about youth services, kids, tweens, teens, and everything awesome that can happen in libraries. I’m honored to be a part of this event. I’ve always enjoyed following the LIANZA conferences on Twitter (#lianza15 this year!) and cannot wait to learn and share with […]
I am honored to have written this piece for the Queen’s Education Letter with Margaret Jean Campbell. Margaret served as our graduate research assistant throughout the MOOC planning, delivery and assessment phases. http://educ.queensu.ca/sites/webpublish.queensu.ca.educwww/files/files/Community/ed_letter_spring_2015.pdf Findings from our research yield a positive view of the cMOOC experience, with many inspired to explore new potentials in the LIS field, especially with new technologies. MOOC participants discovered that they can learn, reflect upon professional practices, discuss and exchange ideas with others in evolving networks and create new networks outside their individual library environments.
Stephens, M., & Jones, K. M. L. (2015). Emerging roles: Key insights from librarians in a massive open online course. Journal of Library and Information Services in Distance Learning, 9(1-2), 133–147. doi: 10.1080/1533290X.2014.946353 Abstract: From the cutting edge of innovations in online education comes the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), a potentially disruptive and transformational mechanism for large-scale learning. What’s the role of librarians in a MOOC? What can librarians learn from participating in a large-scale professional development opportunity delivered in an open environment to illuminate their own practice? This paper explores the experiences and perceptions of librarians/information professionals participating in an […]
You won’t want to miss reading about this library’s innovative experiment with Minecraft to build a community of young users. John Blyberg, assistant director for innovation and user experience at the Darien (CT) Library has turned his “public library into a gathering spot for friends new and old, and a place to decompress” simply by running a single server for Minecraft users. To read more about Blyberg’s innovative way to build an “afterschool sanctuary” follow this link: http://www.slj.com/2015/04/technology/my-public-library-minecraft-community/#_
We interviewed Computers in Libraries 2015 speaker Michael Stephens about why he thinks opportunities for learning everywhere are so important to our library community. Read below for his answers and make sure to attend the workshop he is teaching with Wendy Newman. Dr. Michael Stephens Assistant Professor San Jose State University & Tame the Web Question 1: What key library issues are you most concerned about for the coming year? M.S.- I think it’s an ongoing issue that each and every library find the best and most useful ways to tap into community needs. Librarians need to be present in communities (city, town, campus, school, company) […]
Check out the newest infographic from Project Information Literacy’s Lifelong Learning Study that is entitled, “What happens after college?” The infographic features preliminary findings from the 2014 survey and a sample of recent grads (n=1,651) from 10 US colleges and universities. Click to view the full size image.
Folks – Don’t miss this new blog by Carnegie Mellon University Dean of Libraries Keith Webster: http://www.libraryofthefuture.org Keith is one of the academic library leaders I look to for insights and ideas related to higher ed and library service. Look for his articles and presentations – you won’t be disappointed. For example: The changing landscape of scholarly communication: presentation to the NFAIS 2015 annual conference from Keith Webster From his introductory post: If the librarian’s profession is increasingly to be conducted outside the library, then what of the building itself? We know that our libraries are busier than ever, but […]
Project Information Literacy (PIL) has just shared the Information Literacy’s latest “Smart Talk” interview with Craig Watkins a leading thinker on social media, connected learning and youth. In the interview, Craig says: “While schools do not always suffer from a lack of technology, they consistently suffer from a lack of vision in how the technology will be used. In high-poverty schools, technology is rarely used to promote the development of higher-order thinking skills, such as design, problem-solving, or coding. Schools must invest in highly-skilled instructors and curricula that cultivate the skills associated with innovation. This is not necessarily a technological […]