NCSLA Info-Sharing

2011-04-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

Call for Papers and Posters: 2011 Mid-Atlantic Chapter (MAC) of the MLA Annual Meeting

The Contributed Papers and Posters committees of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association (MLA) invite you to help us "Capitalize on our Strengths" by sending your proposals for contributed papers and posters for the 2011 MAC MLA Annual Meeting in Richmond, Virginia from October 10 through 12, 2011 at the Omni Richmond Hotel in downtown Richmond. Papers and posters may range from innovative program descriptions to reports on collaborative outreach activities to behind the scenes technical innovation, from hospital library to academic library to special library. The new MAC Research & Assessment Committee is especially interested in learning about research in librarianship that might benefit from a grant, so we are encouraging presentations on research activities. Contributed paper and poster topics are as unlimited as your imagination, talents, and creativity can devise. There will be two contributed paper and two poster sessions:

Contributed papers will be presented on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 from 10:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. and Wednesday, October 12, 2011 from 9:45 a.m. until 10:45 a.m.

Poster sessions will be on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. and Wednesday, October 12, 2011 from 10:45 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. Each poster should have one person available during the session it is presented.

For both paper and poster abstracts, please submit a blinded abstract as well as your regular abstract. For contributed paper proposals, submit a 300 word abstract to describe your paper. Include your name, position title, address, phone number, and email address. The abstract should be sent to: dlladd@vcu.edu; or Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Center Librarian, Community Health Education Center, 1200 East Marshall Street, Richmond, VA 23298-0582. For poster proposals, submit a 300 word abstract to describe your poster. Include your name, position title, address, phone number, and email address. The abstract should be sent to: mehenderson@vcu.edu; or Margaret Henderson, Research & Education Librarian, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, 509 North 12th Street, Richmond, VA 23298-0582. Abstracts are due June 15, 2011. Use of a structured abstract is encouraged. For more information on writing a structured abstract, please see MLA's Research Section's "The Structured Abstract: An Essential Tool for Researchers." If your paper or poster describes a research project, please let us know, and if possible, let us know what type of research. For information on how to classify research, see "Inventory of Research Methods for Librarianship and Informatics," published in the January 2004 issue of Journal of the Medical Library Association and available at PubMed Central. Please also consult the MLA Style Manual for guidance on style, spelling, and grammar.

2011 MAC/MLA Annual Conference

2011-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

Please Save the Date! October 10 – October 12, 2011 2011 Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s Annual Conference

Capitalize on Our Strengths

Omni Richmond Hotel Richmond, Virginia

Conference Registration Early bird registration is $200 by 09/02/2011; $250 after 09/02/2011 Conference Schedule CE classes and the Welcome Reception will be held on Monday, October 10. The meeting program will take place on Tuesday, October 11 – Wednesday, October 12, 2011. Lodging for the Meeting The deadline for making hotel reservations at the conference rate is September 19, 2011. The conference rate is $129/night plus tax and $10/night for valet parking for those staying overnight in the conference hotel. Alternate parking opportunities will be available for individuals not staying in the conference hotel. Make your hotel reservations online at: http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/Richmond/MeetingFacilities/MACMLA10.aspx The official conference website will be available in April 2011. For more information, please contact Shannon Jones @ sdjones @vcu .edu, or Barbara Wright @ bawright @vcu .edu.

Candidates for 2012 Board of Directors Announced

2011-03-04T05:13:00.000-08:00

For President-Elect:
David Cappoli, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Ca.
Deb Hunt, Information Edge, San Leandro, Ca.

For Chapter Cabinet Chair-Elect
Constance Ard, Answer Maven, Louisville, Ky.
Debbie Schachter, Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver, Canada

For Division Cabinet Chair-Elect
Ann Koopman, Thomas Jefferson University, Broomall, Pa.
Catherine Lavallée Welch, University of South Florida Polytechnic, Lakeland, Fl.

For Director (two positions)
Marilyn Bromley, Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Alexandria, Va.
Hal Kirkwood, Purdue University, West Lafayette, In.
Jane Macoustra, Tai-Pan Research, Surrey, United Kingdom
Chris Zammarelli, ATSG, Arlington, Va.

For more information check out the SLA press release at
http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressrelease/11pr/2011-02PR.cfm

Call for Papers for the 2011 Sci-Tech Paper Session at SLA Annual Conference

2010-12-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

CALL FOR PAPERS FOR THE 2011 SCI-TECH CONTRIBUTED PAPERS SESSION at the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference, June 12-15, 2011, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
SESSION THEME: "Data: The Next Generation”
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS: January 14, 2011
SLA DIVISION CO-SPONSORS: Sci-Tech and Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition
DESCRIPTION:
Data curation is the active and on-going management of data through its lifecycle of interest and usefulness to scholarly and educational activities across the sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. Data curation activities enable data discovery and retrieval, maintain data quality, add value, and provide for re-use over time. This new field includes representation, archiving, authentication, management, preservation, retrieval, and use. (GSLIS-UIUC)
There is a growing demand by taxpayers, funding agencies, researchers and major scientific journal publishers for access to data being produced during scientific inquiry. Patrons need access to digital data, information about data management plans, data curation, and more. Data curation is creating new roles, opportunities, and challenges for libraries. We are looking for papers that speak to the current and future impacts of data curation on library collection development, service models, instruction, policies, infrastructure (e.g. personnel, financial, technological), etc. How are you engaging researchers and colleagues? How are you educating yourself and others about opportunities? Do you have active programs managing, evaluating, or archiving data?
ELIGIBILITY: Any SLA member is welcome to submit an abstract for consideration. Preference will be given to members of the sponsoring Science Divisions listed above.
CRITERIA: Criteria for review will include relevance to the session theme and evidence of scholarship and methodology. We invite papers to explore the many facets of this topic from a proactive rather than a reactive outlook. More weight will be given to papers that include data evaluation and analysis. The topic is broad in order to allow for a variety of submissions from theoretical as well as practical aspects.
ABSTRACT: A 300-500 word abstract should accurately convey the subject of the paper, its scope, conclusions, and relevance to the program theme.
ACCEPTANCE OF PAPERS: If chosen, acceptance of your paper reflects a commitment on your part to:
• Deliver a 15-20 minute presentation at the SLA Annual Conference, Wednesday, June 15, 2011 (noon-1:30pm) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Allow your paper to be formally published in the multi-Division bulletin, SciTech News and posted to the Sci-Tech Division Website.

Please consider yourself encouraged to submit an abstract. The deadline is Monday, January 14. See you in Philadelphia!
SUBMIT ABSTRACTS (and questions) TO:
Jeanine Scaramozzino, jscaramo@calpoly.edu
Sci-Tech Contributed Papers Committee Chair
College of Science and Mathematics Librarian
School of Education Librarian
Robert E. Kennedy Library, Room 216E
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Phone 805.756.5677
Fax 805.756.2346

Call for Papers- 2011 SLA Conference

2010-12-09T06:18:00.001-08:00

Call for Contributed Papers
Share Your Research with Your Peers

SLA is now accepting proposals for papers to be presented at the 2011 Annual Conference and INFO-EXPO, to be held June 12-15 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This is your opportunity as a member of SLA to share your research and scholarship with your colleagues and peers. Topics must be related to the conference theme, "Future Ready," or to one of the sub-themes:

•Communicating value through strategic alignment;
•Leveraging technology for innovation; and
•Using knowledge sharing to encourage collaboration.
Every SLA member is encouraged to submit an abstract. The proposals will be evaluated by a panel of SLA members in a blind review, and the strongest will be selected for development into full papers.

Requirements for Acceptance

Topics should be related to library science, information management, research or other issues pertinent to client service, technology, or administration in special libraries. Proposals will be judged on their relevance to the conference theme or one of the sub-themes as well as on the strength of the ideas, quality of the writing and potential member interest.

Proposed papers must also meet these requirements:

•At least one author is a member of SLA,
•At least one author commits to presenting the paper at the annual conference.
•The proposal is received by the deadline.
•The paper has not been published in or submitted to any other publication or conference planning group.
•The author and any co-authors must be willing to sign a copyright assignment form that will permit SLA to use the paper in various formats.
Deadlines

Proposals are due December 13. Submit an abstract of your paper to Martha Foote at mfoote@libraryco.ca. Abstracts should be between 250 and 300 words in length, or roughly one page in 12-point text.

All applicants will be notified of the committee's decision by 17 January 2011. Those with the strongest proposals will be invited to develop them into full papers.

Completed papers and copyright assignment forms are due no later than 2 May 2011. Authors will deliver a 15-minute presentation of their papers with three or four colleagues during a 90-minute Contributed Papers session at the conference.

NCSLA International Travel Award

2010-10-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

The North Carolina Chapter of the Special Libraries Association is sponsoring a one- time International Conference Travel Award. The purpose of the award is to provide an opportunity for a librarian outside of the United States and Canada to attend the annual Special Libraries Association (SLA) conference. The award will cover conference registration, lodging and airfare, up to and not exceeding US $2,000. The SLA annual conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA. USA, June 12-15, 2011. Contact Susan Forbes at forbes16@gmail.com if you have questions about this opportunity. You can also download this announcement as a pdf.

Eligibility
• Applicants must reside in a non-G8 country, and must be currently employed in a library, information center, library school or as an information professional with a company, government or non-profit organization.
• Applicants must be eligible to obtain a visa for travel to the United States of America.
• As a condition of receiving the award, applicants must indicate the amount and source of additional funding which, combined with the Travel Award, will permit them to cover their expenses to attend the Annual Conference.
• The chapter reserves the right not to grant an award if no applications are received that meet all eligibility requirements and adhere to all the application procedures.

Application Procedures
1. Prepare a written statement, in English, of approximately 750 words, answering the following questions:
a. What do you hope to gain from the conference?
b. How do you intend to participate in the SLA in the future?

2. Submit a current curriculum vitae OR resume that includes information on the candidate's professional career, professional activities with SLA and other organizations (including offices held and involvement in any special projects or services), publications, and any other relevant professional information.

Submit the above documents, along with your address, telephone number, and email address, in PDF, Rich Text Format (RTF) or Microsoft Word by EMAIL to Susan Forbes: forbes16@gmail.com

Applications must be received by January 15, 2011

Notification
Applications will be reviewed by the award committee and applicants will receive notification of award status by early February 2010. The award check will be sent to the recipient after the conference, as soon as the receipts are received by NCSLA Chapter Treasurer.

Post-Award Requirements
The recipient is required to submit a short essay (500-750 words) describing their conference experience and how it was beneficial to them.

Communications Leader Introduction

2010-09-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hi NCSLA members,

My name is Jeanne Hoover and I will be the new Communications Leader this year. I recently moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania to take a Science Reference Librarian position at the J.Y. Joyner Library at East Carolina University. I first got involved with SLA as a student member while completing my MLIS at the University of Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to meeting each one of you. Please feel free to send me any news that I can include on the blog or in the newsletter. You can contact me at jeannehoover@gmail.com. Thank you!

Jeanne

2010-08-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Debbie Balsamo, National Program Manager for the Environmental Protection Agency's Library Network received the North American Quantum2 InfoStar Award, presented by Dialog at the 2010 SLA Annual Conference and INFO-EXPO in New Orleans. The award is presented annually to professionals "whose achievements demonstrate leadership and inspire others in their industry." Among other things, Debbie was given praise for her work in implementing the "Ask a Librarian" virtual reference service at EPA.

Debbie is a long-time member and former NCSLA President.

Read more about this award in a press release from Dialog.

Upcoming Events for Fall 2010

2010-08-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

NCSLA members spoke and the board listened! A roundtable-style event has been planned for September to address the wide array of interests expressed in the programming survey.

What: NCSLA Roundtable
When: September 17, 2010, 1:00-4:00 PM
Where: US Environmental Protection Agency
109 Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Who: All members of the North Carolina library community are welcome to attend—spread the word to your public, school media, academic and special library colleagues!

Registration is open through September 14^th, 2010.

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Are you a North Carolina librarian, grad student, or new to the area? Want to get more involved with your local professional associations, but not sure where to start? Join NCSLA and NMRT for this unique Networking event in October. Afterwards, meet up for more a more casual networking experience at our networking dinner from 5:30-7:30 PM, location TBA.

What: Joint NCSLA & NMRT Networking Event

When: October 7, 2010, 3:30-5:00

Where: location TBA

Who: All members of the North Carolina library community are welcome to attend.

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Save the date for these events later in the year

Educational workshop/seminar on Friday, Oct 22^ndat Center for Creative Living in Greensboro, focused on professional attire/presence.

Annual Awards Banquet and Officer’s Installation on Thursday, December 2^nd at The Rizzo Conference Center at Meadowmont in Chapel Hill.

Call for Propsals - Info Literacy Conference in Charlotte, NC

2010-04-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

5th Annual Information Literacy Conference
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Johnson & Wales University
Charlotte, NC

Call for Proposals

Submission Deadline: 5pm on Friday, April 9, 2010

What is the "5th Annual Information Literacy Conference"?
It is a one-day conference covering the various aspects of Information Literacy in academic institutions, public libraries or K – 12 education.

What presentation/poster topics are you looking for?
Throughout the day the presentations can cover anything from the basics of information literacy, how to write your information literacy program, success stories, tools to assist in the implementation and more! Click here to see what sessions and posters were offered last year.

All topics relating to Information Literacy will be considered. Some sample topics include:

Mobile sites
Virtual library
Sending students off as learners
Teachers & Librarians as partners
NC Wise Owl & NC LIVE

Is there a registration fee reduction for presenters?
Presenters will receive half-price registration.

How do I submit a presentation/poster proposal?
Complete the Session Proposal Form and submit it by Friday, April 9, 2010.

What if I have other questions?
Send questions to Cheryl Ann Coyle, 2010 Metrolina Library Association President, at metrolina.library@gmail.com

LSU Summer course on publishing for librarians

2010-03-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

This course helps an author to find an appropriate market for an article and to polish it up through a double blind peer review and revision process.

Students who wrote and revised articles in this class the last four summers have had them published in professional journals.

Editors of library publications who are looking for good articles will visit the class. They will answer questions and give advice.

Click here to view a syllabus for this course.

For information about the course, contact Michelynn McKnight, Assistant Professor mmck@lsu.edu

For information about registering as a non-matriculated student, contact LaToya Coleman Joseph, Administrative Coordinator lcjoseph@lsu.edu

Greensboro Networking Dinner Indefinitely Postponed

2010-02-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Networking Potluck dinner to be hosted by Mary and Rick Lane on Saturday February 27th will unfortunately indefinitely postponed.

The events in Chapel Hill and Durham are still on.

This Thursday February 18th, hosted at the Robertson's home in Chapel Hill. RSVP to Dav at robert11@niehs.nih.gov or call (919) 541-1386.

The following Thursday February 25th at California Pizza Kitchen at Southpoint Mall. Contact Jill Robinson to participate at jill@nclive.org

Networking Dinners

2010-02-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

February 18 - NCSLA Networking dinner at the Robertsons' home, and ***Happy Retirement*** for Larry Wright
RSVP to me at robert11@niehs.nih.gov or call me at (919) 541-1386.
Eliza and I invite you to a potluck dinner at our new home in Fearrington Village, about eight miles south of Chapel Hill, just off of Hwy 15-501.
Date: Thursday, Feb. 18Time: 6:00 pm --8:00 pm
We will provide vegetarian lasagna and vino. Since we can only accommodate about 20, please RSVP to me to let me know you're coming and what you'll bring. Suggestions: salad, dessert, appetizers, or something out-of-the blue!
Larry Wright, my longtime colleague at the NIEHS Library, retired the first of January. Come give him your BEST WISHES and find out what he's going to do now! Let's convince him to stay active in NCSLA!
Directions:
DON'T TRUST GOOGLE MAPS OR ANY OTHER ONLINE MAP SERVICE to find us! We're too new for our address to be reflected accurately on these maps.
RSVP to me at robert11@niehs.nih.gov or call me at (919) 541-1386.

February 25 - Durham
The Durham area networking dinner is scheduled for Thursday, February 25th, 6:30 PM at California Pizza Kitchen at Southpoint Mall. To participate please contact Jill Robinson at jill@nclive.org

February 27 - Greensboro
Networking Potluck dinner on Saturday February 27th at 7:00 will be hosted by Mary and Rick Lane . They will provide wine and beverages. Others can let Mary know what they'd like to bring or ask what's needed to fill in. Please RSVP to Mary Lane at MLane@lortobco.com

Networking Dinners

2010-01-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

I hope that each of you had a great Holiday season!

Once again it is time to get ready for the annual neighborhood networking dinners in February. This fun and relaxing event has become one of the most popular events of the chapter. This is a time to informally meet and greet with colleagues and students that live and/or work in your city. If you would like to volunteer to host a dinner (breakfast or lunch are also options), please let me know by January 22nd.

I will need to know a date in February, time, place (home or name of restaurant), and your contact information for people to RSVP. I will compile and send out all networking opportunities to the discussion list.

I look forward to getting representatives from across the state.

If you have any questions about the networking dinners or suggestions for future events, please contact me at tbmccollough@gmail.com

I look forward to serving all of you this year.

NCSLA's Annual Award Ceremony and Officer Installation Dinner

2009-12-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

On December 3rd, NCSLA held its annual Award Ceremony and Officer Installation Dinner at Biaggi's in Cary. Mary Schwarz kicked off the proceedings with opening comments and words of thanks for those with whom she worked closely during 2009. The 2010 officers were then announced and a short board meeting took place thereafter. Later in the evening, the following awards were presented:

Horizon Award: Given to Jennifer Evans, this award recognizes a chapter member who shows promise of becoming an outstanding member of the profession.
Meritorious Achievement Award: Given to Tamika Barnes, this award honors a chapter member for notable and enduring contributions to the chapter and to the profession.
Sarah Aull Award: Presented to C. Vinson, this award is given to the winner of a contest rewarding excellence in student papers related to the field of special librarianship.

The evening was brought to a close by Jamal Cromity who took time to thank and recognize fellow board members for their individual contributions in 2009 and shared his enthusiasm and vision for an exciting 2010!

Chemistry Librarianship Student Scholarship

2009-12-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

Call for Applications: 2010 Lucille M. Wert Scholarship –
Deadline: February 1, 2010

Designed to help persons with an interest in the fields of Chemistry and Information to pursue graduate study in Library, Information, or Computer Science, the Scholarship consists of a $1,500 honorarium. This scholarship is given yearly by the Division of Chemical Information of the American Chemical Society.

The applicant must have a bachelor’s degree with a major in Chemistry or related disciplines (related disciplines are for example Biochemistry or Chemical Informatics). The applicant must have been accepted (or currently enrolled) into a graduate Library, Information, or Computer Science program in an accredited institution. Work experience in Library, Information or Computer Science preferred.

The deadline to apply for the 2010 Lucille M. Wert Scholarship is February 1, 2010. Details on the application procedures can be found at http://www.acscinf.org and once there click on “Awards” and then click on “Lucille M. Wert Student Scholarship”.

Applications (email preferred) can be sent to: margaret.matthews@thomsonreuters.com

Contact address:
Marge Matthews

CINF Awards Committee
633 Dayton Rd.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-3801
Phone: 215-823-3922

Web Integration Webinar

2009-12-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

On Friday November 13th, Jamal Cromity hosted a well-attended webinar entitled "Web Integration". Topics covered included the integration of tools such as Google Ajax RSS Feeds Displayer, Share Point RSS Reader, Image embeds via Facebook and Flickr. LinkedIn and Twitter. The webinar provided basic information on each of these resources as well as tips for using them in special libraries' work. The webinar concluded with an in-depth discussion of the SLA initiative for choosing a new name. Jamal reviewed comments received back on the proposed name from chapter members and walked participants through a report highlighting SLA's research findings on various aspects of the effort to determine the new name.

Changing the way we state our business

2009-11-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

My latest LMD post is now available:
http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/sla_lmd/

Check it out when you can!

Jamal

JAMAL CROMITY WINS REMCO ROADBUILDERS' AWARD IN SPECIAL LIBRARIES

2009-10-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

At this year’s 58th Biennial NCLA conference, during the REMCo's Author Luncheon on October 8th in Greenville, N.C., our very own President – Elect, Jamal Cromity accepted an award by the North Carolina Library Round Table of Ethic Minority Concerns. The award recognizes ethnic minority librarians and scholars in library education, academic librarianship, special librarianship and public librarianship, who have served as pioneers in librarianship and who also represent a positive role model in the field. Further, recipients are recognizing as ethnic minority librarians who exemplify courage, integrity, perseverance and who have contributed to the field of librarianship for their specific category.

Can the association members learn to grow?

2009-10-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

My latest LMD Blog is now available...

Wow! SLA may finally have a new name…The Association of Strategic Knowledge Professionals. Are we all happy now? Well...
http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/sla_lmd/2009/10/can-the-association-members-learn-to-grow.html

New NCSLA Wiki - Gov Doc Sources presentation now available!

2009-10-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

OK!

So I created a new wiki for the chapter to collaborate information online. The old wiki will go away very soon! Use the link from this main website to access the wiki going forward. Michael Pepper or I will send out invites per your request.

I really want the chapter members to start using the wiki site to post specific content about our workshops. You can also upload documents under 11 megabytes. Let me or Michael know of any other ideas you would like to use the wiki for going forward. Making new pages is very easy!

My hope is that you will have a much better experience using the new wiki. I truly want the website and wiki to be more collaborative and user friendly.

Check it out when you can!
http://sites.google.com/site/ncslawiki/

The Government Document Sources information is now available on the wiki.

Value Continuum and Professional Online Search Services: The Collaborative Stage

2009-07-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

My latest publication is now available in the July issue of Online Magazine.
Check it out when you can: http://www.infotoday.com/online/

Value Continuum and Professional Online Search Services: The Collaborative Stage
By Jamal Cromity
Page 38

In the article I talk about the real value of professional online search tools and how more search services will need to focus on collaborative features. Through research, I share some of the driving forces behind the call for improved methods of knowledge sharing.

SLA President-Elect Anne Caputo Addresses NCSLA Members at UNCG

2009-06-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

On May 19th, SLA President-Elect Anne Caputo visited UNC Greensboro and addressed members of NCSLA. Anne acknowledged the difficult economic climate that special librarians are working in and spoke to the need for planning. She emphasized the value that librarians bring to the table in a "time of information explosion" and encouraged members to work to improve communication and preparation skills to adapt to change, including changing "our terminology based on what the world calls it". She stated that special librarians need to be more in tune to the perceptions of those outside the profession and work to "align ourselves with the needs of the world"; studies have shown a disconnect between what those within the profession believe is important versus what others feel is important. In closing, Anne encouraged NCSLA members to "be positive, flexible, confident and willing to learn."

Leverage Your Career Workshop was a major success!

2009-04-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

On Thursday April 8th NCSLA, along with corporate sponsor InMagic, hosted a well-attended seminar called “Leverage Your Career”. Drawing both experienced SLA members and guests, as well as area students, the seminar provided an overview on special librarianship along with winning job search strategies and tips for approaching resumes and interviews. Presenters also offered suggestions for staying current in the profession and for making effective career choices. After a networking break, the second half of the program featured career stations where local professionals working in diverse settings offered commentary and guidance along with resume review services. The event was well-received and noted for its timeliness as students and professionals alike work to navigate a treacherous job market. A theme that ran throughout the program was the importance of leveraging professional contacts throughout one’s career and undoubtedly membership in associations such as SLA is a critical first step in building relationships that can foster a successful and fulfilling career in special librarianship.

Post "Copywrong to Copright" notes

2009-04-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

On Friday April 3rd NCSLA, in partnership with Iconitel, hosted an educational seminar titled “Copywrong to Copyright”. The event was attended by 16 people from a broad cross-section of local corporate libraries. Presenter Eileen McQuilkin, a Senior Consultant with Iconitel, used a true or false format to address ambiguities in interpretation of copyright law with attention paid to the challenges posed by emerging technologies. The eye-opening discussion prompted audience members to take away a “proceed with caution” mentality when it comes to the use and redistribution of content.

SLA LMD Blog

2009-02-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

One of my new responsibilities in 2009 is Co-Chair of the Leadership and Management Division Blog of SLA. Each month I will post a minimum of one article based on a pre-established theme of the month https://owa-aa.proque.st/owa/redir.aspx?C=190f37f7690d489aa05654eb28c50b92&URL=http%3a%2f%2fsla-divisions.typepad.com%2fsla_lmd%2feditorial.html.

You can keep up with all my postings on the LMD Blog at:
http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/sla_lmd/

Jamal Cromity
President-Elect NC SLA

LibraryThing, GoodReads, Shelfari: Social Networking around Books

2008-07-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

Why Social Networking? Why Books?

People love to talk about books – recommendations are important

Proof once again – that people love books and still read
Geography is not a barrier
Connecting with people who have the same or similar titles
Long tail of certain titles
Tagging – user generated, diverse viewpoints
Member reviews – honest, straight-forward
Connecting with authors – positive for authors as well as for readers
Support and discussion – author mentoring (GoodReads), topical discussion (LibraryThing)
Publishers can connect directly with readers

LibraryThing Basics

Public library thing for all users (http://www.librarything.com/)
LT for Libraries (a product) - http://www.librarything.com/forlibraries
459,380 users, 29,405,040 books cataloged, 3,460,217 unique works (7.21.08)
For everyone:
Free for 1st 200 books, $10 for 1 year, $25 for a lifetime
Started in 2005
Catalog books (using Amazon, Library of Congress or 690 world wide sources)
Tag titles, star rating, reviews
Profile page – basic info, blogs, interests
Comments – private and public
Tag interesting libraries, make LT friends, connect with authors in your library
Early Review Opportunities
Discussion groups
Suggestions and unsuggestions
Blog and Facebook widgets
International (French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian) sites

What LibraryThing for Libraries Brings to the Catalog

User generated tags
Suggestions
Reviews from patrons
Patrons stay within the library’s own site – seamless
First library – Danbury CN Public Library: http://danburylibrary.org/books/index.htm
Universities – UT Austin: http://catalog.lib.utexas.edu/
Special Libraries – An Organizational Membership is available (http://www.librarything.com/organizations.php)

GoodReads

Free – no fees but there is advertising on pages
Started in 2006
Daily digest email from friends (can disable)
Create bookshelves – currently reading, read – and user created
Star rating and review screen
Group activity – author lead
More geared toward social networking – connecting with people around books
Graphics are refined
Blog and Facebook widgets

From Otis Chandler, the founder and CEO of GoodReads:

"Thank you so much for the opportunity [to share with librarians]! ...you may want to mention that Libraries can submit their catalogue as a 'find at' link for Goodreads members to easily look up books via ISBN/title.

To submit a link, go to any book detail page, then click "more..." to the right of the 'find at' links, then click 'create a new link'.

http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/edit_list?book_id=1154887

Shelfari

Dubs itself – the premiere social networking site for books and readers.
Amazon has bought a stake in the company in Feb. 07 (also based in Seattle)
Focused on the social aspect
Group discussions, author pages
Graphics are even more refined
Launched in October 2006
Blog, Facebook and MySpace widgets

Things to consider

Pick one and stick with it (basically)
Import data using CSV from one to the other (not perfect)
Barcode readers can make adding to the collection even easier
Occasional spam
Makes the TBR pile even taller
Something else to manage
If using with patrons – dedicated user

Coming down the pike

Visual bookshelf – Facebook application
Amazon – discussions, tags, recommendations
Ning – User created groups
WhatsOnMyBookShelf.com or PaperBackSwap – book trading sites with some tagging, reviews, and rating
Bookswellread.com – A personal lifetime list of books read
Revish – Encourages lengthy reviews
WorldCat – My WorldCat
GoogleBooks -- create profile, add books, integration with WorldCat

Flickr and del.icio.us Roundtable summary

2008-07-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Flickr is a photo sharing website with tagging capabilities. To register, you just need a free Yahoo account. There are some storage and uploading limitations with the free account, but you can upgrade to a Pro account for only $25/year. See this help page for a more detailed comparison of the two types of accounts. Institutions can sign up the same way as individuals.

Libraries are using Flickr for virtual library tours and tutorials, promoting events, networking for marketing and other ideas (see the Libraries and Librarians group). Since many of the pictures have a Creative Commons license, you can also search for images to use in marketing tools and on websites. In our groups, we also talked about using the site to get help in tagging archival photos, and for marketing your digital archives by funneling people through Flickr to another site.

For more ideas, see the following resources;
http://flickr.com/photos/ha112/sets/129006/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
http://www.collegedegrees.com/blog/2008/06/24/how-to-make-flickr-work-for-your-library-50-resources/
http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=17624

Tutorials;
http://wiki.sla.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=8355871
http://instructionwiki.org/Flickr

Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking site. As one person at the table mentioned, you can get there from delicious.com, which means you don't have to remember where the dots are! . At its most basic, it is a way to keep all your favorite sites (bookmarks) in a web format so that they can be accessed from any computer. Beyond that, del.icio.us allows for sharing web resources with co-workers or other groups, and exploring favorite websites of other users. Bookmarks can be easily exported from your current browser to this online account, and you can tag them with metadata for easy retrieval.

RSS feeds can be set up to export all of your tags onto a blog or website, or straight into an online classroom. Feeds could also be set up to identify new items in a particular subject, or to follow a new technology/trend. Also look at recent and popular websites, and user's notes about a particular website. Make sure to set up the browser buttons for making easy additions without interrupting your workflow. The settings page (which you can access when you are logged in) contains most of the details about how to do things, or see the tutorials below.

Tutorials;
http://wiki.sla.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=8355878
http://instructionwiki.org/Del.icio.us

Blogs and wikis Roundtable wrapup

2008-07-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

In addition to the resources I discussed at the RoundTable Wednesday, several other good applications of blogs and wikis in libraries were mentioned. Here are just some of them, and if I'm leaving any out (I was writing a lot down!) please post them in the comments.

*Librarian's Guide to Guilford County

*Booklover's Blog: readers advisory from the staff of the Greensboro Public Library

*Mint Wiki (The Mint Museum Library)

Non-specific examples included using a wiki to edit policy documents, an internal professional development blog (with required posts by librarians after returning from conferences), a lunch and literature blog, a wiki for a staff manual/job descriptions, consumer health topics wiki at a hospital library, best practices staff wiki.

Some of the other salient discussion points:

*Interesting discussions about "tech timidity." In some environments, the librarians are the tech-timid. But more and more frequently, the librarians are actually the advanced users, and our patrons are the tech-timid.

*Blogs and wikis are seeing more and more use by librarians, but generating user feedback or content is difficult. Promotion may help, but probably you just need the right sort of project that really gets people participating. In general, you can't expect users to be as enthusiastic about creating content as you.

*Many had concerns about security (spam posts or comments in a blog; vandalized wikis). Modern blog and wiki software has ways to combat this and it's less of a problem than it might seem, but it's not negligible.

*Privacy concerns - having this content be public raises issues with privacy. Is it fair to require students to reply to a blog post, when this puts information online? This has to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Some communication needs outweigh the privacy needs, sometimes a blog or wiki is indeed not appropriate.

*Many questions about platforms. People mentioned support for Blogger and Typepad, PBWiki and WikiSpaces. But there are many other platforms available.

RSS & News Feeds: Summary for Web 2.0 Roundtable

2008-07-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hello NC-SLA Web 2.0 Roundtable Participants,

Here are links to a few websites forming the basis of our discussion on RSS and News Feeds:

Video: RSS in Plain English, produced by Common Craft.
This short movie explains how RSS feeds can save you time and how to set up an account. An excellent overview for the new user.

Bloglines:
This is my preferred RSS reader. It's web-based, so you can access it on any computer- and it's optimized for the iPhone!

Page2RSS:
What happens when you come across a website that doesn't publish an RSS feed? Page2RSS works behind the scenes and captures any changes made to the website for you. These changes arrive in your RSS reader just like a usual new RSS post.

Google News: The awesome thing about Google News (Yahoo News too) is that you can create a custom keyword alert -and RSS feed- on any word! Now the headlines are delivered directly to you.

These links represent just a few examples of how RSS makes keeping up with current events very easy. I look forward to learning about more resources at the roundtable. -Erin

Blogs and Wikis

2008-07-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Since this is a blog, and I'm coordinating discussions on blogs, I guess I should share what I'm going to cover! Well, that's misleading since I'm not "covering" these things so much as citing them as examples of what people are doing in the library and academic worlds with blogs and wikis.

NC State University WolfBlogs service. We host a blogging service at the NCSU Libraries for anyone to use. Instructors can use them to promote discussion or post class information. Staff can use them to post news or events. Students and faculty also keep personal blogs.
NC State University WolfWikis service. We also host a wiki platform for any campus use. The biggest users are instructors for courses, and librarians for various uses.
PAMS Reference Wiki. Part of the WolfWikis service. I've developed a compendium of subject guides, help pages, and instructional handouts onto one wiki, aimed at library users in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS). A similar/inspiration example is the Ohio University Libraries' Biz Wiki.
UsefulChem Wiki. "Open source science" project led by the Bradley Laboratory at Drexel University. All experimental results and discussions are posted online, both for project staff and the public.
UsefulChem Blog. Part of the UsefulChem project, for reporting news, generating discussions, and pointing out resources.

These are just a few examples we can talk about. What are their strengths? Weaknesses? Good for any audience, or just a limited one? Easy to set up? Easy to use?

I look forward to discussing these questions and hearing about other examples from Roundtable attendees.

Free Web Research Tools

2007-11-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

www.marketresearch.com – Many people are turned off by the cost of the market research reports available for purchase on this website. However, key statistics, lists of companies, diseases, and drugs can be gathered from the freely available abstract and table of contents of these reports. Also, specific chapters, tables, or figures from reports are often available at a much lower cost directly from marketresearch.com. They will even check to see if specific information is in that section before the purchase is made, to ensure that the money is well spent.

www.patentlens.net – A relatively new patent database, Patent Lens is being provided by CAMBIA (www.cambia.org), a non-profit organization in Australia. The free database allows simultaneous searching of US, European, and Australian patents and patent applications. The advanced search is very powerful, and the results are linked directly to the full text of the patents, where available.

fda.minesoft.net – The FDA Orange book is freely available on the web, but can be difficult to search. Minesoft uses the FDA data to create an easily searchable database of drugs, including approval dates, expiration dates, and exclusivity information. The records also include direct links to the relevant patents, where available.

Thanks to Karin Shank for compiling this list!

Science indicators revisited

2007-10-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Science indicators revisited - Science Citation Index vs. SCOPUS: A bibliometric comparison of both citation databasesThis article reports on a comparison of Science Citation Index, (which the authors describe as the only multidisciplinary database for measuring response to scientific publications for over 30 years), to SCOPUS, a direct competitor to SCI since 2005. Selected bibliometric analyses conducted in both databases for identical periods of time investigated the number of articles covered in each database, the number of non-cited articles, areas of interest in the databases, and the results of a specialized search on the topic of "fuel cells".

Among the findings from this comparison: SCOPUS covers a broader range of journals than SCI, but only from 1996 onwards, and citations are only fully available from this date onwards; in comparison, SCI's citation coverage extends back to 1945. Another finding reported is that the databases cover areas of interest with varying intensity. Additionally, SCOPUS has half the areas of interest of SCI, and all of the areas of interest represented in SCOPUS are also found in SCI.

The overriding conclusion of the authors is that "the SCI benchmark is still the number one worldwide", but the choice of database used should be made "with great care and on the basis of content". The findings detailed for each area of investigation in this article should be helpful in making this decision.

Pew Internet & American Life report on Wikipedia Users

2007-10-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Pew Internet & American Life report on Wikipedia UsersHave you ever wondered to what extent your clients rely on Wikipedia content?

Hitwise www.hitwise.com , an online competitive intelligence service, reports on the findings of The Pew Internet Project Survey http://www.pewinternet.org/ conducted between February 15 and March 7 of this year, which found that despite the controversy regarding the reliability of content on Wikipedia, "36% of online American adults consult Wikipedia". \

The report provides a profile of Wikipedia users (for instance, 50% of those with at least a college degree consult the site, compared with 22% of those with a high school diploma), Wikipedia's ranking among the most visited sites on the Web (it was #1 at the end of the week of March 17th according to Hitwise data), and reasons for Wikipedia's popularity.

TWiki - Enterprise Wiki & Collaboration Platform

2007-10-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Looking for a cool knowledge mangagement tool? Check out theTWiki - Enterprise Wiki & Collaboration Platform