It's Academic

Registration is now open for ACRL/DVC’s Spring Program:

Bridging Information Literacy Skills: School & Academic Librarians in Conversation

April 16, 2015 @ Community College of Philadelphia

Please join us for a day of networking and learning from information literacy leaders who bridge the gap from high school to the college experience.   For program details and to register see: ACRL/DVC Spring Program

Program:

9:00-9:30: Registration and coffee

9:30-10:30: Cathi Furman, Library Department Supervisor, Hempfield School District, Landisville, PA.
The Model Curriculum for Pennsylvania School Library Programs: A Curricular Framework for School Librarians and Implementation in Practice.

10:30 – 11:15: Brenda Boyer, Teacher Librarian, Kutztown Senior High School, Kutztown, PA.
College Ready: Improving Research Skills through Collaboration.

11:15 – 11:30: Break

11:30-12:15: Tim Siftar, Liaison Librarian for Education, Computing & Informatics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.
A Summer Prep Sequence for Rising College Freshman.

12:15-1:30: Lunch and Business Meeting

1:30-3:00 Panel Discussion with:
Barbara Eshbach, Head Librarian, Penn State-York

Joel Burkholder, Instruction Librarian York College of Pennsylvania

Laura Wukovits, Library Director, HAAC, Central Pennsylvania Community College

Jeremiah Mercurio, Librarian and Visiting Assistant Professor, Haverford College

Sharon Smith, Adjunct Professor of Reading, Delaware County Community College

ACRL/DVC
http://acrldvc.org/
twitter: @acrldvc

The PaLA Northeast Chapter will soon send out a call for proposals for its annual Spring Workshop. You can see it now on our Facebook page and we’ll post it to this blog early next week. Today, though, I want to share some quick thoughts on why I like the workshop title we chose. [I should make it clear that I’m speaking only for myself, not on behalf of the Board.]

Potential workshop themes we discussed mostly revolved around innovation and leadership in the face of change. We wanted to highlight innovative ways librarians are responding to new challenges and I think it’s also fair to say we were interested in exploring how the profession itself is evolving. (David Lankes’ The Atlas of New Librarianship is a good, if somewhat controversial, starting point for this discussion.)

After identifying some topics that related to these general themes, we needed a title. Now, granted, this was not a long or emotional discussion. We weren’t arguing over semantic nuances. Everyone agreed that “New Librarian” and “New Librarianship,” were both potentially confusing because we’re not focusing solely on new librarians. “Modern Librarianship” didn’t meet with a universal nodding of heads either. After a few minutes, we settled on “Today’s Librarian.”

Personally, I really like this title. For me, it emphasizes a focus on the possibilities of the present moment and the need to meet current challenges, not on divining the future of information work. I also like it because, unlike “new” or “modern,” it doesn’t necessarily imply a radical break with the past. Rather, it acknowledges that most of us, regardless of how long we’ve been in the profession, are adapting to meet the needs of our communities. (Yes, I’m overthinking this, but I kind of enjoy overthinking things.)

Today’s librarian must anticipate the opportunities and challenges of the future, while also learning how to operate most effectively within the current context. Change management, intercultural communication, important new skills, and evolving best practices are all relevant topics for a workshop on today’s librarian.

The title’s use of “Today” firmly situates us in the present. And yet, even as we marvel at our current moment, the very reference to time also brings to mind its passing and gently reminds us to remain humble. For, as silly and obvious as it may seem, today’s librarians will be yesterday’s librarians tomorrow. It will happen to all of us.

I told you, I really like the title.

Thanks for reading!

Access to information has never before been easier or more convenient. Conversely, the structures that have allowed technology to make information accessible have also helped to restrict access. Please join us for an event that will raise the awareness of the social, political, economic, technological, and ethical issues surrounding the access to information.

Social Justice in the Information Society is a four part speaker series which will give faculty, staff, students, and community members the benefit of participating in a forum with a highly respected scholar doing critical work in the interdisciplinary field of information science. Invited speakers will be asked to present on the ethical and social justice issues associated with information access and the information society. The speakers will videoconference into the forum and a local scholar will navigate the event. Following the presentation, the guest lecturer and facilitator will participate in a Q & A period so the audience can interact with the material and the lecturer. These events will be free and open to the public and a dessert reception will follow.

New Civic Spaces
Wednesday, April 8^th 6:00 p.m.
Marywood University
Swartz Center, Conference Room B.
2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania 18509

More and more of our lives are digitally mediated. This has meant that new players in the public sphere, such as platforms like Facebook and Google, and new methods, such as algorithms and gate-keeping have emerged as key issues. Zeynep Tufekci will touch upon both the potential and the perils of the new civic spaces. The event will be facilitated by Dr. Sarah Kenehan, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Marywood University.

The Net Neutrality Debate
What It Means for the Future of the US Economy,
Lobbying, and the DC Political World
Monday, April 13^th 7:00 p.m.
The University of Scranton
Moskovitz Theater, The DeNaples Center
900 Mulberry Street, Scranton, Pennsylvania 18510

Marvin Ammori is both a legal expert and among the top political operatives in DC, who has led the fight for network neutrality and free expression online (such as leading the opposition to SOPA.) He will speak about both the substance and the politics of net neutrality from his point of view as one of the key leaders in DC ensuring network neutrality remains the law of the land. The event will be facilitated by Joseph Casabona, Adjunct Professor of Computing Sciences, University of Scranton.

For more information email lchristianson@maryu.marywood.edu or george.aulisio@scranton.edu

Time to sign up for a day of creating, collaborating, crafting…and more!

TCLC (Tri-State College Library Cooperative) invites all library staff to explore ways you can turn your library into a maker space, a place where library and user interest converge to create ideas, projects or objects – and all on a shoestring budget!

Remember:

“The Maker Movement & You: Creating, Collaborating, and Crafting in Your Library”

The place? SugarLoaf Hill, Chestnut Hill College

The Date? April 24th, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm

See how academic and public libraries are collaborating within their communities.

Come learn how to prime your physical space for innovation and creation.

Please refer to this PDF flyer (also available at TCLC’s web site: http://tclclibs.org/) for speakers, program descriptions, and registration details.