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PaLRaP: Looking Ahead, Looking Back

September 10, 2014

With the publication of Volume 2, issue 1, Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice (PaLRaP) celebrated its one year anniversary of publication and got its second year of publication off to a strong start; the editorial team is now looking ahead to volume 2, issue 2. This last year and a half has seen continued growth and change as PaLRaP continues to adapt to the needs of its readers. As we move forward with the journal, we want to take the time to share with you information about that growth and change and we also want to share some fun facts about the journal thus far.

What’s New in Year 2

  •  In order to enable us to remain a free scholarly resource for our readers, PaLRaP now has a “Support PaLRaP” section on its website. You can support PaLRaP through donations to the journal or through membership in Pa Library Association.
  • In an effort to make it easier for you to find and share journal news via Twitter, the PaLRaP team will now begin using the hashtag #palrap when it posts updates about new issues, calls for submissions, and journal articles. We encourage you to use the hashtag as well when you share information about the journal via Twitter.
  • Finally, PaLRaP was added to Ulrichsweb Periodicals Directory and to SHERPA/RoMEO, a database that lists publishers and information such as their publication conditions and policies and author rights. Visit PaLRaP’s page here.

Fun Facts

  • The top social sites people have used to access PaLRaP are Facebook and Twitter, so keep sharing PaLRaP through all of your social media outlets and don’t forget to use #palrap on Twitter.
  • PaLRaP has readers all over the world. Overall, the top 5 countries for PaLRaP readership are:

1. United States
2. Brazil
3. Canada
4. UK
5. Australia

  • In August 2014, the top 5 countries for PaLRaP readership were:

1. United States
2. Brazil
3. Australia
4. Germany
5. Egypt

  • The overall top 5 most popular PaLRaP articles are:

1. Making your mobile device an art expert: Using QR codes to tell the story behind artiFACTS in your library
2. Online job tutorials @ the public library: Best practices from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Job & Career Education Center
3. Using the filter bubble to create a teachable moment: A case study utilizing online personalization to engage students in information literacy instruction
4. The Heritage Hunt: From start to update
5. Using social media to promote international collaboration

Consider Becoming a Peer Reviewer/Check out The Latest Issue

PaLRaP is always in need of peer reviewers. If you’re interested in becoming a peer reviewer for the journal, email palrap@mail.pitt.edu for more information.

PaLRaP continuously accepts submissions on a rolling basis, but keep your eyes on your email and the CRD blog for an official call for submissions for the fall 2014 issue. Until then, check out the latest issue of PaLRaP, volume 2 issue 1, here.

Introducing the CRD Twitter

September 5, 2014

As the CRD’s newly appointed social media coordinator, I’m proud to announce that the CRD now has its own official Twitter account!

Twitter_logo_blue

Follow us: @crdpala

Tag us: #crdpala

 

If you’re not using Twitter yet, I encourage you to start. Although social media is notorious for connecting us, it’s also one of the most powerful ways to store, manage, use, and share information. When I think about Twitter (and its concept of hashtags in particular), I often picture a card catalog–yes, the old-school kind that is now used more commonly as a quirky, vintage dresser than as a search tool:

I imagine that the subject terms are hashtags and that each card is like a tweet containing its own valuable information–not in the form of library records of course, but in the form of conversations, thoughts, questions, songs, photos, videos–pieces of life, really. In this way, anyone who uses hashtags becomes a sort of cataloger for his/her own life. And it’s kind of neat to think that so many people get a small taste of what it’s like to be a librarian, even if they don’t realize it.

So to me, the connection between Twitter and libraries is too obvious to ignore and too strong not to appreciate. I hope you’ll accompany me in celebrating this connection by joining the Twitter world (if you haven’t already) and tweeting along with us!

 

Election Results

August 27, 2014

Thank you kindly to all of our members that voted this year.

I’m pleased to announce the results of the election of officers for the 2015 CRD Board:

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect – Christina Steffy, Librarian, Joseph F. McCloskey School of Nursing

Secretary – Beth Transue, Librarian/Collection Development Coordinator, Messiah College

Congratulations to Christina and Beth!

PaLA West Branch “Chapter Chatter” Event

August 8, 2014
West Branch Chapter invites you to a "Chapter Chatter" event!

West Branch Chapter invites you to a “Chapter Chatter” event!

Please join the West Branch Chapter of PaLA on Friday, August 15, at Mansfield University, for discussion and dessert.  This meeting is open to PaLA members and non-members – please share this with all of your library colleagues!

Parking at Mansfield University is available in any legal spot except the Alumni Hall lot.

RSVP to Barbara McGary by Thursday, August 14,  bmcgary@jvbrown.edu.    Hope to see you there!

Alison Gregory, Director of Library Services, Lycoming College

Connect & Communicate Series Discussions Resume in Fall

July 17, 2014

The Connect & Communicate Series discussions scheduled for the summer months have been postponed. Information about upcoming events will be posted in mid-August.

In the mean time, we’d like to hear from you!

What should Pennsylvania’s academic librarians be talking about?
Have you done something in your library that you think others should try?
Are you looking for an opportunity to present?

Talk to us! Take our brief survey to let us know what’s on your mind.