It's Academic

Registration now open for CRD-PaLA Spring Program featuring Megan Oakleaf!

April 5, 2011

Registration is now open for the CRD Spring Program “Higher Ed Assessment: How Do Libraries Measure Up?” featuring Dr. Megan Oakleaf, author of the ACRL Value of Academic Libraries report. Check out our page Upcoming Events for more information on the workshop and how to register.

We’re so excited! It’s going to be a great program with an excellent speaker, very interactive. Those of you who attended ACRL know how engaging Megan is as a speaker. We anticipate everyone attending our conference will come away with practical ideas on how they can capture evidence of their value to their institutions.

Registration closes May 12, so don’t delay — register now!

What’s in a Name?

March 30, 2011

by vlynn1

As Juliet asked Romeo “What’s in a name. That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” (Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare) so we as librarians are asking each other if the moniker e-book is a relevant name in the era of electronic publication. Is an e-book just a collection of data, in essence a database? Should we come up with a new word for the concept of e-book? Or is this something that will naturally change as technology evolves? If an electronic textbook includes multimedia and interactivity is it still an e-book? Will the term e-book eventually sound as old fashioned as horseless carriage? What do you think?

Additional reading:
Click and Jane, by Virginia Heffernan http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/magazine/01wwln-medium-t.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

E-books and Their Containers: A Bestiary of the Evolving Book, posted by Joseph Esposito http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2011/01/18/e-books-and-their-containers/

– Valerie Lynn, Member at Large, CRD

“It’s Academic”: Remaking the Library Information Hunt Using QR Codes

March 28, 2011

by laralu510

In this month’s issue of the PALA Bulletin Erin M. Burns, a reference librarian at Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Nesbitt Library, discusses how she used QR Codes to enhance a library instruction session. Inspired by an article in College & Research Libraries News, Erin decided that using QR codes would be the perfect way to change the traditional library treasure hunt into something fun and different. Erin’s article details her thought process behind the choice to use QR codes, as well as the steps she took to prepare and execute this innovative instruction session. Erin concludes her article by describing the benefits that she experienced when using QR codes in the library. Using their phones was a way to personalize the experience of a library search. The students also seemed to have a lot of fun with QR codes, and the use of this technology has excited comment from individuals across Erin’s campus community. Read more about Erin’s instruction session in your issue of the PALA Bulletin!

–Larissa Gordon (Arcadia University), “It’s Academic” column editor

Note: The PALA bulletin is indexed in the Library and Information Science Abstracts Database. PALA members receive a copy of the bulletin and online access to all of the articles in the Bulletin with their membership.

CRD Spring Workshop “Assessment in higher ed: How do libraries measure up?”

March 23, 2011

tags: crd spring workshop

by cynthiaslater

An update on the spring workshop:

Dr. Jerome Rackoff, Assistant Vice President for Planning and Institutional Research , Bucknell University has been added to the afternoon panel.

Dr. Rackoff will be joined by:

Dr. Maureen McCreadie, Dean of Learning Resources, Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA
Dr. Ellie Fogarty, Vice President, Middle States Commission of Higher Education, Philadelphia
Dr. Betty Harper, Director of Student Affairs Research & Assessment, Penn State University, College Park, PA
Dr. Mary Anne Fedrick, Dean of College of Education and Human Development, Marywood University

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Megan Oakleaf, Syracuse University iSchool faculty member and author of the recent ACRL publication Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report.

The CRD Spring Workshop “Assessment in higher ed: How do libraries measure up?” will be held at Bloomsburg University on Tuesday, May 17th, 2011. The goal of this full day workshop is to better equip attendees to demonstrate the impact their libraries have on student learning and development.

Registration will open the first week of April.

Cynthia Slater, Past Chair, CRD

Learning Styles and Critical Thinking in Library Instruction

March 19, 2011

tags: 2011, critical thinking, library instruction, lirt, LSTA

by mlpatrick

On March 11, PaLA’s Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) held its spring workshop, “Learning Styles and Critical Thinking in Library Instruction” at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg, PA. The workshop was partially funded by LSTA funds via CRD.

The event was an informative and interactive experience facilitated by the keynote speaker Dr. Dolores Fidishun, the Head Librarian at Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies and Penn State Abington, and presenter Mr. Calvin Wang, Sciences and Reference Librarian at Arcadia University.

Dr. Fidishun focused on learning style theory and demonstrated practical techniques to improve student learning and responsiveness during library instruction. She offered teaching techniques such as the use of: pictures, text, charts, and graphs for visual learners; verbal explanations, the Socratic method, brainstorming, and mnemonics for auditory learners; and hands-on activities, colored markers, toys to play with, as well as frequent stretch breaks for kinesthetic learners.

Mr. Wang discussed targeted critical thinking by the “Effective Use of Critical Thinking Activities.” His presentation focused on “applying the right activity for the right knowledge to the right population at the right time under the right circumstances.” He explained critical thinking in detail and demonstrated scope, sequencing, and strategies such as focused associations.