Library Gazette

As the Toolkit continues to grow and have more applications, Kevin and I are taking a day to focus some energy on getting it in tip-top shape for the new school year.

For new folks to ZSR: the Toolkit is a service we provide to allow users to find help they need through our website. They can access it when we’re not here, or when they’re just looking to find the answer on their own. The Toolkit is comprised of a number of tools, which are very short narrated videos walking patrons through specific tasks. These videos can be accessed from the Toolkit, but also embedded in Blackboard, Libguides, and other websites.

Today is Toolkit day, and we invite you to stop on by to make a tool for the collection. Starting at 11:00am, at least one of us will be in our offices, with some Starbucks pastries, in case anyone wants to stop by and make one. We have two stations set up and ready to go, so you don’t even need to bring your ThinkPad.If you’d rather just phone us, we’ll make office-calls, too. If you’re new to the process, but want to see how it’s done, we have a page about it in the library wiki.

If you want to participate, but don’t have a tool in mind, we have a wish list of tools we’d like:

The “wanted” tools are requests that haven’t been created yet, and the “update” are tools referring specifically to our classic catalog interface, that should be duplicated in the new Vufind interface. We’ll be updating the list all day, so stop by to see the current wanted/update list!

By recording a tool, you’ll also be contributing to a PRIMO recognized project! Earlier this year, Susan recommended we nominate the Toolkit for PRIMO recognition, and we just found out that it was added to the list. PRIMO is a committee of the ACRL Instruction Section that was created to promote and share peer-reviewed instructional materials created by librarians. From their website: “The PRIMO Committee hopes that publicizing selective, high quality resources will help librarians to respond to the educational challenges posed by still emerging digital technologies.”

So, if you want to make a tool, have questions about the technical side, or have questions about the instructional design side, stop by and have a Starbucks pastry! We’re happy to help in any way we can! Here’s hoping that by the start of fall we have many new tools!

Yesterday I gave a talk on Blended Learning through the ITC. The formal description of the program was “Many students experience a disconnect between their experience in the classroom and their personal interactions on the web. One way to address this is the integration of tools that students already use with regularity. This presentation will explain how to do this with an introduction to blended learning, and it will cover how blended learning techniques can be used to strengthen the academic experience. Blended learning techniques can lead to a more engaged and communicative class and help prepare students for the changing work force.” The presentation was based on the following, though a bit toned down for our audience:

I attempted to introduce some generational trends, discuss a little bit of learning theory, and talk about some solutions that we can implement. I also tried to sell the library’s blog and wiki program, myself as someone who can help faculty figure out what makes the most sense for their class, and the library as a resource for technology training.

The content appeared to be newer for the group than I expected, but I did get a few requests for follow up meetings, so I’m excited about that!

A few people said they would like to come but weren’t able to make it. Giz and I are planning to offer the session again in late summer and in the fall if you’d like to try to make it!