Guest Post: Shannon Robinson, ALA 2013 – ACRL Arts Report

Shannon Robinson is the Fine Arts Librarian at Denison University.

The American Library Association (ALA) Annual held in June 2013 was my first ALA conference. I was awarded the New Members Round Table’s (NMRT) Professional Development Grant to attend the conference. I have been a member of NMRT for about a year. Similar to ARLiSNAP, NMRT members are students and new professionals. The group focuses on career development and leadership opportunities within ALA.

In the past year I also joined the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Arts section. ACRL Arts is the area of ALA that supports librarians and specialists working in the visual and performing arts. At the conference, ACRL Arts held a committee meeting followed by two presentations.

Amanda Meeks and Michelle Strizever presented Uncovering Hidden Art Collections about their summer 2012 work as the Smithsonian Libraries interns for artists’ books. Amanda and Michelle are also co-coordinators of ARLIS/NA’s Book Art Special Interest Group. Librarians who catalog and maintain artists’ book collections face many unique challenges. Many library staff members don’t understand preservation needs of artists’ books, which are actually artworks. Book art collections often share funding with other, more popular collections and book art collections would greatly benefit from better cataloging (including visuals in the item records). During their internship, Amanda and Michelle curated an exhibit of artists’ books from the Smithsonian’s collection. To promote the exhibition, they held a well-attended opening reception and blogged about the collection on Smithsonian Libraries Unbound.

Alex Watkins made the case for Why Open Access Matters for the Arts. It doesn’t seem like a strong case; after all, Alex reminded us, arts journals are the lowest journal prices of all the disciplines. However, universities around the world can’t necessarily afford these journals. Art history scholarship about a community (particularly non-western) can’t even be read by that community! For patrons of these libraries, open access is the only access. Another important point Alex made is that paywalls create a divide between academia and the public. The general public is very much engaged and interested in the arts yet cut off from much of the research and intellectual conversation about the arts. Open access invites the public to participate in this scholarship.

I was very impressed with both presentations and met new librarians at the meeting. I recommend joining the ACRL Arts listserv and, if you are a member of ACRL, join the section – it’s free! NMRT and ACRL Arts have made my ALA membership worthwhile.

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Guest Post: ACRL 2013: Professional Development Cross-Training

Erin Elzi is a Technical Services Librarian at the Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture in NYC. 

ACRL 2013: Professional Development Cross-Training

The annual ARLIS conference is rapidly closing in, and while I know many of you are gearing up for the first (or third… or 23rd) time, I’ve just returned from ACRL 2013. The theme of the conference was: Imagine, Innovate, Inspire, and I’m feeling just that – Inspired! Innovated! Imaginative! So lend me you ear while I tell you about an important part of professional development: cross-training.

Full disclosure, I’ve never been to the national ARLIS conference. It’s not that I actively avoid it, it’s just that I’ve received full-support, either through the professional development budget-line or via scholarships granted by my MLS school, to attend SLA, CAA, the IA Summit and ACRL. It’s also not that my workplace will not support a trip to ARLIS, but rather that all the other librarians here go to it, so I figure there’s greater benefit to our institution if I attend other conferences.  Cross-training, or the process of stepping outside your daily, specialized frame of reference, helps make you more than an information professional. It makes you an information ninja.  Ninjas are all at once fast, stealthy and powerful. Professional development cross-training does the same thing by strengthening the skills and knowledge you already have, while introducing ideas to help you solve problems or find that perfect tool you need to get a project off the ground.

Fortunately, my institution supports my quest for ninja status, and each year I basically have my pick of which conference to attend. Last year it was the IA Summit, which was relevant at the time, since we were in the initial stages of redesigning our OPAC. Two years ago I attended my first ACRL conference, while I was still a student, under the guises of a press pass (Here’s a tip: Offer to cover a conference for a publication. It may take care of your registration fee and is a great chance to get published!). While I had known going into library school that I wanted to work in academia – the 2011 ACRL conference reinforced that in every way. I tend to feel a bit out of place when it comes to networking-type situations, and let’s be honest – the networking opportunities are a major reason students go to these conferences. But at the ACRL conference, I never once felt out of place, or unwelcome due to my not-quite-professional-yet status. Much the same way the ARLIS-NY goes out of their way to make MLS students here in New York feel all warm and fuzzy and extraordinarily welcome in their chosen profession. Shop around if you’re still in school – you may find your library niche somewhere unexpected, even within the limitless boundaries of the ARLIS realm.

 

Beautiful Subject Analysis Visualization Poster presented by David Polley and Brianna Marshall

Beautiful Subject Analysis Visualization Poster presented by David Polley and Brianna Marshall

What was so innovative and inspiring and imaginative at ACRL this year?  The uber-popular topics this year seemed to be information literacy instruction and data curation.  While the greater part of these sessions addressed the needs of undergraduates, or disciplines in the hard sciences, I still walked away with some new tools and methodologies we can use for our grad-student only population here at the Bard Graduate Center. Including some fun open-source stuff, like new data visualization tools. Including this MOOC, which has finished, but the materials and lectures are still available.

“Digital Humanities” were also all over the place – both literally and figuratively. The ambiguous term found its way into panels and poster sessions covering everything from community building to subject analysis to online exhibitions to ACRL’s very own THATCamp. Digital Humanities are hot, people! And the projects taking place under its umbrella are often multi-media affairs and involve primary sources – things we art information pros tend to know a thing or two about. Get on board!

Omeka DH Poster session presented by Marc Bess of UNC, Charlotte.

Omeka DH Poster session presented by Marc Bess of UNC, Charlotte.

Then there were the sessions that more overtly rubbed elbows with the ARLIS crowd. A few librarians at the University of Michigan are Mapping the Motor City’s Cinemas. Another group at the University of Florida presented on raising collection awareness through online exhibits.  A duo attempting to create a digital collection of street art documentation discussed the inherent challenges with such an undertaking. If sessions that address larger issues are more your thing than individual projects, how about a panel on building metadata to make better surrogates for images and objects (hint – let’s describe the object in our own words and go from there instead of fitting the items into imperfect, existing controlled vocabularies), or how to incorporate feminist pedagogy into any teaching opportunity (which is primarily about decentralizing the classroom). Or one of the many sessions that covered assessment and proving the value of your library – not as sexy a topic as the others, but increasingly important for many institutions.

Of course there’s always room for improvement (ACRL, if you’re listening, we want more sessions on diversity and grad student services!), but there’s also no doubt in my mind that you found at least one thing in this brief ACRL recap that sparked your interest or is applicable to your own professional or scholarly needs. And that’s just a tip of the iceberg – I came back with pages upon pages of notes. Just fathom how much you would get out of attending it yourself!

 

The Honnld/Mudd Library at Claremont College holds a ReBook book arts competition each year. Brilliant!

The Honnld/Mudd Library at Claremont College holds a ReBook book arts competition each year. Brilliant!

So, should you go to ARLIS this year, and the year after that, and the year after that? OF COURSE! But don’t write off other conference opportunities as well. In addition to elevating you to ninja rank, a willingness to attend other conferences can increase your ability to attend anything at all. If you lack institutional support, or if ARLIS never comes to your town, an ALA or ACRL or SAA conference that ends up in a city near you means all you have to pay is the registration fee.  I know I plan on finally making my first ARLIS conference appearance in 2014 – D.C. is just a mere bus ride away from NYC!

If you’re already going to ARLIS as your one professional development opportunity this year, you can still get some cross-training done simply by attending sessions that may not appear to be your forte.  Are you in reference? Join a discussion on authority records! Catalogers, stop by a session on collection development! Architectural archivists, listen in on the panel of fashion bloggers! See, being a ninja is easy!

Oh – and a final lesson I learned at ACRL: if your library doesn’t already have one, get a button maker! Everyone loves a good button, it’s cheap PR, and making them is like chicken soup for the weary researcher, staff member, and even the faculty or curator’s soul. But it looks like ArLiSANP already knew that!


Upcoming professional development opportunities

As always, you can also see what’s coming up through the Educational Opportunities Calendar. Keep reading for details about all the great webinars, CFPs, and more opportunities below!

 

Adventures in International Librarianship: Living and Working Outside of the United States

Are you interested in finding a job in library and information science outside of North America? Are you curious about what it’s like to live and work in a different culture? If so, please join us for a ELIME-hosted online panel discussion on Tuesday 6 November! Our panelists represent an incredible variety of experiences, and have worked all over the world from Switzerland to Azerbaijan to Japan.

You have two opportunities to attend. The first session will take place at 9am EST, and the second at noon EST. Note that the panelists are different for each session, so you could even attend both for a wider perspective. For more information:http://elime.web.unc.edu/interlib/

 

Call for Proposals: ACRL Image Resources Interest Group ALA Mid-Winter Meeting (held online)

The Association of College and Research Libraries Image Resources Interest Group is accepting proposals for our Mid-Winter meeting, to be held online (using Adobe Connect) on Thurs. Feb. 14, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. CST.

We are seeking proposals for presentations, of about 30 minutes in length, to be followed by questions/answers. Suggested topics include:

Image metadata

Project planning with images

Geolocation metadata

Image collections across systems and platforms

Collaboration with academic departments/community outreach

Visual literacy standards implementation

Digital capture

We are interested in all aspects of image resources and look forward to varied presentations and creative projects.

Please submit proposals or questions to robin.leech@okstate.edu. Proposal deadline is Nov. 30, 2012. Proposals need to include:

Name

Institution

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone

Email

Proposal Title

Brief proposal description (150 words or less)

Expected outcomes

Submitters will be notified by the week of Dec. 10th, 2012.

Please visit https://sites.google.com/site/acrlirig/ for additional information.

 

The ACRL Arts Section is seeking contributors for the Seattle ArtsGuide for the upcoming 2013 ALA Midwinter Conference! The ArtsGuide is a semi-annual guide and customized Google Map developed by theACRL Arts Section’s Publications & Research Committee to help ALA conference attendees find arts-related venues and events in and around host cities. You do not have to be a member to be a contributor, but it’s a great opportunity to get involved with the ACRL Arts Section. It’s also a fun way to contribute your knowledge of the area to enhance everyone’s conference experience! You can see previous ArtsGuides here:

http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections/arts/artswebsite/artsguide/artsguides

Please let me know which section you’re interested in contributing to:

Visual Arts & Museums

Galleries

Architecture

Dance

Music

Theater

Submissions would be due by December 3, 2012. If you’re interested please contact me as soon as possible.

Yvette Cortes

Chair, ACRL Arts Section’s Publications & Research Committee

ycortes@skidmore.edu

 

“Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping”

You may use tools like Google Maps in your personal life all the time for locating restaurants and local businesses, driving directions or planning trips via public transportation, but have you considered how this same technology could be used at your library to improve library services? RUSA’s online course “Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping” is the perfect opportunity for librarians and library staff from public and academic libraries to gain a basic understanding of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and learn about specific technologies they may be exposed to at the library. Registration for this course, which runs Nov. 5-25, ends on Thursday, Nov. 1.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW: http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=oloc&Template=/Conference/ConferenceList.cfm&ConferenceTypeCode=L

If you’ve already taken this introductory course or have a good working knowledge of GIS and want to go further, consider enrolling in “Spatial Literacy II: Incorporation of Maps and GIS”, which shows you how to harness these technologies for reference work, library projects, library administration, collection delivery, instruction, outreach and library promotion. The next session of this course begins Dec. 3.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if several of your staff could take this course and your library could reap the benefits in improved library services? Group discounts are available! Rates for two or more registrants from the same library, library network or library system start at $110 per person.

Learn more about all of our courses and webinars at the RUSA online learning page: http://www.ala.org/rusa/development/onlinece

Register online now for this and other upcoming RUSA courses:

http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=oloc&Template=/Conference/ConferenceList.cfm&ConferenceTypeCode=L

Questions about registration? Contact registration@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, option 5.

 

 


Educational Opportunities!

There are A LOT of educational opportunities in this post so read carefully! As always, you can also see what’s coming up through the Educational Opportunities Calendar. Keep reading for details about all the great webinars, CFPs, internships and more opportunities below!

Webinars/Online Chats

  1. Mark your calendar now for Sept 13th chat: Tips for a successful job interview. Open to all! http://connect.ala.org/node/186969. The interview stage of a job search can be riddled with emotions; excitement, nervousness, and stress to name a few. This chat will explore some of the ways you can be better prepared for your big day. Topics to guide our discussion include but are not limited to what activities your interview day may include, how you should prepare, how should you dress, what questions you might expect to get from the search committee, and what to expect after your interview is complete. While we will focus on academic libraries, many of the topics cross-over to other types of libraries. Please come with your questions and be prepared for a fun and informative chat! Deana Groves, ALCTS New Members Interest Group (ANMIG) Webmaster, will be your host along with the assistance of Liz Siler, ALCTS ANMIG Chair. The chat will be on September 13th from 2:00 – 3:00pm EST and is open to ALA members of all types. To join the chat: connect.ala.org/node/186576
  2. Title:  Successful Librarians Share Their Stories of Career Growth and Advancement
    Presenters:  Deb Hunt and David Grossman
    Format:  Webinar
    Date:  Thursday, September 6, 2012 Start Time:       12 Noon Pacific 1PM Mountain 2PM Central 3PM Eastern. This webinar will last approximately one hour. Webinars are free of charge.  Please note: we have changed hosting services fromWebEx to Adobe Connect, so we advise you to test your browser before the webinar: http://intesolv.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm For more webinar tips, see: http://infopeople.org/webinar/tips. For more information and to participate in the Thursday, September 6, 2012 webinar, go to http://infopeople.org/training/librarians-share-their-stories. How are some librarians finding practical ways to cope, successfully navigate, and even thrive in the face of a lingering recession? How can you recognize and avoid the most common mistakes that can determine the difference between success and failure in any career situation? How can you to reinvent yourself and prepare for success in a new career in a very different or less traditional role? What secrets can be learned from successful individuals who have become leaders in the library/information profession? What new career opportunities are possible for you and how can you plan a strategy to pursue something new? This webinar will assist library staff, both professional and paraprofessional, in understanding the wide range of career opportunities available to them and how to visualize a path to success. A number of successful and unsuccessful stories will be discussed. Attendees will review and analyze successful and unsuccessful case studies to help them chart a path to career advancement, such as moving into a less traditional library role or making a lateral move into a very different career.  They will also learn how to identify, select and acquire the most relevant “front runner” or leadership “personas” that contribute to professional success in the current climate. At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will: Be able to envision their path to advancement through the analysis of the accomplishments of other librarians and information professionals who have successfully climbed the organizational ladder, transitioned into a new career, or become a “front runner” or leader in our profession. Learn how to continually reinvent themselves to overcome adversity and achieve success in any work environment. Gain insight into some exciting career opportunities often overlooked by librarians and information professionals. Know how to prepare themselves for one of the numerous alternative career opportunities readily available to librarians and information professionals. This webinar will be of interest to professional and paraprofessional library staff contemplating the next job opportunity or career change and those seeking to identify their current skills and acquire new ones. This is the third in a series of four webinars presented by Deb Hunt and David Grossman. You can view their previous webinars at http://infopeople.org/training/identifying-and-acquiring-new-skills. If you are unable to attend the live event, you can access the archived version the day following the webinar.  Check our archive listing at:  http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived

Internships

  1. Call for applications: 2013 ARLIS/NA Internship Award. Please share with current students and recent graduates of graduate programs in library science, art history, architectural history, architecture, studio art or museum studies. The Art Libraries Society of North America is now accepting applications for its annual Internship Award for 2013.

    The ARLIS/NA Internship Award provides financial support for students preparing for a career in art librarianship or visual resources curatorship. The award grants $2,500.00 to the selected recipient to support a period of internship in an art library or visual resources collection.
    The deadline for applications is October 15, 2012.
    For detailed information about the award and application instructions please see the ARLIS/NA website: http://www.arlisna.org/about/awards/internship_info.html

  2. WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART LIBRARY FALL INTERN PROGRAM 2012 — Library and Archives. The Whitney Museum of American Art Library is seeking applicants for internships to begin this fall 2012.  Under the supervision of professional library staff, interns will gain first-hand museum library experience by participating in regular departmental activities that range from research to routine administrative and clerical tasks.  Each intern will also focus on one individual project.  Participants must be willing to commit to at least 120 hours during the semester and may arrange to receive college credit.

    QUALIFICATIONS AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Preferred candidates are students already enrolled in a certified graduate library degree program with an interest in American art and/or museum work, have internship or experience working in a library and excellent administrative skills.  If interested, please submit, via e-mail, your cover letter, current resume and references to library[at]whitney[dot]org .  Please include dates you will be available for an interview with Library staff.

CFPS

  1. ACRL 2013 Conference Call for Poster Proposals
    Got an innovative library-based project, best practices to solve a problem, or unique research findings? Consider sharing them in a poster session! Posters should be an eye-catching visual representation of a topic, including graphics, tables, charts, text, and images. Presenters can communicate additional details via online handouts. Presenters share their ideas with colleagues as attendees circulate during one hour time blocks in the poster session area, located in the exhibits hall. Since space is limited at a poster session, a maximum of two presenters per poster at any one time is recommended. The Poster Session Committee looks for topics that will engage attendees during repeated presentations.
    Potential topics can be seen in the program tags that are included on the proposal instructions page (link below). Poster topics from underrepresented categories are of particular interest.  Here are some examples:
    cataloging & technical services
    collections projects
    preservation projects
    digitization
    data management and services
    Use the application form to sell your idea in a short, dynamic summary and provide a more complete discussion of the contents for the reviewers.  Please plan to submit an electronic version of your poster so that it can be posted online with conference handouts. Submissions are due by November 9, 2012.
    Program Proposal Instructions https://s4.goeshow.com/acrl/national/2013/abstract_instruct.cfm
    Proposal Submission Form  https://s4.goeshow.com/acrl/national/2013/abstract_submission.cfm
    Questions should be directed to Margot Conahan at mconahan[at]ala[dot]org or call (312) 280-2522.
  2. Marginalized Bodies:  Studies in Deformities and Disabilities in Early Modern Art
    Deformities and disabilities have been depicted in art since antiquity, and yet a comprehensive text on the subject as it pertains to art of the Early Modern era has yet to be written. Barry Wind glosses over the topic in A Foul and Pestilent Congregation, dealing primarily with dwarfism and gibbosity as they pertain only to the themes of “the world upside down” and the Commedia dell’ Arte.  These tropes of entertainment or curiosity are also discussed in monographs, mainly on artists like Velazquez and Callot, again limiting the discussions to depictions of dwarves at court and the comical aspects of deformity.  Deformities and disabilities also figure in texts on teratology and the kunstkammer, for example, Datson and Park’sWonders and the Order of Nature. The richness of the social, cultural, religious, political, and philosophical aspects of deformity and disability in the Early Modern era have yet to be revealed.  We wish to address this lacuna in Early Modern art scholarship by producing an anthology that integrates all aspects of deformity and disabilities as depicted in Early Modern art, utilizing an all-inclusive perspective.  We seek papers that offer particular case studies on Early Modern depictions of deformities and disabilities that address the subject from this broader outlook.
    Topics might include the apotropaic qualities of deformity and disabilities, deformities and disabilities as a means to exercising charity—the Catholic and Protestant approaches, deformed and disabled beggars, deformed and disabled saints, demonizing/idealizing deformities and disabilities, deformities and disabilities caused by disease, deformities and disabilities as reflections of sin, deformity and disability in mythology, deformed and disabled artists, aging and disability in artists and patrons, considerations of deformities and disabilities in architecture, the theoretical aspects of depicting the hideous in art, the treatment  of deformity and disability in portraiture, concealment/disclosure of deformities and disabilities, and scapegoating the deformed and disabled at times of catastrophic  events.
    To be considered for the project, kindly submit a 500 word abstract to Sandra Cheng (schengnyc[at]gmail[dot]com), Kimberlee A. Cloutier-Blazzard (kac9b[at]mindspring[dot]com), and Lilian H. Zirpolo (lilianzirpolo[at]gmail[dot]com), along with a short CV, by September 15, 2012.

Conferences & Continuing Education

  1. We are looking for additional peer reviewers for Art Documentation, the journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America.  We welcome reviewers in all areas of interest and expertise, but in particular we are seeking those with the knowledge and background to be able to review articles about cataloging/metadata, digital collections, museum libraries, and new media/new technology.
    Reviewers are needed for the Spring 2013 issue.  You would receive the article by September 15 and have 3 weeks to prepare your comments and recommendations.  We’d like to expand the pool of reviewers for future issues as well, so even if you are not available at this time but are interested in reviewing, I would like to hear from you.
    Please follow this link to take the short Survey Monkey survey to indicate your interest in reviewing, your availability, and your areas of expertise:
    https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BZL3QPR
  2. Archiving the Arts:
    addressing preservation in the creative process
    Saturday, October 13, 2012
    9:00 AM–5:00 PM
    Michelson Theater
    NYU Tisch School of the Arts
    Department of Cinema Studies
    721 Broadway, 6th Floor
    New York, NY 10003
    Presented by:
    Association of Moving Image Archivists Student Chapter at New York University
    and Independent Media Arts Preservation (IMAP)
    Archiving the Arts unlocks dialogue concerning preventive preservation, the creative process, and where the two concepts intersect.
    Unlike corporate or policy-based content, independent media art evolves and is often born from fleeting processes, creative approaches, and undocumented methods. Its unique development deserves to be addressed by both its makers and those who fight for its welfare after creation.
    Our primary goal is to straddle an antiquated divide. Instead of finite responsibilities dictated by title, archivists and artists must learn to work collaboratively in the complex independent media environment. Join us on October 13 as we bridge the gap!
    Registration Fee: $15.00
    Students with valid ID: $9.00
    Seating is extremely limited
    Register at:
    http://www.imappreserve.org/join/membership.html
    Questions:
    Kathryn Gronsbell via NYU.AMIA@gmail.com
    Jeff Martin via imap@imappreserve.org
    Archiving the Arts is part of New York Archives Week, which is organized by the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York. www.nycarchivists.org.
  3. ALCTS web course: Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management
    Session: October 1-October 26,  2012
    This four-week online course addresses the basic components of collection development and management (CDM) in libraries. The course was developed by Peggy Johnson, University of Minnesota. Complete definition of collection development and collection management
    – Collections policies and budgets as part of library planning
    – Collection development (selecting for and building collections)
    – Collection management (evaluating and making decisions about existing collections, including decisions about withdrawal, transfer, preservation)
    – Collection analysis-why and how to do it
    – Outreach, liaison, and marketing
    – Trends and some suggestions about the future for collection development and management
    Outcomes: At the end of this course, you will be able to:
    – Describe the range of CDM responsibilities and the required skills and competencies
    – List the elements in a collection development policy
    – Write a collection development policy
    – Explain the importance of collection analysis
    – Perform one or more types of analysis
    – Explain outreach and liaison responsibilities and be able to develop a plan to increase your activities in these areas
    Who Should Attend: This is a fundamentals course that will appeal to anyone interested in the topic with no previous experience.
    Credits: This course is one-third of the Collection Management elective course approved by the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP)<http://www.ala.org/alcts/confevents/upcoming/webcourse/lsscp>
    Registration Fees:  $109 ALCTS Member and  $129 Non-member
    For additional details including registration links and contact information
    see: http://www.ala.org/alcts/confevents/upcoming/webcourse/fcdm/ol_templ
    For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling
    1-800-545-2433 and press 5 or email registration[at]ala[dot]org. For all other questions or comments related to this web courses, contact Julie Reese, ALCTS Events Manager at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5034 or alctsce@ala.org.

2012 ACRL Image Resources Interest Group Midwinter Virtual Meeting

2012 ACRL Image Resources Interest Group Midwinter Virtual Meeting:

“Current Trends in Public Domain Image Policies”

How accessible are  your “public domain” digital collections? Please join the ACRL Image Resources Interest Group (IRIG) for a conversation about the range of usage policies for public domain digital image collections. To what extent do new open access decisions reflect a shift in the way academic libraries and archives treat access to digital reproductions of public domain materials in our stewardship? Speakers from Cornell and Yale will talk about the recent open access policies at their institutions, and there will be a discussion and Q&A opportunity. Following the program, there will be IRIG updates and announcements.

About the speakers:

Peter Hirtle is a Senior Policy Advisor at Cornell University Library. Read his bio.

Melissa Gold Fournier is Associate Museum Registrar and Manager of Imaging Services at the Yale Center for British Art, where she oversees the operation and production of the digital imaging studio as well as rights-related collection information.  Melissa works closely with Yale’s Department of Digital Assets and Infrastructure on shared projects and serves as the lead for the Center’s participation in Yale’s shared digital asset management system.  She also works closely with the Center’s Department of Collections Information and Access both administratively and technically in providing access to the Center’s collections online.  Melissa has held successive positions of responsibility in museum registration and collections imaging at the YCBA since 1998, and is a graduate of Yale College.

Date: Tuesday February 14th, 2:00-3:30 pm Eastern time

Agenda:

  1. Introductions
  2. Presentations and discussion
    1. Peter Hirtle, Senior Policy Advisor, Cornell University Library
    2. Melissa Fournier, Associate Registrar and Manager of Imaging Services, Yale Center for British Art
  3. IRIG business meeting
    1. Visual Literacy Competency Standards update
    2. Programming updates
    3. Announcements

Advance registration is not required to participate. Click join the meeting at the appointed time.


CALL FOR PRESENTERS: ACRL ARTS SECTION’S DISCUSSION FORUM

Are you doing research in the arts that you would like to share with fellow librarians? Is there something you’re doing at your library dealing with the arts that you think others should know about? Do you have a presentation you’d like to float by a group of friendly colleagues for some benevolent critique?

If so, the ACRL Arts section invites you to submit a presentation proposal for our Discussion Forum held on Saturday, June 25th from 10:30-12noon during the ACRL Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.

Details:

–Proposals can be about any topic dealing with the visual or performing arts and design (see list of possible topics below).
–Everyone is welcome to submit a proposal. Students are also encouraged to make a submission.
–Each presentation will have 15-20 minutes with a 5 minute Q&A. We anticipate being able to accept 4-5 proposals for presentation.
–Proposals will be reviewed by a committee drawn from the Arts Section Executive Board and Publications & Research Committee.

Deadline: Please submit your proposals to Yen Tran (nttran@callutheran.edu), chair of the Arts Section’s Publications & Research Committee no later than May 27th. Those submitting proposals will be notified by June 3rd, as to whether or not your proposal was accepted for presentation.

Possible topics:

–Research of any topic related to the arts
–Developments in the display and/or preservation of arts materials
 –Innovative information literacy or visual literacy techniques with arts students
–Emerging technologies in arts libraries
–Inventive collection management and development in the arts
–Strategies for reaching out to arts users (students and faculty)
–Copyright and fair use in the arts environment
–Evaluating the needs of arts users
–Use of images in information literacy instruction
–Creative physical or online/virtual exhibits

The possibilities are endless; please consider submitting a proposal.


ACRL Arts and Visual Literacy Opportunities

Opportunities for those interested in contributing to ACRL arts-related groups…

ACRL/IRIG Visual Literacy Standards Task Force (post-) ALA Midwinter virtual open meeting

Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Time: 11:30-1:00 PST/2:30-4:00 EST

Register here: https://ala.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/event.pl?div_view=reg&event_user_id (please note there are three IRIG meetings listed; please select the 2/16/2011 VLTF meeting)

Please join the ACRL/IRIG Visual Literacy Standards Task Force for an open meeting to discuss the Standards development process and the soon-to-be-available draft Standards document. The meeting is open to all, and it is not necessary to be a member of ALA, ACRL, or IRIG.

The draft Standards document will be available on the ACRL/IRIG Visual Literacy Standards blog (http://acrlvislitstandards.wordpress.com/) by Tuesday, February 15, 2011. Additional information about the Standards project is also available on the blog.

If you would like to submit a question or discussion topic in advance of the meeting, please email Denise Hattwig at dhattwig@uw.edu.

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The ACRL Arts Section is seeking contributors to the Philadelphia ArtsGuide for the upcoming 2011 ACRL Conference, March 30-April 2.

The ArtsGuide is a semi-annual guide and customized Google Map developed by members and associates of ACRL’s Arts Section to help conference attendees find arts-related venues and events in and around host cities.

This is a great opportunity to get involved in the ACRL Arts Section. It’s also a fun way to contribute your knowledge of the area to enhance everyone’s conference experience!

You can view previous ArtsGuides on the ACRL Arts Section page at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/sections/arts/artsguide/artsguides.cfm

If you are interested in contributing to ArtsGuide sections on Visual Arts & Museums, Galleries, Architecture, Theatre, Music, and/or Dance please contact the editor of this year’s ACRL ArtsGuide, Eamon Tewell, at eamont(at)gmail(dot)com as soon as possible.

Both ACRL members and non-members are encouraged to contribute.
Submissions would be due by February 18, 2011.


Apply now for ACRL Immersion ’11 Program

Via ACRL Update:

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is accepting applications for its Immersion ’11 Program. Complete program details and application materials are online at http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/ (click “Immersion 11 Program”). The application deadline is Dec. 1, 2010.

The ACRL Immersion ’11 Program provides four-and-a-half days of intensive information literacy training and education for academic librarians, to be held July 24-29, 2011, at Seattle University in Seattle. The Teacher Track focuses on individual development for those who are interested in enhancing, refreshing or extending their individual instruction skills. Curriculum includes classroom techniques, learning theory, leadership and assessment framed in the context of information literacy. The Program Track focuses on developing, integrating and managing institutional and programmatic information literacy programs. Participants selected for the Program Track will develop individual case studies in advance of the Immersion program.

Acceptance to Immersion ’11 is competitive to ensure an environment that fosters group interaction and active participation. The application deadline is Dec. 1, 2010, and notifications will be issued in February 2011. Complete program details and application materials are online. Send questions concerning the program or application process to Margot Conahan at (312) 280-2522 or mconahan@ala.org.


“Newbie Dispatches”: podcasts via ACRL Residency Interest Group

The ACRL Residency Interest Group has launched a new podcast series called the “Newbie Dispatches.”  It is a set of ‘casts on a variety of topics of interest to current library school students, recent graduates, early career librarians, and former and current library residents.

The first podcast is on publishing a manuscript for the first time, writing a manuscript prospectus, and getting into the world of academic publishing. The URL for this podcast is: http://acrl.ala.org/residency/?p=995

Our next cast will be similar, but will be a two-part cast with Kaetrena Davis-Kendrick, reference librarian at the University of South Carolina-Aiken. Kaetrena will discuss her experience with journal submission and publication, and offer advice to newer librarians who are considering publishing for the first time.

All of the casts are free and accessible by the public: http://acrl.ala.org/residency/

The group is also taking suggestions for topics for future podcasts.  If you have something you’d like to learn more about or hear discussed, just use the web form and send us a quick email: http://acrl.ala.org/residency/?page_id=9 or find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ACRL-Residency-Interest-Group/113621396297


Arts-oriented Events and Opportunities at ALA Midwinter in Boston

Call For *virtual* presenters at ACRL-ARTS/ ALA Midwinter in Boston. Bryan highlighted this on the ArliSNAP blog a few weeks back http://arlisnap.org/2009/11/23/call-for-virtual-presenters-ala-arts-section/ . The deadline has been just been extended to DECEMBER 18, so there is still time to submit a proposal! This is a GREAT opportunity to add ‘oomph’ to your resume without having to travel or pay conference registration. See the original post for submission guidelines and contact info.

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(Cross posted from ARLIS-L) Love the arts?  Wanna get some culture in Boston during ALA Midwinter? Be sure to check out ACRL Art Section’s ArtsGuide!  This selective guide to cultural attractions and events will help you maximize your time outside of the convention center.

There’s also a helpful google map supplement:
http://tinyurl.com/y8euv86
Find the Boston guide, google map, and past guides at:
http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/sections/arts/artsguide/artsguide.cfm
Download the PDF to the Boston guide:
http://tinyurl.com/yeobyno

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ALA Midwinter attendees are cordially invited to participate in a FREE behind-the-scenes tour of the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in Andover, MA, on Friday, January 15, 2010. Highlights include the paper conservation labs where many of the nation’s most significant cultural heritage materials have been treated, and the Center’s Imaging Services department where the digitization and preservation microfilm units operate. Preservation Services staff will speak briefly about workshops and conferences on topics ranging from basic book repair to scrapbook preservation to digitization.

A BUS WILL BE PROVIDED, leaving Boston at 1:30 PM and returning by 5:30PM. The tour is offered free of charge.  There are only a few spaces left – sign up today! RSVP by December 11, 2009 to Julie Martin, jmartin [at] nedcc [dot] org, or (978) 470-1010 ext. 217.


distance education and libraries

Among my many fun, summer projects this year is the task of creating online tutorials for distance education students. After reviewing the ACRL’s standards and guidelines for distance learning library services  (for more info see: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/guidelinesdistancelearning.cfm) I feel inspired to begin this project…and I’d like to discuss it with my fellow librarians!

Have you created online tutorials for distance learners? If so, what were the tutorials designed to do? Teach specific skills, like using the catalog or databases; or information literacy, such as how to evaluating information and developing research topics; or explain library procedures, like renewing books or interlibrary loan services? What software did you use (I’m thinking of using CamStudio – it’s free!)? How did you assess the usage of the tutorials and their success?