ACRL Instruction
Section Continuing Education Committee
Saturday, June 6, 1998, 2:00p.m.-4:00p.m.
Chair/Convener: Paul Beavers
The committee discussed the possibility of a merger between this committee and the Education for Library Instructors Committee. A report has been submitted recommending against the merger. However, joint projects between the two committees--perhaps a Midwinter discussion forum--are an option. A continuing education needs survey and the logistics of how to get the best response rate were discussed. The committee also debated the feasibility of putting a list of state and regional continuing education opportunities on the IS web site. Approximately 9 attended the meeting.
Reported by Sharon Stewart,
University of Alabama, sstewart@bama.ua.edu
| TOP
ACRL IS
Program: "Research with a Small r: Approaches for the Instruction
Practitioner"
June 28, 1998, 2:00p.m.-5:00p.m.
Moderator: Barbara MacAdam
Over 125 ALA conference attendees gathered for the ACRL Instruction Section Conference program, "Research with a Small r: Approaches for the Instruction Practitioner" on Sunday, June 28th. An outline of this presentation will soon be available on the Instruction Section web site <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/is>.
After the presentation of awards, keynote speaker Diane Nahl began the program with sound advice on problem solving through assessment. Dr. Nahl addressed the preliminary stages of setting up research projects and offered suggestions for implementation which include inquiring on listservs, checking literature, collaborating, and utilizing institutional information such as statistics compiled by a university. After a discussion reviewing several research methods, the audience successfully participated in an exercise on identifying dependent and independent variables. Many of the attendees were encouraged to use the realistic advice given by Dr. Nahl to begin a "Small r" research project. A panel of three provided perspectives from their own experience. Panelists included Rachael Naismith of Springfield College (MA), Trudi E. Jacobson of the University of Albany - SUNY (NY), and Gail M. Staines of Niagara County Community College (NY). Each of their project summaries can be found on the web site noted above.
Reported by Trisha Stevenson, Pepperdine University, tstevens@pepperdine.edu | TOP
ACRL
IS Teaching Methods Committee
June 27, 1998, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Chair/Convener: Kevin Roddy
The committee sponsored an open brainstorming session on web-based tutorials during the hour before the business meeting. Most of the attendees were interested in learning about other libraries' experiences rather than in offering input on the development process. The majority of the business meeting was spent developing criteria for a web page project that will evaluate and list exceptional web-based tutorials. This information will be available on the Teaching Methods Committee web site. Nine people attended the meeting.
Reported by Elaine Gass, Texas A & M University, elaineg@tamu.edu | TOP
National Information
Literacy Institute (NILI)
June 29, 1998, 9:30am-11:00 am
Chair/Convener: Cerise Oberman
An open forum was held to discuss the latest initiatives by the National Information Literacy Institute (NILI). Input of previous forums had been of great assistance to those at NILI in implementing an immersion program (planned for the summer of 1999) designed to provide intensive training and education for Librarians. This meeting was a continuation of those efforts. Among other initiatives, NILI is developing programs to help individual institutions build effective information literacy programs in addition to programs which provide opportunities for community partnerships. Please see NILI's web site for more information including a useful collection of Information Competencies. The URL is <http://www.ala.org/acrl/nili/nilihp.html>. Approximately 11 attended.
Reported by Trisha Stevenson, Pepperdine University, tstevens@pepperdine.edu | TOP
YALSA's Serving
Young Adults in Large Urban Populations Discussion Group
Saturday June 27, 1998, 2:00p.m.-4:30p.m.
Chair/Convener: Susan Raboy, Brooklyn
Public Library
This was a first meeting of a discussion group that grew out of a survey that YALSA sent to large urban library systems. The idea of this group is that it can offer a place for urban librarians who serve young adults to discuss experiences and issues and gain support. A new list YA-Urban is also being started. Information about this list can be received through email to YALSA@ala.com.
Library Instruction will be an area more specifically discussed in future meetings. However, in this meeting the group discussed the use of the internet by teens and issues arising from its popularity: time limits, paper usage, filtering, and usage agreements. Other topics included the fairly limited knowledge of their library's online catalog and of "serious" internet sites that some teens exhibit. Topics for future discussions might include training sessions for YA's, class visits and how they work into the instruction that YA's receive in the public library. Approximately 6 attended.
Reported by Trisha Stevenson, Pepperdine University, tstevens@pepperdine.edu | TOP
ACRL
Alliances for New Directions in Teaching and Learning Discussion Group
Monday, June 29, 1998, 8:00-9:00a.m.
Chair/Convener: Mari Miller
The discussion for annual conference was titled "Virtual Futures: Librarians Respond to New Campus Teaching and Learning Initiatives." A portion of the program of interest to instruction librarians was a description of a team approach that Penn State Altoona has taken with its innovative "Project Vision." A faculty member and a librarian are paired to teach select courses via computer. One of the student assignments that the librarian monitors is the evaluation of information found on the web. A handout from the University of Buffalo described how that libraries' web-based information system was being used to inform and educate the campus community about databases, books, and web resources for research. The URL is <http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/learning>. Approximately 23 attended the meeting.
Reported by Sharon Stewart, University of Alabama, sstewart@bama.ua.edu | TOP
ACRL EBSS Instruction
for Educators Committee
Saturday, July 28, 1998, 8:30a.m. to 11:30a.m.
CHAIR/CONVENER: Dane Ward
The committee is working to promote its instruction-related activities with plans to publish a book in late 1999 entitled, "Connections: Ideas for Librarian and Faculty Collaboration." This publication, aimed at faculty, librarians, and administrators, will provide an unprecedented exploration of collaboration in higher education between librarians and instructional faculty. Written by librarians and faculty, this work will focus broadly on collaboration as it occurs across the campus. Additionally, it will examine formally organized programs of collaboration, as well as informally created efforts among members of the campus community.
Committee members, in collaboration with faculty members, will be writing individual chapters. Plans are also being made to present some of the preliminary work as a panel discussion program at the ACRL 9th National Conference, April 8 - 11, 1999, in Detroit.
The committee has been discussing and defining issues of collaboration between librarians and instructional faculty. Issues include the following: formal vs. informal types of collaboration, cultures of collaboration, case studies, collaborations in the field, what works, and the future of collaboration in the context of technological change. Approximately 14 attended the meeting.
Reported by Helga Visscher, University of Alabama, hvissche@bama.ua.edu | TOP
ALA Committee
on Education
June 28, 1998, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Chair/Convener: Carolyn Anthony
The committee continued the discussion of foreign credentialing which began in the committee's Education Assembly. Accreditation and continuous learning were other topics of discussion. A Continuing Education Clearinghouse and a proposal for establishing a Library and Information Science Professional Certification Board to certify mid-career course programs were also discussed. The meeting included a discussion of the Continuous Learning Report to ALA Executive Board, a request from ALISE for participation by the committee in their 1999 national conference planning, and the Committee on Education's own 1999 program on continuous learning which will be co-sponsored by CLENE. Approximately 11 attended.
Reported by Jennalyn Tellman, University of Arizona Jennalyn@Library.arizona.edu | TOP
The Assembly discussed a proposal by the Task Force on Foreign Credentialing to change ALA policy 54.2 concerning appropriate degrees for librarians. The revised policy would read as follows: "The master's degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association [or from a graduate level program in library and information studies accredited by the appropriate national body of another country] is the appropriate professional degree for librarians." New language appears in brackets.
The draft document from Ann Symons, "Libraries: an American Value" was distributed to the Committee for their consideration. It is pertinent because if accepted, it will be included in Library School education. Approximately 7 attended.
Reported by Jennalyn Tellman, University of Arizona Jennalyn@Library.arizona.edu | TOP