They Named the Building After Us: The Library as Conversation
The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities. Through service, innovation, and leadership librarians facilitate conversations in schools, communities, colleges, government, businesses, and beyond. It is this act of facilitation of knowledge in partnership with communities that makes a library – not collections, blogs, catalogs, or ivy on walls. This is the central premise of participatory librarianship. This keynote will explore the new role of librarians as a passionate and powerful force focused on the social good. It will present a unifying approach to librarianship that seeks to make sense of Library 2.0 and information commons alike.
Tomorrow is the first deadline for submissions to the Conversants Online Conference/Conversation, however we will be accepting new program ideas throughout the duration of the conference. This message is intended to give you an update and some additional information on the conference.
We have already lined up sessions in gaming, assessment, and case studies in participatory contexts. We will also be working with SLA, METRO, and LITA to provide events as part of their unconference and library camp activities. If you are hosting an event coming up and want to have a discussion about participatory librarianship as part of it, let us know and we can provide materials and ideas.
Many thanks to the folks who have volunteered to host conversations as part of the conference. I think we are going to have some great discussions. Special thanks to ALA for working on getting us space at ALA annual for the hybrid event.
We will also be recording the conference Keynote on April 28th in Syracuse. If you are in the area and want to attend, let us know. Special thanks to the Central New York Library Resources Council for coordinating the event. If you are interested in hosting a live Q&A based on the keynote, please let us know.
We have also put up a blog at http://conversants.syr.edu/blog to keep you to date on new developments.
Below is some additional information on the kind of sessions we are looking for. If you have any questions, please let us know at conversants@gmail.com .
Papers
Description: We are seeking submissions of traditional long-form papers for publication in Conversants, an online open-access journal. These papers will use CommentPress to allow participants to comment upon and discuss the paper on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis.
Format: MSWord or equivalent, RTF, HTML
Events
Description: We are also seeking time- and/or place-based events that can be archived and shared. Examples might include a SecondLife presentation, which can archived as a streaming video and shared with participants, or a podcast of a workshop or discussion that took place at a physical library.
Format: URL of publicly shared video or podcast, presentation or event
Cases
Description: Do you have an example of something that you did at your library that worked really well? Or that flopped spectacularly? Share your experience with your fellow Conversants! Creativity in format is encouraged.
Format: Open, but should be publicly available
Posters
Description: Present your research, tackle an idea or controversial topic, or present conflicting viewpoints of a current event. Everyone is welcome to submit poster proposals, but library students are especially encouraged to participate at this level.
Format: PDF, jpeg image
Links
Description: Links to blog postings, open Facebook posts, etc., that will carry a conference badge.
Format: URL of publicly available website
Conversation Topics
Description: Topic ideas for “water cooler” threaded conversations. Proposals should include an overview of the topic, starter questions, [and a core of at least 5 people to seed/start conversation.?]
Format: Email containing this information
We will post very soon on the Conference hub location and details!
Please send Proposal submissions offers to:
conversants@gmail.com
For Proposal Submission, please include “Proposal for Conversants” in the subject.
Announcing “Conversants 🙂 A Participatory Conversation,” a new idea in professional development for challenging economic times.
We invite you to join the movement to create and share information through worldwide coordinated conversations. Library communities and organizations are uniquely poised to employ the latest collaborative resources; the conversations that result from these collaborations hold great promise for students and practitioners across the information professions. Sharing knowledge and expertise via these collaborative conversations as part of a united effort is both beneficial and necessary, so we invite you lend your voice and join us in this unique event. Become a Conversant!
This effort is spearheaded by R. David Lankes with support from the Information Institute at Syracuse University, librarians and library students.
Theme: Participatory Librarianship
Save the date: Session Proposals are Due April 16th and Ongoing Virtual Sessions will begin April 30th, 2009. A Hybrid Event will take place at ALA in Chicago.
Call for participation:
Virtual sessions will be coordinated through the conference site, but can take place anywhere on the Internet. Blog posts, Second Life presentations, FriendFeed rooms, videos, etc., are all encouraged.
We need participation in the following two areas:
Proposal submissions
We will be soliciting involvement at many levels of participation. Some ways that you can contribute include:
Papers – Traditional long-form papers will be considered for publication in Conversants, an online open-access journal. These papers will use CommentPress to allow participants to comment upon and discuss the paper on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis.
Events – We are also seeking time- and/or place-based events that can be archived and shared. Examples might include a SecondLife presentation, which can archived as a streaming video and shared with participants, or a podcast of a workshop or discussion that took place at a physical library.
Cases – Do you have an example of something that you did at your library that worked really well? Or that flopped spectacularly? Share your experience with your fellow Conversants! Creativity in format is encouraged.
Posters – Present your research, tackle an idea or controversial topic, or present conflicting viewpoints of a current event. Everyone is welcome to submit poster proposals, but library students are especially encouraged to participate at this level.
Postings – Blog postings, open Facebook posts, etc., that will carry a conference badge (that links to the conference hub with an associated conversation).
Conversations – All Conversants will be encouraged to participate in the conversations that will be happening throughout the event. In addition, special “water cooler” threaded conversations on a topic or issue of your choosing will be encouraged. Proposals should include an overview of the topic, starter questions, and a core of at least 5 people to seed/start conversation.
Conference Facilitators
In addition to the above, in order to ensure that this global conversation goes smoothly, people are needed to assist the core group in the following ways:
Technical support – Assist with the managing the Conversant web site, which will include pointers to the various conversations.
Participant support – Create tutorials, pathfinders, publicity, etc.
Reviewers – Review and qualify papers and posters.
Session moderators – To act as hosts or conversation facilitators.
Please send Proposal submissions and Conference Facilitator offers to:
conversants@gmail.com
For Proposal Submission, please include “Proposal for Conversants” in the subject.
For Conference Facilitators, please include “Facilitation for Conversants” in the subject.
Registration (free) is now open for “Multilingual, Multinational: Best Practices in Cooperative Reference” where I will be presenting Reference Extract. You can register for it on this page:
David Lankes will provide an overview of Reference Extract at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference in Denver. The session is part of OCLC’s best practice in virtual reference (a free session). The session will be Saturday January 24th from 1:30 to 3:30.
More details and sign up information will be posted as soon as they are available.
I am so excited. The reference movement that grew up around the VRD conferences has put together a new conference:
“The Reference Renaissance is sponsored by BCR (Bibliographical Center for Research) and RUSA (Reference and User Services Association, ALA). BCR’s dynamic President and CEO, Brenda Bailey-Hainer is chairing the conference committee. The committee is a group of vibrant library professionals who recognized the vacuum that was created when the Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) series of 7 conferences ended in 2005. The Reference Renaissance conference fully embraces and builds on the legacy of the expanded VRD mission to create a forum of LIS professionals, researchers, and students to explore all the facets of today’s reference service array, including traditional and virtual reference environments.”
Not that this group in any way needs my endorsement, but they certainly have it. The VRD years were an incredible time in my life, and (being bold) an incredible time in the evolution of reference. A movement grew up of talented practitioners and researchers out to change the world. In the intervening years, I have witnessed the folks in that movement keeping up the pace of innovation. So it is great to see a showcase for their work.
It is great to see our VRD legacy continue. Of course it will only continue if we actually show up. So go. Don’t only plan on going, put in a session (call for participation below). Reference is not dead, and the golden days of VRD were only the beginning if we put our travel and conference dollars to work. There is power in showing up, and there is power in place. In San Antonio I called upon the entire VRD community to join me in a mission. A mission to engage in our profession and improve it. Lately I have talked about the obligation of leadership and the important of innovation. Let us once again convene, plot and inspire. See you in Denver.
Sponsored by BCR (Bibliographical Center for Research) and
RUSA (Reference and User Services Association), an ALA Division
Rumors of the “death of reference” have been greatly exaggerated! Reference and information services now encompass not just traditional forms such as in-person point-of-service, telephone, and e-mail, but also Instant Messaging, Text Messaging (SMS), blogs, wikis, library pages on MySpace and Facebook, and virtual reference desks in Second Life.
A Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends conference will explore all aspects of reference service in a broad range of contexts, including libraries and information centers, in academic, public, school, corporate, and other special library environments. This two-day conference will incorporate the multitude of established, emerging, and merging types of reference service including both traditional and virtual reference. It presents an opportunity for all reference practitioners and scholars to explore the rapid growth and changing nature of reference, as an escalating array of information technologies blend with traditional reference service to create vibrant hybrids.
Our theme of a “Reference Renaissance” was taken from an editorial by Diane Zabel, in a recent issue of Reference and User Services Quarterly (winter 2007). Zabel wrote of a “resurgence of interest in reference” and that “reference is experiencing a regeneration, a reference renaissance.”
Submissions of papers, panels, and workshop proposals are welcomed that analyze issues, identify best practices, advance organizational and technological systems, propose standards, and/or suggest innovative approaches that will reveal as well as invent the future of reference in this exciting and unfolding landscape. The conference will be organized around the following interest tracks. Please note that the sub-bullets are intended to be suggested topics, not to be a comprehensive listing.
Virtual Reference (including e-mail, chat, IM, SMS, Second Life, etc.)
Interpersonal aspects of reference service across different types of service
Comparison of VR modes
Innovative Service Models (including face-to-face, outreach, and Web 2.0)
Comparison of different modes (locations, configurations, etc.) of service delivery
Social networking applications (such as blogs, wikis, Facebook, MySpace, etc.)
Assessment/Evaluation (including guidelines and best practices, benchmarking performance, service quality, accuracy, effectiveness, and efficiency)
Hiring, training and motivating staff in an era of rapid change (including performance issues)
Marketing initiatives
Approaches, Values, & Philosophy of Reference Services
Reference as teaching
How much help to give (e.g., homework, course assignments)
Wild Card (including, but not limited to, controversial issues, comparisons, other innovative topics – be creative!)
Sustainability and budgeting issues
Reference consortia issues
Software and hardware development
Vendor (including demonstrations and workshops)
Vendor software and hardware development
TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS:
Papers (500 word abstracts): include reports and research studies on any aspect of reference, user studies, evaluation projects, innovative practical applications, theme papers, or theoretical developments. In addition, works in progress and student papers are invited. Submissions should include: 1) a cover sheet with the paper title, author(s), contact information and affiliations(s) for each author, conference track(s) and 2) a second page consisting of a 500 word abstract that summarizes the paper but does NOT show your name or any contact information. Papers will be refereed by the program committee.
Panels: include proposals for 1.5 hour long sessions on topics such as reference innovations, implementation of new technology, evaluation projects, reports by practitioners on current initiatives, theme panels, and contrasting viewpoints on controversial or hot issues. Innovative formats are sought, especially those that encourage audience participation, such as: roundtable discussions, debates, forums, or case studies. Submissions should include: panel title, names, affiliations, and contact information for all participants (moderators, panelists, respondents, etc.), conference track(s), and a brief overview (250 words) of the issues, projects or viewpoints to be discussed. Panels will be refereed by the program committee.
Workshops, Demonstrations, and Reports from the Field: include proposals for 30 minute sessions on working projects, new services, new approaches to reference instruction, or to developments-in-progress. These can be educational in nature. Submissions should include workshop of demonstration title, names and affiliations of all participants, contact information, conference track(s), and brief overview (250 words) of the session.
DEADLINES:
April 4, 2008 Deadline for All Submissions
May 5, 2008 Notification of Acceptance to Speakers
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
Submissions should be sent in electronic format (as an e-mail attachment as a Word document or pdf) to Program Chair Marie L. Radford (mradford@scils.rutgers.edu).
Information on conference registration and hotel reservations will be forthcoming on the
conference website at: www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance
Participatory Librarianship
and Web 2.0 in the Curriculum
ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy and ALISE
When: January 9, 2008, 9:00-11:00 Where: Room 108, Free Library of Philadelphia Map Directions: http://tinyurl.com/3xa6pn
Thank you for agreeing to attend this meeting. Your input shall be invaluable not only to ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy, but to your peers as well. We all wrestle with the fast pace of technological change in our research and curricula. Certainly the past two decades have challenged our schools to not only prepare librarians for a new practice environment, but to constantly place these technologies in the larger contexts of our field and society. New technologies, both the fads and the fundamental, have filled our traditional cores and electives to their breaking points. How can we decide what is durable in these new technologies? What is the proper balance between concepts and technology features? What is the overall concept of librarianship that allows us to define cutting edge, obsolete, and irrelevant? It is hoped that this meeting and the larger series of conversations taking place in LIS programs around the country, can bring some consensus to these questions.
The technology brief Participatory Networks: The Library as Conversation is a starting point for our discussion. It foreshadows a broad view of librarianship (limited to a technology lens for the brief) where librarians are not caretakers of collections, but facilitators of community conversations (in schools, cities, businesses, etc). How do we prepare the next generation of librarians to be true facilitators?
Many of us have already begun to wrestle with these issues. The point of this meeting is to share the important thinking and work you have done in your schools and libraries. I want to thank you again for agreeing to share. This meeting is not about a crisis, nor about any one technology. Rather it is part of an ongoing participatory process intent on defining the fundamental nature of libraries in a world of the ubiquitous network.
Agenda
Welcome and Introductions
Background on the Office for Information Technology Policy
Overview of Participatory Librarianship and the Educational Implications
Open Discussion of Participatory Librarianship and Web 2.0 in the Curriculum
Best Practices in Cooperative Reference: Reference and Social Networking
Saturday, January 12
1:30 – 3:30 PM
Hilton Salon A/B
Join us for a discussion of “Reference and Social Networking” with panelists Beth Evans (Brooklyn College), Stephen Francoeur (Baruch College) and David Lankes (Syracuse University).
Stephen Francoeur will explore how libraries are offering reference services via MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and other social network sites and what the practical, legal, and theoretical implications are for answering questions in these environments.
Beth Evans will discuss how social networks such as MySpace provide the librarians at Brookyn College with opportunities to do virtual reference in unexpected ways in unexpected places. Whether it is answering a direct query, to pushing a snippet of unexpected, personalized, library instruction, to being a knowledgeable voice in the crowd, librarians can guide information seekers online who may have bypassed other methods of reaching their library or librarian.
Who said reference has to be one person, one librarian, one question? Can reference be a social activity? How can we truly put the user at the center of reference? How can we re-imagine reference as a learning activity where the reference librarian facilitates learning? David Lankes will focus on reference as a truly participatory process and how such a process can take advantage in the latest in web technologies.
Join us for this thought-provoking discussion!
Our panelists:
– Beth Evans is an associate professor and the electronic services specialist at the Brooklyn College Library. She has her MLS from Queens College of the City University of New York, an MA from Brown University and a BA from Brooklyn College, CUNY. She was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2007 for her work with the Brooklyn College Library on MySpace.
– Stephen Francoeur is an information services librarian and assistant professor at Baruch College. He regularly writes about reference issues on his blog, Digital Reference.
– R. David Lankes is director of the Information Institute of Syracuse, and an associate professor in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies. He was creator of the Virtual Reference Desk Project and has done extensive research into virtual reference.
Please RSVP for these events to confirm your attendance: www.oclc.org/info/ala/
