Category: Teaching

Just a reminder that the New Librarianship MOOC will be offered again starting on Monday.

Look here for more information: https://davidlankes.org/?p=5819

Look here for self-registration information: https://davidlankes.org/?p=5915

Last summer I offered a MOOC on the basics of New Librarianship. Over 2,300 people enrolled. However, many said they couldn’t participate at the time, or had to drop out for other obligations. Now, thanks to the State Library of Illinois’ ILEAD USA project, I’m offering it again.

Starting June 30th and running through July 27th, I’ll be re-running the MOOC. To be clear, this is the same course as last summer, not a follow-on. Also, unlike last summer, there will be no Continuing Education or College Credit options (though I will send out a delightful certificate of completion for those who want it).

Another important to note, the original site for the Master Class will remain up as an archive. There will be a new URL for this MOOC with fresh new discussion boards and such.

So, more details to come.

As we enter the official last week of the New Librarianship Master Class/MOOC I wanted to extend a personal thank you to the library community. Some may know this has been a very difficult year for me in terms of my health. A set of unexplained seizures in the Fall of 2012, followed by a lymphoma diagnosis in February of this year have been major challenges. Travel has become nearly non-existent, and my speaking engagements have been limited to Skype.

While my wife and family have been the force that have kept me going you, librarians, have been the force that have kept my mind engaged, and a part of the dialog on the future of our profession. The discourse in the MOOC, email, Twitter, and the blogosphere have been invaluable during my treatments.

I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed the MOOC conversations and how much I have learned. I have a lot to think about including: the political dimensions of new librarianship, the importance of multiple narratives, and the role of fiction. Like you, I too was overwhelmed with the sheer volume of comments in the first week, but digging through it I have been heartened by the healthy and deep conversation about libraries and librarians.

I have been thrilled to see the course has inspired blog posts, Twitter debates, and Facebook groups. I know a lot of you weren’t prepared for the theoretical and philosophical dimensions of the discussion, but I admire that we all dove in with respect and civility, if not agreement. We are indeed a noble profession, and one well equipped to forge a bright future.

I would also like to extend my thanks to my fellow instructors Jian Qin, Megan Oakleaf and Jill Hurst-Wahl. I would also like to thank Dean Liz Liddy and Associate Dean Jeff Stanton whose support made this course possible. Peggy Brown and Sarah Helson are the amazing instructional design team that not only provided tech support to the course, but were instrumental in bringing some pedagogical coherence to the MOOC.

The course would also not be possible without the administrative support of Blythe Bennett and Sarah Hagelin of the iSchool and Karen De Jarnette of University College’s TED Center. Thanks to MIT Press for supporting the course with the Atlas discount.

Lastly, a special thanks to IMLS and ILEAD USA. Both supported the development of the Atlas and New Librarianship in general. The ILEAD USA librarians not only provided exemplars for the course, but inspiration for me in their passion and dedication to service.

I don’t know yet the end of my personal health journey, but no matter the outcome, I do know you have made the journey not only more bearable, but inspirational.

Thank you.

The New Librarianship Master Class/MOOC is its third week, and the question can be asked…whats next? What happens after the August 4th end date for the course? The short answer is, the conversation can continue. What follows is some specific answers, and some longer term plans.

On August 5th, the tests and assessments in the course will disappear. This will allow us to grade the work, and certify folks seeking Continuing Education Units and graduate credit. See the FAQ for more details on receiving credits.

However, the rest of the course will remain open, as will enrollment for anyone wanting to join the course after the 4th. The hope is that two things will happen:

1. The course will remain available to those who want to learn about new librarianship, and
2. The conversation about librarianship will continue.

The videos, slides, readings, and structure will remain available. As a reminder, all of these are also available via Creative Commons License, so please use these materials in any way you would like. I need to be clear, that after August 4th, I personally will do my best to monitor the course, but Syracuse University can’t make a formal commitment to support instructors. Jill Hurst-Wahl, Megan Oakleaf, and Jian Qin have done a tremendous job in engaging in conversation, but alas, they have lives outside of new librarianship (unlike me). So it will become more self-service.

What I am really hoping is that after the crush of completing the course, and folks have time to catch up on the discussion boards, the conversation can continue as well. I have been very impressed by the sharing and thoughts on the future of the field. I know there are a lot of forums that the profession uses to talk, and if the MOOC can continue to be one, I am happy.

We’ll also be sharing what we’ve learned. I’m working on a behind the scenes screencast that highlights the technologies used in the course. I’ll share data as it becomes available.

As for future offerings? We’ll see. One idea that has been floated is building out week 3 of the MOOC for an offering aimed at “overseers” of libraries such as board members, principals, faculty, provosts and so on. If you have ideas on that, please share. We’re also working on creating a resource list of readings, videos, and resources brought up in the MOOC dialogs.

UPDATE July 29th: CEU Option Extended:

by popular request, we are extending the CEU deadline. Starting August 5th we’ll be identifying folks who have successfully completed the quizzes & evaluations and sending out Certificates of Completion, and a link to get formal CEUs if you so choose. However, the courses and quizzes will remain open until September 4th for those needing more time to complete the course for CEUs. So on September 5th we’ll once again identify those who have completed the MOOC and send a certificate of completion and link to get the CEUs if you choose. After that, the course will still be available, but not for credit. PLEASE NOTE, that after August 4th, there will be no regular monitoring by the Syracuse instructors.