ACRL 2011: Videos!

From the ACRL Insider, two 2011 ACRL Philadelphia Conference videos - the Closing Ceremony Montage and the All-Conference Reception's "Faces of ACRL." See anyone you know? I do!

"Relive your ACRL 2011 experience, or see what you missed, in these videos that were shown at the conclusion on the conference in Philadelphia. And make sure to mark your calendar for ACRL 2013, to be held April 10-13, 2013, in Indianapolis!" -- David Free, ACRL Insider, 5/18/11

Revisiting ACRL: To the Cloud!

I planned to 'live' blog during ACRL in Philadelphia, using Facebook and Twitter updates to keep track of sessions attended. I planned to upload session photos from my camera and iphone and publish wonderfully compelling blog narratives using the digital images and QR Codes saved to my RedLaser app. Both plans were stunningly simple, supported by technology, and made with the best of intentions.  Reality took a bite out of those plans when the end of the semester took center stage upon my return; I was oddly stunned to see as of today it has been five weeks since our Cyber Zed Shed presentation at ACRL 2011.

As mentioned here previously, To the Cloud: Exploring Tools to Enhance Teaching and Learning, focused on cloud applications we have successfully used within LibGuides and learning management systems. We used a LibGuide to present our session.  However, it was important the accompanying materials were presented so attendees understood they could be used in a LibGuide and LMS, as well as embedded in blogs, web sites, or information portals such as Netvibes.  We created 'mirror' sites to accompany our presentation, developing the presention on a Stark State College LibGuide and then duplicating it on a free Netvibes page.

LibGuide: To the Cloud!	Netvibe: To the Cloud!

Though initially concerned with presenting such an early session it was soon obvious CZS sessions continue to be popular, the room was full. We had a nice confidence boost before our presentation started when an attendee came up to our table, pointed to her highlighted program, and whispered "did we miss this session? It's why I came so early." It was exciting to see the session in question was ours and I was happy to reply, "No, we're next." She graciously wished us luck - and stopped us after the presentation with an additional question and business card request. Our time moved swiftly and soon there were questions to answer and it was time to move on to the next presenter. Several times that day we were stopped by attendees with comments and questions about the session, it was exciting to talk to so many interested (and interesting) people.

After the conference concluded, I read various online discussions (blogs, articles, etc.) regarding the location of Cyber Zed Shed sessions in Philadelphia - it was a large traditional room as opposed to the open area at previous conferences - and the possibility that it was a presentation format no longer in demand.  I will admit to missing the open area Cyber Zed Shed enjoyed in Seattle, it was a more informal location and provided opportunity for attendees to 'drop by' for a presentation or two. In Philadelphia the room doors remained open, there were tables with seating, electrical outlets for attendees needing to 're-charge,' and an assortment of pub-style tables were available for those passing through the sessions. If the number of attendees in sessions is any indication, the CZS has not lost any of its appeal.  These sessions remain a great resource for quick technology ideas. That said, I would recommend an effort be made to return it to a more informal venue for the next conference.

Cyber Zed Shed!

I'm excited to announce that fellow blogger Sara Klink and I were accepted to present a Cyber Zed Shed session at the 2011 ACRL National Conference in Philadelphia, March 30th - April 1st.

"Congratulations! Your Cyber Zed Shed proposal, "To the Cloud! Exploring Tools to Enhance Teaching and Learning," has been selected for presentation at ACRL 2011 in Philadelphia, March 30 – April 2, 2011."

The Speaker Service Center lists our session, CZS - To the Cloud! Exploring Tools to Enhance Teaching and Learning on Thursday, March 31, 2011 8:25 AM - 8:45 AM (Room 201A):

"For academic libraries, the question is no longer if emerging technologies are necessary, but how to locate, evaluate and integrate quality resources in the most effective way. Working within the cloud, librarians are free to explore a wide range of software and applications easily incorporated into teaching and learning. From Animoto to Voki, this session will present a selection of applications perfect for LibGuides, course management systems, and a variety of other 2.0 applications."

ACRL will be incorporating Twitter for the conference - their official Twitter tag is #acrl2011 - and early this week contacted presenters about selecting a hash tag for their sessions. We pick the tag, a "Twitter moderator will be assigned to our session," and the tag will be published in the program and online. Not a tweeter, it took some time to fully grasp the hash tag concept (though it appears to be similar to cloud tags, blog tags, and other social media tagging). Several fast and furious emails later we decided to submit #LibCloudTools for our session; we hope it incorporates a bit of the session title and what we plan to discuss (and apologize it is a bit long). Of course, it also raises the question, how will I follow any conversation pertaining to our session if I don't have a Twitter account?

As of yesterday, I have a Twitter account @dschrecker.

In no time at all I registered, posted one exciting tweet, and spent my lunch hour contentedly trying out / trying on design templates. Since then I have changed my mind more than once; the most recent time a few minutes ago and, after electing to follow the eTech Ohio Twitter feed, had my first message. It remains to be seen if this is a technology I will adopt or use only for the ACRL session.

ACRL: Cyber Zed Shed Proposals

Cyber Zed Shed
Proposal Deadline!
Nov 1. http://j.mp/acrlczs


Are you a tech savvy librarian using new technologies in innovative ways? Adapting existing technologies to reach user needs? Here is an opportunity to share your innovations with your colleagues, library administrators, and others at ACRL 2011. The ACRL 2011 Cyber Zed Shed Committee is looking for proposals that document technology-related innovations in every area of the library.

Whether you are teaching in a classroom; answering questions from patrons; acquiring, cataloging, processing or preserving materials; or providing other services, we're interested. We invite you to submit your most innovative proposals to help us make Philadelphia the site of a truly groundbreaking conference.

Cyber Zed Shed presentations are 20 minutes, with 15 minutes to present a demonstration, and five additional minutes for audience Q&A. Presentations should document technology-related innovations in academic and research libraries. A computer, data projector, screen, microphone, and stage will be provided in the Cyber Zed Shed theater. You will be responsible for bringing all other equipment required for your demonstration, except as agreed to in advance.

The deadline for submission is November 1, 2010.

Questions about Cyber Zed Shed submissions should be directed to:

Kenley Neufeld, Santa Barbara City College, kenleyneufeld@gmail.com
Emily Rimland, Pennsylvania State University, erimland@psu.edu

ACRL: Cyber Zed Shed Proposals

 
Five weeks until the Cyber Zed Shed Proposal Deadline!



Deadline Nov 1. http://j.mp/acrlczs

Are you a tech savvy librarian using new technologies in innovative ways? Adapting existing technologies to reach user needs? Here is an opportunity to share your innovations with your colleagues, library administrators, and others at ACRL 2011. The ACRL 2011 Cyber Zed Shed Committee is looking for proposals that document technology-related innovations in every area of the library.

Whether you are teaching in a classroom; answering questions from patrons; acquiring, cataloging, processing or preserving materials; or providing other services, we're interested. We invite you to submit your most innovative proposals to help us make Philadelphia the site of a truly groundbreaking conference.

Cyber Zed Shed presentations are 20 minutes, with 15 minutes to present a demonstration, and five additional minutes for audience Q&A. Presentations should document technology-related innovations in academic and research libraries. A computer, data projector, screen, microphone, and stage will be provided in the Cyber Zed Shed theater. You will be responsible for bringing all other equipment required for your demonstration, except as agreed to in advance.

The deadline for submission is November 1, 2010.

Questions about Cyber Zed Shed submissions should be directed to:

Kenley Neufeld, Santa Barbara City College, kenleyneufeld@gmail.com
Emily Rimland, Pennsylvania State University, erimland@psu.edu

ACRL: Cyber Zed Shed Proposals

Cyber Zed Shed wants your 20-min. presentation proposal for
ACRL National in Philly.

Deadline Nov 1. http://j.mp/acrlczs

Are you a tech savvy librarian using new technologies in innovative ways? Adapting existing technologies to reach user needs? Here is an opportunity to share your innovations with your colleagues, library administrators, and others at ACRL 2011. The ACRL 2011 Cyber Zed Shed Committee is looking for proposals that document technology-related innovations in every area of the library.

Whether you are teaching in a classroom; answering questions from patrons; acquiring, cataloging, processing or preserving materials; or providing other services, we're interested. We invite you to submit your most innovative proposals to help us make Philadelphia the site of a truly groundbreaking conference.

Cyber Zed Shed presentations are 20 minutes, with 15 minutes to present a demonstration, and five additional minutes for audience Q&A. Presentations should document technology-related innovations in academic and research libraries. A computer, data projector, screen, microphone, and stage will be provided in the Cyber Zed Shed theater. You will be responsible for bringing all other equipment required for your demonstration, except as agreed to in advance.

The deadline for submission is November 1, 2010.

Questions about Cyber Zed Shed submissions should be directed to:

Kenley Neufeld, Santa Barbara City College, kenleyneufeld@gmail.com
Emily Rimland, Pennsylvania State University, erimland@psu.edu

ALA 2010: Cyber Zed Shed, ACRL

Traveling into the way back, a final reflection of the 2009 ACRL Conference (Seattle) featured mention of my new favorite conference presentation option, the Cyber Zed Shed. Located near the poster sessions, it was convenient and visible. At the end of one of the shed days, a volunteer, or perhaps committee member, was collecting business cards from people who were interested in participating in the CZS for Philadelphia 2011. I gleefully handed over my card, a miracle in itself since I routinely forget them. Fast forward to ALA Annual 2010 and my Monday morning meeting ...

I attended my first Cyber Zed Shed committee meeting at ACRL "headquarters," The Renaissance Mayflower hotel. I arrived early, wandered through the lobby area for a short time, and located my committee. Several members with iPads connected to the Internet, my trusty netbook and I, sans Internet, took meeting minutes. Using ALA Connect as our cyber home, we will be able to meet virtually.

• ACRL National Conference
• ACRL Conference Tracks
• Cyber Zed Shed Presentations

Submission for CZS presentations will be open soon; I will post information here as it becomes available. We will be using Facebook and Twitter, was well as more traditional means of email and blogs, to market and solicit submissions. It's not too soon to consider presenting!

"Are you a tech savvy librarian using new technologies in innovative ways? Adapting existing technologies to reach user needs? Here is an opportunity to share your innovations with your colleagues, library administrators, and others at ACRL 2011. The ACRL 2011 Cyber Zed Shed Committee is looking for proposals that document technology-related innovations in every area of the library. Whether you are teaching in a classroom; answering questions from patrons; acquiring, cataloging, processing or preserving materials; or providing other services, we're interested. We invite you to submit your most innovative proposals to help us make Philadelphia the site of a truly groundbreaking conference. Cyber Zed Shed presentations are 20 minutes, with 15 minutes to present a demonstration, and five additional minutes for audience Q&A. Presentations should document technology-related innovations in academic and research libraries. A computer, data projector, screen, microphone, and stage will be provided in the Cyber Zed Shed theater. You will be responsible for bringing all other equipment required for your demonstration, except as agreed to in advance. The deadline for submission is November 1, 2010." -- ACRL National 2011

I excited about participating with this committee and am definitely looking forward to Philadelphia 2011.

eTech Ohio Conference: Keynote Videos

Thanks to Peter Murray at OhioLINK for commenting on my eTech Ohio Conference: Wednesday post.

"The video of David Weinberger making his keynote presentation will be available on the Ohio iTunesU site sometime soon."

One of the great things about the eTech Conference is the opportunity to use my hall pass and review presentations I attended, and those I did not have a chance to see. Friday afternoon I spent time compiling a few technology trend links on my delicious account; I was familiar with many, but some were new to me. Feel free to check out my delicious eTech tags/bookmarks @ http://delicious.com/dschrecker/eTech

Revisiting ACRL 2009

While unloading my 2009 ACRL green bag Friday morning I realized that while I blogged about my poster, I had not discussed any sessions attended. Well that instance and, I am chagrined to acknowledge, an email from a friend asking me how I liked the ACRL conference; he read the poster session blog post but didn't see anything about the conference. Let me remedy the oversight!

First things first, let's talk about the bag. There was a lot of discussion and dissing of the green ACRL/EBSCO bat. Put me on the plus side; I like the bag from this conference. I find it just the right size because I cannot overload it and can immediately reach inside for what I need. No, it did not have pockets or any other bag amenities. But to be honest I rarely carry the conference bag at the conference, I have my own bag fulfilling that function. I use the conference bags at home and work. It was certainly a step up from the neon orange bag at ALA last summer.

New to me, Cyber Zed Shed sessions soon became my favorite conference function. At twenty minutes, fifteen to present and five for questions, they allowed speakers to present their information quickly and concisely and provided opportunity for audience questions. I missed the afternoon Zed Sheds do to the poster sessions, but the crowds seemed to increase, an illustrating the popularity of these presentations.

• iMacros, Todd Quinn, Northern State University
  This may be more than I am able to handle without opportunity to practice first. Check out his LibGuide for more information on the topic.
• Sprout, Memo Cordova, Boise State University
  Though Sprout has now moved to a fee based service, users are able to create three widgets. Cordova has a blog with more information insight from the conference.
• Library Subject Guide Widgets, Michael DeMars, California State U. Fullerton
  Great ideas for subject library guides
• LibStats, Jason Coleman, Danielle Theiss-White, Melia Erin Fritch, and Laura Bonella, K-State Libraries
  Reference desk statistics and google apps; for more information visit their google apps page complete with presentations

The only thing I found missing from this ACRL conference (and the one prior) was information for education librarians beyond ERIC, instruction and curriculum materials. As an education liaison and curriculum librarian managing a materials center supporting children's literature courses, I have a vested interest in juvenile collections and collection development. For that reason, I often find ALA Annual, with its plethora of public and school library sessions, more beneficial. This ACRL conference was better than the last one I attended, I will look forward to Philadelphia in 2011.

Now, I can take one more thing out of my ACRL bag!

LibGuides @ ACRL

There were seven different LibGuides presentations, in session, panel, poster, and Zed Shed format, at ACRL last week. Marc Bertone at Springshare has put together a Conference Presentation LibGuide (ACRL Tab) with information about each session. The listing is alphahbetical, ours is near the middle of the page, and has links to poster images, slide shows, and guides created to support presentations. Additionally, there are links to presenters LibGuide profiles (though my profile link is suspiciously absent from our listing).

Interested in more LibGuide links?

• LibGuides Help Page: Conference Presentations: ACRL
• Guides to Go: Using LibGuides to Deliver Information
• AU LibGuide: Learn About Our LibGuides
• AU LibGuide Home Page

ACRL Conference: Poster Session

Poster sessions, what a rush at ACRL! I thought I knew what to expect. I was prepared for the session. Prior to the conference a few panic laden printing glitches were overcome, our poster was finished on time and accompanying business cards (200 of them) with online materials were ready. The day of our presentation I scouted out our poster's location in the pavilion, they had moved poster tables between Friday and Saturday, and I was ready to talk about our LibGuides. In retrospect, I failed to take into account two things; (1) poster sessions at ACRL are the scheduled sessions for that time period and (2) the vast interest in LibGuides at this conference.

Sara, Kathryn, and I spent an invigorating fast-paced hour talking to excited and inquiring librarians about LibGuides. Questions covered an array of topics ranging from ease of use to integration capability with content management systems; there were even questions regarding how we made our poster! Thank you to everyone who stopped to talk, I enjoyed the conversations and idea-sharing.

Feel free to visit our LibGuide about our use of LibGuides created to support this ACRL poster, a previous presentation at the Learning, Libraries, and Technology Conference, and to highlight how Ashland University Library is utilizing LibGuides.

Crayons & Paper

The deadline for submitting our ACRL LibGuides poster to campus printing services draws near. After determining which poster format to use, keeping in mind the printer guidelines, we hit a blank wall, literally. It's amazing how overwhelming a blank eight foot canvass brimming with expectation can be.

Earlier this week we had a break-through concerning poster design and layout. Confident it will be visually appealing and properly support our abstract and outcomes; we are now suffering with a few lingering qualms about size; text box size, font size, graphic size and readability sizing to be exact. The problem? We are judging said readable size on a poster that is eight foot by three foot currently depicted in miniature on our computer screen (see rendering @ 25% below).



While we know the font sizes range from 40 to 60, the long view is overwhelming (if not microscopic). Sections by section representations increased to 50% and 100% are helpful for specking pixel distortion, but not particularly helpful viewed across the room to gauge that readability factor.

This afternoon I decided the best way to allay this finicky concern was to create a physical representation of the poster. Luckily, I have easy access to just the tools in the Instructional Resource Center and commenced using crayons (it needed to be in color), white bulletin board paper (its three foot wide), and a yard stick to make a "to scale" map of a corner of our poster. Though I garnered several odd looks, I was working at the reference desk, I was soon able to color, cut, and tape my way to virtual poster success. I taped the finished product to the desk, stepped back the requisite three feet, was able to read all of the text, and could judge sizing of graphical elements to be suffice.

The mock poster is now patiently awaiting the verdict of my fellow presenters. To be honest, I am flush with success and wondering if I should tinker a bit more with the file in question. Maybe it could be bigger ...

ACRL Poster Session

Sara Klink, Kathryn Venditti, and I will be presenting a poster on LibGuides at ACRL in Seattle ... very soon. Our poster presentation, Guides to Go: Using LibGuides to Deliver Information, is scheduled for Saturday from 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM. With the hard part behind us, actually being accepted to present, we are now concentrating on creating the poster.

We recently received an email with poster size details; they are 4 feet high by 8 feet wide, as well as guidelines for preparing the presentation. Much of what is detailed is common sense, including specifications for font and heading sizing. Armed with content and guidelines, the most difficult decision we have to make at this point is the layout of our poster. Ashland has a quality printing service that does a great job with professional projects of this nature. However, a phone call to reveals their printer will accommodate items up to 38 inches wide; posters are to be 48 inches. The first of many meetings on Wednesday resulted in narrowing our configuration options.

Option one:
Two 8 foot sections, one 3 foot high with a 1 foot header

Option two:
Two 2 1/2 foot sections and a 3 foot section 4 foot high.

Both options have inherent pros and cons for display and preparation purposes, especially taking into consideration the collaborative nature of the project. Option one allows for the header to be highlighted and a more seamless poster, option two will be automatically the correct height and theoretically provide each of us a section and both options will present a minor challenge affixing the poster to the board. As we consider the possibilities, both options have been created in Publisher and saved on a network drive. We can work both individually and collaboratively; with a healthy dose of brainstorming added to the mix I have high hopes for the end product.

Not so early birds

Did you register? Are you going to ACRL in Seattle? Along with many fellow ACRL members, I waited until last Friday to register for the 14th National Conference and take advantage of the $70 early bird pricing. Though a not-so-early-bird, registration was a breeze and even remembered to select volunteer and the All Conference Reception on my form. Thanks to my conference and flight buddy, fellow Library Cloud contributor Betsy, I already had a hotel reservation; a big change from ALA when I never seem to register soon enough to book a hotel room through the conference site. All that remained were our airline reservations from Columbus to Seattle, in my experience something that though usually costly is mostly a straightforward process. At least it was until this time.

I began with the usual suspects, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and AAA. It soon became apparent I was not to only late-bird who registered and began pursuing the airlines. Flights were available, but had only single seats remaining or were exorbitant in price ($450+) and flight time (upwards of 10 hours & some overnight). After twice selecting a flight only to receive a message indicating the price had increased between the time I first viewed it and clicked "select," something I have never seen before (false advertising?), I determined availability and demand were in fine form and abandoned my quest for the afternoon.

Tuesday afternoon I returned to the scene of the crime garnering the same results. A few more options, but most included flights via Georgia with extensive lay-overs. I finally went directly to the airlines and with Continental was able to book a reasonably priced trip with timely departures and limited layovers. Since our flight was verified later Tuesday afternoon, I can now say I am attending the ACRL conference, will not have to walk to get there, and will have somewhere to lay my head after a day full of conference activities.

Now, all I have to do is finish working with my poster session partners designing our LibGuides poster presentation. It's our first at ACRL and we are very excited!

Conference Bloggers

ACRLog is looking for ACRL Conference Bloggers; check it out if you are interested. There are specific topics to be covered (tech services, new librarians, new technology in libraries, and community college libraries) and a deadline for volunteering of February 16th.

I would be willing, even happy, to volunteer if I can find a hotel with a vacant room (as opposed to pitching a tent in the convention center). All of the conference hotels are booked and I have not had the best of luck with various online travel sites, Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, and Hotwire to name a few. The same thing happened with ALA midwinter last year in San Antonio. My hotel, though nice, was quite a distance from the Convention Center and there were no conference shuttles until the last day. I realize conference planners have to err on the side of caution when reserving blocks of hotel rooms because if the rooms are not used, they often take a financial hit. But there has to be a better way. I am still hopeful about attending ACRL, but if I find nothing today I may just turn my attention to ALA annual and register early.

Just my little gripe for today.

Tags: ACRL, ACRLog, ACRL conference, ACRL hotel accommodations