TEDx Conferences

I first found out about TED (Technology Entertainment Design) in library school. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to "ideas worth spreading". Since then, I've enjoyed watching TED Talks. Today I just found out about TEDx conferences through Library Journal. "In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience" (TEDxNJLibraries). Princeton Public Library is hosting TEDxNJLibraries, the first TEDx event to be held at a library. These TEDx events remind me a bit of unconferences because they're both about bringing people together and sharing ideas, but they are also different. For one thing, TEDx events are by invite or selection only while unconferences are usually open to everyone, like HealthCampNYC, a regional health unconference. I think they're both interesting ways of bringing people together and I hope to learn more about TEDxNJLibraries in the coming weeks.

SLA@Pratt Skill Share Fair This Friday

Following a successful Career Fair last year, SLA@Pratt is hosting a Skill Share Fair this Friday, April 23 from 4:30pm-7pm. Like last year, this event is opened to non-Pratt people. My colleague Sandra Sajonas and I will be presenting on tips & tricks to building your professional career at 6pm. For more info and to RSVP, check out the SLA@Pratt site.

ALA '09 Recap

Highlights of ALA 2009 in Chicago


Unconference Program

• Combination of quick presentations and discussions
• Topics ranged from Web 3.0 to information literacy. See schedule for list of topics.
• Participated in a discussion about planning and facilitating unconferences. There's an increased interest in doing library unconferences. Look out for our program on BPL ThinkTank, an unconference staff development event that we did at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) at the Public Libraries Association (PLA) conference in March 2010.

Emerging Leaders Poster Session

• Over 20 posters were presented by this year's emerging leaders based on their projects.
• Projects included working with the PLA conference planning subcommittee, attracting librarians in the millennial generation to participate in ALA, etc.

Visit to Chicago Public Library

• Visited the new YouMedia space, a space specifically designed for teens with the latest digital media technology

ALA 2009 Poster Session

• My colleague and I presented a poster session "Keeping People at the Center of the Public Library: Analysis of Disruptive Technology and Suggestions for Creating a People-Centered Environment". Check out our project wiki.

Congrats to Libraries and Autism: We're Connected for winning the 2009 Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies Award. Libraries and Autism is a collaborative project among two libraries in New Jersey that produced a customer service training video for library staff to help them better serve individuals with autism.

ALA 2009 Poster Session

Check out my poster session at ALA 2009 in Chicago.

Keeping People at the Center of the Public Library: Analysis of Disruptive Technology and Suggestions for Creating a People-Centered Environment

Monday, July 13, 2009 from 1pm-2:30pm
Table #3
ALA Exhibit Hall

SLA@Pratt Career Fair Photos and Presentations

Over 120 people attended Friday's first annual SLA@Pratt Career Fair at Pratt SILS.

See more photos and some presentations on the SLA@Pratt site.

Share your experiences and continue the discussions with your colleagues at SLA@Pratt Connect using your Google, AIM, Yahoo or OpenID account.

You can also find SLA@Pratt on Facebook and Twitter.

A Few Days Left to Register for SLA@Pratt Career Fair

There's only a few days left to register for the SLA@Pratt Career Fair on Friday, April 24th from 4pm-7pm at Pratt SILS.

SLA@Pratt Career Fair on Friday, April 24th

SLA@Pratt will be hosting the first annual SLA Career Fair at Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science on Friday, April 24th from 4pm-7pm. Bring your resume and business card. Students and alumni from Pratt and other LIS programs will have the chance to network and ask questions of professionals from a variety of NY special libraries: law, corporate, academic, medical and museum, as well as representatives in information architecture and book vendors. RSVP for the SLA@Pratt Career Fair by Tuesday, April 21st.

User Experience in Libraries

Last month, the new Darien Library in Connecticut was opened to the public. With the bad news about libraries laying off staff, cutting hours or closing, it's good to hear about a library opening. Based on the article in Library Journal, Darien Library's blog, pictures and the opening day video, the library sounds and looks pretty amazing.

What's also amazing and interesting is the creation of a user experience department. According to Darien Library's blog post, the User Experience Department is "primarily concerned with the experience of the Darien Library user, drawing from the successes and failures of human-to-technology interface design. Usability, aesthetics, community, collections, and customer service are the key tenets of this user-centric service initiative."

That is exactly what I learned about and did as a collaborative research project in the People-Centered Methods and Design class that I took last year. The course is based on a project of your own choosing. You can work on the project by yourself or with another person. It's more of a seminar than a lecture-type course. Highly recommend it for those at Pratt SILS. Here's the course description.

It's important that the user is at the center of library services or any service. I think it's a matter of seeing things from the user's perspective. Of course, there are factors like age, language, etc. to consider. Sometimes users have to jump through many hoops to complete a task (for example, make a photocopy). The task of making a photocopy which probably can be completed in a few minutes could turn into something that can take up to 15 minutes or more because the user needs a library card with money (value) on it in order to make a photocopy. Is it really necessary? Can there be no other options?

Take a look around you and see how people are using service interfaces, library-related or otherwise. Are they completing what they need or want to get done? How long does it take them? Do they look satisfied, frustrated, confused, etc.? Let me know - I would like to hear about your observations and experiences.

So what do you think about the Darien Library and its User Experience Department? Anyone up for a field trip to Darien, CT?

Library School and LIS Education

Being in my last semester of library school, I've been thinking a bit about my library school experience. The past 2 and 1/2 years has been a good experience, especially being a part of the Public Urban Library Service Education (PULSE) program. PULSE is a collaboration between Brooklyn Public Library and Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). As part of the program, I am getting a broad range of hands-on experience that complements and enhances my classes. This semester, I am taking Usability Leadership and doing a practicum/internship at Columbia University.

Courses that I've taken:

• Introduction to Information Professions with Glen Bencivengo (Core/Required)
• Information Services and Resources with Phillip Yockey (Core/Required)
• Knowledge Organization with Rick Block (Core/Required)
• Information Technologies with David Walczyk (Core/Required)
• Urban Public Library Service with Donna Fleming
• Collection Development with Nasser Sharify
• Medical Librarianship with Helen-Ann Brown
• People-Centered Methods and Design with David Walczyk
• Information Architecture/Interaction Design with David Walczyk
• Metadata: Access and Description with Rick Block

There's a lot out there about library school and LIS education - achieving a balance between theory and practice, the popping up of I-schools, and recent news about Rutgers' change in school name - just to name a few. What is library school? What is information school? What is library science vs. library and information science vs. information science? I will be receiving a master's in library and information science (MLIS) in May. Does that mean I got a bit of both library science and information science? I'm not even sure I know what the difference is. This year, Pratt SILS was re-accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). It makes me wonder how LIS programs are evaluated when they can be and are so different from each other, not just with names of schools and degrees but also with requirements for admission and graduation.