April 12 Wednesday 1:00pm - Revised schedule. (livermore Apr 12 1:12pm) (Revised June 6 2006 2:40pm Livermore)

 

The links below are to the proposed outlines which we can all edit. I've tried to incorporate the suggestions made this morning but please correct/add/modify until we get it right.

 

Portable Professor Summer Schedule.xls

 

Queens

Mon 6/5/06 1:30-2:45 PM Comprehensive Research One 1 1/4 Hrs (livermore)

Mon 6/19/06 1:30-2:45 PM Using Reserves 1 1/4 Hrs. (Turner)

 

Tue 7/11/06 2:45-4:00 PM Comprehensive Research One 1 1/4 Hrs. (Turner)

 

Mon 7/24/06 3:15-4:30 PM Using Reserves 1 1/4 Hrs. (livermore)

 

Mon 8/7/06 1:15-2:30 PM Database Alert Services 1 1/4Hrs. (Shaughnessy)

 

Wed 8/16/06 1:15-2:30 PM Comprehensive Research Two 1 1/4Hrs. (Shaughnessy)

 

 

 

Staten Island

Wed 6/7/06 2:45-3:45 PM SI Comprehensive Research One 1 1/4Hrs (presenter's name here)

 

Tue 6/13/06 1:30-2:45 PM SI Using e-Reserves 1 1/4Hrs. (presenter's name here)

 

Tue 7/18/06 1:15-2:30 PM SI Comprehensive Research Two 1 1/4Hrs. (presenter's name here)

 

Tue 8/8/06 1:15-2:30 PM SI Using database Alert Services (presenter's name here)

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April 12, 2006 12:42PM(Amanda Xu)I would just like to add a few observations that I have regarding user training workshop(s):

 

As librarians, we have been creating information path finders for users for many years from card catalogs to online catalogs, from highly structured databases to semi or unstructured contents on the Internet using search services provided by online information services such as EBSCO, Google, Yahoo, and internal information portals such as St. John's Central, etc.

To some extent, we are weaving the paths and connecting the dots between the contents that we have owned or subscribed to and the interfaces that support the search and retrieval of the contents.

We have been doing all we can to aggregate the contents for our user community, and learn as quick as we can about the functionalities that are provided by content suppliers such as primary and secondary publishers, aggregators, and uPortals.

However, do we know really who our users are? What challenges are they facing in terms of using the contents that we provide for them free of charge? Do they know what we have owned and what we provided access to? How do their information needs get satisfied? Where do they go to obtain the information? What do they use it for after obtaining the information?

I see the dangers of our users who are being attracted to poorly created contents supported by easy to use interfaces. Is it a librarian's job to define the constitute of human knowledge and the culture heritage of our community by weaving and guiding our users to the correct information paths?

If so, to what extent do we know our users? Is there any automatic way for us to track who our users are, and understand their struggles in finding information in a specific problem domain?

As far as I am concerned, one of the missing dots for us is to obtain our user information. But where and how are we going to get them:

- from student registry?

- university information systems?

- from institution research?

- from St. John's Central?

- from eStudio?

- from library website, catalog, publisher and aggregator websites?

- from our own training sessions and workshops?

If we know our users in advance, our user training sessions and other library mission critical operations can be much more targeted than what we are doing today.

As far as I am concerned, this is a necessary step before our leap to manage inbound traffic requests for contents residing inhouse or provided by our library. Of course, this is under the assumption that we are capble to handle outbound content requests today.

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Livermore (4/11 11:38am): Jim sent the schedule of Portable Professor events that Information Services would be conducting. The blue and green line items are one I have placed there to get the discussion started. We can eliminate them, re-arrange them, add sessions or reduce sessions.

 

I placed them to coincide with sessions that IS was already given. This allows individuals to attend 2 sessions if they want - a library session and an IS session. We could set up sessions on our own if we wanted.

 

The subject matter of the individual library sessions as entered are also only suggestions and can be modified in any way we want.

 

 

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BGT (4/11; 9:23 am): I would like to volunteer to teach the "Using e-Reserves Workshop" 6/19, and the "Using Database Alert Services" workshop on 07/11.

 

I would like to make a couple of recommendations: can we broaden the "Database Alerts" workshop to discuss advanced search methods more generally?

 

Also, how about doing a comparison of the capabilities of e-Reserves and St. John's Central?

 

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KGS (4/11; 10:09 am): I would be able to do any of the sessions except the Monday 7/24 session

 

When you say these are proposed...does that mean these are just time slots and the library can decide to do different things, or are these the suggestions made according to collective library/PP feedback.

 

 

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Jim Swike forwarded a schedule of Portable Professor Summer sessions (see revised schedule above). The items on the schedule highlighted in light blue and green are the proposed sessions for the Library. Six sessions on the Queens campus and 4 sessins on the Staten Island Campus. Here is a summary:

 

The following schedule was revised April 12 12:12pm at the Committee meeting held in Room 304. Brian Mikesel, Ben Turner, Kathy Shaughnessy, Cynthia Chamgers, Amanda Xu and Charles Livermore present.

 

Queens

Mon 6/5/06 1:30-2:45 PM Comprehensive Research One- Catalog/EBSCO/jerome 1 1/4 Hrs

Mon 6/19/06 1:30-2:45 PM Using Reserves 1 1/4 Hrs.

Tue 7/11/06 2:45-4:00 PM Comprehensive Research One- Catalog/EBSCO/jerome 1 1/4 Hrs.

Mon 7/24/06 3:15-4:30 PM Using Reserves 1 1/4 Hrs.

Mon 8/7/06 1:15-2:30 PM Using database Alert Services 1 1/4Hrs.

Wed 8/16/06 1:15-2:30 PM Comprehensive Research Two - Adv Search Techniques limitors/ 1 1/4Hrs.

 

 

Staten Island

Wed 6/7/06 2:45-3:45 PM SI Comprehensive Research One- Catalog/EBSCO/jerome 1 1/4Hrs

Tue 6/13/06 1:30-2:45 PM SI Using e-Reserves 1 1/4Hrs.

Tue 7/18/06 1:15-2:30 PM SI Comprehensive Research Two - Adv Search Techniques

limitors/ 1 1/4Hrs.

Tue 8/8/06 1:15-2:30 PM SI Using database Alert Services

 

 

 

THESE ARE PROPOSED SESSIONS AND TOPICS ONLY.

 

Reminder that these are all stand-alone sessions. I am suggesting we "tag" along with the other sessions should people want to come in for more than one session. But they are certainly able to come to only the library session if they wish.

 

Jim needs to finalize the program fairly quickly so please include your discussions here.

 

(Charles Livermore - April 10 2:30pm)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portable Professor Modules

 

Yesterday Jim Swike called to say that the Portable Professor sessions were undergoing a modification. In the future sessions would be shorter 1 to 2 hours in length and would be on individual skills/projects. He is hoping the Library will participate.

 

It is anticipated that the new series will start sometime after the conclusion of exams and run through mid-August

 

Weekly and every other week slots are available. I'd suggest we try to run something each week.Topics could include

 

1. Demonstration of search enginee

2. Advanced searching of the catalog

3. Library Research Services

4. Using the databases alert services

5. Using e-reserves

And any others.

 

These sessions will run on Staten Island as well as Queens. Final schedules for either campus have not been determined.

 

Please post your thoughts on other topics that might be offered - and on the usefulness of the ideas suggested above.

 

Once Jim announces a schedule it will be posted here and we can begin final preparations

 

Charles Livermore