Presentation Abstract:

Taming the Dragon: the Collaborative Revitalization of an Online Library Skills Course. Thursday, 9:40-10:40 a.m.
Carol Hansen, Professor and Instruction Services Librarian, Weber State University & Nancy Lombardo, Systems Librarian, Eccles Health Sciences Library, Univ. of Utah

Librarians in Utah have worked together on and off since 1994 to create the Internet Navigator, an online library and Internet skills course. The course was an initial success but soon became difficult to update and maintain. By working collaboratively, a new management plan is now in place; the course is completely revised focusing on the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Project directors will discuss the recent management techniques and statewide funding opportunities that have enabled the revitalization of the course. This course is also planned as a statewide clearinghouse for instructional materials. It is freely available at http://www-navigator.utah.edu.

The presentation was well received and there were over 50 attendees.

Other Programs of Interest:

As this conference was geared more to public librarians than academic librarians, there were not that many programs of interest  to WSU. I was only able to attend one day of the conference, and part of that time I was presenting. Two of the more interesting programs I attended are summarized below:

Nothing But Net: Librarians Working to Support Internet Courses

This session offered some valuable ideas on promoting the value of library services, instruction, reference and research guides to online and distance learning faculty and students at NAU. Each time a new online course is added the faculty member meets with a librarian and a course designer. Librarians ask faculty if there are any course materials they need digitized. They have developed an excellent  page on "Library Services for Web Courses." See the link above (and at http://www.nau.edu/library/courses/ctel/azla.html) for the complete presentation online. They do not have a separate department for distance learning. All of the bibliographers are on the distance learning team. The chair of this team rotates. The leaders of access services, reference and instruction all serve on the distance learning team.

Que Le Vaya! Using Spanish Language Immersion Abroad to Enhance Library Services

This was an excellent session that explained how two librarians, one from UCLA, another from a public library in Phoenix arranged to attend an intensive Spanish language course in Guatemala. This assisted them with better meeting the needs of their Spanish speaking patrons, through reference and collection management. 

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