[Baynet] Infopeople's "Reshaping Reference to Fit the Internet Culture" workshop

[Linda Rodenspiel]

Since some people who may be interested in attending might not receive this 
notice directly, we would appreciate it if you would print and post or 
route this announcement to staff and colleagues. Thanks!

Title:  Reshaping Reference to Fit the Internet Culture

Dates and locations:

Wednesday, June 28, California State Library
Thursday, July 13, Los Angeles Public Library
Wednesday, July 26, Contra Costa County Library, Pleasant Hill
Thursday, August 10, San Francisco Public Library
Friday, August 18, Fresno County Public Library
Monday, August 28, Ventura Public Library, E.P. Foster Branch

To register for this workshop:  Use the online registration form at
http://www.infopeople.org/WS/workshop/Workshop/265

Fee:  There is a $75.00 fee for this workshop.

More and more of our users have access to the Internet, but few know how to 
find, evaluate, and use high-quality information. Even fewer realize how 
many rich resources their libraries have available for them in periodicals, 
books, and online databases. Many users today have trouble distinguishing 
between something they found by googling on the open web and articles or 
other information that is publisher-vetted.

--How can we make the most of reference contacts to develop users' skills 
and abilities to find and evaluate the best sources of information?
--How can we make it easier for users to discover and use library resources 
not on the open web?
--How can we improve our library web pages and handouts to provide user 
instruction and build user self-reliance?

This workshop offers ways to turn every reference transaction into a chance 
for users to learn better information-seeking skills. Maximize your impact 
and the impact of your library by helping users to help themselves to find 
quality content.

Workshop Description: This all-day hands-on workshop will begin with 
discussion of current Internet trends and provide training to quickly 
assess users' Internet and information-seeking skill levels. You will also 
learn how to use reference interactions as opportunities to impart research 
and evaluative skills to users. You will learn to evaluate the basic 
usability of typical library web pages and learn to develop easy-to-use 
handouts to enable users to navigate pages you cannot modify. Exercises 
will be done individually, in small groups, and with role-playing. You will 
be given tip sheets, checklists, and other handouts to use outside the 
workshop.

Preliminary Course Outline:

Why the Need to Reshape Reference to Fit the Internet Culture
--Users and libraries have both changed
--The gap between what we offer and the information users find and use
--The challenge: to expand the information skills of users

Helping Users Self-Serve More Competently
--Using the reference interview to meet users wherever they are in the 
Internet culture
--Reference service techniques to augment users' self-sufficiency, skills 
at self-serving, awareness of the best resources available

Expanding Users' Critical Thinking Tools in Realistic Ways
--The ways librarians usually talk about evaluating information vs. what 
today's information consumers generally rely on to discern trustworthiness
--Techniques to find and convey the essentials

Getting the Most from Library Websites and Handouts
--Improving the usability of some library websites
--What to do with those we cannot change
--Meeting self-servers where they want to be with usable guides

The Future
--Probable trends in users and physical libraries
--Trends in information availability
--Technology trends and innovations: Web 2.0 and Library 2.0

Workshop Instructor: Joe Barker.  Joe works full time as a reference and 
instruction librarian at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Doe 
library and the Moffitt undergraduate library. Developing instructional 
aids and promoting the confidence and research skills of library users 
through reference is the major thrust of his work at UCB. He also maintains 
an online web searching tutorial which remains worldwide one of the most 
heavily used resources for finding and evaluating information on the web.

Who Should Attend: Anyone from the California library community who 
delivers reference services, whether at reference desks, in online virtual 
reference, by phone or chat or email. This includes librarians, library 
assistants, reference assistants of all types, and managers of reference 
services.

Prerequisites:  This is not a basic "how to do reference" course.  We  will 
assume familiarity both with the tools of reference and database searching 
that are available in whichever library you work in, and
with basic web searching and web navigation experience.  This course builds 
on those skills with an emphasis on imparting your knowledge to users.

Other Logistics:

*On-site check-in is from 8:30-9:00 AM;  instruction is from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM.

*Maps, directions, and parking information are available on the Infopeople 
Web site at http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop/Directions.  Infopeople does 
not validate or pay for parking.

*Infopeople does not provide refreshments or lunch.  Since some training 
locations do not have in-house or convenient food service, Infopeople 
recommends that participants bring a sack lunch.

To view a complete list of Infopeople workshops and for general information 
about Infopeople training opportunities, go to the main Infopeople 
Workshops page at http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop

If you have questions about registration or scheduling of workshops, please 
contact Linda Rodenspiel, the Infopeople Project Assistant, at 
assist at infopeople.org or by phone at 650-578-9685.