[Baynet] Infopeople's Revisioning Reference online course

Tue Aug 11 09:18:07 PDT 2009

Since some people who may be interested in participating 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:  Revisioning Reference: Exploring Innovations for Your Library
(online learning course)

Dates:  September 15 – October 19, 2009

To register for this workshop:  Use the online registration form at

http://infopeople.org/workshop/432   

Fee:  $75 for those in the California library community and Infopeople
Partners, $150 for all others.

Do you agree with those who say that "reference is dead"? While economic
hardship may bring more people into your library, do they use and value your
reference resources and staff
or mainly want assistance with computers? What
can you do to revitalize reference, so that it better serves users in your
library, in your community, and virtually? 

Learn what public, academic and special libraries are doing to re-envision
the library services that we have traditionally called "reference." By
experimenting with new ways to make information resources and staff
available to users, they are breaking free of dependence on users to seek
out reference services. 

In this online course you will explore trends in information-seeking
behaviors and hear from library innovators who are using "Text a Librarian"
services, "predatory" reference, embedded information specialists, wireless
communication devices, videoconferencing and other information delivery
modes. You will examine new reference service models—some that worked and
some that didn't. You will be encouraged to create a "Reference Revision," a
plan for a new service, an improved or expanded service, or a way to
revitalize or re-brand an existing service. You'll come away with a new
respect for what you can learn from your users and a renewed enthusiasm for
reference services. 

Course Description: During this five week online course you will be reading
background materials, reports and case studies; completing assignments, and
participating in online discussion forums. Readings, discussions,
assignments and online meetings are planned for the first four weeks. The
fifth week will be focused on sharing "reference revisions" through a
variety of online media. Online meetings will provide opportunities to hear
from: 

·         Joseph Janes—writer, speaker and professor at the University of
Washington's Information School—on the future of reference. 

·         Marie Radford—researcher and professor at the Rutgers University
School of Communication, Information and Library Studies—on what we can
learn from users. 

·         Lori Bell—director of innovation for the Alliance Library system
(IL)—on the InfoQuest collaborative texting reference project as a case
study in implementing innovation. 

·         Stacey Aldrich—acting state librarian for California, and Rosario
Garza, director of the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System—on the
California Information Services Project. 

Preliminary Course Outline: Using your web browser and your Internet
connection, you will log in to the Infopeople online learning site and
complete the following learning modules: 

·         Week 1: Why Should We Re-vision Reference? 

Core values of reference service 

Trends in information creation and seeking 

The user experience 

·         Week 2: What Can We Learn from Users? 

Shifting perceptions of libraries 

Demand for anytime, anywhere information 

Changing face of library instruction 

Changing roles for reference providers 

·         Week 3: What Can We Learn from Each Other? 

Examples of innovative reference services 

What we can learn from reference service models that don't work 

Resistance to change and how to overcome it 

·         Week 4: What Is Your Reference Revision for Your Library? 

Putting ideas into action requires planning and team work 

Building on administrative and staff buy-in 

Steps for planning and implementing an innovation 

·         Week 5: Sharing the Reference Revisions 

Instructor:  Mary Ross.  Mary Ross has over 25 years of experience working
in public libraries and managed the staff training and development program
at the Seattle Public Library for eight years. Under contract to the
Washington State Library, she designed "Anytime, Anywhere Answers" and "The
Virtual Reference Adventure," online training programs for virtual reference
providers. She has also designed courses for WebJunction and LibraryU. She
is co-author of Virtual Reference Training: The Complete Guide to Providing
Anytime, Anywhere Answers, published by ALA Editions in 2004. Currently
continuing education coordinator for the Washington Library Association, she
is also on the board of directors of the Continuing Library Education
Network and Round Table (CLENERT) and was a delegate to ALA’s 2nd and 3rd
Congresses on Professional Education. 

Time required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 3 to 3½
hours per week. You can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of
the day or night. However, it is recommended that you complete each week’s
assignments within that week to stay in sync with other learners. 

Who Should Take This Course: Any library staff involved in reference
service—reference providers, supervisors, or managers—who want to explore
reference innovations for the purpose of re-vitalizing or improving services
in their own libraries. Course will also be of interest to MLIS students who
want to learn more about current innovations in reference service. This
course will be of particular interest to those working in public libraries
but relevant to academic and special libraries staff as well. 

Certification: Infopeople is an approved provider for the Western Council
Library Practitioner Certification Program,
http://certificate.westernco.org/

Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at

http://www.infopeople.org/training/learning_details.html   

If you would like to subscribe via RSS and be notified whenever new
Infopeople training events are available, you can use these links:

**For new on-ground or online workshops: http://infopeople.org/workshop/rss

**For new podcasts: http://feeds.feedburner.com/InfopeoplePodcasts

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/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.

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