2016 CALA Midwest Chapter Annual Conference Program
9:00 – 9:10 a.m.
Opening Welcome Remark
Dean of IU South Bend Library
President of CALA Midwest Chapter
9:10 – 9:40 a.m.
Docear: a New Tool to Help Researchers in Searching, Organizing, and Creating Academic Literature
Fu Zhuo, Learning & Research Librarian, zhuof@umkc.edu, University of Missouri – Kansas City
Scientists and researchers are always exploring better and more effective ways to search, organize, and create academic literature. Based on such a need, a new software, Docear, also Known as an ‘academic literature suite’ was first developed in 2009. After several updates, it was stably released in December 2015. Clustered with several applications for scientists, Docear contains academic search engine, PDF reader, reference manager, word processor, mind mapping module, and recommender system. In this presentation, Docear’s general concept is introduced and analyzed. Its special features such as a modular composition, free full-text access to literature, information management as mind map, automatic metadata extraction of PDFs and recommendations are presented. Its downsides in use will also be discussed.
9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Talking back to the public library: Measuring and conceptualizing the little free library movement
Kate Williams, Associate Professor, katewill@illinois.edu, University of Illinois
In just one decade, North Americans and others have taken their own initiative to create and maintain an estimated 12,000-plus little free libraries right in their front yards. In the U.S., these “take a book, leave a book” boxes harken back 100 years to when the new library profession organized their libraries to deliver books to factories, shops, community centers, construction sites, and even railyards frequented by hoboes. Little free libraries also resemble in some ways the people’s libraries that emerged on the 2011-2012 Occupy sites as that movement challenged the 1% on behalf of the 99%. Protestors and police saw these as guerrilla libraries; police and legal action ensued, rallying many librarians. Using GIS and US Census data, we analyze the US little free libraries in relation to residential patterns to see who they are most likely serving. We study seven more closely and find out what is circulating. Judging by our alumni, librarians love these little book exchanges. Measured against the library science canon from Ranganathan to Wiegand, what does this renaissance of libraries and reading say to the 16,500 government-funded public libraries across the United States? What can the global profession learn from this surging movement?
10:20 – 10:50 a.m.
An Overview of “An Analysis Report of 2014 CALA Self-Assessment Survey”
Wen-ling Liu, Librarian for East Asian and Tibetan Studies, wliu@indiana.edu, Indiana University
Jian Anna Xiong, Government Information Librarian, axiong@lib.siu.edu, Southern Illinois University
On the occasion of CALA’s 40th anniversary in 2014, the 2013 Board of Directors appointed a Self-Assessment Task Force to conduct an assessment survey with special focuses on members’ awareness of CALA’s organizational structure and policies, its services to members, the extent of participation in events sponsored by CALA, and the level of satisfaction with CALA leadership. Although only one-fifth of the active members responded to the survey, the answers and feedback have identified areas for organizational improvement and have shown how active members view the current state of CALA. The findings of the survey will serve as a valuable reference for future strategic planning and for carrying out CALA’s long term goals. The Task Force has the report just published this spring, so many CALA members may not be aware of the report and the findings yet. Wen-Ling Liu and Jian Anna Xiong would like to promote the awareness for this assessment project and share essential findings with CALA members at the CALA Midwest Chapter Conference.
10:55 – 11:55 a.m.
Keynote Speaker: Miguel Figueroa, Director, Center for the Future of Libraries, American Library Association
Thinking about the Future: Trends and Signals for the Library of the Future
Thinking about the future of our profession and the communities that we serve can seem like a daunting challenge. But there are steps we can take right now – exploring the trends and signals we encounter in our everyday lives – that can help us begin to envision preferable futures towards which we can all work. Sharing some of what the American Library Association is learning through its Center for the Future of Libraries, this presentation will help all of us find a productive role in building libraries of the future.
12:00 – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch Break
12:50 – 1:20 p.m.
Customize Your Search Box for Your Patron
Mingyan Li, Resource Access Librarian and Clinical Assistant Professor, mli5@uic.edu, University of Illinois at Chicago
This presentation will showcase how to use OPAC search box builder to create and customize your own search box to serve specific group of audience or specific information needs. This approach will improve the accuracy and efficiency of information retrieval especially for libraries with large collection of various formats of materials.
1:25 – 1:55 p.m.
A Job or a Career: How to market yourself to land on your dream job
Qi Chen, Library Director, qchen@ccsj.edu, Calumet College of St. Joseph
What is your dream job? Different people will have different opinions of a dream job, more money, more conformable, more fitting your life style or …? Getting a dream job is your most important investment. You should plan your search very carefully and be ready to execute your strategy. You need to know how to brand yourself demonstrating who you are and what you are. Your resume, interviews and correspondences with potential employers must be consistent and delivered in a clear and concise manner showing your skills and professionalism. All messages should be easily understood by your future hiring managers, prospective companies and also professional colleagues. / This presentation will talk about how to define your own dream job and make your dream come true. It will focus on how to search for your ideal job and put together an attractive resume and cover letter. It will also discuss interview skills both online, by phone and in person.
2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Designing Flipped Information Literacy Sessions with the Assessment-as-Learning Model
Yan He, Information Literacy Librarian, yh4@iuk.edu, Indiana University Kokomo
This presentation will focus on how an information literacy librarian teamed up with a Biochemistry professor and designed two flipped information literacy sessions to teach undergraduates how to read and find primary literature. We used the assessment-as-learning model to lay out the lesson plan that was integrated in the semester-long research project seamlessly. The assessment-as-learning model includes five steps: 1) “What do you want students to be able to do?” (Outcome); 2) “What does the student need to know in order to do this well?” (Curriculum); 3) “What activity will facilitate learning?” (Pedagogy); 4) “How will the student demonstrate the learning?” (Assessment); 5) “How will I know the student has done this well?” (Criteria). We started with the learning outcomes, and then decided on the instruction content and pedagogy. For the assessment piece, we did a background survey on students’ prior research experience and surveyed students on the flipped information literacy sessions. From the survey feedback and student performance, we learned that those approaches enhanced students’ learning experience.
2:35 – 3:05 p.m.
TensorFlow and its implications to libraries
Minhao Jiang, Software Development Librarian, minhao.jiang@wayne.edu, Wayne State University
TensorFlow, which stemmed from group research within Google, is a machine learning library made open source at November in the year of 2015. With TensorFlow, data flow chart can be constructed, and then executed after a session is launched. Meanwhile, data can also be fed, and fetched when a program is running. An edge represents a flow of tensor and a node represents a mathematical operation which takes and/or produces one or more tensors. The core idea of constructing a data flow chart make it less likely to be error-prone. Data charts can also be visualized in Tensorboard, a visualization shipped along with TensorFlow. This session is intended to be primarily explorative. It will provide introduction to TensorFlow, (demonstration will be made through Python, one of the Application Program Interfaces), how it can potentially benefit existing library systems, and lessons learned along the way. TensorBoard will be covered if time permits.
3:10 – 3:40 p.m.
Help-seeking in the Academic Library in the Digital Age. A Review of the Research and a Conversation
Thomas Burns, Learning and Research Librarian, burnstg@umkc.edu, University of Missouri Kansas City
Asking for help with library research can be difficult for students for many reasons. In this presentation, I will discuss some of the research on the topic of help-seeking. Many students still use a traditional approach by talking to a librarian at a reference or service desk. But, more often there are other opportunities for seeking help online, such as email, chat services, courseware and other digital tools, which presents its own set of advantages and challenges. Understanding the psychological and social reasons our patrons do or do not ask for help will assist us in training library staff, in designing our physical spaces, electronic resources, and other factors that encourage openness. There will be an opportunity to discuss strategies to encourage and facilitate help-seeking, and to understand the value of asking for help.
3:45 – 4:15 p.m.
Engaging Communities through Conversations
Vincci Kwong, Head of Library Web Services/Associate Librarian, vkwong@iusb.edu, Indiana University South Bend
In 2015, The American Library Association (ALA) partnered with The Harwood institute for Public Innovation to offer the Public Innovators Lab for Libraries. By serving as a public innovator and having a better understanding of our communities, we not only can create programs and strategies to address challenges people care about, but also make the community stronger. As one of the participants of the Public Innovators Lab, the presenter learned how to utilize the “turning outward” approach to effectively engage communities. In this presentation, the presenter will provide an overview of the “turning outward” approach, steps on how to lead community conversations and how to create conditions for change and sustainability.
4:20 – 4:50 p.m.
Information Sec__ity , What’s missing? UR !
Gary Browning, Lead Security Analyst, gary@iu.edu, Indiana University
Care to be aware! Stop by this session and get a brief introduction about information security and what role we all have in keeping information safe. Remember, Control + Alt + Delete when you leave your seat!
4:50 – 5:00 p.m.
Closing remarks