Monday, July 24, 2017

Learner-Centered Pedagogy: Principles and Practice


Learner-Centered Pedagogy: Principles and Practice by Kevin Michael Klipfel and Dani Brecher Cook. ALA Editions, 2017, 978-0-8389-1557-8.

Publisher's Description
Today’s emphasis on metrics and personalization make evidence-based instruction an imperative. In this practice-based handbook, the authors draw on the research of the humanistic psychologist and educator Carl Rogers to present an empathetic approach to information literacy sessions, reference service, and outreach.  With an eye on everyday library work, they offer concrete, empirically-based strategies to connect with learners at all levels. Offering plentiful examples of pedagogy in action, this book covers:
  • 6 cognitive principles for organizing information literacy instruction, with sample worksheets and organization tools for instruction planning;
  • how to establish rapport and kindle learners’ motivation;
  • tactics for transcending “cite 5 sources” and other uninspiring research assignments;
  • educational evidence debunking the mythical perception that because students are skilled at computers and mobile technology, they already know how to do research;
  • questions to keep in mind for inspiring autonomous learning;
  • the power of story, as described by Joan Didion, BrenĂ© Brown’s Ted Talk, and educational psychology research;
  • the science behind information overload; and
  • a balanced framework for evaluating specific educational technology tools.
Fusing theory with practice, this handbook is a valuable resource to help every practitioner connect with learners more effectively.

The authors blog at Rule Number One: A Library Blog.

More Information
See the publisher's website for Table of Contents and author information.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Getting Started in Service Design: A How-To-Do-It Manual For Librarians

 

Marquez, Joe J. and Annie Downey. Getting Started in Service Design: A How-To-Do-It Manual For Librarians. Neal-Schuman, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1564-6

Description
Service design is a holistic, collaborative methodology that puts the user at the center of the service delivery model. Because this approach prioritizes users and their overall experience, it’s a valuable framework that librarians and administrators can use as a group to assess, revise, and create library services, spaces, and workflows. In this book, the authors use an action-oriented assortment of exercises, templates, and tools to make service design more accessible to all types of libraries. 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1    About Service Design

Service Design Defined
Why Service Design?
The Phases of Service Design
  • Pre-Work
  • Observation
  • Understanding/Thinking
  • Implementation
  • Maintenance/Post-Assessment
The Service Design Mindset
  • Co-Creating
  • Making the Intangible Tangible
  • Confirming with Evidence
  • Focusing on User Needs and Expectations
  • Thinking Holistically
  • Having Empathy
  • Being Open-Minded and Not a Devil’s Advocate
  • Being Willing to Evolve
Reasons for a Service Design Inquiry

Chapter 2    Getting Started with Evaluating Services

Library Service Design Heuristics
Sample Heuristic Evaluation
  • Service: Checking out a Book
Conclusion
Further Reading

Chapter 3    Project Planning

Identifying Real Problems
Creating Teams
  • Internal Teams
  • External Teams
Identifying Stakeholders
Devising Team Rules
  • Questions to Consider when Making Ground Rules
Project Definitions
  • Project Purpose
  • Project Objectives
  • Project Scope
Scheduling
Project Documentation

Chapter 4    Service Design Tools

Service Inventory
Ecology Map
Stakeholder Map
Surveys
Space Analysis
Service Safari
Interviews and Contextual Inquiry
  • Interview Protocol Checklist
Discussion Groups
Observation
Work Like a User
Scenarios and Expectation Maps
Journaling
Customer Journey Map
Mobile Ethnography
Prototyping
  • Nondynamic Service Prototypes
  • Dynamic Service Prototypes
Focus Groups
  • Focus Group Checklist
  • Recruiting Checklist
Graffiti Wall
Blueprinting
Example: Use of Tools in Service Design Projects
  • Public Library
  • Academic Library
  • Space Analysis
  • Customer Journey Map
  • Mobile Ethnography
  • Service Blueprint
Chapter 5    Analysis and Synthesis

Transcribing
Preparing Data for Coding
Coding
Confirmation
Conclusion: The Write-Up

Further Reading
  • Appendixes
  • Bibliography
  • Index

Thursday, July 13, 2017

3D Printing: A Practical Guide for Librarians

Gonzalez, Sara Russell and Beaubien Bennet.  3D Printing: A Practical Guide for Librarians. Rowman & Littlefield, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-4422-5548-7.

Planning and implementing a 3D printing service in a library may seem like a daunting task. Based upon the authors’ experience as early adopters of 3D technology and running a successful 3D printing service at a large academic library, this guide provides the steps to follow when launching a service in any type of library.

Detailed guidance and over 50 graphics provide readers with sage guidance and detailed instructions on:
  • planning a proposal
  • printer selection tips
  • preparing the location
  • addressing staff concerns for new service
  • developing service workflows and procedures
  • managing inevitable disasters
  • developing policies
  • conducting the “reference interview” for 3D printing
  • staff training tips
  • outreach activities
This book brings into one place all the guidance you need for developing and implementing a 3D printing service in any library.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Digital Rights Management: The Librarian's Guide



Lemmer, Catherine A. and Carla P. Wale (eds). Digital Rights Management: The Librarian's Guide. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-4422-6375-8.

In a world of users that routinely click “I Agree” buttons, librarians may be the lone voice raising an alert to the privacy, use, and ownership issues arising in connection with the design and implementation of digital rights management (DRM) technologies. DRM reflects the efforts of copyright owners to prevent the illegal distribution of copyrighted material – an admirable goal on its face. A common misunderstanding is that DRM is copyright law. It is not. Rather it is a method of preventing copyright infringement; however, if unchecked, DRM has the potential to violate privacy, limit ownership rights, and undermine the delicate balance of rights and policies established by our current system of copyright. All three of these arenas are critical for both librarians and their users.

Reflecting the shift from ownership to access, libraries are increasingly providing access to rights-protected digital content. Libraries strive to provide access to rights-protected content in a manner that protects both the content creator and the privacy of the user. DRM encompasses a variety of technologies and strategies utilized by content owners and managers to limit access to and the use of rights-protected content. Librarians need to understand DRM to effectively enable users to access and use rights-protected digital content while at the same time protecting the privacy of the user.

Designed to address the practical operational and planning issues related to DRM, this guide explores the critical issues and challenges faced by librarians. After reading it, librarians will better understand:
  • the digital content rights protection scheme;
  • the various DRM technologies and how they are used;
  • how to use authentication and authorization standards, strategies, and technologies; and,
  • the privacy and security issues related to DRM.
Edited by two librarians who also hold law degrees, this is a best practices guide for front-line librarians on how to best respond to the impact of DRM schemes on collection development, staffing, budget, service, and other library concerns.

Migrating Library Data: A Practical Manual

Bannerjee, Kyle and Bonnie Parks (eds). Migrating Library Data: A Practical Manual. Chicago : ALA Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1503-5. 

Most librarians and staff participate in at least one data migration during their careers. And since the
new systems inevitably work differently than the old ones and require different data to function, it’s always a challenge to plan smooth migrations that position libraries to immediately leverage new system capabilities. Using step-by-step instructions and checklists, this book offers expert advice to help library staff without programming knowledge address common conceptual and technical issues encountered in migrations. An important planning and implementation tool that will help prevent headaches and frustration, this book:
  • offers a holistic view of migrating different types of library data in ILSes, institutional repositories, DAMs, and other types of systems used to manage data and operations;
  • shows how to analyze, clean, and manipulate data using skills and tools available to most libraries;
  • demonstrates how to work with specific data types typically encountered such as MARC, XML, and delimited text;
  • examines issues that affect specific areas such as acquisitions, circulation, licensing, and institutional repositories;
  • addresses how to handle changes in authentication management or when moving into a wholly new environment such as a shared catalog;
  • thoroughly covers testing, the final migration process, and putting the new system into full production;
  • offers guidance on planning for system freeze, staff training, and how to deal with fallout;
  • provides step-by-step instructions as well as useful checklists for “go live” readiness, post-migration functionality, and more.
Library staff involved with migrating data will feel confident following this guide’s expert advice.


Complete table of contents are available here.

Not Just Where to Click: Teaching Students How to Think about Information



Swanson, Troy A. and Heather Jagman (eds). Not Just Where to Click: Teaching Students How to Think about Information. Chicago, Illinois : Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-8389-8716-2.

(Winner of the 2016 ACRL Instruction Section Ilene F. Rockman Award)

Not Just Where to Click: Teaching Students How to Think about Information explores how librarians and faculty work together to teach students about the nature of expertise, authority, and credibility. It provides practical approaches for motivating students to explore their beliefs, biases, and ways of interpreting the world.

This book also includes chapters that bridge the gap between the epistemological stances and threshold concepts held by librarians and faculty, and those held by students, focusing on pedagogies that challenge students to evaluate authority, connect to prior knowledge and construct new knowledge in a world of information abundance. Authors draw from a deep pool of perspectives including social psychology, critical theory, and various philosophical traditions.

Contributors to the nineteen chapters in this volume offer a balance of theoretical and applied approaches to teaching information literacy, supplying readers with accessible and innovative ideas ready to be put into practice.

Not Just Where to Click is appropriate for all types of academic libraries, and is also suitable for library and information science curricula and collections.

Complete table of contents are available here.