On April 18, the first beta version of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) will be launched. What is the DPLA? In simple terms, it is a network of comprehensive online resources that draws on the nation’s living heritage from libraries, universities, archives, and museums to provide broad access to educational resources. “In its first iteration, the DPLA will combine a group of rich, interesting digital collections, from state and regional digital archives to the special collections of major university libraries and federal holdings. The DPLA will demonstrate how powerful and exciting it can be to bring together our nation’s digitized materials, metadata (including catalog records, for instance), code, and digital tools and services into an open, shared resource.” For much more in depth information from Library Journal on the DPLA, click here.
Category Archives: News from the Field
Serving the DIY Patron : Library Instruction at the Point of Need
Where: SALS Training Room
RSVP: Jill Ryder
What DIY patrons want most isn’t traditional person-to-person reference services, but rather web- and mobile device-based resources so they can serve themselves through the library. In this first-of-its kind workshop, Farkas will explore the DIY mindset and ways to embed online instruction and live virtual reference help at patrons’ points of need, whether online, in the library, or out in the world. Among the topics to be explored:
• Characteristics of the DIY patron and changes in usage of reference services
• Designing instructional content for the DIY generation
• How to determine where users hit barriers in their information seeking
• Making instructional content findable at library users’ points of need
Meredith Farkas is the Head of Instructional Services at Portland State University in Oregon and a lecturer at San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science. Author of the book Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication and Community Online, she maintains the popular library blog Information Wants to be Free and also writes the monthly column Technology in Practice for American Libraries.
PLA Virtual Symposium – Notes, Thoughts and Links
Pardon my stream of conscience note taking style…
Hands on! Innovative YA with Steve Teeri from Detroit Public Library
Find your Etsy patrons – they can come in and do crafts with your teens
Making the Future Grant
Downton Abbey Paper Dolls by Vulture
Do a gap analysis — does your school still provide Home and Careers classes? Do they have electives in high school? Is there another community organization that teaches these skills to teens?
Bring these classes to your library’s makerspace –> sewing, bicycle repair, graphic design, caligraphy, etc…
Arduino breadboarding: circuit making/basic electronics
Handout
