Mary Donaldson Memorial Keynote Lecture
Presenter: Mary-Ann Kirkby
Friday (F2), 11:00am – noon
Mary-Ann Kirkby is a best-selling author, whose self-published book, I Am Hutterite chronicles her childhood experiences of life on a Manitoba Hutterite colony and the aftermath of leaving community life.
Her memoir received the Best Non-fiction award at the Saskatchewan Book Awards and was also short-listed for Best First Book. Since its release in June 2007, I Am Hutterite has sold 75,000 copies across Canada.
She is the owner of Polka Dot Press and I Am Hutterite Inc. In 2010, she signed with American publishers Thomas Nelson, granting them American and worldwide rights.
She has garnered attention from regional, national and international journalists in print, radio and television and as a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, is a popular speaker, delighting audiences with her humour and candid descriptions of life on and off the colony.
How We Moved Our Library in 10 Easy (And Not So Easy) Steps
Presenter: Ann Foster
Friday (F4), 1:30pm – 2:30pm
This presentation will examine the many challenges involved in moving a Library collection, using the Alice Turner Branch of the Saskatoon Public Library as a case study. This branch library stayed open for all but four days of its large-scale expansion and renovation. This talk will provide practical tips as well as demonstrate problem-solving initiatives by branch staff. The discussion will include all stages of the move, from planning to packing to reopening – and all of the little surprises that popped up along the way!
How do Librarians find out about Saskatchewan Books?
Presenter: Brenda Niskala
Friday (F5), 1:30pm – 2:30pm
The Saskatchewan Publishers Group wants to know how best to serve the library community. How can we get news of upcoming books to you in a way you can use? What form of communication works best? Do you need reviews, a monthly email, a catalogue or an online listing? Do you need full ONIX records or just bibliographic basics? Do you need a thumbnail or print-quality cover? Do you need the information sorted by genre, subject or year of release? Do you prefer print or eBooks? What eBook formats work best for libraries? We’re here to listen and to take your suggestions!
Inquiring Minds Want to Know: How Inquiry Methods are Changing Library Practice
Presenters: Carlene Walter & Chris Arnstead
Friday (F6), 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Libraries are evolving from simply a place to gather materials to a space to inquire and construct information. Saskatchewan’s renewed curricula emphasizes that inquiry is a collaborative search for a “deeper understanding of the world and human experience”. Learners are not only encouraged to search for information from diverse print and digital sources on a self-selected topic, but also to evaluate its currency, bias, relevancy, and authenticity. It is no longer sufficient to regurgitate and report information; learners are required to be information producers and decision-makers. In this session, we will discuss:
- Curriculum renewal with an inquiry focus
- Traditional research vs. inquiry research
- Information literacy skills, including ISTE standards
- Technologies to foster inquiry
- The Saskatchewan School Library Association’s (SSLA) and Ministry of Education’s Inquiry Project
- How libraries can support 21st century learners
“Next Generation” Search Interfaces
Presenters: Barbara Nelke, Kate Cushon & Gillian Nowlan
Friday (F7), 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Web Discovery tools or Google-like searches for library resources are the latest trends for discovering print and electronic resources owned by libraries. This session will present an overview of “next generation” search interfaces with a focus the Serials Solution product “Summon” at the University of Regina.
The Future of the Book
Presenter: Edward Willet
Friday (F8), 3:00pm – 4:00pm
For centuries, everyone has known what a book is: it’s a stack of bound paper with words on it. But today, a book may be nothing more than a computer file. You can carry a whole library around with you on a device smaller and lighter than your old copy of Goodnight Moon, and “books” can contain sound clips, video, hyperlinks and more. For writers and publishers of books, these changes are even more profound. When anyone can publish an eBook on the Internet in a matter of minutes and have it available alongside Stephen King’s latest on Amazon, what does it mean to be a “published author”? What role does a traditional publishing company have to play in connecting authors and their books to the readers who will love them? Everyone is scrambling to find his or her place in this rapidly changing literary landscape…so why be left out? Science (and science-fiction) writer Edward Willett, writer-in-residence at the Regina Public Library, gets out his foggy crystal ball and attempts to foretell the future of the book.
Saskatchewan Aboriginal Library Services
Presenters: Wendy Sinclair & Lonette Pelletier
Friday (F9), 3:00pm – 4:00pm
In the spring of 2006, the Provincial Library and Literacy Office (PLLO) assembled a Working Group on Aboriginal Library Services with representatives from each of the ten public library systems in Saskatchewan. One of the primary tasks of the working group was to assess improvement in library services for First Nations and Métis peoples in Saskatchewan, and the extent to which the 46 recommendations of Information is for Everyone, final report of the Minister’s Advisory Committee on Library Services for Aboriginal People (October, 2001) have been achieved. Effective September 13, 2006, the group became known as the Committee for Aboriginal Library Services (CALS).
Today, CALS makes recommendations to the PLLO; communicates and evaluates programs, services and collections for Aboriginal peoples; networks with provincial and national groups; shares ideas on how to reach the Aboriginal community; and, reviews reports that have implications for library services to Aboriginal people.
This discussion will provide an overview of the final report, identify outstanding issues and current challenges, and provide information on services such as the Provincial Round Dances and Aboriginal Storytelling Month.
Tips from the Teaching Centre: Making Library Instruction Interactive and Engaging
Presenter: Cara Bradley
Friday (F10), 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Do you sometimes struggle to keep students interested during library instruction sessions? Looking for new and engaging ways to present information literacy concepts? Then this session is for you! Cara will draw on her experience as Associate Director for the University of Regina’s Centre for Teaching and Learning to lead participants through a range of innovative approaches to teaching that are particularly useful in a library setting.
Saskatchewan Digitization Projects
Presenters: Mark Vajcner, Melissa Bennett & Craig Harkema
Friday (F11), 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Libraries and archives in Saskatchewan are currently working together on some exciting digitization projects. Mark Vajcner, University Archivist at the University of Regina, will detail recent initiatives at the University to build a digital archive of artists’ records. The project aims to present materials with as much contextual information as possible allowing clients to use the digital archive as a research collection.
The Ministry of Education has provided substantial grant funding over three years for the Saskatchewan Multitype Digitization Initiative to scale up digitization efforts based on the Saskatchewan War Experience model. The University of Saskatchewan will work closely with the Saskatchewan Digital Alliance to partner with a range of libraries, archives and other information providers throughout Saskatchewan. The result will be one large portal site that enables users to search many digital collections simultaneously. This presentation will outline the strategic plan and provide a progress update.
What is the Steampunk Genre?
Presenter: Lorelie DeRoose
Saturday (S2), 9:00am – 10:00am
Presentation slides: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36609693/SteampunkLiteratureMay_2012.ppt
What is steampunk? Some boil it down to “a futuristic look at an alternative past with technology driven by steam”. The presentation will provide some definitions of the genre and an overview of the steampunk aesthetic. A quick look at the roots of the literary tradition as well as the current explosion of steampunk novels across genres, including young adult and local authors, will be at the core of the presentation. A handout of not-to-be-missed steampunk readings and websites will be provided.
Genealogy Boot Camp
Presenter: May P. Chan
Saturday (S3), 9:00am – 10:00am
Despite the demise of CBC’s genealogy program “Who Do You Think You Are?” in 2008, family history research still remains one of the most popular hobbies in North America. Yet library staff often feel confused by how to answer genealogy questions and are unsure of which resources are available to users. This “genealogy boot camp” will cover the basics of genealogy reference and discuss how to locate key genealogical resources, especially those that can be found online and for free! The session will also look at how to track down additional community resources and stay current with the wealth of resources available. The workshop is primarily geared towards public, school and academic libraries that do not offer a genealogy collection but would like to expand their research services.
Supporting Independent and Informal Learning, An Enduring Role for Public Libraries
Presenters: Stephanie Hall & Catherine Howett
Saturday (S4), 9:00am – 10:00am
Public libraries have traditionally had an important role in supporting informal and independent learning, where the K-12 and post-secondary sectors have provided formal education. In recent years, unprecedented growth in the areas of distributed learning, online education, distance, informal, and peer-to-peer learning has been occurring. A complex ecosystem of individualized, collaborative and project-based learning opportunities is emerging. As public libraries reconceptualize the use of space, technology strategies, and service delivery models in the digital age, an opportunity exists to more explicitly support these varied learning activities, and to look at ways to dovetail program outcomes with those sought by government, formal learning bodies, community organizations, and the private sector. This session presents research and best practices in this area and provides a forum for discussion of future directions.
Give Your Library Website a Reboot Using WordPress
Presenters: Arwen Rudoplh & Laura Shtern
Saturday (S5), 9:00am – 10:00am
Despite the importance placed on having an online presence, many library websites continue to sit at the bottom of priority lists. This is especially problematic for small institutions with limited budgets and staff. Website development and upkeep is often haphazard and ad hoc, but it is possible to have an attractive, useful, content-rich library website that all of your staff can contribute to using open source software such as WordPress.
Palliser Regional Library has undertaken a website redesign. The presentation will take listeners through the process: statistic-gathering, deciding on a content management system, learning how to use WordPress to start a blog network, and understanding how WordPress makes it possible to delegate responsibility for the website to all staff. Palliser now has a Teen Blog, a Books Blog, and a Staff-Only Blog and website. All are getting great use and making the website a popular stop for both staff and patrons.
Goodreads
Presenters: May P. Chan & Trudi Stafford
Saturday (S6), 10:30am – 11:30am
In June 2011, NoveList struck a deal to incorporate user-generated reviews from the popular social reading site, Goodreads. With 5.2 million worldwide members who have catalogued more than 160 million books, Goodreads is rapidly changing how readers discover and share books. This information session will be taught by two fervent “Goodreads Librarians” who will demo the site and highlight key elements such as book recommendations, message boards and social cataloguing. The session will examine how readers, authors and publishers are utilizing the site and how it connects libraries across North America with its readers. The workshop is primarily geared towards public and school libraries that are looking at ways to expand their virtual Reader’s Advisory services.
Peer Learning @ the Library: Enhancing the Student Experience & Developing Library Research Skills – A Case Study
Presenters: Jo Ann Murphy & Virginia Wilson
Saturday (S8), 10:30am – 11:30am
In the fall of 2010, the Murray Library at the University of Saskatchewan began piloting a Library Peer Mentor (PAL) program in collaboration with the established University Learning Centre (ULC) peer mentoring program which resides within the Murray Library space.
As partners in the Learning Commons, both the Murray Library and ULC recognized that incorporating a library skills and research component to this existing program made sense. Peer to peer learning has proven to be effective for academic student support in areas such as study skills, writing assistance, and math help while at the same time building leadership skills and enhancing the academic experience for the peer mentors themselves. Because academic libraries, librarians, and library anxiety continue to present a barrier for many students, the hope was that a peer approach might bridge that barrier and help to develop library research skills along the way.
In this session we will share our experience developing this two year pilot program, focusing on successes and challenges. We will discuss how academic libraries can support student success and enhance the student experience beyond hiring them to shelve and checkout books.
Maximizing the Potential of Social Media for Public Libraries
Presenter: Ann Foster
Saturday (S9), 10:30am – 11:30am
Many library patrons interact with social media, so reaching out to them on these platforms is a necessary part of 21st-century library work. Since its creation in April 2010, the Saskatoon Public Library Facebook page has gained more than 500 fans. The companion Twitter page (@stoonlibrary) has more than 400 followers, with new followers joining weekly. These are not static “fans” as both pages foster discussion and a sense of community. Features such as thematic booklists, staff picks, and even Facebook Reader’s Advisory allow our staff to reach patrons outside of the traditional walls of the Library. The presentation will show how involving Librarians and other Library staff in the administration of social media pages can allow for interaction and community involvement without leaving the reference desk.