Internet Librarian 2016 Conference -- report by Shelley Blackman | Council of Chief Librarians

Internet Librarian 2016 Conference

Report for CCL Outlook, submitted by Shelley Blackman, Evergreen Valley College

2016 marked the 20^th anniversary of the Internet Librarian Conference in Monterey, CA, and as in previous years, this conference provided innovative and forward-looking workshops geared towards information professionals who are using, developing, and embracing leading edge information technologies and processes. Along with keynote speeches and networking events, the conference offered 45-minute sessions that were grouped into tracks: Discovery, Navigation, & Search; Web Presence; Community Engagement; Open Access/Open Education; and Internet@Schools. Following are some highlights of several sessions I was able to attend:

Discovery Tools by Marshall Breeding gave an overview and history of the development of discovery tools. He described discovery’s evolution from library catalogs that provide title level only access to books, journals, and media to catalogs’ later evolution featuring enhanced visual displays, faceted results lists, and access to local digital collections. The current state of discovery (think web-scale) provides access to local ILS data as well as web content, digital collections and institutional repositories, e-journals, and more. Breeding predicts that the next phase in the development of discovery tools will be Library Services Platforms (or LSPs) – tools that are open (built on open source architecture) extendable, and interoperable -- designed to accommodate print and digital information. LSPs will also allow for the unbundling of library services: This is to say that a library may have one vendor for its acquisitions module, another for cataloging; another for its OPAC, and another for a discovery tool. The full version of this discovery presentation is available on the Library Technology Guides website.
Greg Notess’ Power Searcher: Techniques and New Trends provided a “state of the search engine landscape” highlighting current development and trends. Among the more prominent trends is Google’s (and other search engines’) emphasis on search for mobile applications, seen in fewer search features, re-designed pages optimized for on mobile screens, and the increased use of autocomplete. Benefits also include fewer ads, fresher (more current) content and different results than traditional searches on a computer screen. A new standard for content delivered to mobile screens - Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) means faster page downloads.
Gamifying Database Instruction, part of the Internet@Schools conference track, featured new techniques and approaches to teaching students about databases. Session speaker Dr. Brenda Boyer described how she uses flipped instruction and a competitive, fast-paced game to involve students in their own learning. Flipped instruction reverses the order of things: recorded content and screencast video instructions are made available online (Boyer uses Tildee, a free tool for creating tutorials) allow students to learn about databases featured in the lessons on their own time. Students are expected to record what they discover about the database being explored using an advance organizer to log information and are required to bring the completed organizer to class. Class time is devoted to practice and application of what has been absorbed by students on their own: students in teams are assigned tasks to carry out in timed competition. Student engagement is high since competition increases the stakes. An article published in School Library Journal (March 2016) details this approach to database instruction.
A session on Open Education Resources (OER) by presenter Julie Erickson, a Learning Specialist from Technology in Education, explored ways in which educators can create digital textbooks incorporating free OER to help students save money on textbooks. Although the focus of the presentation was on K-12 schools, many of the resources featured are appropriate for a community college audience, including Skills Commons, a repository of learning materials for CTE; the Open Course Library, shareable course materials by teams of college faculty, and TED-Ed Lessons (short animated videos searchable by educations level). For more, see this list of OER resources and open courseware materials provided by the presenter.

A list of all conference handouts and slides is available on the Internet Librarian 2016 website.

I am grateful to the Council of Chief Librarians who made my attendance possible through a stipend I was awarded [as a member of the CCL EAR Committee].