Connecting the Human and the Digital: How 21st Century Library Technologies can Enhance the Experiences of Remote UsersT. Eloise StevensPresented at the University of AlabamaOctober 15, 2013

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The Question Posed

• The University Libraries are continually looking for ways to increase access to its resources, especially to remote users. Can you explain how technology enables libraries to provide these services and how the Web Applications Librarian would build the bridge between these technological advances and instruction?

The Question Posed

• The University Libraries are continually looking for ways to increase access to its resources, especially to remote users. Can you explain how technology enables libraries to provide these services and how the Web Applications Librarian would build the bridge between these technological advances and instruction?

Library Mission

Support the University’s mission, vision, and goals by anticipating library information, technology, and service requirements; by providing timely access to needed resources; by responding to changing user needs; and by promoting effective use of information by students, faculty, and staff. The University Libraries strive for excellence in service, instruction, and building collections. We seek new and better ways of serving the academic community.

The University of Alabama: Mission Statement

•To advance the intellectual and social condition of the people of the State through quality programs of teaching, research, and service.

Digital Library Instruction

Alabama

University of Alabama

University of Alabama Libraries

The United States

The World

• Technology, if used thoughtfully and in collaboration with traditional and emerging methods of library instruction, can enable libraries to provide exceptional service and access to remote users.

Library Resources

• Books, Articles, Databases, Archival Material• Academic Support System that grows from

a combination of that “Stuff” and Library Services.

The Special Needs of Remote Users

• Remote Users, are primarily distance learners.• Older than traditional students• Part-Time• Growing number of full time, and/or traditional-age students

in distance learning programs- or maybe just taking a class from home

• Just like on-site users, these students have varying levels of technological savvy and comfort with library materials.

• Unlike a traditional classroom, the community is not “built-in” and automatic

New Remote Users

• Remote Library Users and distance learners have existed for years, technology givers us the opportunity to create a more synchronous and in-depth learning experience• Asynchronous is often used, as it allows for

the busy schedules of many remote users, however synchronous enhances the sense of community among users

Technology Creates Possibilities

Source: Paleofuture.com

Digital Tools For Instruction

• Chat sessions• With Instructors• With Librarians• With Peers

• E-mail• Web-Guides• Dealing with information literacy• Subject Specific

• Videos, including Screencasts• Cannot rest on laurels, constant changes

Blending broadcast and communicative, synchronous and asynchronous

How technology can help• Technology makes many traditional tasks much easier.• Communicating• Editing• Proper Citation

• However, requires a more comprehensive way of thinking and instructing, focus on developing good habits, adaptability and critical thinking • Digital tools can help us teach these skills, however we must be

adaptable, we must have good habits, we must think critically• Constant learning alongside our users

Information Literacy Instruction

• Stress accessibility- A library’s competitors are becoming Google, Wikipedia, yahoo answers etcetc.

• Need to teach this at multiple levels • Include copyright instruction

Subject Specialized Instruction• Stress Collaboration• Provide support and instruction to faculty as well• Awareness of resources, ensure assignments are do-able• Collaboration on assignments, library resource integration,

web tutorials

Form Influences Function• It’s important to keep in mind that when providing digital

service to users, particularly asynchronously that the design of our tools must support their functionality

• Need to keep the user’s experience at the center of our design• Motivate through multi-media and interactive tools• Establish clear objectives for users and review• Provide guidance and feedback• Accessibility

The Need for Assessment• Changing nature of the needs of users, requires constant

assessment• Marginalized groups, and groups that may not have the

characteristics of the “digital native”• Proactively reaching out to users

The Role of the Web Applications Librarian

• “As Jeffries (1997) notes, "educational change is technically simple and socially complex." While this may be true, most administrators will find the demands of creating an infrastructure and developing online courses to be a challenging endeavor. Although any professor with some knowledge of HTML and a little technical support could develop comprehensive courses without a management system, and several already do, institutions want a centralized system to assure uniformity of appearance and, if possible, to manage many other aspects of the course and overall administration.”

- “Why do Educators Embrace High-Cost Technologies” Anna C. McFadden, Ph.D., George E. Marsh II, Ed.D., and Barrie Jo Price, Ed.D. The University of Alabama, College of Education

The Role of the Web Applications Librarian

• Coordination to facilitate collaboration• Ensure that there is proper outreach to both students and

faculty• Keep ahead of current technologies, understand them well

enough to communicate them• Understand the changing needs of remote users through

various methods of assessment• Ensure high-quality and up-to-date material and guides• Humanize technology

Review• Technology helps us reach out to students, particularly remote

users• Cannot lose sight of multiple intelligences/learning styles, no

one-size-fits-all in any form of instruction• Stress accessibility and the fact that there are people willing to

help, specifically for non digital-natives• Web Applications Librarian plays a role in ensuring the quality

of web-based instructional tools, while being mindful of the “socially complex” aspects of this disruptive technology

Selected Bibliography• Clayton, Susan J. "Going the distance: Library instruction for

remote learners." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 33, no. 4 (2007): 519.

• Harmon, Charles, and Michael Messina, eds. E-learning in Libraries: Best Practices. Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.

• Jacobson, Trudi E., and Helene C. Williams. "Teaching the new library to today's users." (2000).

• McFadden, Anna C., George E. Marsh, and Barrie Jo Price. "Why Do Educators Embrace High-Cost Technologies?." Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 2, no. 4 (1999).

• Smith, Susan Sharpless. Web-based instruction: A guide for libraries. Chicago, 2006.

• SPEC Kit 286: Collaboration for Distance Learning Information Literacy Instruction, http://www.arl.org/focus-areas/statistics-assessment/1790