The first thing we will do on the morning of Library Camp of the West is assign topics to certain times and breakout rooms. We will use the list of suggested topics below as a starting point, so suggest away. Please add your name to the suggestion.

• for Wyoming people (well, for anyone, really, but my example is Wyoming specific): Have you looked at http://wyldhacks.info/? Do you use these? Do your patrons? Are they useful? What other hacks might be useful? (Laura Crossett)

• Libraries as places of transformation, based on the new OCLC study (soon to be published). How do we plan services, collections, spaces, online presence, programs to encourage transformative experiences for our users. (Sharon Morris)
  • To add to Sharon's idea, one thing that I would like to discuss is the idea of the "learning commons," though I think this term is more common in the academic setting. (Jessica King, Westwood)
  • Also-how do we get the word out that libraries are transformative? The OCLC study found that our heaviest supporters are not necessarily library users, and that few people even know that we offer these kinds of tranformative services.(Tracy Treece, APL)

• Creative marketing/outreach for reference services (Erin Meyer, DU)

• Assessment of reference services (Erin Meyer, DU)

• In the context of working with students, I could talk about a First Year Experience course where I'll be semi-embedded in the classrom. (Steve Lawson, Colorado College)

• I've done a varietty of embedded projects with classes, and would be happy to talk about this topic, too. (Kaijsa Calkins, University of Wyoming)

• I'm not able to present on this, but I'd be interested in hearing about digital collections projects such as the Alliance Digital Repository and the Collaborative Digitization Program (Steve Lawson, Colorado College)

• I could talk about the ADR, what it is, what we are doing, and how it relates to DU (as well as other universities in the area). (Rachel Desormes, DU.)
• I was a practicum student at the ADR and am part of the ADR metadata committee, and would be happy to share my experiences with that.  I'd also be interested in hearing how other libraries handle their institutions' local or unique digital content, and talking about ways to increase the visibility of digital collections. (Robin Dean, DU)

• Laura Crossett, Josh Neff, Joe Kraus and/or I could probably be convinced to talk about the Library Society of the World (an Un-Association (Dis-Association?) (Steve Lawson, Colorado College)
  • I am a member but haven't really used (Connie Masson)

• Wanna get crazy? Impractical, unreasonable, improbable, inappropriate, unfundable concepts for something now called a library - in the year 2050. Bring ideas you can't talk about anyplace else - please, no whiners! Future artifacts welcome. (Pat Wagner, Pattern Research)

• Marketing public (or any!) library collections (e.g. small business books and databases) on a limited budget (Terzah Becker, Boulder Public Library)

• I heard about PageFlakes a couple months ago (From Debra Kolah at Rice Univ.) as a "competitor" to the iGoogle and MyYahoo portals. Anybody using this to create subject based portals like this one for physics? Are there other "free" products that could be used? I do know about the Springshare Libguides, but that costs $$. We do have our "Research Guide" management system, but the page layout is a tad limiting. (Joe Kraus, DU)

• programming/services/collections for young adults (ages 20-40 somethings, not teens) (Jill Jarrell, PPLD)
  • I'm intrigued by the idea of partnerships between academic and public libraries for programming/services for the undergrad or grad student population.  (Robin Dean, DU)

• When Katrina hit, public libraries were the first outlets for the refugees. Is anybody checking out the funding for libraries in disaster recovery plans? (Wasn't the Windsor library a "first responder" too?) (Julia Ripley, retired tech writer)
  • I just returned from a trip to MS and LA for the Gulf Coast Libraries Project, and can share information on how the funding from a $2.2 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant is being used to restore normalcy through libraries; also, what services are most important immediately post-disaster (Dodie Ownes, LJ/SLJ)

• Perhaps a conversation about social bookmarking/how instructors are using del.icio.us/other bookmarks in classes. Also: class use of Google Docs, e.g., collaborative editing of a document by class members. Might as well round it out with talk about use of Wikipedia in a class setting (i.e., going WITH the flow, not against...) (Linda Tietjen, Auraria Library, Denver).

• Service to diverse populations -- non-native English speakers, low education, new immigrants -- on a limited budget (Rachel Fewell, DPL)

• I'll tag on to Rachel's post, and throw this ringer in: what are some good ways to teach information literacy esp. internet searching if you can't go online? (Sue Keefer, FLCF)
  • I'll tag onto Sue's post: Teaching Without Technology--there are times when technology is available only to the librarian at the teacher workstation when conducting classes in library services, database use, and library research methods. What now? How can we do our thing and still effectively engage students without putting them to sleep with a lecture? I was thinking if anyone used specific methods to keep audiences awake during powerpoint presentations, these same methods could be utilized in classes where no computers are available to students for hands-on training. (Karen Pardue, CSU-Pueblo) 
  • Another postpostscript:  Yes, please, can we have some practical pointers for how to teach poor kids and refugees How to Use American Libraries, as in, you have to return the books on time.  This is a BIG deal (not British Victorian working-class Mudie's for-rent English Common Reader stuff, SDUK and all) that the books are for BORROWING not keeping.  I want to holler, "Hey guys, this is a community and you're a member!"  I'm working with two tutoring groups in Denver, one of grade-schoolers and the other of Burmese and Iraqi refugees, and neither group knows the rules and rights of a library card, that the books are BORROWED, and that they have to be RETURNED.  How do we start from basics and work up to the computer?  More ways to teach information literacy, yes yes yes! (Julia Ripley, retired tech writer, Wordmonger PhD, MLIS)
  • I'm all for anything that helps librarians and library staff figure out effective ways to help people learn.  I'm also interested in talking about librarians helping people learn and transform themselves (see other topic at top of list) without making them feel that they are deficient.  Freire anyone?  (Mary Stansbury, DU-LIS)

     

• Effective information services in virtual worlds - what does this look like today and in the future?

• What is the future of the traditional catalog for digitial only information collections? Do we need it? What do we use that serves the same purpose and provides the metadata and findability we need? YouTube like service?

• Content integration with LMSs - what does this look like? is is working? is it where the student/employee wants to find the mashup of information and classes?

• To tag on to Pat's suggestion, maybe some brainstorming around scenarios - what does the world look like in 2015, 2025, 2050, and what does information and information services look like? And what do we do now to start preparing? (Scott Brown, Sun Microsystems)

• Succession planning and growing internal leaders. We're doing a "Leadership Journey" class at our library, but I'm looking for other ways to help folks move up faster. (Jamie LaRue)
  • I am very interested in this as well. Also, in times of financial hardship, what can we offer loyal employees as incentives to stay with the library and hang in there? Most of us are in it for more than the paycheck, but with limited hours, we are losing personnel resources which I fear will hurt us in the future. We need to not only grow leaders, but keep them. (Tara Bannon)

• Project Management in Libraries - An Idea That's Long Overdue. (William Tietjen - Univ of Colo Denver)   Do your regular staff meetings always seem to run over-budget and time?  Do your managers and team leaders come with prepared agenda?  Prepared schedules?  Prepared documents?   Do they send you any of these ahead of time?  Who leaves your committee meetings with any action items?   These are all good management techniques but they are also good project management skills as well.    But wait, there's more.   The last time you were assigned to a project:  Did the project have a budget?  A charter?  A kickoff meeting?  Deliverables? Did your project have any phase gating?  Did your project have an end date?  Or did it just go on and on and on.....until it died from lack of attention...What makes a successful project?   What does your organization do to ensure that projects stay on time, on track and on budget?  Did your project conduct a "lessons learned," review?    What does the project-oriented culture in your organization look like?   If you have answers or  insights to these questions,  bring them to this discussion.    My name is Bill Tietjen, and I have "projectized this message."    

• Could we use the tag LCOW08 when blogging/writing about the conference? Or would y'all prefer a different tag? Perhaps we could vote on unconference day.
  • I was going to vote for something a bit more explicit like "libcampwest08" but there's something great about the "cow" in "lcow08." And I think I'd like to settle on a tag sooner than later. -Steve Lawson
  • I vote for lcow08, too. I am now going to call the thing ell-cow from now on.
  • Gotta be l(el)cow08 I agree (Katharine)
  • Lcow08 is my vote - Connie Masson

• Oral history/story as a means for engaging communities and developing collections. I'm extremely biased on this subject but willing to entertain disparate thoughts. (Cyns Nelson, Voice Preserve)
  • I know very little about conducting oral history interviews, but I was involved in a project at my previous library to develop policies & procedures for acquiring & providing access to oral history interviews.  This was a medium sized academic library with very limited funding and staffing. We had a good sized collection of interviews (most of which had been collected 20-30 years ago) that had really never been processed or cataloged, but we also wanted to be better prepared for future acquisitions.  I developed MARC cataloging procedures (based on the Oral History Cataloging Manual), but am also interested in other access methods for oral histories.  Along with a former colleague, I've been working on 2 articles related to access issues for oral histories in academic libraries.  I would enjoy talking with others interested in oral history from any perspective. (Susan Wynne, University of Wyoming)

• The future of print subscriptions

• Front Range Readers' Advisory modeled after the ARRT of suburban Chicago. We could name it FRARRT nah, maybe Denver Area Adult Readers' Advisory, DAARRT. (Katharine Phenix)
  • Great idea!! Another example: Puget Sound RA Group - Would also recommend for name - Readers Advisors of the Front Range - RAFT (Tara Bannon)

• School Library Issues in the 21st century (Connie Masson)
  • Embedding your library into the classroom (Connie Masson)

• Innovative Staff Training, including in-service day ideas as well as what is important for staff to know in the changing/evolving library. How to keep staff excited about learning new skills and keeping up with all of the changes.  What are other libraries doing to fund/encourage advanced education for staff. (Mindy Kittay)

• IM Reference Is anyone using Instant Messaging for reference or other purposes? How is it working for you? How much traffic? What kinds of questions? Meebo, Library H3lp or other applications?  Are you also using AskColorado - how do the two services complement each other, or do they?  What about staff buy-in and staff training?  (Janet Ryan, Denver Public Library)
  • Since this is pretty much my entire job (knowing about ALL virtual reference options, including IM), and would be happy to talk about this topic. For example, Altarama recently announced a new product, similar to Meebo, but with queueing and multiple logins. Oregon statewide VR just launched their own software in collaboration with Ohio VR. (Kris Johnson, Colorado State Library/AskColorado)

• Using the Library as a Tool to Better Your Life. I would like to talk about methods of interesting disconnected people in bettering their lives through the Library.  I don't know, maybe Internet usage classes or Simple Research seminars for the uneducated, displaced or foreigner, any ideas? We have a lot of foreign exchange students and homeless users at my college who don't know how to utilize our services.(Lorry Williams-Citrus Community College). 
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• Brainstorming marketing messages on the topic of a Library's Transformational value - a follow on to the OCLC study and the topic proposed by Sharon at the top of this list. ( Debbi MacLeod, CSL)
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• Gene Hainer, Martin Garner and I have been holding town hall meetings all around state.  There have been a number of topics that keep coming up, but the one that seem to have a lot of passion associated with, especially in rural areas, is Libraries reaching out into the Community.  A lot of libraries are doing innovative programming and collaborative projects in parks and malls and on street corners.  I'm wondering if we can't find a framework for taking this to the next step -- a new vision or way to really capture all the wonderful ideas our there, and help libraries expand outwards into their communities, not just outreach to bring the community into the library.  Valerie Horton

   

   

   

•   Laura Cullerton, solo librarian of an academic, medical and special library, is looking for an ILS.  Would like to discuss options.  Join me if you are also looking for an ILS or if you have converted a small library print catalog to an ILS.