Computers in Libraries Conference: Barbara Platts
By Barbara Platts, MLIS, AHIP
Munson Healthcare, Traverse City, Michigan
Preconference Sessions
There were two eight-hour sessions and eight four-hour sessions offered to attendees prior to the start of the conference. Session topics included advanced weblogs, social tools, teaching the Internet, current awareness delivery options, technology planning, advanced thinking for web searchers, creating online tutorials, building taxonomies, a Searchers Academy, and a Web Management Academy.
I attended the session on creating online tutorials using screencasting technology. This session provided the knowledge and tools necessary to create online tutorials efficiently and effectively. A brief overview focused on the advantages and disadvantages of implementing tutorials using traditional technologies. Screencasting options, as well as the screencasting process were discussed. Several online tutorials created using the screencasting technology were demonstrated. Screen capture, voice recording software, and a screencasting project management outline rounded out the session.
General Conference
The general conference sessions were divided into four learning tracks: Information Discovery and Search, Web Design and Development, Communities and Collaboration, and Digital Innovation, Technologies and Ideas. This format provided conference attendees four session options at any given time. Sessions were generally 45 minutes long and began after a morning keynote speaker. Keynote speakers included Chris Sherman, who provided a search engine report, Megan Fox who discussed planning for a handheld mobile future, and Lee Ranie, from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Lee talked about enhancing digital work and play. One evening session was offered and featured a panel that discussed dead and emerging technologies.
Internet @ Schools - East, provided a two-day forum for School Media Specialists. Day one focused on the virtual library school imperative. The second day offered sessions on emerging technologies for school libraries. An Internet Café was available for email access in the exhibit hall.
Sessions I attended included how to build communities using instant messaging, collaborating with e-learning communities, technology project management, catalogs and OPACS of the future, wikis, and the net of the future - Croquet.
Postconference Sessions
There were eight 4-hour postconference sessions available to attendees. Topics included sessions on digital initiatives, integrating RSS, service strategies, buying digital content, implementing federated search engines and open URL software, digitization project management, mining blogs and RSS for research, personal information management techniques, analyzing website user behavior, mobile searching and computing, and searching multiple repositories.
I attended the session on federated searching and open URL software, which provided practical, informative and useful course content. The session defined the two technologies in detail and then provided specific aspects of each software application such as the relationship between source and target content, the context of sensitive links, citation format, MARC, meta searching, levels of connectivity, search formats, search results, and common command language.
Implementation technology, including Z39.50, was thoroughly discussed as well as attribute sets, a virtual catalog application, metadata harvesting, the client server interaction, library application profiles, network architecture requirements, authentication interface customization, configuring resources, defining collections, and emerging technologies. Northwestern University and the University of Pittsburgh provided an in-depth compare and contrast profile of their respective end products using federated search engine and open URL software applications.
Conference Summary
The Computers in Libraries conference offered a vast array of educational choices and networking opportunities. The conference provided a forum for learning practical “nuts and bolts” applications that can be adapted to hospital IT infrastructures that add value by enhancing access and delivery of library services.
This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, under Contract No. NO1-LM-1-3513.
