PSEC Instruction
December 15, 2010

Present: Jaron, Tony, Wendy, Mary, Gaby, Tracey

Agenda:

* Announcements

* Learning Objectives Website

* Workshops web page redesign

* January information competency event

* Meeting schedule and goals in 2011

Announcements:

• Jaron announced that the Library Guides Task Force will meet with us in the future, and that those meetings will be 1 ½ hours. That group will exist at least until June 2011, and may then reassess its charge and/or rename itself.
• The committee welcomed Mary Ochs. Mary announced that she and Kornelia Tancheva are gathering information about instruction activities at all the libraries and will make a report to Janet McCue within the next few months.
• Tony talked about Blackboard 9.1, which was also discussed by Barbara Friedman at the Reference & Outreach forum yesterday. Tony attended training in November. Should a Library tab be included in Blackboard sites? Tony suggested to Oya Rieger forming a group with broad representation looking at ways to enhance Blackboard's connection to the library. Oya is considering it, and may call a meeting in January. Other interested parties may include Discovery and Access, Library Outside the Library, and the Usability Group. CIT is going to consider making the building block to migrate the integration that is already present. We have at least a two-year commitment to Blackboard, so it seems worthwhile to strengthen the library's connection to the Blackboard sites. Ares has a building block into Blackboard that works. We need to find out how students feel about having a library present in Blackboard. Wendy and Gaby will talk to the Usability Group. Blackboard has various modules; the library could build several modules for faculty to choose from and implement. We need to ask CIT if this is the right time, or if we should just focus on implementing Blackboard 9.1 for now. Mary suggested looking at what other libraries are doing. Here, faculty members create and name their Blackboard sites, and the practice isn't consistent, which causes problems. There are plans to standardize this. There isn't a building block for RefWorks in Blackboard, just a way to link to it. RefWorks is still more widely usable than Zotero. The library connection in Blackboard could be as simple as a link to the library website. Library Outside the Library is discussing modules versus packages. Could we have several broad, customizable modules (one for the sciences, one for the humanities, etc.)? What would it take to develop and maintain these over time?
• Mary talked about the strategic planning group's desire to develop a more programmatic approach to instruction across campus.

Learning Objectives Web site

Jaron updated the group on where we are with the Learning Outcomes website that is in development. The ad hoc group has finalized the text, and now we need to select a photo. A photo of a librarian and a faculty member working together would be desirable. The audience for the website is faculty. The text will link to the Workshops and Instruction page.

Workshops web page redesign

Jaron reported on the plan and timeline for reorganizing the Workshops and Instruction page. Jaron and Camille met with Carla DeMello, who suggested adding some photos and videos as a quick fix. Wendy brought up the idea of separating workshops from instruction. We will separate the two during the spring. Wendy and Jaron will team up to advertise workshops, possibly through the library events calendar. The Instruction page will then be devoted to course-related instruction. Mary mentioned that the Library Board is interested in instruction activities, so this is a good time to revamp the page.

January information competency event

CTE is hosting a week-long faculty teaching event in January, including a full-day of CUL presenters for the Information Competency event January 18.
Wendy asked whether we could promote newly acquired books about library instruction. We talked about using Keith Jenkins's service for generating lists of new library science books. We also talked about hosting a brown bag lunch on library instruction, forming a discussion group for readings in library science, and dedicating shelf somewhere in the library for new library science books. Wendy will pursue forming a discussion group.

End of mtg