Synchronized, it's more than swimming

Last Monday, a week later than posted previously (I jumped the gun a bit prematurely), the new Ashland University Library and Instructional Resource Center web sites went live shortly before noon. Thanks to the seemingly endless hard work by the Ashland University web master Shelly Shaver, the site roll-over itself went seamlessly. That said, network server changes combined with script oddities and other technology related gremlins, soon proved the actual launch may have been the easiest part of the process.

During the week that followed I learned, among other things, some scripts can overpower inherent LibGuides scripts and render the content management system useless (oops), style sheets can be applied to many different things, my computer is capable of hopping IP addresses, and web sites can, and probably should, be synchronized ... without the flowery swimming caps (it was cool). Luckily most of my lessons were learned behind the scenes and user web site service was not interrupted.

For the things we could not correct in-house (library), the IT department was able to manage for us by the end of the week - and - our new blog provided a communication tool to update users on progress. A few outstanding tasks remain, including a non-invasive header for LibGuides and updating the ERes page, but overall the project is completed. Yes!

I am so excited!

This week, barring any unforeseen complications, Ashland University Library and the Instructional Resource Center will both have new web sites! Even better, both are part of the University template and help with the branding and marketing of the sites. After a year of hard work, web committee meetings, and collaboration with the fabulous Ashland University web master who tweaked our template again and again to make it feasible for the library, I can not even begin to describe my enthusiasm for the end products.

Keeping my fingers crossed, actually and metaphorically, for a problem free launch later this week (I still have a couple of pages to finish).

A Halloween Classic

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving was first published in 1820. Since then this short story has become an American literature classic and a favorite Halloween ghost story. Set in North Tarrytown, New York. Schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane competes for the hand of eighteen year old Katrina Van Tassel, only to find himself hunted by the menacing, Headless Horseman. Two hundred years after the story has been written, the town of Tarrytown, NY has since changed its name to Sleepy Hollow in order to embrace its connection to Irving’s famed story. Despite the gas stations and other modern shops along North Broadway, also known as Route 9, visitors can still envision the terrified ride that the village schoolteacher Ichabod Crane took from Sleepy Hollow, leaving a party given by the family of the Katrina Van Tassel. Henry Steiner, the village historian, occasionally gives tours of the one-mile route, pointing out the bridge to the church where the Headless Horseman mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind a trampled saddle and a smashed pumpkin. Today the bridge is gone, to mark the spot for sightseers two years ago on Halloween; the village erected a steel statue of the headless horseman preparing to hurl his jack-o’-lantern at his target.
Read a copy of, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow online, from Encyclopedia Britannica and have a Happy Halloween!

ALAO Conference: Peace Resource Collection

The first session I attended at last Friday's much anticipated ALAO Conference was the Curriculum Materials Center Interest Group (CMCIG) sponsored session, Peace Resource Collection: Another Link in the Campus Connection. The session highlighted collection resources available at Wilmington College's Peace Resource Center and the impact it had on one particular student.

"The Wilmington College Peace Resource Center has a long-standing commitment to peace and justice. Since 1975 it has taken an active role in providing peace education materials both locally and throughout the country."

"The Center houses the world's largest collection (outside of Japan) of reference materials related to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Peace education is accomplished through a book purchase service, audio-visual rentals and circulating libraries in both English and Japanese." -- Peace Resource Center

The highlight of this session was viewing a history project created by a high school freshman from Maryland on the Hiroshima Maidens. After locating the Peace Resource Center online via links to their finding guide to the Barbara Reynolds Papers, she created a stunning visual history of the Hiroshima Maidens. I found this session particularly interesting as I had recently finished reading White Sands, Red Menace, a juvenile book by Ellen Klages set in 1946 and features a family dealing with the aftermath of the atomic bomb from a different perspective; the mother and father were scientists on the Manhattan Project.

For more information:

• The Official Homepage of Hiroshima Peace Memorial
• Hiroshima Maidens and a Return to New York

Though not currently available, submitted power point presentations from the conference are to be loaded on the ALAO web site in the near future.

Grants Available - Deadlines Looming!

The State Library of Ohio has sent out a reminder about their Blog which lists grants.

"BlogJunction Ohio has a category for posting grant opportunities. Some of the current listings have deadlines coming up soon.

I encourage you to check out the posts, set up an RSS feed so that you get up-to-date postings, and share information about other funding opportunities."

- Marsha McDevitt-Stredney -

http://webjunctionworks.org/oh/blog/index.php/category/ohgrantopp/

History Comes Alive When a Teacher Cares

I recently attended a program, Successful Teaching, by Richard A. Jones II, a retired history teacher from my own high school, River Valley High School. This program was offered by our local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. Rick was very entertaining to listen to and his enthusiasm and passion for teaching history was evident. He took us through how he taught an interactive history class and shared some of his philosophies. One in particular stood out for me, as I could see how this easily translated to our own profession. He called it the CPR's of Success:

Commitment (for your profession and to doing the best you possibly can)
Passion (for your profession and to never stop preparing and learning all you can)
Respect (I respect you, your ideas, your suggestions, and know that I am here for you)

He added Love as the fourth element because without that, the others cannot succeed.

I see that this is so true for our library profession and how it can help us to be good administrators, directors, managers, librarians, etc.

When we constantly badmouth or downplay our colleagues and not support or offer ways for them to grow in the organization or profession, we are not ensuring a future workforce that is committed, passionate or even respectful. Have you done CPR today?

Rick has written two books and a third is in the works. He shares his teaching philosphies in the book Educational Pyramid of Success, published by PublishAmerica. His other book is Veterans' Voices: Central Ohio's Greatest Generation Speaks, Volume One: World War II.

A third book, dealing with Marion County (Ohio) veterans is underway. I admire the fact that Rick is still so involved in education and so passionate about history and teaching it after all these years. There is something to say for having the right attitude. Thanks, Rick, for sharing.

ALAO: Conference registration extended

Fresh from the ALAO-CMCIG list serv, and my email inbox, this announcement regarding a registration extension for the 34th Annual ALAO Conference.

Deadline extended to October 10, 2008

Register now for the Academic Library Association of Ohio's 34th Annual Conference entitled Connecting the Campus: Linking Users, Institutions and Information.

Join ALAO and your colleagues for a conference full of programs and unique opportunities to share your own means of connecting users with the information they need.

This year's conference will be held at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio on Friday, October 24th. The conference will feature keynote speaker Dr. David Carr from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science, an exciting slate of programs, presentations, and poster sessions by Ohio library innovators, and a full complement of vendor exhibits.

Dr. David Carr lectures and writes on learning and thinking in libraries and museums. He has consulted for institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Carr's keynote address will explore the human elements of connecting users with information.

Program and poster session titles include:·

• Embedding Librarians with Course Management Systems
• OhioLINK 2010: An Odyssey
• The Big Read Grant: Collaboration between K-12, Academic Libraries and the Community
• Collaborating to Connect the State
• Uncorking the Varietals: Social Tagging, Folksonomies & Controlled Vocabularies
• Marketing the Library with a “Frequent User” Program
• Taking the Plunge: Free Document Delivery

Confirmed vendors include: Gale Cengage Learning, ProQuest, H.W. Wilson, Ebsco Information Services, Blackwell, YBP Library Services, Learning Express, OHIONET, Regional Library Systems of Ohio,Wimba and many more.

The conference will be preceded on October 23rd by an OhioLINK-sponsored workshop and a preconference social.

Please visit the conference web site for more details, program schedules, a complete list of vendors and registration information. Conference hotel information along with special ALAO conference hotel rates can be found (on the conference site).

Looking forward to seeing you at the Conference!

ALAO Conference Committee
Sheryl Gannon

ALAO Conference: No rooms at the Inn

Going to the conference? Need to stay overnight? Looking for a room at the conference hotel? I was lucky enough to have gentle, and not-so-gentle, reminders from Betsy and Sara regarding registration (this year the conference is a bit earlier than usual) and booking a hotel room; after careful consideration, we determined distance made overnight stay necessary. Rumor has it the block of conference rooms reserved by ALAO is sold out. Never fear, as of this morning it is still possible to get pricing close to the conference rate at the conference hotel, Holiday Inn Wilmington, using Travelocity ($96) or Orbitz ($96).

Academic Library Association of Ohio’s (ALAO) 34th Annual Conference; Connecting the Campus: Linking Users, Institutions and Information, will take place on Friday, October 24th at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio and features keynote speaker Dr. David Carr from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science.

Friday, October 3, is the conference registration deadline.

Being Early Does Help

Ever have one of those days when your equipment gives out at the wrong time? I did, last night. Being a person who likes to have everything set up and equipment tested, connected and working, I always start early to set up my portable classroom in the library. I use a SMARTboard and a digital projector and laptop on a cart. I had the space set up and was testing the equipment when I heard "Zzzzzzzztttttt" when I turned on the digital projector and no light appeared. I looked for a new bulb, presuming that to be the problem, but could not locate one immediately. A call to my assistant at home finally located it. The instructor came in at the right moment and I determined that we could move the class to my other teaching classroom which doesn't hold as many students. My evening assistant was able to get the computer hooked up while I transferred everything and everyone downstairs.

The good news is that in spite of the delay, I started only about 5 minutes late. The bad news is that it looks like I need a new digital projector and not just a bulb. (This is where it is good to have a great relationship with IT so they will lend me a projector to use for awhile)

This situation is one that I don't relish as an instructor; I like to be prepared and ready to go. Fortunately, I was able to stay relatively calm and not stress too much. "Accept what you cannot change." I tried to remember that. Good thing I had a spare room to use; it would have been a very short class, otherwise. Life throws you lemons all the time; I'm glad I was able to make lemonade this time.

OhioLINK on Facebook

I am not the first person to the party here, 144 other people precede me, but today I became a fan of OhioLINK on Facebook.

OhioLINK news mentions they are using a Twitter feed for updates as well.

Check it out!