I've been doing some work with MPOW's Repository - just assisting with the data entry and checking, and therefore getting to know the software we are using.
I always like to know a little about what I'm doing beyond the bare basics, so I found this report very interesting.
We (obviously) have an institutional repository and it has been enthusiastically embraced by some researchers, but virtually ignored by others. As I know that research output is vitally important both financially and for kudos for both our institution and our researchers, I didn't really understand this. The report explains that there are numerous types of repositories (Institutional, disciplinary, those run by a funding body, the journal publisher, or a national focus). The report specifically looks at disciplinary repositories and shows why they are often more attractive and a natural fit for researchers than that of their own institution.
Disciplinary repositories are here to stay and the report raises a number of questions and gives hints on how Libraries can use the situation for the best benefit of their researchers.
Erway, Ricky. 2012. Lasting Impact: Sustainability of Disciplinary Repositories. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC Research. http://www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2012/2012-03.pdf.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Keeping up with the Jones's
I'm trying to catch up on some of the readings I've been doing lately, and keeping my information in the one place. So, here's another one. Thanks to Kathryn Greenhill for pointing me towards it.
Sheehan, K. (2010, August 3). Keeping Up with Keeping Up. ALA Techsource. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2010/07/keeping-up-with-keeping-up.html
Very interesting article - clarifies some of my thoughts and gives guidance on what really are appropriate actions to do to try to keep up with technology and changes. It can feel so hard with limited time. And I feel like I'm really not doing very well compared with the people who's writing I follow. I need to target my work/reading/development because I can't hope to do it all (as Kate Sheehan points out clearly).
However, when I compare myself with many of my collegues (not that I intentially try to benchmark, just what comes up in conversation) I realise that other people are struggling even more than me, or have less interest/see it as much less of a priority. Again, as pointed out by Kate Sheehan.
Soooo, how will I implement this new knowledge? Well, although my current work is in Higher Education, I still have a passion for public libraries, and a growing interest in school libraries.
The areas that I find easier to keep up with and most interesting are more social networking - Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, etc. The areas that I find more difficult are the issues around DRM, ePortfolios and some of the content creation areas (Vimeo etc.). So the areas that I am less confident with are probably the ones which aren't focussed on in public and school libraries as much (although of course they are still relevant). And I do read enough to know of the basic issues/that there are issues with DRM, that there is a variety of ePortfolio platforms and software and that there are some absolutely amazing content creation applications out there.And where to go or who to talk to, to get more information. Which means that (according to Kate) I'm doing ok.
So I will leave you with my new favourite quote:
Sheehan, K. (2010, August 3). Keeping Up with Keeping Up. ALA Techsource. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2010/07/keeping-up-with-keeping-up.html
Very interesting article - clarifies some of my thoughts and gives guidance on what really are appropriate actions to do to try to keep up with technology and changes. It can feel so hard with limited time. And I feel like I'm really not doing very well compared with the people who's writing I follow. I need to target my work/reading/development because I can't hope to do it all (as Kate Sheehan points out clearly).
However, when I compare myself with many of my collegues (not that I intentially try to benchmark, just what comes up in conversation) I realise that other people are struggling even more than me, or have less interest/see it as much less of a priority. Again, as pointed out by Kate Sheehan.
Soooo, how will I implement this new knowledge? Well, although my current work is in Higher Education, I still have a passion for public libraries, and a growing interest in school libraries.
The areas that I find easier to keep up with and most interesting are more social networking - Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, etc. The areas that I find more difficult are the issues around DRM, ePortfolios and some of the content creation areas (Vimeo etc.). So the areas that I am less confident with are probably the ones which aren't focussed on in public and school libraries as much (although of course they are still relevant). And I do read enough to know of the basic issues/that there are issues with DRM, that there is a variety of ePortfolio platforms and software and that there are some absolutely amazing content creation applications out there.And where to go or who to talk to, to get more information. Which means that (according to Kate) I'm doing ok.
So I will leave you with my new favourite quote:
“Keeping up with technology” seems overwhelming and huge and ridiculously hard if it’s presented as a monolith that must be scaled. Keeping up doesn’t mean knowing every single tech trend that’s out there. It means being engaged with your community and knowing what your patrons are using. ... Just like the rest of librarianship – it isn’t about being an expert; it’s about knowing where to look.
Technology and Learning
I really enjoy reading blog posts by Judy O'Connell and others working in the Education system. Having a sister who is a literacy consultant to small independant schools (and who finds technology frustrating) and also having two children now in Primary school, I find myself viewing it with different perspectives. So it's good to see someone championing technology and using it in innovative ways.
Today I read in one of her posts:
In the former, the Library Officer (untrained but fantastic) is also expected to assist teachers with the bank of computers in the library. These are (to my knowledge) the only bank in the school, although there are individual machines in most classrooms, and electronic whiteboards in a few. The teachers and other staff are moving on the continuim towards using technology as a basic part of their toolkit, but for many there is a long way to go.
And in my sister's schools, many are remote and have limited net access, and very few staff at each location. If the teachers aren't passionate about using technology, then the machines will sit in the corner and gather dust. It's all just too hard, just trying to teach the kids the basics of literacy and numeracy with all of the issues of ESL, cultural issues etc.
Hmm, now I'm slightly depressed. BUT it is a continuim, and as new teachers move through the University system we should continue to move to Judy's world!
Today I read in one of her posts:
We use technology to think and learn. We don’t use technology because it’s a cool tech tool, and because our syllabus says we need a certain percentage of technology in the curriculum. http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/leaders-can-make-magic-happen-too/ Accessed 25 June 2011I like the concept, but I don't think we are there in my children's school, or in the schools where my sister is an educational consultant.
In the former, the Library Officer (untrained but fantastic) is also expected to assist teachers with the bank of computers in the library. These are (to my knowledge) the only bank in the school, although there are individual machines in most classrooms, and electronic whiteboards in a few. The teachers and other staff are moving on the continuim towards using technology as a basic part of their toolkit, but for many there is a long way to go.
And in my sister's schools, many are remote and have limited net access, and very few staff at each location. If the teachers aren't passionate about using technology, then the machines will sit in the corner and gather dust. It's all just too hard, just trying to teach the kids the basics of literacy and numeracy with all of the issues of ESL, cultural issues etc.
Hmm, now I'm slightly depressed. BUT it is a continuim, and as new teachers move through the University system we should continue to move to Judy's world!
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