IT in Academic Libraries: A Retrospective Gwendolyn Ebbett Dean of the Library.

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IT in Academic Libraries: A Retrospective Gwendolyn Ebbett Dean of the Library

Transcript of IT in Academic Libraries: A Retrospective Gwendolyn Ebbett Dean of the Library.

IT in Academic Libraries:

A RetrospectiveGwendolyn Ebbett

Dean of the Library

• This session will be a retrospective walk through the past several years of the use of technology in academic libraries; the challenges and opportunities faced by librarians, faculty and students. 

Ambassador Yearbook 1957, page 71

From Daily News, June 27, 2013

Ambassador Yearbook 1958, page 40

Undated – Photo of Leddy Library Acq.Bib department

• Print warehouse• Now: Still collecting and

preserving• But: digital world –

Leddy’s Collection +Masses of information “out there”

• Gone from hand writing cards to– Typing information

onto cards– To automated

production of cards– Online Public Access

catalogues– One stop searching of

today

• Gone from in the library print subject name indexes

• to in the library online catalog searches by keyword, name, title

• to 24 hour searching from anywhere using computers, laptops, smart devices and using almost correct spelling.

• Technology has enabled us to be information rich as long as you have a device and access

• What has this meant for librarians, faculty and students?

• Ans: New ways of teaching, learning and doing research.

• Students: Able to do assignments from beginning to end

in the library (computers, scanners, printing, even publishing assistance)

Long hours of operation, group and individual study spaces, informal spaces

On-line reference support from anywhere On-line classes anytime, anywhere New interdisciplinary programs

• For Faculty: 24 hour access to excellent scholarly resources Able to access OER materials for teaching Ability to undertake collaborative research with

colleagues around the world Use of IRs to make research publicly available OA Journal and monograph publishing support Development of new inter/ intra disciplinary

programs

• For Librarians: New roles in scholarly communications and

digital scholarship Different way of building, storing and

disseminating collections Change in teaching information literacy Collaboration and cooperation norm Evident based assessment of all we do

• Librarians cont’d: Need to stay on top of emerging library

trends Need to stay on top of emerging

technologies: mobile connectivity, crowd funding, smart homes and some of the ensuing privacy and security issues

Life long learners

• For All: Continuous learning, curiosity, flexibility Cooperation, collaboration, connections Continuous Assessment of community

needs - quantitative, qualitative

My proudest achievements at Windsor: Decision to go digital in 1998 Building OCUL’s Scholars Portal, 2000 -, Geo

portal, and in 2015, OLRC OA support Scholarship @ Uwindsor Building national librarians research culture Culture of innovation and leadership in

embracing new technologies

• I Think being a librarian is one of the most exciting ways of engaging with new technology.

• Rate of change is accelerating, as is the amount of information, which means so are the opportunities.

• Thank you

• Questions