FutureLibCon: Theme 2 - Seamless Library Services & Access

Seamless Service: Plenary

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 1:30-3:30pm Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery (room 100)

John Law, Vice President of Discovery Services, ProQuest

"Attracting and Keeping Next-Gen Users: Studies on How Students Research and Strategies for Securing the Library’s Role in the Research Process"

The competition for library users today is fierce, with challengers for what had been traditional library terrain coming from all directions.  Most notable is the irresistible lure of easy searching offered by Google and others that has changed forever the expectations and demands of patrons, especially the next-generation users who will set the future of libraries.

In this presentation, John Law, vice president of discovery services for Serials Solutions, will share his research on the needs and demands of next-gen users and ways libraries can respond and attract these users.  His presentation will explore:

• Research habits of next-gen users
• Libraries’ key competitive edge in attracting users
• Typical barriers users encounter when accessing library resources
• How new technology can erase these barriers, leverage the library’s advantages and bring next-gen users back to the library

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED

Presentation Slides | An audio recording was planned but we experienced technical difficulties

See also: Academic Libraries and the Struggle to Remain Relevant: Why Research is Conducted Elsewhere by John Law

Seamless Service: Food for Thought (pizza lunch)

Thursday, January 21, 2010, noon-1pm Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery (room 100)

Come join us for an informal gathering after the plenary event (1/12/09) to engage in facilitated discussion about the theme, John Law's presentation, and the videos linked to below. Pizza and beverages will be provided. (Vegan friendly.)

Please watch these two videos and come ready to discuss them at the lunch.

• "Information Revolution by Michael Wesch - Kansas State"
• "Project Information Literacy – University of Washington"

Seamless Service: Successful Student Researchers Speak! (Student Conversation)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 2:30-4:00pm Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery (room 100)

Join us for a panel discussion about how real students use the library for their research needs. Come hear from undergraduate honors thesis writers, a GROCS student and a Rackham dissertation award winner about their experiences with library research. How did they do their research? Did the library meet their needs, and/or what do they wish we offered to help them during the research and writing process? Panelists come from a variety of academic disciplines, including Women’s Studies, Romance Languages & Literatures, Art & Design and History.

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED

Seamless Service: Library Conversation

Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 2-3:30 pm Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery (room 100)

"Are the technical services librarians of today really the public services librarians of tomorrow?"

As library services become steadily more seamless and unmediated, it’s the library’s access tools—its catalog, website, search engines, online guides and tutorials, OpenURL links (such as MGet It), etc.—that increasingly become the face of the library to our users.  And thus it’s the catalogers, interface designers and programmers who create and maintain these access tools who are increasingly the creators of the library’s public presence.  Does meeting the demand for ever more seamless service mean that the traditional role of the public services librarian will fade away? If we make our automated service interfaces as user-friendly as we can, will there be any user demand or need for face-to-face or person-to-person services in the new decade and those to come?  Should there be?  Or will the catalogers, interface designers and programmers be the only librarians left? Come join the discussion as we consider the future possibilities.

Moderated: Scott Dennis, Humanities Librarian & Coordinator, Core Electronic Resources

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED