Explore the cutting edge trends impacting today’s evolving libraries. Learn how to use these new technologies to enhance your patrons’ experience.

Schedule

9:00 - 9:30 a.m.    
Registration and Coffee

9:30 - 9:45 a.m.    
Welcome and Introduction

9:45 - 10:45 a.m.    
Opening Keynote: Learning Everywhere
Dr. Michael Stephens

Emerging technologies are changing the way we live and learn. Libraries can play a key role in this future. Imagine the evolving hyperlinked library as a creation space, community space, anything space. Imagine this library available everywhere via mobile devices and tablets. Imagine opportunities for user learning supported and facilitated by librarians. How will library services change with MOOCs and mobile classrooms in the palm of one’s hand? What skills will staff require? What does the library as creative classroom look like? What does this future look like going forward as we encourage learning everywhere as a means for transformative change for ourselves and our users. This session will explore new ideas and thinking about learning at the library.

Dr. Michael Stephens is Assistant Professor in the School of Information at San Jose State University. He was the 2009 CAVAL Visiting Scholar in Australia, consulted and presented for US Embassies in Germany, Switzerland, and Turkey, and presents to both national and international audiences about emerging technologies, learning, innovation, and libraries. Since 2010, Dr. Stephens has written the monthly column “Office Hours” for Library Journal exploring the issues, ideas, and emerging trends in libraries and LIS education. To review Dr. Stephen’s archive of work, visit his Tame the Web website and blog http://tametheweb.com.

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.    

Livable Technology:  Using Data to Improve Spaces
Design thinking is a philosophical approach to designing library spaces and services that stresses user involvement, iteration, and data. We will discuss how this concept applies to libraries and why it is important. We will also discuss how we implement the concept here at the new Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons. Specific examples will include digital signage, physical usability testing, and building use data.
Kyle Felker, Grand Valley State University; Kristin Meyer, Grand Valley State University

Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Enhance Teaching and to Enable Active Learning
The Technology Showcase at GVSU is a collaborative initiative of the information technology department and university libraries designed to embed technology discovery for patrons.  In short, the showcase is an immersive and engaging environment designed for faculty, staff, and students to: interact, discover, learn, and share how innovative emerging technologies can enhance teaching and improve student learning at GVSU. This session will provide an overview of the showcase as well as some of the key activities and technologies that have been deployed.  Lessons learned will also be shared from the 2 year journey of infusing emerging technology into the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons at GVSU.
Eric Kunnen, Grand Valley State University

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.  
Lunch

1:00 - 1:30 p.m.    
Library Tour and Technology Showcase of the Mary Idema Pew Library

1:30 - 2:30 p.m.    

Customizing Vendor Tools for a Better User Experience

Are you struggling to make several vendor-hosted tools behave like a cohesive website? Frustrated by the lack of customization available in your vendor tools? Do your users get confused by vendor tools designed for librarians? There might be an answer!

Using JavaScript, a simple scripting language that runs in a user’s browser, you can often make customizations to your library’s online tools that your vendor could only dream of. In this presentation, I’ll show you how to improve the usability of vendor tools with JavaScript, allowing you to tailor the tools to your users’ needs.
Matthew Reidsma, Grand Valley State University

SnapEngage:  Connecting With Students Through Proactive Chat
In order to provide the best service to our traditional and non-traditional students, in fall 2014 we added a proactive chat reference service called SnapEngage. This service is in addition to the 24/7 chat reference consortium that we also participate in. The proactive chat allows us to catch questions that might not have been asked because it uses a pop up widget to ask students if they need assistance. We have gotten excellent usage statistics for this service and will compare those to the 24/7 chat service. We will also talk about some of the challenges that we have encountered.
Amy James, Spring Arbor University; Elizabeth Walker, Spring Arbor University

2:45 - 3:45 p.m.   

Behind the MeL Curtain:  How Dollars Intersect with the Needs of Librarians in the Trenches to Create the MeL Suite of Services
It's important for all Michigan library staff to understand and participate in the process by which the MeL suite of services are chosen and funded. This session will cover the ways that input was sought from the public and the professional library community over the winter to participate in the selection of the next suite of MeL Databases. I will explain what portion of our funding is federal, what portion State of Michigan, and how those figures are determined and how those monies are appropriated to support the Michigan eLibrary as a whole.
Sonya Schryer Norris, Library of Michigan

Flipping the Classroom with Prezi:  Engaging Students and Zooming to Information Literacy (Presentation)
In this presentation, librarians will learn how to use the tool Prezi to help in flipping the one-shot library instruction session. Using the free, zooming software, students are able to work collaboratively on a presentation that will prepare them for what they will learn in the classroom, and arrive ready to do hands-on database searching or any other appropriate information literacy task. After a quick introduction to Prezi, attendees will have the opportunity to create a pre-assignment for students to complete prior to class. In addition, there will be examples of how Prezi can be used for pre- and post-testing.  Attendees are highly encouraged to bring a laptop or iPad to the session in order to work hands-on with Prezi (Prezi is not currently supported on Android tablets).  If new to Prezi, please sign up for a free account at https://prezi.com/signup/public/
Rebecca Renirie, Central Michigan University

Registration Rates

Early Bird Registration Deadline: May 22, 2015
Advance Registration Deadline: June 4, 2015

*subject to space limitations

In order to qualify for member rates, attendees must hold current individual MLA membership. Organizational membership does not apply. For more information about MLA individual and organizational membership, please visit Membership Value and Benefits.

Parking

Attendees should park in student lots the day of the event. Lot H, which is right across the street from the library, is the most convenient location to park. Please avoid using any spaces marked as reserved for faculty and staff.

Resources

Behind the MeL Curtain (pdf)