Ex-President's Thank You Note

I would like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity of serving you as your president during the past year. Both the fall conference (Distance Learners and Libraries: What's the Connection?) and the spring conference (Information in the Digital Environment) were very well attended and appreciated by the membership. Since this is the first year we placed our announcements on several listservs, our conferences have drawn many participants from outside CLAMS membership. We even gained two new Associate members from Oregon state* at the May conference. Welcome to Carla and Leah!

With technology issues churning, much is happening on our campuses. CLAMS home page and listserv (CLAMS-L) are fully functional to expedite our communication. With Sarah Beasley and a solid leadership team of Executive Board members in place for next year, CLAMS is energized to meet the challenges of our profession. Once again, my heart-felt thanks to you and the very supportive executive board (1996-97) as listed below.

*NOTE: According to CLAMS By-Laws. Article 1. Section 1. Any Person wishing to affiliate with this organization may do so and will be considered an associate member upon payment of annual dues. Section 3. Associate and honorary members shall not be voting members.

Submitted by Jennifer Wu.

Spring Conference Report
Informatin Literacy in the Digital Environment

INFORMATION LITERACY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
by Francine Walls, Librarian and Carol Burton, Biology instructor, Bellevue Community College

Francine gave an overview of the project in which librarians and faculty at Bellevue Community College collaborate to integrate information literacy and critical thinking skills into the curriculum. Francine presented the model and shared what they achieved and learned. The five disciplines represented in the pilot project are Arts and Humanities, Business, Health Sciences, Science, and Social Science. The initial project was funded by a grant from the college which paid for release time and stipends. BCC has applied for a NSF grant to fund the second phase of the project.

Carol Burton is a Biology instructor who is an enthusiastic believer in the value of information literacy skills. She has years of experience in constructing library assignments for students. Carol presented examples of her project and offered some very valuable suggestions on improving students' library projects. Her insights and engaging perspectives as a "non-librarian" won the hearts of the audience. For more detail information, visit the BCC ILAC Web site at http://ir.bcc.ctc.edu/library/ilac. Videotape of this session is available from Sarah Beasley, 206-587-4071.

THE STUDENT-CENTERED ELECTRONIC TEACHING LIBRARY: A NEW MODEL FOR LEARNING
by Paul Adalian, Head of Reference, Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo

Paul Adalian is Head of the Reference Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and Project Director of the Information Competence project within the California State University system. He is also the developer of the Golden Retriever, a multimedia interface to print and online resources for the CSU campuses.

The Libraries of several CSU campuses are collaborating on a project to develop interactive information competence modules for applications in library credit courses and other courses within the curriculum. The project home page (http://www.lib.calpoly.edu/infocomp) provides access to the Web-based tutorials as well as information about the project.

Paul presented a contrast of the new learning model with the traditional instruction model. A student-centered learning model elicits student discovery and creates powerful learning environments. Success is measured by the quantity and quality of learning outcomes. The learning environment is ready whenever the student is and employs whatever learning works. The model produces specified learning results and evaluates learning by outcomes assessments. The roles of faculty/librarians are primarily designers of learning methods and environments where faculty and students work in teams.

The instructional strategies for information competence includes conceptual approaches, building students' confidence, collaborative learning, workstation configuration, multimedia presentations and class projects, and active learning strategies. Students are expected to acquire basic computer and information presentation skills. A multimedia specialist is part of the teaching team. A range of software including Macromedia Director, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Powerpoint, and Web publishing software are provided. Hardware includes color printers, a scanner, a digital camera, and a VCR.

While there are many electronic information resources accessible, Paul points out the advantages of providing an interface to print and online resources so students can have easy access to information in various forms. Paul was described by participants as "creative, dynamic, witty, enthusiastic, a charming storyteller". We gained many wonderful library instruction ideas while being entertained by his unending series of anecdotes.

A SAMPLING OF WEB-BASED LIBRARY INSTRUCTION
by Jennifer Wu and Connie McDowell, librarians at North Seattle Community College

Jennifer and Connie prepared a Web site entitled A Sampling of Web-based Library Instruction which is divided into five categories: Research Tutorials & Instructional Materials, Credit Courses, Virtual Library Tours, Resources, and CLAMS Libraries. Jennifer pointed out that systemwide collaborative projects such as the ones in California and Utah demonstrate the wisdom and potential of sharing expertise and resources in constructing information literacy programs. CLAMS members who have created Web-based library instruction tutorials and would like to add them to the "CLAMS Libraries" category, please send info to Jennifer Wu (jwu@seaccd.sccd.ctc.edu).

OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT FROM THE LEARNER'S PERSPECTIVE

Debra Gilchrist, (Library/Media Services Director, Pierce College) gave a very practical and thought-provoking session with clear steps on how to apply outcomes assessment and abilities-based instruction to our own library instructional programs to enhance student learning. She pointed out that there are four considerations for curriculum development:

Debra emphasized that the most important point is that we need to understand what our personal instructional missions and values are. Adopt our own philosophy and construct our curriculum from that personal base.

To be a creative instructor we must know what we want to accomplish and allow room to maneuver to achieve the goals. We need to include the information competency criteria in the syllabi and assignments, so students understand what we want to achieve. We also need to present our instructional programs in terms of effectiveness of student learning.

INFORMATION LITERACY: HOW ARE WE EDUCATING OUR USERS NOW? WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING IN THE FUTURE?

A discussion facilitated by Kelley McHenry,Librarian at Seattle Central Community College. Please see separate notes by McHenry under the "News" section.

All in all, this has been a very satisfying conference experience. As one participant declared, "This is the best CLAMS I've ever been to!" As we continue to share and learn together, I am sure the best is yet to come! On behalf of the last Executive Board, thanks again for all your support to CLAMS in the past year.

Submitted by Jennifer Wu.

LMDC Minutes

Green River Community College
February 6, 1987

Directors Present: Leonoor Ingraham-Swets (Chair), Eric Palo (Vice Chair, Chair Elect), Wai-Fong Lee (Treasurer), Stan Horton (Secretary), Debra Crumb, Myra Van Vactor, Jane Blume, Phillip Meany, Katie Foley, Kimberly Nakano, Jeanne Leader, Jim Grossman, Marie Zimmermann, Brian Morgan, John Backes, Ruth Ross, Paula Doherty, Debra Gilchrist, Elizabeth Hildebrant, Mary Carr, Tess Hartwell, Sandra Blackaby, Dal Symes, Joan Weber.

Others Present Jennifer Wu (CLAMS), Diane Gerspach (CTC), Juanita Morgan (State Board), Don Adams (Instruction Commission), Connie McDowell (intern at NSCC), John Lowdon (CTC), Ron Crossland (State Board), Doreen Turpen (State Library), Susan Barrett (State Library.)

8:00 am, introduction and welcome, from Don Adams, Green River's Vice President for Instruction.

Minutes approved.

Treasurer's report approved.

Information Competency: the group took some time to fill out a survey of current activities efforts. It was noted for the newer members that LMDC has a long-standing history of leadership on this issue. Many Library faculty are actively engaged on their campuses with IC efforts; in 1993 LMDC itself issued a position paper which was subsequently endorsed by the Instruction Commission. We have also run workshops and training sessions aimed both at faculty efforts and at the provision of administrative support.

Distance Education Committee: Thompson, Ingraham-Swets, Doherty. The Committee has not yet met, since there was not a charge to guide its operation. The Presidents and IC are both very interested in distance education and cooperative actions. Carr volunteered for the committee. State Library representatives noted that the State Librarian would be interested in our actions. A draft Distance Education vision statement, prepared by the Educational Technology Strategic Planning Advisory Committee, was read and discussed. Comments should go to either Don Adams, Jeff Wagnitz, or Ron Crossland. LMDC noted a problem in that library support was not emphasized in the statement. Questions: are either WICHE or NWA Library statements considered? Especially we should look at the NWA statement, since it was apparently just revised on December 15.

Suggestions for the Committee included:

  1. Produce a position paper on role of Library Media Services in distance education.
  2. Act as contact between LMDC and the State Library's request for assistance in Western Governors University.
  3. Emphasize the need to stress Information Competency in DE, as well as on-campus programs; concentrate on LMDC's role. Weber reports that the State Library's Connectivity project, now working its way through the Legislature, looks healthy at this point.

The LMDC Automated Library System Proposal is apparently dead, since the amount of money in the CTC's capital budget was drastically reduced.

Debate ensued:

Bottom line is, we are way too late to do anything to influence the Legislature to get this proposal back. But, 2 questions remain:

  1. Is there anything we can do to influence this session?
  2. If not, what do we do to get into supplemental budget?

We still need a clear definition of benefit and philosophy. There developed two conflicting opinions on the emphasis to be given: either the

"What's in it for me?" (a.k.a., the Politically realistic) OR the "Lets build up the system?" (a.k.a., the philosophically long-term view.)

Consensus was that any presentation of the issue needs to address both approaches.

Do we still need an Implementation Committee? Adams pointed out we needed to keep the issue easy to understand. Motion Backes, 2d. Zimmerman, to continue the Implementation Committee. Motion passed.

Volunteers were: Hartwell (chair), Zimmerman, Ingraham-Swets, Backes, Havist (volunteered in absentia), David, 2 CLAMS yet to be named. (Note correction: Jennifer Wu suggested Dale Burke, Edmonds. representing the Inlex group and Christie Nelson, Everett, representing non-Inlex group.) The basic, quotable message we need to deliver is: WE NEED A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE LIBRARY. We also reaffirmed the motion made at the last LMDC meeting:

"That the LMDC form a committee to develop a recommendation to the Presidents Commission on how to proceed when an appropriation for the integrated library system comes from the State Legislature. The recommendation will include clear definitions of overall and individual benefits to each college, as well as expressing a guiding philosophy. This recommendation will come to LMDC for discussion and endorsement prior to being forwarded to the Presidents."

A Strategy Committee was also created with the charge to find out what can we do now? How do we proceed to push this issue so that we can get it done at some time in the future? Members: Morgan, Horton, Grossman, Leader.

College Librarians and Media Specialist report by Wu: CLAMS next conference at Wenatchee May 15-16; with the topic being Information Literacy in a Digital Environment. Bellevue's project on Information Literacy will be featured. Last Fall's conference widely attended, including out of State and other non-members.

The CLAMS-L listserve at CTC has been approved.

The Internet Acceptable Use Policy was discussed.

Clarification of the new Ethics Law was given:

  1. Ethics Laws prohibits all personal use of State equipment, unless expressly exempted by the Ethics Board
  2. Our Executive Ethics Board passed a de minimis ruling for all state equipment, thus allowing personal use that resulted in no costs to the State, which thus allows use of the office phone while one is on break.
  3. The Board then also exempted computer networks from the de minimis exemption, thus not allowing office computers to be used whether such use resulted in a cost to the State or not.

SB5246 is currently in committee, and requires that state or municipal equipment not be used for inappropriate purposes. The impact on colleges could be extremely expensive, and also could restrain our ability to offer instruction. In general, for legislative problems call Crossland. Keep monitoring the progress of this bill if it comes out of committee. The WLA web page (www.wla.org) has legislative page which is updated daily. Might also contact your President and have them call.

Weber noted there is another Harmful to Minors bill in the legislature, which has exemptions for libraries and colleges; LMDC felt this could much better serve the stated need of controlling inappropriate use of the Internet, without unduly infringing on our budgets or curricula.

Ron Crossland handed out copies of the governors budget, with discussion noting that since it is the Lowery budget, the legislature is highly unlikely to take it seriously. Technology is only given $6.8 million, far less than the original request. The emphasis now is operating support: staff, etc. If we have a real concern, we need to get to the Presidents. LMDC discussed just why our "Prop 4.1" was not one of the parts to survive; we speculated that it was most likely OFM took it out, rather than any specific opposition.

Crossland asked if there was any generally consistent way all of us dealt with non-students checking out videos. This was in response to a complaint from such an individual, made to a legislator. Consensus was we will help Crossland by telling him our local policies and why we do it. Also, points out lack of understanding of non-librarians about the different roles different types of libraries play-- we are NOT public libraries, we are funded to serve a very specific clientele.

Palo: the four year schools' HELIN project is interested in us; they have a "union" catalog via batch loaded tapes rather than real time updates, running at UW right now, includes some databases. Not sure if Z39.50.

John Lowdon announced that Rich Morgan will retire from the CTC, effective June 30. Regarding the CTC's Strategic Planning Project, he brought us up to date: the Pacific Technologies Inc Steering Committee had defined 5 objectives to look at:

  1. Revisit role and mission of the CTC.
  2. Define services into one of three categories: a. core, b. supplemental, c. eliminate
  3. Organization/funding
  4. Governance structure
  5. Future application directions.

The Steering Committee has met 2 or 3 times already; the output will be reviewed later this month, with final action at the March/April meeting. Possibilities being discussed:

  1. Continue the current core administrative services
  2. Shift some services to fee based, such as network support
  3. Leave the Library system as it currently is.
  4. Possible cuts include Facilities Management System, and Education Technology.
  5. Leave the Organization structure to the discretion of the executive director (Morgan's replacement.)
  6. Staffing/funding is still being worked on.
  7. Governance: executive committee: reduced and streamlined, more technical knowledge, and with real authority to make decisions. SAC could go away, to be replaced by a committee specifically charged with prioritizing workload of the CTC.
  8. CTC should get out of development and concentrate on buying off the shelf and implementing.

Questions from the floor:

Q: Why was LMDC not represented?

A: The LMDC representative was deleted because her President had priority (only one representative was allowed from any one college), and we had not put forth multiple names.

Q: with this group being lopsided representing non-instructional interests, can we be sure our needs are met in answering the 5 issues? How can we make sure???

A: talk to our Presidents; LMDC could send a position paper to Presidents, Instruction Commission, and/or Lowdon himself.

Q: could the CTC go away?

A: economies of scale indicate it will not.

Q: remember the State Board has policy needs also.

Q: the planning that allowed us to get Educational Technology Initiative special funding came from CTC educational efforts; how could this happen if CTC gets out of educational technology? Where will this type of central planning be done?

Q: How does the CTC planning relate to K-20 initiatives? A: the CTC will provide infrastructure, not content.

Q: LMDC feels it must be represented at CTC management level. The workshop team needs to be proactive, not just responding to issues. LMDC is unclear about the status of technology planning at both the CTC (Communications Technology Center) and CTC (Community and Technical Colleges).

MOTION Gilchrist, 2d. Grossman: LMDC is dismayed at lack of representation on the Steering Committee of 16; and on the additional planning work that will be placed on libraries should the CTC abandon educational technology as part of its responsibilities. We urge the Instruction Commission to be vocal on our behalf. Passed.

Lowdon continued with the Bussio efforts; in summary, the CTC is considering entering into a long-term arrangement with Bussio, to use their expertise to provide administrative software development rather than doing it in-house. Although final decision not yet made, a Blue Ribbon Committee of Presidents gave this unanimous support.

K-20: release of funds was finally approved, so actual purchasing can begin. Phase 1 will bring two T-1's to each campus, 1 video and 1 data; the equipment being purchased will handle up to four T-1's however. The plan is to have the data half done by August 1, with the video half following shortly after. This phase is under-budget at $21 million. The debate now is what to do with the savings: K-12 wants to move it to Phase 2; others wish to use if for operational costs. It is estimated that annual recurring costs to the campuses will be $750,000.

UMI made a presentation.

Adams: Instruction Commission met on January 12, with the single issue being distance education, most specifically course sharing, faculty issues, and money. Next real meeting is in 2 weeks.

Gerspach: Inlex has announced it will drop away in 2-3 years; their new owner, DRA, expects all users to move to their alternate products in that time. The latest updates to Inlex are very buggy, and were not beta tested at any academic library. Renton and Bellingham pretty much working. Telnet access to the shared processor (Edmonds, Highline, Bellevue, Grays Harbor, Penninsula, Whatcom) should be working in the next couple of weeks.

WSACL (Wash. State Advisory Council on Libraries): Weber reports is working on a long-range plan. The draft was distributed, and asks for comments. OK to mark up and mail back to Joan.

WSL: New director for Customer Services is Jan Walsh began in mid-January. Jan's replacement on the Gateway team is being sought. LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act) is now LSTA (the T for Technology, of course!) and differs in that it now does not have set aside for Public Libraries; it does require a new 5-year state plan, however, and this must be done by August 1. Also mentioned was the GILS (Government Information Locator Service) project (www.wa.gov/wsl/gils.htm).

Upcoming events: Feb 26, Legislative day; April 23-26, WLA/OLA in Portland; SLA national is in Seattle in June; PNLA is in Seattle in August.

Next LMDC meeting: is at Big Bend, May 8-9.

Stan Horton, LMDC Secretary.

Treasurer's Report



Seafirst checking balance on 06/6/97     $   822.72
Seafirst savings balance 6/6/97          $ 1,869.01
					___________
                                         $ 2,691.73

Total Conference Loss:               -$ 1,173.63

Submitted by Helen Feeney
Everett Community College

News from the Libraries

Centralia

The library's web site has been re-designed in preparation for the implementation of the web-based databases, ProQuest Direct and Ebsco Host.

Stephanie Carter is working with Dave Martin, Botany Instructor, to create one of the first web courses (Cultural Botany) to be offered at the College this summer. She will be traveling to gardens throughout the NW taking photos. As a part of the project, she will be creating an online library & Internet skills tutorial.

Submitted by Stephanie Carter.

Clark

Reference Librarian Dolores Faye Laners retired at the end of spring quarter, 1997. A retirement party was held at Cannell Library on May 21to celebrate Dolores' 33 years of service to the Clark College community. The surprise "Spring Fling" was attended by friends, family, professional colleagues, co-workers, and former students. Dolores looks forward to travel, leisure reading and home improvement projects. Using continuing education grants from the Washington State Library, two of Cannell's librarians attended conferences this spring as well. In April, Technical Services Librarian Pam Smith attended the CODI conference and Advanced Recall pre-conference workshop in Mesa, Arizona. In May, Reference Librarian Joan Carey attended the LOEX conference for bibliographic instruction librarians in Charleston, South Carolina.

Submitted by Linda J. Frederiksen.

Columbia Basin

The CBC Library staff has been on the road this spring. Stephen Badalamente attended the CLAMS spring meeting in Wenatchee, Drew Proctor attended a WLN non-print cataloging workshop in Lewiston, and Roxanne Heister attended an ILL meeting in Leavenworth and WLN training in Olympia. Closer to home, we are implementing the EBSCO Host database to increase student access to journal articles.

Submitted by Drew Proctor.

North Seattle

Jennifer Wu is the author of the chapter on Asian Americans in GLOBAL VOICES, GLOBAL VISIONS: A CORE COLLECTION OF MULTICULTURAL BOOKS by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. (Bowker,1995. 875 pp.) Each of the book's 15 chapters covers a major minority group in the United States or an ethno-geographic region of the world. Each chapter begins with an essay to introduce the history and themes of the group. Book annotations are divided into literature, nonfiction, and biography. The target audience are secondary, college and adult readers. The book received favorable reviews in several review media, including CHOICE (6/96), MULTICULTURAL REVIEW (9/96), and JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT & ADULT LITERACY (11/96). Jennifer is a regular contributor of book reviews on Asian Americans.

Submitted by Jennifer Wu.

Shoreline

Pat Kelley was the circulation and reference librarian at Shoreline since 1966. She also was responsible for hiring and placing many of the hourly students we employed in the library or the media center. Pat will be remembered for her caring attitude and loyalty towards students. She was always their advocate within the library as well as with the Financial Aid Office and other places on campus. I could always count on Pat's loyalty in dealing with the day to day business of running the library. Francis Clowers.

Submitted by Francis Clowers.

Skagit

Here at Skagit Valley College we are happy to announce that we have hired Librarian Gary Payne. He has worked this past year as our Technical Services Librarian on a temporary basis. Now he will assume the position as a permanent tenure track faculty. Gary received his Masters Degree in June of 1995 but has worked in computer programming for libraries for many years before that. We feel fortunate to have him.

Submitted by Mindy Coslor.

Seattle Central

Since January, Kelley McHenry has been on sabbatical, working on a project that involves visiting other academic libraries and talking to people about how they do library user education. There is more diversity out there than one might think. Kelley has seen colleges that do everything from no integrated instruction, where everything is standardized, to colleges that will only do integrated instruction. Some colleges try to encourage all instructors to bring their classes to the library; some target only specific classes and refuse all other requests. As she talked to people about their instruction programs, she found herself wishing that other librarians could be there and share some of the experience. She thought that the CLAMS group would enjoy hearing each other address some of the key questions we face in library user education. In preparation for the session, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire before. that included questions such as:

We need a lot more than 40 minutes to adequately address these kinds of questions and hear from everyone who wants to talk about their program. Kelley asked if she could share the responses to the questionnaire on CLAMS-L and if people would leave them with her at the end of the session.

Ten questionnaires were left with Kelley. These will be compiled and posted

Some of the conclusions that might be drawn from the discussion are as follows:

There are lots of ways to do library user education

No one way of doing things is necessarily right for every academic library although there are certain learning principles that are effective and should be taken into consideration (see Anne CaputoUs eight tips below)

We do what we do based on personal experience, the history of the institutions in which we work, the make-up of the community we serve, the library's budget, and the time available to us

Most of us are not serving as many students as we would like to We are often duplicating instruction for some students while others who need it are not getting instruction

In many cases, the models we operate under have us on the road to burnout

Integrated instruction that directly meets the studentUs need is an important objective for many of us

We have a lot to learn from each other.

Eight tips for meaningful learning given by Anne Caputo at the Special Librarians Association Conference, 1997 in Seattle, June 9-13.

  1. Provide an overview of what will happen
  2. Establish (and get students to buy into) learning objectives. You do this by giving them the outcomes in terminology to they can relate
  3. Provide basics; use instructional building blocks, starting with where the students are at and relating them to the studentsU information needs.
  4. Let learners fill in content. Let them supply supply the topic.
  5. Use learning checks. This does not mean asking them, "How are you doing?" Checks should be more like, "Tell me how you would do that;" or "What conclusions can you draw from this?"
  6. Use simple worksheets that are easy to understand, allow for exploration of the learnerUs interest and that require them to do something relevant.
  7. Have learners work collaboratively
  8. Remember that people learn best and retain most when they have a need to know something and apply.

Submitted by Kelley McHenry.