Karen M. Drabenstott
Associate Professor
School of Information
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1092 USA
Voice: (734) 763-3581
Fax: (734) 764-2475
karen.drabenstott@umich.edu
Again, let me express my apologies to guest editor Robert Helfer for stopping the LISTSERV on the very day his topic began. We have rescheduled his discussion on "Accessible for All? New Information Technologies, Libraries, and Users with Disabilities" for January 17-30, 1999.
We have no special topics scheduled for the next week so let's take this time to ponder new topics for future discussion. Although we have a full schedule of topics between early September and December, we have a one-week period (November 29 to December 4) when we could feature a truncated discussion. I am also scheduling new topics for January 1999 and beyond. I know it is hard to think beyond December, but, I find that as soon as the American college and football season starts (about 4 p.m. this afternoon), time flies for me through fall and into winter and the new year.
We don't have to follow our usual open topics discussion of limiting ourselves to new topics suggestions only. If there are topics that warrant a discussion over the next week, we can carry on several discussions at once.
Let me get things started in a certain direction. We don't have to continue with this discussion. I thought I'd mention that I took a one-day course on Thursday taught by Edward Tufte, a Yale professor, who wrote and published award-winning books like Envisioning Information and Visual Explanations on information design.
Dr. Tufte is definitely not a computer scientist (he seems to hate the damn things, thinks they are one degree of resolution higher than overhead projectors showing Powerpoint slides). He seemed to dismiss the demonstrations and research findings of human-computer interface specialists and psychologists. In my estimation, he'd be a cross between an historian and a graphic designer but really not either, in fact, he didn't respect graphic design's contributions especially with respect to web design. Dr. Tufte packed 350 people for a one-day seminar at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan, and he was scheduled for a repeat of the course on Friday. So he has quite a following.
Dr. Tufte summarized his critical and historical analysis of visual explanations (for example, tables, figures, illustrations, web pages, computer animations) with basic principles for information design. He wasn't keen on testing visuals to make sure they delivered their message, he felt that visuals really couldn't be tested per se. If, however, visuals adhered to the basic principles of information design, then they'd be successful conveying their message. Having been trained in social science research methods, I did not expect Dr. Tufte's viewpoint in this regard.
Well, what does this mean for CRISTAL-ED? Let me enumerate some possibilities:
I don't want to be the only one making conversation during our open topics discussion. Please comment on my reflections of Dr. Tufte's course. Or please make suggestions for new discussions on topics unrelated to my comments.
Elisa Miller
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PAMILLEREK@DUVM.OCS.DREXEL.EDU
Since this is an open topics period, I thought I would pose a question or two of interest to those of us involved in the Library Instruction Round Table and the Instruction Section of ACRL (both parts of ALA).
Is your university or college offering some kind of bibliographic instruction via the WWW starting this fall? Is this online instruction interactive? Is it designed to replace classroom BI? or supplement classroom BI?
If any of you can provide URLs of BI Web sites that you think does a particularly good job of providing students with some basic instruction, please send to me directly (or post to the list).
I am a graduate student at Drexel and would appreciate any input on this topic.
Karen M. Drabenstott
Associate Professor
School of Information
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1092 USA
Voice: (734) 763-3581
Fax: (734) 764-2475
karen.drabenstott@umich.edu
There's been only one reply to my open topics message and that was more a request for information than a new topics suggestion. The requester did want to learn about bibliographic instruction initiatives via the Web. Is this a topic of interest to our membership? How about a general discussion about course delivery via the web. Any interest -- any takers?
Here at Michigan, we had our fall orientation today. That means our summer here is coming to a close. With temperatures expected in the forties (or teens) tonight, it sure feels like it is time for the end-of-summer blues. I hope that is the reason why no one is responding to my call for new topics. What could I possibly say right now to encourage our membership to suggest new topics?
Melissa Moore Palus
First-year Student
School of Information
The University of Michigan
Voice: (248) 244-6510
mmpalus@umich.edu
Hello all,
I've been lurking on the edges of this discussion group for a few months. Although I've been admitted to the SI program since June, I held back participating for lack of experience in the librarianship field. However, my work background has been in the high-tech area, especially network administration and PC management. I'm not sure where an MSI will take me, but it's going to be a fun adventure.
If I may add my .02 cents to the topic list, I'd be interested in course delivery via the Web. Another topic that may already have been mentioned is the introduction of new computer systems into libraries. How does the staff of a public or private library integrate the new technology with the existing systems? What problems were encountered and how were they solved?
Maybe my networking bias is showing, but I'm curious about the nitty-gritty issues of planning and implementing new systems.
Ru Story-Huffman
Public Services Librarian
Cumberland College
rshuff@cc.cumber.edu
I for one would like to see a discussion on delivery of BI via the Web. It would be good to hear what others are doing and have to say on the subject. I am in the process of developing a web-based library orientation, and have found a lot of sites and from what I gather, interest. I imagine there are others out there who would benefit from this topic.
Duncan Alford
Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.
223 East Main Street
Suite 600
Rock Hill, SC 29730
Voice: (803) 325-2905
Fax: (803) 325-2929
DAlford@rbh.com
Peter Drucker, a professor of management, recently wrote an article on information technology in ASAP, a supplement to Forbes magazine. He compared the current development of information technology to the development of the printing press in 16th century Western Europe. He noted that at the early stages of the development of the printing press, the printers (the persons who controlled the new invention) dominated the industry and gathered significant wealth. Later in the development, the dominance and influence of the printers waned and the developers of content (the publishers) became dominant. He points out in his article that currently the developers of computer technology (the chip makers, computer makers and to a certain extent the software developers) are dominant in the information technology industry. The emphasis is currently on technology. He forecasts that the controllers and developers of the content will become dominant in the information technology industry similar to the development of the printing industry in the 16th century. The emphasis will be on information, rather than technology. A discussion of his thesis would be interesting. In particular, what implications does his thesis have on technical services librarians? On librarians in general? Do librarians have a role in influencing the technology or the information? Many other issues could also be explored.
You may join the discussion and look over the list of past and future topics.
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