Many pathways: LibGuides

photo © 2007 Chris Gladis | more info (via: Wylio)
What criteria do you use when considering the publication of library pathfinders? Do you have procedures in place to regularly review their content and appropriateness?

These questions have been in my thoughts for some time now, and I have been prompted to write set guidelines for our staff as we move content to LibGuides.
Joyce Valenza's New Tools pathfinder has attracted much well deserved positive comment along with a suggestion for a slight reorganisation by Colette Cassinelli. This has led me to look at and evaluate Libguides content from many schools around the globe. I have taken inspiration from many, in particular from the LibGuides published by Leanne Windsor at TIGS and Cathy Oxley at Brisbane Grammar School.

In our context, several staff will have the opportunity to write and publish guides. Like Joyce and many other librarians, we have had guides in many different places and sometimes these have varied widely in standards.
The following guidelines have been written to remind us to consider as many options as possible. Your comments are welcome.

Policy and Procedures

This site is the web portal to learning resources developed by the teacher librarians in conjuction with the Trinity Grammar School community of learners. http://trinity.nsw.libguides.com/index.php

Guides published here must meet the following criteria:

• Is there a demonstrated need for information on this subject?
• Has the appropriate faculty, department, subject teacher been consulted? 
• Are procedures in place to notify all relevant stakeholders?
• Has a timeline been established for publication and review of guide?

Guides are to contain the following basic information:

1. Guide description, includes purpose and scope of guide.  
2. Association to a Subject area so that guides are appropriately grouped and appear in the Subject search list
3. Tags of a general nature, likely to be used by students or staff for retrieving material.
4. Individual pages (tabs) within guides should be ordered alphabetically unless there are special circumstances, e.g. where HSC and IB tabs are used they should be adjacent. This rule also applies to sub-pages in dropdown menus.

Individual pages

1. The Home page of each guide must contain a Links to Guides box in the upper left column. The contents of this box can be determined by the guide’s author, either a selection of related guides, popular guides or recently published guides. 
2. Each page added must include a description.
3. A page should be added only when there is likely to be enough content to be used in 2 or 3 columns, i.e. enough to fill an average web screen.  If there is not this amount of material, consider a box on a related page, it can always be moved to a new page should the need arise.
4. Pages are to be added as tabs where possible unless sub topics clearly fit underneath a particular heading. A subject guide may have tabs for Year levels with pathfinders for those year levels as subpages.
5. Pages should be hidden while editing, this applies particularly where a new page is being added to an already published guide.
6. Each page should have at least one illustrative element, i.e. image, video or other visual. High quality images and screenshots should be used rather than clipart.
7. Column width can be adjusted when needed, but the 3 column layout is the preferred default. 

Content
Content within guides should be selected for quality, authority, relevance and the reading level of intended audience. It should include as many of the following elements as possible:

• web links
• database search guide – list of suitable databases, recommended searches and/or journals 
• embedded multimedia – webcasts, podcasts, webinars, video, audio, interactive content or any other non-textual format 
• primary sources 
• recommendations for mobile apps (multiple platforms) 
• reading list of books, physical and/or etexts 
• RSS feeds
• Recommended search terms for web, library catalogue and social bookmarking sites
• Images, charts, mindmaps, diagrams and other non-interactive representations of information

Publication Procedure

All guides are to be previewed by the Head of Information Services before publication.

Guides are to be allocated a ”friendly URL” at the point of publication.

What have I missed? Do you have further suggestions?

Recipe for inspiration - Pecha Kucha style

1. Research finished, mandatory document and Powerpoint completed for assessment, disinterested students.
2. Introduce one Pecha Kucha 5 slide presentation, 20 seconds on each slide to explain the process.
3. Set challenge - who can revisit finished work and repackage their content?
4. Result - motivated students, buzz of discussion and endeavour.

Here's my very simple presentation explaining the process. This was enough to set the class buzzing. I look forward to their presentations next week.

Pecha Kucha

View more presentations from Carmel Galvin

Slide 1: Pecha Kucha (pe-chak-cha) refers to the Japanese sound for chit chat. It is used to describe a method of presenting a talk with uncluttered images and limited timings. This helps the audience concentrate on the speaker, with each slide appearing on the screen for only 20 seconds.

Slide 2: Slides are usually images only and their automatic progression after 20 seconds allows the presenter to fly smoothly through their talk rather than be entangled in a web of words appearing on the screen. The audience is relieved of the need to read the text. The image selected should reinforce the message.

Slide 3: It is important to get to the point, focus on facts and delivery, only what is important. The audience should not be distracted with transitions and effects unless they add to the message being delivered.. Text on screen is kept to 5 words or less. Original Pecha Kucha presentations use images only.

Slide 4: When done well, your classes and teachers will never be bored by presentations again. Creative Commons images must be used and image sources acknowledged on the last slide. Good places to start searching for high quality images are the advanced search options in either Flickr or Google.

Slide 5: Let's give it a spin and see if you can present your research via the Pecha Kucha method. Remember, you have only 5 slides and 20 seconds for each slide. Choose content then some inspiring images and wow the class next week. Are you ready for the challenge?

In and Out, digital roundabout

photo © 2010 Priit Tammets | more info (via: Wylio)
IPad and Kindle loans

Starting this week, we will be lending iPads for use in the library during out of class hours. The library is open from 8am -6pm daily so there are before school timeslots, lunch times and after school. With our intial 2 WiFi only iPads, this provides the opportunity for up to 30 students in Years 7-11, per week to have access. Year 12 all have individual, school issued iPads. The iPads have filtered internet access, there is no mail client configured and in app purchases are not possible due to password restrictions.

The iPads have been added to our library management system so easy tracking of student use is enabled. Depending on demand we may implement an advance booking system, but regular library users will be the first to see the in library signs.

To what use will these iPads be put? We have loaded a wide range of free apps from drawing and art to chemical reactions and calculators. Loan conditions are minimal but encourage responsibility
1. Enjoy the experience
2. Return the iPad exactly as loaned to you, all apps closed, all apps in place, no changes
to settings or wallpapers
3. Requests for further apps may be made on return of iPad. Request does not guarantee subsequent app acquisition.

Our two WiFi Kindles will also be available for student borrowing from this week. They have been loaded with seven popular titles that are always in demand. The loan conditions are similar to those for the iPads except for loan period and the fact that the Kindles will be taken home.

We look forward to our students' responses to these initiatives, their feedback will help determine our further directions with these devices.
Are your library management strategies for digital equipment working well? I would value hearing of your experiences.