“Join or Die. Collaboration in Special Collections”

“Registration and housing for the RBMS 2010 Preconference are now open!
“Join or Die. Collaboration in Special Collections” will be held Tuesday-Friday, June 22-25, 2010, in Philadelphia. In addition to three plenary sessions, each focusing on a different type of collaboration in special collections, there will be plenty of seminars, case studies, and discussion sessions to educate, provoke, and delight. Three full-day workshops are offered on Tuesday, as will a conference orientation and introduction to RBMS, an opening reception, and the popular ABAA Booksellers’ Showcase.

How do scholars collaborate?

If you want to know how scholars in a number of different fields collaborate, a recent report from the Center for Studies in Higher Education at UC Berkeley is worthwhile. While the report, Assessing the Future Landscape of Scholarly Communication: An Exploration of Faculty Values and Needs in Seven Disciplines, is pretty lengthy at 734 pages, it can be digested in smaller pieces. Each chapter has a section that details how scholars in the fields of archaeology, astrophysics, biology, economics, history, music, and political science collaborate. The authors discuss collaboration in general on page 14-16 of the introduction. The following is just a small excerpt:

Many fields are changing in ways such that “one group of experts can’t do everything.” This is particularly dramatic in fields that require significant computational analysis. Scholars in new music, archaeology, astrophysics, and biology are highly collaborative and rely on large teams of individuals who have varied expertise. Collaborations are not uncommon—although on a smaller relative scale—in history, economics, and political science. Collaborations are usually multidisciplinary by nature. Scholars collaborate for several reasons and, similar to the differing levels of comfort with sharing, the desire for collaborating depends on individual personality.

The culture of collaboration is covered in much more detail in the rest of the book as well.

Michael Stephens presented at an EDUCAUSE conference

In this conference presentation report, Michael Stephens wrote that his EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative “session was an overview of what I think makes up ‘The Hyperlinked Campus’ (based on my model of ‘The Hyperlinked Library’) and the benefits of creative collaboration and immersive engagement in teaching. It was good for my own process to articulate the learning goals I have for my LIS students with technology and emerging trends in libraries.”

This was the title of his session, “Creative Collaboration and Immersive Engagement: The Hyperlinked Campus”. The session was also taped.

BCR and LYRASIS Explore Closer Relationship

Aurora, Colorado, February 2, 2010 – BCR and LYRASIS are pleased to announce that they are exploring the potential for a closer relationship that would better serve members of both organizations.  Building on their previous cooperative efforts to offer digital and preservation services, the Boards of the two organizations are discussing a variety of options that would allow both BCR and LYRASIS members to take advantage of the unique offerings of each organization. 

Greening ILL Practices – Consortia Delivery is “Greener”

At ALA midwinter, Dennis Massie, OCLC Research presented on “Greening ILL Practices: Data’s, Do’s and Don’ts”.  This Powerpoint has great information about the environmental impact of our packaging materials and solid recommendations for being more “green”.   Among his recommendations: 

• “Participate in a local delivery consortia; they are often cheaper, reduce book miles traveled, and do not require packaging other than a canvas bag or a paper routing slip rubber-banded to the books and dropped in reusable totes”
• “Consider launching a purchasing consortium to lower costs of packaging materials, office copy paper, and overhead scanners”
• It is better to use a local courier with reusable nylon bags  than Fed Ex with one time cardboard containers

I’ve included the major heading from his recommendations below, please see the PowerPoint to get full details.
“GOAL: Reuse packaging materials, minimize their size and weight, and utilize materials with maximum post-consumer recycled content.
1. Reuse materials
2. Procure materials that are durable, contain recycled content, and are recyclable
3. Recycle materials at end of life
4. Other innovative practices
5. Practices to avoid”

Valerie Horton

TEDx video on the importance of community

Chrystie Hill presented a TEDx talk — “Community: it’s the new content.”

“Building Collaboration, Participation, and Community in Libraries.”

“Alliance Library System and TAP Information Services Announce Trendy Topics  2010:  Social Networking for Libraries! The first conference on Social Software for Libraries is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9.  Meredith Farkas of Norwich University and columnist for American Libraries, will be the opening keynote speaker at 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time, 10:00 Central, 9:00 Mountain, and 8:00 Pacific.  She will address “Building Collaboration, Participation, and Community in Libraries.”  Farkas will talk about how social software is opening up new opportunities for reaching out to patrons, providing library services, and transforming our websites.”

Keys to Sustainable Digital Collaboratives

“Liz Bishoff will expand her Texas Library Journal article by providing specific strategies and examples for developing initial and on-going work and business plans, as well as guidance on negotiating the complex process of continuing funding and energy. Learn how to make digital collaboratives an effective means of increasing user access to critical information.

Workplace Collaboration Online Poll

IBM’s The SmartPlanet website has an online poll running asking “How do you primarily collaborate in the workplace?” The results so far:

• Phone, e-mail and instant messaging. 51.4%
• Face-to-face. 35.2%
• Video conferencing. 8.1%
• Online collaboration tools (cloud apps; wikis; dropboxes). 5.4%

There is still time for you to vote at: http://www.smartplanet.com

“Collective Wealth, Global Sharing, Global Resources”

“On behalf of the conference committee, I am delighted to invite you to participate in ALIA Access 2010 Conference, taking place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia from 1 – 3 September 2010.

The 2010 event will challenge the traditional format of ALIA conferences with a focus on making the conference more ‘accessible’ for delegates and vendors. More will be revealed as the planning progresses……

The 2-day multi-sector conference will feature library tours, video streaming, a conference dinner and an associated exhibition with library industry suppliers.
We look forward to seeing you at the ALIA Access 2010 Conference.”

Graham Black
Conference Convenor