DMCA– Good News for Teaching

Just the other day the Librarian of Congress announced the rules for exemption to DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) regarding circumventing access-control technologies. And guess what! They’re more permissive than before!

Today I have designated six classes of works. Persons who circumvent access controls in order to engage in noninfringing uses of works in these six classes will not be subject to the statutory prohibition against circumvention. – James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress

The six classes of works include movies on DVD, several classes of computer programs, video games, and e-books. Be sure to read the information from the copyright office for the details.

The legal ability to circumvent controls on DVDs will be good news for professors and teaching staff who utilize visual content; and being able to unlock e-books for people with vision problems to be able to HEAR their books is a boon to making content more freely available.

I wonder if any of you have provided or are planning to provide support to teaching faculty to circumvent some of these technologies now that they are legally allowed. Thoughts? Please comment below.

New Student Journal at Pacific University

The Pacific University Library has partnered with the Pacific University Department of Philosophy to produce a new open access annual journal of student scholarship – Res Cogitans.  The journal is hosted on the Library’s repository platform, and the first issue is available now.

Papers in Res Cogitans are selected from those presented at the Pacific University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, which has drawn students from almost 250 different schools since 1997.  David Boersema,  Douglas C. Strain Chair of Natural Philosophy and Distinguished University Professor is the general editor of Res Cogitans.

House Committe Holding Public Access Hearing Next Week

Next Thursday, July 29th,  the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Policy, the Census and National Archives will hold a hearing on public access to federally funded research. You may remember that last winter the Office of Science and Technology Policy requested public input on the expansion of public access policies, and that this April the Federal Research Public Access Act was re-introduced in the Senate.

The imminent hearing by the house committee shows that there is excitement and movement around public access. Be sure to contact your representative to let her know what you and your patrons think of public access to federally funded research.

For more information you might want to read the Alliance for Taxpayer Access’s press release.

Last call for Menucha lightning talks!

We’ll be making our selections for Ignite-style lightning talks to be given at the ACRL OR/WA Annual Joint Conference at Menucha at the beginning of August.  Submit your ideas today!

You have 5 minutes and 20 slides to tell your colleagues from Oregon and Washington academic libraries what you think about the future!  What will you tell them?  We’re looking for a nice mixture of practical, visionary, funny, dire, and inventive.  Wherever you are in the library or your career – from library director to library student - you have something to add to this discussion!

Submit your idea now! We don’t require a fancy or formal proposal, just give us a general idea of what you plan to discuss.

Miriam Rigby (UO) blogs about blogging!

As one of ALA’s 2010 Emerging Leaders, Miriam was asked to post some reflections on blogging for ACRLog. So, of course we wanted to feature it here too!

Check In with Location Based Mobile Services: Foursquare and Libraries (E-learning Workshop)

ACRL-Oregon is very pleased to announce its sponsorship of the second in a series of ACRL National E-learning workshops to meet the continuing education needs of librarians statewide. The second workshop of the 2010 series will be:

Check In with Location Based Mobile Services: Foursquare and Libraries
People everywhere are “checking in” using Foursquare and other location-based social networks from their mobile phones. This interactive webcast will explore this trend of geo-based mobile/social gaming and its impacts on libraries, information engagement, and learning. Learn about the most popular location based social technologies including Foursquare, Gowalla, and MyTown, and become familiar with their uses and features. Discuss how to most effectively use and leverage location based social networks for libraries to enhance library spaces, services, and collections. See demonstrations of the technologies themselves to enhance group engagement and hands-on learning.
 

LIVE SESSION:

When: Tuesday July 20, 2010 (doors open 10:30am | workshop 11:00am-12:30 pm | discussion/networking time 12:30 – 1:00pm)

Where: Oregon State University, Corvallis the Valley Library  Autzen Classroom (2082)·    
Directions to OSU Campus: http://oregonstate.edu/visitors/tour/directions.html·       
Directions for your mobile phone:  http://m.library.oregonstate.edu/directions.html·        
Parking:  Free parking is available on streets around campus, however on campus parking requires a permit.
Parking map: http://oregonstate.edu/facilities/transit_pkg/TAPS2010.pdf· Visitor permits may be obtained at any one of the ten ‘Pay & Display’ stations located throughout campus. The cost for a daily permit is $7.00 for the day or $1.00 an hour up to a maximum of four hours. Visitors may park in student and visitor lots only for the day the permit is purchased. There is a new visitor brochure Visitor Brochure, which contains pertinent information for visitors.

Who: *Any interested parties are welcome to attend the live event!*

Lunch: Brown-bag!

Questions:  Margaret Mellinger (541.737.9642 or margaret.mellinger@oregonstate.edu)

ARCHIVED SESSION:

ACRL-Oregon Members will also receive the archived workshop URL shortly after the live event, so members who are unable to attend the live event can view its content 24/7 from anywhere!

FUTURE WORKSHOP SESSIONS – MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

July 13, 2010      Marketing Ideas That Work in Academic Libraries: Pecha Kucha Presentations
This webcast, offered by ACRL’s Marketing Academic and Research Libraries Committee, will provide basic hands-on marketing strategies for academic librarians.   Learn about practical ways to market your library and hear from academic librarians who have won national marketing awards.
Location: PCC-Sylvannia

 
September 14, 2010   
The Not-So-Distant Librarian: Online Library Instruction to Engage Students and Faculty
Learn practical tips and tools for designing, implementing, and assessing online library instruction in this ACRL Webcast.
Location: Southern Oregon University

 
October 19, 2010
      So You Want to Create an Interactive Information Literacy Tutorial?
Learn about the experience creating an interactive information literacy tutorial from beginning to end in collaboration with a multimedia designer in this ACRL Webcast.  Evaluate the potential of tutorial as an assessment tool and an opportunity for self-evaluation.
Location: Chemeketa CC

Report from Library Advocacy Day in Washington, DC

Last week at ALA’s 2010 Annual Conference, I had the pleasure of participating in Library Advocacy Day. On Tuesday, June 29th, librarians from all over the country gathered to show legislators the importance of funding libraries, and pointed to key issues facing libraries today. At 11am a Rally in Washington DC’s Upper Senate Park commenced. Outgoing ALA President Camila Alire spoke along with guest speakers Lauren Myracle, Senator Jack Reed, and Representative Vernon Ehlers. Despite a muggy DC summer heat, the energy among the crowd of librarians was up and chants of “we’re gonna show ‘em” grew loud. Be sure to check out the pictures of the rally on Flickr.

In addition to attending the rally, I was able to go with Oregon’s team of librarians for office visits to meet with some of the state’s Representatives and Senators. The issues we stressed during the meetings were:

FEDERAL FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES:

  • Fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $300 million to ensure the best possible library resources for all constituents.
  • Fund Improving Literacy Through School Libraries at $100 million to best prepare students for the 21st century workforce.

SUPPORT SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT (ESEA):

  • Every school should have a fully funded school library staffed by a full-time, state-certified school librarian.
  • Include school librarians in state & local teacher professional development federal funds for recruitment and training of K-12 staff.

EQUITABLE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION:

  • Co-sponsor the Access to Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101 and S. 3304) so that persons with disabilities will have access to new technologies and library services.
  • Support network neutrality to assure a free and open Internet for all.
  • Assure public access to federally funded congressional and scholarly research by supporting:
    • Congressional Research Service Electronic Accessibility Act of 2009, H.R. 3762;
    • Open the Congressional Research Service (CRS), S.R. 118; and,
    • The Federal Research Public Access Act of 2009 (FRPAA of 2009), S. 1373 and H.R. 5037.

-From the ALA Office of Government Relations (Read the whole document here.)

All of our meetings were successful and our state representatives learned about the issues affecting libraries in Oregon.  Representative Blumenauer even loved the Library Advocacy Day red t-shirts and asked for some!

Just as a follow up you  might consider writing your state representative and Oregon’s Senators to thank them for their interest in and support of libraries.

Free ACRL E-learning Workshop Series Sponsored by ACRL-OR

ACRL-Oregon is very pleased to announce its sponsorship of the first in a series of ACRL National E-learning workshops to meet the continuing education needs of librarians statewide. The first workshop of the 2010 series will be:

Marketing Ideas That Work in Academic Libraries: Pecha Kucha Presentations
This webcast, offered by ACRL’s Marketing Academic and Research Libraries Committee, will provide basic hands-on marketing strategies for academic librarians. Learn about practical ways to market your library and hear from academic librarians who have won national marketing awards.

LIVE SESSION:
When: Tuesday July 13, 2010 (doors open 10:30am | workshop 11:00am-12:15pm | discussion/networking time 12:15-1:00pm)
Where: Portland Community College – Sylvania Campus Library, Room 204
·         Map: http://www.pcc.edu/about/locations/sylvania/documents/sy-campus-map.pdf (LIB = Library on the map).
·         Parking: Lots P7 and P8 are recommended. Permits are required and may be purchased from vending machines located in the parking lots. The machines take coins, $1.00 bills, or Visa/Mastercard (some machines only). These permits are valid only on the day of purchase, and the current date is automatically imprinted on the permit at the time of issue. Display dispensed permits on the driver’s side of the dashboard with the date imprint facing up.

Who: *Any interested parties are welcome to attend the live event!*

Lunch: Brown-bag

 

ARCHIVED SESSION:
ACRL-Oregon Members will also receive the archived workshop URL shortly after the live event, so members who are unable to attend the live event can view content 24/7 from anywhere!

 
FUTURE SESSIONS – MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

July 20, 2010
Check In with Location Based Mobile Services: Foursquare and Libraries
People everywhere are “checking in” using Foursquare and other location-based social networks from their mobile phones.  Explore this trend of geo-based mobile/social gaming and its impacts on libraries, information engagement, and learning in this ACRL Webcast.
Location: Oregon State University

 
September 14, 2010
The Not-So-Distant Librarian: Online Library Instruction to Engage Students and Faculty
Learn practical tips and tools for designing, implementing, and assessing online library instruction in this ACRL Webcast.
Location: Southern Oregon University

 
October 19, 2010
So You Want to Create an Interactive Information Literacy Tutorial?
Learn about the experience creating an interactive information literacy tutorial from beginning to end in collaboration with a multimedia designer in this ACRL Webcast.  Evaluate the potential of tutorial as an assessment tool and an opportunity for self-evaluation.
Location: Chemeketa Community College

Newly Elected Board Members Announced!

Thank you to everyone who voted in the recent ACRL Oregon board elections!

Congratulations to incoming Vice-President/President-Elect Anna Johnson (Mt. Hood Community College) and incoming Members-at-Large Jennifer Nutefall (OSU) and Joan Petit (PSU).

Thanks to all the candidates for their willingness to serve.  We were fortunate to have such a stellar slate of candidates.

I hope you will join me in congratulating our new Board members!

Rachel Bridgewater
President, ACRL-Oregon

Oregon Library Association 2011 Annual Conference

Oregon Library Association Annual Conference
April 6-8, 2011

Libraries Build Communities Build Libraries

Communities depend on vital libraries.
Libraries depend on vital communities.
We survive, and thrive, by building our linked destiny.

Talk to your co-workers, your supervisors, your association officers, your leaders. Soon we will ask for ideas and Program Proposals – please watch for it. Tell us your needs; share your knowledge; let your voice be heard. Help craft a conference that will create the future.

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. – Andy Warhol

OLA Annual Conference 2011