CP Down Under

by David Lane

About three weeks ago I attended the 7th International Carnivorous Plant Society conference in Sydney, Australia. The traveling was easy after I got past the six hour flight to LA and the thirteen hour flight to Sydney. I’d only been in Australia a couple of hours before I managed to blow out the power to my hotel room using the wrong adapter, surge protector, transformer combination. Being in a five star hotel (Swissotel,) in the middle of the city next to the Sydney tower they very nicely gave me the right transformer and repaired the wiring. This was the first trip for me where I tried to send email and photos from my room back to New Hampshire each day. I could walk everywhere I needed to go in this very modern, but still quite British city, as long as I stayed to the left on the sidewalks. Sydney bills itself as one of the most beautiful cities with its combination of old and new architecture, many parks and open spaces, and large harbor with a mild climate.

Highlights of the 2008 October Conference

by Louise Buckley

One of the attractions of attending the Dartmouth Biomedical Libraries’ October Conference is the scenic views of fall foliage along the drive to Hanover. Another draw is the conference’s purpose: providing practical presentations on a different topic annually so that the 120 or so attendees can walk away with ideas, strategies, and tips that they can put to use in their own libraries. This year, Eleta Exline and I had another reason to attend: we were on the program as speakers.
The theme for this 12th annual conference was Space 2.0: Small-Scale Library Redesign Projects. Eleta spoke on the transformation of the Technical Services preservation workroom into the digital scanning lab. I spoke on the Government Information Department’s redesign of both their office/workspace and public service model in 2007.

While the first session focused on best practices for the design and implementation of a learning or information commons, other presentations discussed a range of spaces, including the conversion of a microforms room into an instructional, conferencing, and group work space; the development of a digital social sciences center; and the creation of an effective quiet study area in a space-challenged library.

A particularly interesting presentation involved getting student feedback via Post-It notes on a potential library redesign of study space and furnishings. The speakers saw this as a quick, effective, and fun method to get comments from users visiting the library. The final talk highlighted how existing space could be used for exhibitions, displays, and other outreach activities for little or no cost.

Themes that were common across many of the talks included the need for flexibility in all aspects from planning and design to selection of furniture such as whiteboards on wheels; the importance of assessment before, during, and after these redesigns; and the conversion of lesser-used print and microforms collection spaces to people spaces (learning commons, group study, instruction, sophisticated statistical and GIS work and consultations). Another valuable piece of advice, given the tight budgets of most libraries, was to have a plan ready for the desired changes even if the money isn’t yet available; being ready to seize or create opportunities on short notice can be strategic.

If you are interested in any of these topics, the PowerPoint presentations and handouts for conference sessions are available online.

ALA Annual Conference Report

by Linda Johnson

ALA Annual
Anaheim California
June 2008

Federal Documents
Regional Depository Libraries & Title 44

There continues to be a great buzz about the role regional libraries play in the depository system. This was precipitated by the fact that a unique arrangement proposed by Kansas & Nebraska that would involve sharing collections between states was declared not legal under the present federal depository law embodied in Title 44.

Please see this report on responses related to regional libraries and the broader issue of Title 44.
http://freegovinfo.info/node/1924

Department of Energy (DOE) “OSTI Accelerating Science Information.”
Tim Bryne, Office of Scientific & Technical Information, gave an outstanding & funny overview of the DOE products that offer increased access to agency publications.

OSTI now offers downloadable MARC records of DOE records included in the Information Bridge (from 1991- & 172,000 records)

CBHL Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids

by David Lane

CBHL (Council on Botanical and Horticultural
Libraries) is the leading professional organization in the field of botanical and horticultural information services.

Our host in Grand Rapids, the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, opened in 1995 on 125 acres donated by the Meijer family. Besides having the largest conservatory in Michigan, it is distinguished by sculptures from well-known artists such as Rodin, Moore, Oldenberg, DiSuvero, and many others.

One of its signature pieces is the largest horse sculpture in the world (one of two). In the attached photo you can see that all of the conference attendees fit under the sculpture.

Charleston Conference Scholarship Opportunity

The ACS is proud to support librarians wishing to participate in the Charleston Conference, an annual event attended by nearly 1,000 people.

The formal lectures, amplified and augmented by the corridor conversations that arise throughout the conference, are great ways for librarians and vendors alike to gain broader perspectives about the many issues that surround scholarly communications – from practical, business-oriented concerns to lofty ideas that help drive the next generation of products and services offered to and by members of the community.

DEADLINE: August 15, 2008

Scholarship Amount: $1,500

Application Requirements

* The applicant must submit an essay of between 500 and 1,000 words on the topic: “What industry related technology or feature would you like to see in your library, and how would attending the Charleston Conference contribute to or bring that vision one step closer to becoming a reality?”

* The applicant must submit a copy of his/her CV along with the essay.

* The applicant must be a library professional or para-professional currently working in a library.

Send your essay with your CV to:

ACS Publications
Attn: Library Relations
1155 16th Street NW, Room 229
Washington, DC 20036
Fax: 202-776-8290

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Adam Chesler
Assistant Director, Library Relations and Customer Service American Chemical Society
1155 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036