Tell Your Story @ your library
Presentation given for Library Administration class
Promoting the Digital Learning Lab - Why?
The “Tell your story @ your library” program will allow students to “discover” an underused resource, integrate the Digital Learning Lab into the curriculum, promote university programs and teach multimedia skills
About:
UNL’S Love Library has a fantastic resource called the Digital Learning Lab. The DLL “consists of librarians, staff and equipment necessary for students to view, create, and locate non-print/non-text resources, including audio, video, and images.” (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Love Library | Digital learning lab) The DLL not only has computers for digital video editing, audio editing, and image editing, but they also have equipment to check out and knowledgeable Digital Learning Librarians to assist with questions.
When I was an undergrad at UNL, I did not know about this resource. I knew that the library had a computer or two with scanning equipment, but I didn’t know the full extent of the equipment, nor that there were staff whose job it was to assist in using the equipment. Talking to other students on campus, I find they don’t know about it either.
In the University Libraries Strategic Plan for 2006/08, the first priority listed is to expand the Digital Scholarship and Literacy Program. In specific, the Libraries aim to increase use of the “Digital Learning Librarian (DLL) Program. Integrating multi-media into the curriculum.” (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University libraries strategic plan: Priorities for 2006/08). The “Tell Your Story@yourlibrary” campaign also incorporates two of the seven “Core Values” of the University- by engaging communities outside UNL (through promotion of and participation in the sites) and promoting “Research and creative activity that inform teaching [and] foster discovery.” (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2005)
Who:
Intermediate Graphic Design class Work with teacher to create final class project I chose to narrow my focus to an Intermediate Graphic Design class because the students will have some experience with design, but will not yet be very advanced, and because Graphic Design students are often looking for a means to express themselves to a larger public, but chances to do this can be few and far between.
I also chose this group of students because I believe that knowing at least the basics of multimedia design will be advantageous for any Graphic Design or Art student. Even if the student never works with video or audio again, they will know what it is like, which will make them better collaborators.
I believe the work produced by these students will be visually appealing and exciting, making it easy to promote to others on campus and in the larger community.
Goal:
Students will utilize the Digital Learning Lab to create exciting web based projects showcasing their talents.
Most Art and Graphic Design students love showing others what they are doing, and getting feedback. Teachers love venues for promoting their students. And the University loves showing the community the good work of the students.
Most of all, though, this event is about building skills that students can take with them into their careers and communities. The Digital Learning Lab exists because of the increasing importance of being able to express oneself not only through writing and speaking, but through multimedia. Students possessing these skills will have an edge in the marketplace.
Examples:
These are just a couple of examples of different styles a website might take. On “IT IN Place,” Alex Itin creates a running commentary using images, video, sound and text, interwoven into a continuous visual stream.
On “The Amateur Gourmet,”Adam Roberts uses a comic format to tell his story.
Objectives:
One class will work closely with Digital Learning Librarians. Each student will create a web based project utilizing at least one piece of equipment.
One [intermediate graphic design] class will work closely with Digital Learning Librarians. Each student [or group] will create a [complete, interactive,] web based project utilizing at least one piece of equipment [that the student was previously unfamiliar with].
Digital Learning Librarians will work with Graphic Design Instructor to create help create assignment, leaving leeway for creativity. Instructor may set other parameters, but site should: pick a topic (anything the student is interested in) and present it in an attractive and innovative way. The site could be a Blog, a Wiki, an interactive game, a video presentation, etc. The only stipulation is that the student should try and learn a new piece of equipment.
Digital Learning Librarians will give several short demos of equipment to students. There will at least be a demo each on audio, video, and web services. During these sessions, Librarians will use examples of borrowed media and pictures, and explain what is ok to use and what is not. They will also discuss citing used sources and copyright concerns.
Students will utilize the Digital Learning Lab equipment and computers to create project sites. Sites will be listed on the Library main page, and will be shown in several stages: the first will be the proposals for the projects,t he second, sketches, and third, the final project. This ongoing activity will help maintain public interest.
Final “Meet and Greet”: There will be a final presentation/exhibition in the Library so students can show off and explain their final projects The presentation part will be held in the LIR room, where each student will give a brief (5 minutes) presentation on their project to their peers and any one else that wants to show up (friends, family, etc.)
After the presentation, there will be an exhibition in the upstairs link computer lab, where each student will display their project on a different computer.
Advertising:
Before:
The first step in getting the word out will be to advertise and generate interest in the class itself. Posters can be placed around the art buildings explaining the class, a notice can be placed on the Art department and library web pages, and a descriptive title can be written for the course catalog. This will need to be planned well in advance.
During:
Once the class has started, the Library should make an effort to publicize the class and the projects regularly through e-news announcements, listings in the Scarlet, and Blurbs in the Daily Nebraskan.
End:
The final stage will culminate in a “Meet and Greet” event to which the University and community will be invited. Most of the advertising will gear up towards this final event. A press release will be sent to campus and city newspapers, as well as students’ hometown newspapers (if they choose.) Students will have the option of designing and posting flyers around campus.
Assessment:
Logs kept for use of computer and equipment checkout Website will get at least 500 unique hits Equipment use and checkout should increase by at least 20%. This can be easily tracked by looking at the logs for the equipment checkout and using software on the computers that will track the total time in use. Librarians will need to keep statistics for the previous semester before the class so they have something to compare the new statistics to.
Statistics on the site will also be easy to keep. I have a conservative goal of 500 unique hits per month. In addition to these measures, students will evaluate the class in general at the end of the semester. These evaluations can then be compared to past, similar classes to see if it is rated more highly. While not a definite indicator of success, it would be a start. Librarians also may be able to obtain and anonymous comments written by the students on these evaluations.
Sources:
Itin, A., (Image), IT IN Place, [Blog], http://www.futureofthebook.org/itinplace/
Roberts, A., (Image), The Amateur Gourmet, [Blog], http://www.amateurgourmet.com/
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Love Library | Digital learning lab. Accessed November 28th, 2006 from http://www.unl.edu/DLL/about.html
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2005. The role of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Accessed November 28th, 2006 from http://www.unl.edu/ucomm/aboutunl/roleandmission.shtml
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. University libraries strategic plan: Priorities for 2006/08. Accessed November 28th, 2006 from http://www.unl.edu/libr/admin/strategicPlan.doc