Division of Library and Information Science
Symposium
Saturday March 24th, 2012
Manhattan Campus
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
TRACK 1: An Introduction to Progressive Librarianship
– Panel Discussion
The recent The Progressive Librarian Guild rejects the notion of
“neutrality in librarianship” and seeks to provide a “forum for the
open exchange of radical views on library issues” (PLG, 2012). The
St. John’s PLG chapter presents a panel to promote socially engaged
conversations. Hear Kate Angel address diversifying the library
workforce through internships. Katrina Martinez will argue for
immigrants’ right to information services from public libraries.
Finally, Robert Weiss will discuss the proposed SOPA and PIPA bills
within the broader framework of U.S. copyright laws, and the
conflict over ownership and control of information in the digital
age.
Progressive Librarians Guild. (2012, January 12). PLG’s
Commitment. Retrieved from http://libr.org/plg/statement.php
Katelyn Angell is a reference librarian at
Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. She holds a BA from
Wesleyan University and a MLIS from St. John's University. She has
forthcoming articles in Library Journal and Fat Studies: An
Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society.
Katrina Martinez is a second semester LIS
student at St. John's. Previously, she attended the University of
Texas at El Paso where she received a B.A in both English and
History and an M.A. in English Literature. Katrina's interests
include South Asian literature and issues of migration and diaspora
in literature.
Robert J. Weiss obtained a doctorate in history
from NYU and recently received his MLS from St. John’s. Dr. Weiss
is the author of “We Want Jobs”: The History of Affirmative Action
(Taylor & Francis), as well as several brief monographs. He
most recently coauthored an article of copyright and the library
profession that appeared in the Fall 2011 issue of JLAMS.
TRACK 2: New Directions in School and Youth
Librarianship
School Libraries on the Ground and in the Cloud,
Phyllis Di Bianco
The recent explosion of global information, communication and
electronic books has inspired vast changes in the role of school
library media specialists. Although students are described as
digital natives, it is well documented that they need carefully
designed instruction to become discriminating and effective users
of multimedia online information tools for research and individual
interests. In this presentation we will discuss the
challenges of curriculum-related digital and print resources,
techniques for collaboration with members of the school community,
and the school library as a learning commons.
Phyllis Di Bianco has been as a school library
media specialist in New York since 1984, and has worked closely
with information providers on the integration of digital
information in curriculum. Currently a LMS at Scarsdale High
School - recognized as the “hub” of the school, she is active in
staff development and works with colleagues through local and
national consortia. She finds guiding students through the
ever-changing landscape of information access exhilarating.
Children’s Reclassification: From Picture Books to
Nonfiction, Victoria Shimmons
In this age of digital information, book stores, and budget cuts,
libraries are constantly searching for ways to offer unique and
desirable services. In this presentation we will discuss how
a subject based, browsable picture book collection creates an
exciting, user centered environment for children and adults that
use the library. In addition, we will recount studies and the
methods used by the staff at the Farmingdale Public Library to
execute this successful project.
Victoria Shimmons has worked in public
libraries for the past seven years. She graduated from the
DLIS program in 2011 and currently works as a youth services
librarian at the Farmingdale Public Library. She is an avid
reader and writer and hopes to someday publish the novel she has
been working on.
TRACK 3: E-Books and their Acceptance in Special
Libraries
Special Libraries – Are they ready for E-Books?, Bess
Reynolds
While electronic books have gained wide acceptance in the retail
market and among academic readers, law firms and other special
libraries have been slow adopters. In this presentation I will
discuss some of the obstacles to e-Books in law firms and how the
evolution from print to digital affects librarians.
Bess Reynolds is the Technical Services Manager
at Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP a multi-national law firm. She has
been a librarian almost 20 years. She previously worked in the
financial services industry. Bess holds an MLS from Pratt Institute
and an MBA from New York University.
Vendor’s view of E-Books in Special Libraries, Scott
Meiser
LexisNexis will share their point-of-view on the maturation of the
Legal eBook. Topics will include: Trends in the professional
eBook experience, Content and the evolution of the multimedia Legal
eBook, and Development of digital libraries.
Scott Meiser is a business technologist – a
professional with a history of bringing technology to bear to solve
business challenges (not simply for the sake of using
technology!). Scott is a CPA with a diverse business
background in Accounting, Audit, Procurement and Product Planning.
He is currently responsible for LexisNexis’ eBook product
development.
Evaluating E-Book Offerings, Ellyssa Kroski
Apple has sold over 40 million iPads and Amazon now sells more
Kindle titles than print books...e-Books have reached the tipping
point. Libraries are watching the demand for e-book borrowing
steadily rise and are responding by rolling out new e-book
initiatives. Already, 95% of academic and 82% of public
libraries are offering e-books according to a 2011 Library Journal
survey. But the current landscape of e-books comes with a
myriad of vendor types, pricing and service models, formats, and
features. What are some of the major questions to keep in
mind when evaluating these packages, and what are other law
libraries doing about e-books?
Ellyssa Kroski is the Manager of Information
Systems at the New York Law Institute as well as a writer,
educator, and international conference speaker. In 2011, she
won the ALA's Greenwood Publishing Group Award for the Best Book in
Library Literature for The Tech Set, the ten book technology series
that she created and edited. She's also the author of Web 2.0
for Librarians and Information Professionals. She is an adjunct
faculty member at Pratt Institute and blogs at iLibrarian.
TRACK 4: Student Presentations
An Environmental Legal Practitioner’s Guide to the EPA’s
Website:http://www.epa.gov,
Taryn Rucinski
This presentation will provide users with an annotated guide to
EPA.gov, the EPA’s public internet portal. Issues discussed
will include: the EPA’s organization, strategies for
navigating the website, as well as some key databases and general
resources that will be of most assistance to the environmental
legal practitioner.
Taryn L. Rucinski is a DLIS student in her last
semester concentrating in the field of law librarianship. She
graduated with her J.D. and Certificate in Environmental Law from
Pace Law School in 2010, and is currently working as a part-time
reference librarian at her alma mater.
Librarians as Leaders, Joseph DiLorenzo
Leadership is a fascinating concept, with obvious importance. This
presentation will discuss common leadership models, particularly as
they relate to librarians. We will discuss some of the major
reasons why librarians are not normally associated with leadership
and explore if the common view of leadership should be
re-evaluated.
Joseph DiLorenzo is currently enrolled in a
dual-degree Master's program in Library and Information Science and
Government and Politics at St. John's University. Joseph is
fascinated by leadership structures, particularly the one currently
present in the U.S. Congress, and the very important intersection
between librarianship and politics.
TRACK 5: The Foundation Center – Resources on
Philanthropy
In this presentation I will give a basic overview of the
Foundation Center and its various resources on the philanthropic
sector. Beginning with a brief history of the organization we will
explore what the Foundation Center does and why it is an important
resource as a whole and why it is of special interest to
librarians. I will then give introductions to, and possibly live
demos of, a few of our products, Grantspace, Foundation Directory
Online, and Philanthropy In/Sight, as well as mentioning some of
our other popular online resources, such as Glasspockets and TRASI
(Tools and Resources for Assessing Social Impact).
Nicholas Kramer graduated from St. John's DLIS
program in 2011. He is currently working in the Special Data
Projects Unit at The Foundation Center. Beyond his career interests
in information organization and data architecture, Nich has also
played drums in several rock bands gigging around New York City. He
blogs about politics and librarianship under the alias Corporate
Dread (http://corporatedread.tumblr.com)
TRACK 6: Fundraising for Librarians
Fundraising for Librarians will introduce librarians to the
terminology, concepts, and fundraising practices they can employ to
bring financial and material resources to their libraries.
The course will focus on grantsmanship, personal solicitation, and
special events as a means to raise funds that help meet the needs
of library patrons and enhance the public-private partnership.
Peter B. Wayne is a Certified Fund Raising
Executive who has worked in non-profit management and development
for thirty-five years and raised millions of dollars for numerous
not-for-profit organizations and causes. Mr. Wayne is
currently the Associate Director of the Queens Library Foundation,
the fund raising arm of Queens Library responsible for securing
revenue from private sources to supplement the Library’s
publicly-funded budget.
LUNCH WORKSHOP: The Perfect Online
Course
TRACK 7: Introduction to ePortfolios
TRACK 8: Career Center Services and
Strategies
