THE DISSEMINATOR ISSN:1208-2473
V.8, N.1 February 2001
An electronic newsletter from the Nova Scotia Provincial Library
3770 Kempt Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 4X8
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IN THIS ISSUE
News from the Regions
Automation Working Group Meeting
The Book: Past, Present and Future Conference
Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services
VISUNET CANADA
News from the School of Library and Information Studies, Dalhousie University
Nova Scotia Provincial Library News
Training Notes
Staffing Notes
Hot Tips and Updates
COLUMNS
Reference on the Net
LINKed
Professional Reading
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Annapolis Valley Regional Library (AVRL)
On January 18, AVRL was pleased to host a programme at the Wolfville
Library featuring the author/illustrator team of Ron and Sandra Lightburn.
They read and discussed their children's book Driftwood Cove, and
supplemented their session with a slide presentation.
A coffee party and Home Library Service information morning was held at the
Wolfville Library on February 10. This was an opportunity to promote the
service, honour volunteers, and meet the new Co-ordinator of the Wolfville
programme, Gisela Westphalen. Claudia Tugwell has resigned as Co-ordinator
of the programme, a position to which she has been dedicated for more than
a decade.
Members of the West Hants Historical Society were on hand at the Windsor
Library on February 12 to a host a "Genealogy Evening". Both beginners and
experts in tracing their family roots were invited to this event.
AVRL has recently revised and revamped its Branch Manual. Since training
in MultiLIS procedures for branch staff began several years ago, various
instruction booklets and handouts have been created as each stage of the
process was introduced. This new manual consolidates these procedures as
well as AVRL's policies and contact information, and is now in a format
which facilitates easy updates.
Middleton, Kingston, and Berwick Libraries have started an after school
programme for grades 3-5 once a week. The programme integrates traditional
library craft type activities with technology. These sessions are very
popular and are usually booked well in advance. The Port Williams Library
has also started a similar after school program as well as continuing a
series of computer training workshops. This programming is being funded by
the CAP committees in these branches and continues much of the activity
funded with the LibraryNet program.
The Annapolis Royal, Bridgetown, and Lawrencetown Libraries will be
providing similar programming to that above through a HRDC contract. This
contract is for a 42 week period, that will hopefully allow for some
continuity in the offerings available in those branches. The youth
employed under this project will begin by the end of February.
Cape Breton Regional Library (CBRL)
The Cape Breton Regional Library has once again benefitted from the
generosity of a local community group. The Dominion Hawks Club donated a
TV/VCR combination set to the Dominion Library Branch. The children who
attend Pre-school and Saturday story-time in Dominion can now watch some of
the wonderful children's titles held at the Cape Breton Regional Library.
The staff is very pleased to be able to incorporate videos into the
story-times, and feel that this addition enhances the programme that they
are able to offer.
And the snow!! This winter is really making us get up off our couches to
shovel–but that's good exercise, right! So far the weather has only played
havoc with the schedule of Adult Programmes on one occasion. "Household
Budgets" had to be rescheduled for February 13, 2001. There are some very
interesting adult programmes lined-up this year, such as Travel Tips,
Beginning Astronomy, Massage Therapy, and Spring Cleaning. These sessions
have been well attended so far, and CBRL has received positive comments
from staff and patron alike. The schedule of adult programmes continues
until the middle of April and is available on the web site at http://
www.cbrl.ns.ca.
March is Library Card Month @ the Cape Breton Regional Library
In March, the Cape Breton Regional Library is holding the third annual
Library Card Month. During this time, the library, in partnership with the
Cape Breton Post, will be holding special events and promotions to
highlight the wealth of information available from local libraries. The
goal for Library Card Month this year for new members and re-registrations
is 1300.
Library Card Month is especially important this year, as the Cape Breton
Regional Library begins to implement automated circulation in March.
Besides recruiting new members to the library, current members who have not
received their new plastic library card are being asked to switch from
their paper ones. With this promotion, circulation desk staff will be
especially busy over the next while!
For the first time in the region, Infotrac will be available from both the
library computers and home computers with a valid library card. This is a
wonderful added feature that may attract new library members and past
members who have strayed to at-home only computer use.
Cumberland Regional Library (CURL)
A snow filled February did not prevent activities from taking place in the
libraries across Cumberland County. Here is a sample: Coordinator Donna
Morse set up a display in the Amherst Branch focusing on Black Heritage
Month, featuring information on historical and living black Nova Scotians;
Springhill has become the centre for an active rug hooking group, which has
met on a weekly basis for the past month, and Valentine's Day craft-making
sessions were offered to both children and adults at the Amherst branch.
Now preparations are underway to start income tax clinics. Volunteers are
being organized to offer tax help for low income individuals.
Halifax Regional Library (HRL)
e-branch Coming Soon!
Coming this March, Halifax Regional Library will be launching its new and
improved website, e-branch. Halifax Regional Library's new online branch
offers a convenient alternative for individuals who find it difficult to
visit a physical branch. Saving library users time and offering added
convenience, e-branch works with every schedule, making services and
resources available when patrons need them - library service anytime.
Visitors to HRL's e-branch will be able to register for a library card
online, check the library's collection and reserve the books they want from
home or office, as well as access a range of other features. Through the
Readers Café, patrons can gather ideas on what to read next, suggest a
title for the library to purchase, review a book online, access best-seller
lists and join e-branch's online book club.
With WebPAC up and running, patrons will be able to search the catalogue
with a simple point and click through the collection and request the items
be sent to their closest branch. Users will be able to find an article on
topics from health and wellness to parenting, with easy access to InfoTrac.
With a click to Ask a Librarian, patrons can ask questions online. The
What's New section will include all the news on upcoming events and
programs the Library has to offer.
In partnership with FirstClass Systems Corporation the Halifax Regional
Library is pleased to offer e-Learning opportunities. From home or office,
e-branch users will be able to enroll in online self study courses in
technology, home computing, professional development and more. Watch for
more news on e-branch and our new URL in upcoming issues of the Halifax
Regional Library Guide.
Sackville CAP Site Opening
The Sackville CAP Association and community partners, Sackville Public
Library, Cobequid Community Health Board, Sackville Seniors Advisory
Council, and Sackville High School welcomed the public to the official
opening of the Sackville CAP Site on Saturday, February 17. The Sackville
CAP Site has four free public computer access points in the community
providing ease and convenience for all residents - Sackville High School
library, the Cobequid Community Health Board office located in the Cobequid
Multi-service centre, Silver and Gold Seniors Centre in the Downsview Mall,
and Sackville Public Library. Residents of the busy Sackville area will be
able to access the Internet, use e-mail, word processing applications and
undergo computer training. Check out the Sackville CAP Site
www.chebucto.ns.ca/Sackville.
Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library (PARL)
The recent start of two projects has seen the filling of four new positions
here at PARL. The Antigonish Reading and Information Literacy Project
continues to proceed with the selection of Debbie Johnson as Community
Information Services Trainer. Debbie's background in Public Relations and
employment with the Nova Scotia Museum will bring much insight to the
promotion and marketing of this preschool initiative. Becky Alexander will
be the new Summer Reading Programme Coordinator this year. Always popular,
the project will begin on April 1, two months earlier than past years.
Assisting Becky with the promotion and creation of reading activities based
on this year's theme, Don't Bug Me, I'm Reading, will be Brandi Bennett and
Melissa Barron. They will be taking their travelling road show to the
eager children of the seven branches as soon as school gets out in June.
After the success of last year's Adopt A Library Literacy Program and
Constable John Kennedy's involvement with it, PARL anticipates another
great season. The grand opening of the new Rural Access site will be March
18. Located at East Antigonish in the Monastery School, it marks the
beginning of Rural Access Services to the community, the result of a year
long outreach effort by the Books By Mail staff and the Antigonish County
Recreation Department. To celebrate this event, an open house will be held
March 7. The site will have two library express computers, a book deposit,
and information about PARL services.
Access to information via the Internet continues to grow in importance in
the region as seen in the completion of two historic websites, War
Cenotaphs of Pictou and Antigonish Counties and The Samson. The sites and
the work of PARL staff members Jolene Shaw and Fern Macdonald, who compiled
and designed the sites, will be officially recognized in an unveiling
ceremony on March 20. Both sites can be viewed at www.parl.ns.ca.
Children's author Elaine Hogg will be in the New Glasgow Programme Room
April 11 to read from her book Remembering Honey. The grade four and five
classes of the Walter Duggan Elementary School will learn valuable lessons
in dealing with the loss of a loved family pet and grieving. Elaine will
also be making herself available between readings to chat with members of
the Pictou County Writer's Group and share her knowledge of the publishing
world. On May 2 PARL will host journalist, poet, and playwright, Harry
Thurston. He will be reading from his latest book, If Men Lived on Earth.
In this collection of poems, Harry returns to his first passion after a
fifteen-year hiatus and explores the varying relationships between humans
and how we treat our environment. He recently began a session at Acadia
University as Writer in Residence.
South Shore Regional Library (SSRL)
The DeWolfe Memorial Library in Liverpool is home to the area's newest C@P
site. The site was officially opened January 29, and of course, what's an
official opening without a cake? Liverpool artist and member of the C@P
Steering Committee Roger Savage made the first cut into the C@P cake
created by April Backman. Steering Committee member Robert Whitelaw and
Carol Doggett, a member of the South Shore Regional Library Board looked
on. The C@P site is on the library's lower level and has been a very busy
spot since it opened.
Liverpool is taking to the C@P site in a big way. As well as attracting a
good number of local dignitaries for its official opening and lots of
public use, the site is also being promoted on the town's signs at high
visibility locations.
It was all hearts and flowers at SSRL in February as the Romance Writers of
Atlantic Canada posed the romantic question, Who wrote the book of love?
The group had displays in all the branches promoting books by its members
and distributing biographies of its well-known writers.
Western Counties Regional Library (WCRL)
Volunteer Orientation
Western Counties Regional Library and the CNIB joined forces on January 29
and hosted a volunteer orientation at regional library headquarters. The
orientation was aimed at understanding blindness and vision loss and the
challenges visually impaired individuals face. The session, attended by
CNIB volunteers and volunteers from the library's Reader's Friend
programme, included a segment on the Sighted Guide Technique and Living
with Vision Loss. The volunteer orientation was a continuation of the
partnership formed between Western Counties Regional Library and the CNIB
in the fall of 1999.
To date, 290 visually impaired individuals in Digby, Shelburne, and
Yarmouth counties are registered with the CNIB. According to Cathy
d'Entremont, Special Needs Department Clerk, the figure reflects a growing
increase in the number of requests for large print and talking books at
the library. To better serve the needs of these individuals, Cathy has set
a goal of having a volunteer assigned to every seniors' complex in the
region by the end of next year, a goal achievable with Reader's Friend and
CNIB working together.
Gates Computer Lab - 1st Quarter
The Gates Computer Lab, officially opened on September 25, is proving to be
an active training centre with 190 programmes attended by 1,116
individuals. Public programmes included: Access, Word (both introduction
and advanced), Computer Basics, Introduction to Web Design, Internet,
Genealogy, Publisher, and E-Bay. The programmes most in demand were
Computer Basics and Introductory Word. The most popular programmes given
by "guest experts" were Genealogy and E-Bay.
Along with scheduled courses, the Gates Computer Lab is also available for
group training. Boy Scouts, Home Schoolers, and the Yarmouth Community Net
are just a few of the many community groups taking advantage of training
time. The lab can be reserved by contacting Virginia Stoddard at 742-2486
or e-mail at [log in to unmask]
Charitable Presence to be Included on Revamped Web Site
A web presence for the Western Counties Regional Library Charitable
Association will soon be part of the revamped WCRL web site. The
charitable presence will include a background of the association, a section
on "Ways to Give" to the library (e.g. Planned Giving, Memorial Donations,
Tribute Donations, Adopt-A-Book, Special Promotions), and links to Leave A
Legacy, Charity.ca and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. A
section on Friends of the Library and one on the Reader's Friend programme
will be included under "Volunteers".
Friends in Action
The Pubnico Friends of the Library is getting ready to stage a new play
called Dreadful Doings at the Cider Mill. Their first production The
Scheme of The Driftless Shifter and a skit called Alice & the Bookworms was
produced in 1999 and played to a full house at Argyle school for two
nights. The first performance of Dreadful Doings ... is scheduled to take
place in April.
New Board Members
Board Chair Gary Archibald recently welcomed two new board members to WCRL.
Roberta Journeay represents the Municipality of Digby and Bruce Hubbard
represents the Municipality of Argyle. A member for the Town of Lockeport
has yet to be appointed.
AUTOMATION WORKING GROUP MEETING
At the Automation Working Group Meeting (AWG) on February 9, the regions'
automation staff previewed two new developments, the extranet and the new
Web NcompasS interface. Public library staff will now be able to search
the extranet for information such as minutes of meetings, upcoming
workshops, library events anywhere in Nova Scotia, automation
documentation, and much more. The Automation Working Group members
provided many suggestions to assist Pamela Perry, Web Site (Extranet)
Development Officer, with her work on this project. Library personnel are
encouraged to contact their region's Automation Co-ordinator for logins and
passwords. The extranet site is at http://142.227.59.41/extranet/login.asp.
AWG members also suggested that unresolved MultiLIS upgrade problems and
their descriptions be readily available for public library staff to view.
These problems are now listed under MultiLIS Notices on the extranet.
The recent MultiLIS upgrade has made it possible for Web NcompasS to also
upgrade to a new interface. This interface will include some new
functionality such as patron initiated holds and loan renewals. This
interface should be up and running in March with some design changes
introduced in April or May.
THE BOOK: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
(Submitted by Patricia L.Chalmers, Assistant Librarian, University of
King's College.)
The University of King's College hosted a conference entitled The Book:
Past, Present and Future on January 20, 2001. The conference was held to
celebrate the opening of the University's new academic building, to be the
new home for the Foundation Year Programme (FYP). The FYP emphasizes the
reading of the great works of Western civilization, and so the focus of the
conference was the role of the printed word in liberal arts education.
Ann Blair, a Professor in the Department of History at Harvard University,
is particularly interested in how readers in previous eras coped with the
perceived overabundance of books. She studies the explosion of knowledge
during the Renaissance, with the rediscovery of classical texts, and the
invention of the printing press. In her paper, "Coping with Information
Overload, 1300-1700", she drew many parallels between our own time and the
past, and demonstrated that we are not the first generation to feel
overwhelmed by information.
Robert Fulford, nationally respected Canadian journalist, author and
critic, spoke about "The Book in our time: Changes, Challenges and
Contradictions". He presented the various paradoxes in Canada today: that
the number of alliterate citizens is growing, and yet books flourish; that
while most people are indifferent to books, they still believe that
literacy leads to economic success. The most successful publishing
enterprise in Canada, Harlequin Books, sells books in huge numbers to
readers who move in circles untouched by book reviews, author readings, or
the efforts of bookstores.
Liss Jeffrey, a Professor with the McLuhan Program in Culture and
Technology at the University of Toronto, gave a multimedia presentation,
"Assaulting Fort Book: The Challenges of Digital Culture". She began by
showing us a projection of her computer's desktop. A pen, she remarked, is
an instrument, and becomes part of her body, but her desktop is a
collaborative environment, a lab providing access to research. In
attacking "Fort Book" she was not attacking books as such, but rather our
assumption that the only values are necessarily print-based.
The day concluded with a round-table discussion of these themes, chaired by
Bertrum MacDonald of Dalhousie's School of Library and Information Studies.
Some Related Reading:
Blair, Ann and Grafton, Anthony. The transmission of culture in early
modern Europe (1990)
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~amblair/
Fulford, Robert. The triumph of narrative : storytelling in the age of mass
culture (1999)
http://www.robertfulford.com/
Jeffrey, Liss. The Impact of Technological Change on Canada's Culture and
Identity: the Case for Visionary Pragmatism (1998)
The Impact of Technological Change on Canada's Affirmative Policy Model in
the Cultural Industry and New Media Sectors (1999)
http://www.mcluhan.utoronto.ca/liss.html
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SPECIAL LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SERVICES (CASLIS)
NEWS
CASLIS-Atlantic Extra Special Event
A number of CASLIS-Atlantic members had the opportunity to attend the
programme "Special Libraries: Reports from Near and Far", held January 23,
2001, at the National Research Council building, 1411 Oxford St., Halifax.
During the presentation three professionals from a range of special library
settings discussed the latest developments in their libraries. Mary Low,
Coordinator of CISTI Information Centres, Ottawa, opened the session by
describing the National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) plans to develop
community-based technology clusters across Canada. The plan includes the
Atlantic Canada initiative, featuring the expansion of NRC's Information
Resource Centres in Halifax and St. John's and new Centres in
Charlottetown, Fredericton and Sydney. Barbara Stailing, Information
Scientist/Librarian, Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd, Halifax, outlined her role
as information provider, which includes such duties as patent searching and
research. Ms. Stailing also gave an overview of her role as a member of
the Advisory Board CISTI sub-committee, Health Sciences Information.
To wrap up the session, Penny Logan, Co-coordinator, Electronic Bookshelf
Project, Medical Society of Nova Scotia, Dartmouth, gave members a virtual
tour of the Society's electronic website, which provides health information
to Nova Scotians. Ms. Logan's discussion focused on copyright issues,
electronic security elements, license negotiation, and training matters.
As well, participants took advantage of an offer by Ian Young, Information
Specialist, NRC Information Resource Centre in Halifax, to view NRC's local
information facilities.
Joint CASLIS/ARMA programme - Effectively Managing Change
On January 30, Margie LeClair, Human Resources Development Consultant,
conducted an informal session entitled "Effectively Managing Change."
During the programme, sponsored jointly by CASLIS-Atlantic and ARMA
(Association of Records Managers and Archivists) Halifax Chapter, members
of both professional organizations had the opportunity to explore the
nature of change, identify predictable stages of change and learn positive
strategies for effectively dealing with changes in the workplace. Ms.
LeClair encouraged participants to view change as a constant and positive
influence in their lives.
VISUNET CANADA
All regional public, community college, and university libraries in Nova
Scotia are participating in a partnership with the CNIB library in Toronto.
VISUNET CANADA is an information service for Canadians who are unable to
or have difficulty reading print. A license has been signed, and training
sessions with Christina Lockerby from the CNIB library were held on
February 27 and 28 at the Nova Scotia Provincial Library and the Truro
branch of the Colchester-East Hants Regional Library. Nova Scotia is only
the second province to establish such a wide ranging partnership with CNIB.
It is coordinated by the Nova Scotia Provincial Library.
VISUNET CANADA expands access to CNIB library resources to all Nova
Scotians who experience difficulties with print material, a much broader
audience than previously served. Some of the services include:
VISUCAT, access to the CNIB library and its collection of talking books,
braille books, electronic texts, magazines in audio and braille, and
descriptive videos, VISUNEWS, access to 9 English and 4 French Canadian
newspapers via telephone or the internet, and VISUTEXT, which offers full
text access to a variety of information sources, including encyclopaedias,
books, full text magazines, and selected web sites.
The target date for implementing this service to the public is May 1. For
more information on VISUNET CANADA, check out their web site
http://www.cnib.ca/library/visunet/visutext.htm, or call Michael Colborne,
424-4852.
NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES (SLIS)
This month our column focuses on the outstanding achievements of our
students and recent graduates. While we are rightly proud of the
accomplishments of all our students, we think that some deserve special
mention. Take the example of Shelley McKibbon (Class of '99), currently a
Reference Librarian with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center in Dallas. Shelley won the Best New Researcher Paper Award from the
Medical Library Association for her paper "Comparing Credentialing
Processes Across Professional Associations: A Benchmarking Study."
Shelley presented this paper, co-authored with Marty Adamson, at the annual
conference of the Medical Library Association held in Vancouver in 2000.
From the Class of 2000, Nadine d'Entremont, winner of the Director's Award
for graduating with the highest academic achievement, also won the Olga B.
Bishop award for 2000. This award, given by the Access to Government
Information Interest Group of the CLA, recognizes the best essay submitted
in a national competition. Nadine's paper was titled "The Protection of
Privacy: The Hype, the Facts, and the Government's Role", and can be found
at:
http://www.usask.ca/library/gic/21/dentremont.html.
Another graduate of the Class of 2000, Lou Duggan, was appointed an
Associate Fellow with the U.S. National Library of Medicine in Bethesda,
Maryland. The Fellowship Program prepares information professionals for
leadership roles in health sciences librarianship. More recently, one of
our first-year students, Christine Davies, won a $3000 (US) American
Library Association Scholarship, and a travel award to attend the midwinter
ALA meeting in Washington, D.C. These honours came to Christine in
addition to the SLIS Alumni Scholarship, awarded yearly to an excellent
incoming student, and made possible by an alumni endowment established to
mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the School.
Amy Chow, another first-year student, has been awarded a year's free
membership in the Canadian Library Association by the CASLIS Atlantic
Chapter. A native of Ontario, Amy holds an A.R.C.T. Piano Performance from
the Royal Conservatory of Music, and a B. Mus. (Music History) from McGill
University.
A second-year student, Lisa Wilson, was awarded the 2000/2001 Margaret
Williams Trust Fund Award in the amount of $2,000. This award is
presented to a "student entering a full-time MLIS programme with preference
given to Memorial University graduates, those who received primary and/or
secondary schooling in Newfoundland, or those with 2 years of provincial
residency". Lisa is a second-year student who holds a B.A. in English,
with a minor in Classical Studies from Memorial University.
These noteworthy students represent just some of the wide range of talents
and interests among our student body. Congratulations to all our
remarkable students and alumni!
Future columns will highlight other projects ongoing at the School. For
further information about these or any other SLIS activities and programmes
contact the Director, Bertrum MacDonald, at [log in to unmask], (902)
494-2472 or visit the web site at: http://www.mgmt.dal.ca/slis.
NOVA SCOTIA PROVINCIAL LIBRARY NEWS
Access the World
"Access the World", the Nova Scotia Provincial/Regional Libraries Annual
Report 1999-2000, released in January 2001, is now available in pdf format
on the NSPL website at http://www.library.ns.ca/whatsnew/whatsnew.html.
Print copies are available from Barbara Jordan, Tel:902-424-2400, Fax:
902-424-0633 or [log in to unmask]
Web Awareness
Nova Scotia regional public libraries have entered into a partnership with
the Media Awareness Network for delivery of their Web Awareness programme.
Orientation sessions have been held in Halifax and Truro; now every
regional library has at least one staff person who can present the Web
Awareness training modules. The three modules are aimed at library staff,
teachers, parents, and anyone who works with children and the internet.
The first module, Kids for Sale, covers online marketing to kids and
privacy issues; the second, Safe Passage, deals with online safety and
offensive and inappropriate content; and the third, Fact or Folly, is
concerned with the authentication of online information. For more
information, see the Network's web site at webawareness.org or call Michael
Colborne, 424-4852.
TRAINING NOTES
Automation Training
Automation staff at NSPL attended a training session provided by a DRA
representative on January 31 and February 1. Staff learned how to
configure the newest version of the Web2 interface. Regional libraries
patrons will soon be able place holds and renew books for themselves using
Web NcompasS.
Cape Breton Regional Library automation staff received their initial
Circulation Training on Feb 29 and March 1. Shirley MacLeod and Mike
Purcell will return to Sydney and Glace Bay on March 20 to assist the
trainers and branch staff with their first few days of automated
circulation. Cape Breton Regional Library will also have Acquisition
training in March.
STAFFING NOTES
The Provincial Library is very pleased to announce that Bernadette Kennedy,
Manager, Access to Library Holdings Project, Shirley MacLeod, Assistant
Automation Specialist, and Elizabeth Parnell, Cataloguer have been made
permanent Civil Servants. All three have been term employees. This change
ensures that work with regional library automation and the Government
Libraries Consolidated Catalogue will continue at the same level and that
future plans can now be developed.
HOT TIPS & UPDATES
STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE CANADIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (CLA)
(Submitted by Andrea McLellan SLIS ('02) Dalhousie University)
The students of the Dalhousie School of Library and Information Studies
(SLIS) recently contacted Mijin Kim at CLA in order to form a student
chapter. A group of sixteen first year students met in January and formed
a steering committee to develop goals and objectives for the chapter.
We brainstormed a variety of potential plans, which reflect our commitment
to our school programme, the library profession, and the community. For
our fellow students, we are interested in coordinating scholarship
information and stimulating student input in our current Brown Bag Lunch
series. In order to increase our involvement with library professionals in
our region, we would like to explore the possibility of developing a
mentoring programme and arrange for demonstrations of electronic resources
in different library settings.
In addition, we are interested in becoming involved in community programmes
and events, such as the Halifax's annual Word on the Street festival and
local literacy programmes. And finally, the CLA Annual Conference 2002, to
be held in Halifax, presents the student chapter with an excellent
opportunity to both contribute to, and benefit from the wealth of
experience that the Association has to offer and we are looking forward to
helping out wherever possible.
If you are interested in speaking to our chapter, being involved in a Brown
Bag Lunch, or providing a tour of your facility, please contact Dyan Perley
at [log in to unmask]
AGENTS, BOTS AND INTELLIGENT DOTS: THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND ELECTRONIC
DOCUMENT TELECONFERENCE
Questions about creating electronic texts and documents? If so, plan to
join us at the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, March 23, 2001, for a
teleconference featuring D. Scott Brandt aka "Techman". During the
teleconference Mr. Brandt will describe the technologies behind various
kinds of electronic documents and texts such as mark-up languages,
meta-tags and controlled vocabulary, as well as other
"techno-text-enhancements" for managing information retrieval of text. To
register please contact Bernadette Kennedy at 424-3791 or
[log in to unmask] by March 20, 2001. Registration is on a first come
first serve basis to a maximum of fifty people. Admission is free, so plan
to join us on March 23, 2001, 4:00pm - 6pm.
INTERNET DILEMMA: FILTERED OR NON-FILTERED TELECONFERENCE
Why are libraries considering installing Internet filters? How do Internet
filters work? What are the legal issues surrounding the use of Internet
filters in the United States? The issue of Internet filtering is a concern
to all libraries. In Canada some libraries are seeking legal advice to
protect themselves against legal liability suits. In the United States
debate over the use of Internet filters in libraries continues. Please
join us on April 11, 2001, 4:30pm - 6pm, at the Nova Scotia Provincial
Library for a look at the current issues surrounding the use of Internet
filters in libraries in the United States. Discussion will include a look
at the current laws surrounding Internet filtering and the issues leading
to the US Congress' decisions regarding the use of filters in libraries, as
well as an overview of how filters work and how libraries can best educate
their users in appropriate use of the Internet. Details to follow in
March. For information please contact Bernadette Kennedy at (902) 424-3791
or [log in to unmask]
INFORMATION RIGHTS WEEK IN CANADA
The Canadian Library Association ( CLA ) has announced that April 2-9, 2001
will be Information Rights Week in Canada. This will be the seventh annual
Information Rights Week, and this year's theme, Your Information, Your
Rights @Your Library, is selected to focus public attention on libraries'
long and respected tradition of protecting the information rights of
citizens and to showcase the vast collection of information resources in
traditional and new media that is yours to discover at the library. An
Information Rights week kit will be available for delivery as of March 1,
2001, at $8.00. Bulk orders of posters are also available, at a cost of
$1.00 per poster. For more information, please contact Leacy
O'Callaghan-O'Brien at Telephone: (613) 232-9625 ext.307 or e-mail:
[log in to unmask] Visit the web site at
http://www.cla.ca/top/whatsnew/wnfb1601.htm.
CANADA BOOK DAY, APRIL 23, 2001
Canada Book Day is a project of The Writers' Trust of Canada to advance and
nurture Canadian writers and writing. There are many organizations,
regional, national and international, that are devoted to supporting all
aspects of the written word, from poetry to play writing. These
organizations can be a great source of information—especially through
websites—not just for writers but for anyone interested in learning more
about reading, writing and the creation of literature. Visit
http://www.canadabookday.com for more information about sponsors, events,
and resources.
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, APRIL 2001
National Poetry Month, sponsored every April will bring together schools,
publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, and poets
across the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in Canada's
culture. Communities and businesses participate through readings,
festivals, book displays, and other events. The Academy of American Poets
has collected excellent tips for: teachers, librarians, booksellers, and
many examples of successful events are posted on the website at
http://www.poets.ca/linktext/npm.htm.
REFERENCE ON THE NET
Here are some more reference questions referred to the Provincial Library
by the Regional Public Libraries. They were answered using resources found
on the Internet.
Q. Where can I find information on international customs on gift giving?
A. The Centre for Intercultural Learning's E-thologies site at
http://www.e-thologies.com which is part of the Canadian Department of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade has this kind of information for
some of the countries listed on the site. When you enter the site, select
the relevant country at the top of the page and then browse the listed
information. You can also click on any of the topics on the left of the
page once you have selected a country. For example "Culture" would be the
topic to select for cultural information. A search using the Google search
engine at http://www.google.com with the phrase "international gift giving
customs" located an informative article titled International Gift Giving
Protocol at
http://onlineshopping.about.com/shopping/onlineshopping/library/weekly/aa012
698.htm on the about.com Internet guide site and another article,
Gift-Giving Abroad: "Don'ts" at http://www.smartbiz.com/sbs/arts/spe16.htm
on the Smartbiz.com site.
Q. Where can I find calendars for events such as Earth Day and Family
Literacy Day?
A. The 2001 Calendar of statutory holidays, theme days, weeks and months of
national and international heritage at the Canadian Heritage site at
http://www.pch.gc.ca/calen/english.htm is useful for finding Canadian
holidays and events. To find a specific theme day such as Earth Day, click
on search at the top of the page and enter "earth day" in brackets in the
search box. This brings up a result titled "Canadian Heritage - Coming
Soon" which you can click on to get the calendar for the month which the
day is in.
Search engines such as Yahoo at http://www.yahoo.com which have directory
style arrangements can be useful in tracking down this type of thing.
Yahoo's "Society & Culture" category has a "Holidays and Observances"
section which as well as having a long list of holidays and events also has
links to more sites arranged in categories such as "Calendars", "Country
and Region", and "Month".
LINKed
Weather information abounds on the Internet and this month's Linked column
is an attempt to point out some good weather sites which can be used to
answer weather related reference questions.
The Meteorological Service of Canada site at http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca
has some useful information in The Canadian Climate Normals 1961-1990
section at
http://www.cmc.ec.gc.ca/climate/normals/eprovndx.htm. Averages for such
things as temperature, precipitation, wind and sunshine for a large number
of communities across Canada are arranged by province. Another highlight
of this site is the full text fact sheets and brochures on a variety of
weather topics at http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/cd/index_e.cfm#facts.
The U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at
http://www.noaa.gov is a huge web site with many different sections. It
includes a lot of global weather information in these particular sections:
The National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov has an Historical
Information section which has detailed information on hurricanes from 1988
on as well as the deadliest hurricanes from earlier times and known
tropical cyclones from the 1800's to 1998. It also gives storm names for
2000 - 2005 and the history of naming hurricanes. Access to this section
is located half way down the left side of the main page.
The Global Climate Data & Maps section of the Climate Prediction Center at
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/monitoring_and_data/restworld.html
has precipitation and temperature information for all areas of the world
going back over a one year period.
The National Climatic Data Center website at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov has
some popular free databases including the Extreme Weather and Climate
Events Database at
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/severeweather/extremes.html and the
Global Historical Climatology Network at
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/res40.pl?page=ghcn.html. The Extreme
Weather and Climate Events Database has historical information on worldwide
extreme weather and climate events and The Global Historical Climatology
Network has
information on global anomalies and trends in temperature and precipitation
from 1900 to present. Another database at
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/res40.pl?page=climvisgsod.html has global
information in graph form on temperature, precipitation, winds, pressure
and snow from 1994 to present for over 8000 worldwide locations.
Weatherbase.com at http://www.weatherbase.com is produced by Canty &
Associates. It has average temperatures and precipitation and other
climate indicators for 16,434 communities worldwide.
There is a large glossary of weather terms which is part of the about.com
Internet guide site at
http://weather.about.com/science/weather/library/glossary/blglossary.htm.
The World Meteorological Organization site at http://www.wmo.ch/home.html
has a large number of links to meteorological data and organizations
involved in meteorological research at
http://www.wmo.ch/web/ddbs/Env-data-links.html as well as links to National
Meteorological Services of the World which have web sites at
http://www.wmo.ch/web-en/member.html.
The Weather Topics section which is on the Librarians' Index to the
Internet site at http://lii.org/search/file/weather has links to sites on
specific topics including avalanches, el niño, floods, hurricanes, ice,
snow, tides and tornadoes.
PROFESSIONAL READING
In this month's column, two excellent books on reference services are
featured. These items can be borrowed through regular interlibrary loan
channels:
Library Association. Information Services Group. Guidelines for reference
and information services in public libraries. London: Library Association,
c1999.
[ Call #: Prof. 025 .527 Lib ]
This publication is intended to serve as a toolkit for managers who are
responsible for providing reference and information services in public
libraries. The guidelines provided in this text constitute the Library
Association's official policy statement and recommendations on the nature
and quality of library provision for reference and information services in
public libraries. This book is divided into nine sections which can be
used individually, for specific purposes, or together as a structured whole.
Whitlatch, Jo Bell. Evaluating reference services: a practical guide.
Chicago: American Library association, 2000. [ Call #: Prof. 025 .52 Whi ]
In this new guidebook, the author outlines practical methods for evaluating
and delivering quality reference service to the technology-savvy library
user of today. She uses special techniques and case studies, which detail
how to plan an evaluation approach, use research tools to evaluate services
and identify needs. The author selects and puts into service resources for
specific needs and indicates how to maintain funding by presenting results
in a formalized way.
Credits go to:
Patricia L. Chalmers, Assistant Librarian, University of King's College
Heidi Julien, Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information
Studies, Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University
Andrea McLellan, School of Library and Information Studies, Dalhousie
University
