Dr. Michael Reiner, Ph.D, Executive Dean, Kent Campus/Cecil Center, Florida Community College (Jacksonville)

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (February 20, 2007) entitled, "The New Library Professional", suggested a “generation gap” may be emerging between library staff under-35 and their more experienced peers. While the latter most likely were trained in library science, the former often come to the job without the degree. These neophytes are equipped with alternative skills, such as information technology, multimedia, facilities management, gaming or publishing.

James G. Neal, university librarian at Columbia University, coined the phrase “feral professionals” in a February 15, 2006 article in LibraryJournal.com. He argued that these individuals often lacked socialization as traditional librarians, and that they espoused values that could hinder integration into conventional library culture.

As academic dean, I have an opportunity to hire a “new” director of our library. What type of professional should I seek? Someone well versed in the conventions of library science? Or, should I break new ground by hiring a person with unorthodox credentials and experiences? Should I hire a director capable of sustaining the foundations of academia so as to satisfy the traditionalists in our midst, or appoint someone who is a visionary so as to provide the freedom ferals need to transform the institution?

These are questions about which I seek your advice. As library professionals, your perspective is crucial not only for selecting the right person for the job as it exists today, but also with the potential to see what it could become tomorrow.

Speakers

Susan Ariew, University Librarian for Education, Tampa Library, University of South Florida
Larry Heilos, Associate Director, Tampa Library, University of South Florida
Proving Your Worth: The Academic Library and Librarians’ Contribution to the Promotion and Tenure Process
For the past three years, librarians at the USF Tampa Library have offered resources, orientations, and workshops to USF faculty members and administrators to assist them in documenting the impact their publications have in their disciplines. We believe that these activities have been instrumental in proving the worth and added value to the university community regarding USF Tampa Library resources and librarian expertise. This presentation will outline how impact is defined in various disciplines, what resources the library brings to bear on impact, and how librarians can assist in offering quality service in the promotion and tenure process.

Lee Dotson, Digital Services Librarian, University of Central Florida
Kristine Shrauger, Head, Interlibrary Loan, University of Central Florida
Double Duty: Interlibrary Loan and Digital Services Team Up to Enhance Access to Collections
At the crossroads where “just in time” meets “just in case”, Interlibrary Loan (ILL/DDS) and Digital Services at the UCF Libraries have discovered one another’s complementary talents in an effort to stretch limited resources to better meet the research needs of our students, faculty, and staff. With a goal of providing outstanding customer service, ILL/DDS analyzed requests to anticipate user needs by discovering patterns for often requested materials and identifying candidates that would become the basis for new digitization projects. As a result, a partnership was formed between two previously dissimilar departments to provide 24/7 open access to selected materials. Working together, ILL/DDS and Digital Services, with assistance from Special Collections and the UCF Foundation, are creating cooperative processes to research materials, seek copyright permission, and digitize the materials in order to create new access to a worldwide audience for two heavily requested collections. Whereas no single department previously had the manpower or resources to undertake the full scope of the projects, this collaboration has enabled us to embark on new projects by joining forces to work more efficiently and tackle two previously overwhelming endeavors.

Elana Karshmer, Instruction Librarian and Assistant Professor, Saint Leo University
Brent Short, Director of Library Services, Saint Leo University
Rachel Owens, Baccalaureate Studies Librarian, Daytona State College
Dee Bozeman, UCF Regional Campus Librarian, Daytona State College/University of Central Florida Joint-Use Library
Panel Discussion: Librarians: Adding Value to Online Learning
This panel discussion will focus on two distinct techniques of providing library instruction to online students. Librarians at Saint Leo University are developing a one-credit self-guided value added course that will provide students with a basic overview of Information Literacy. Rather than focusing on SLU resources, the course aims to assist students in becoming confident researchers, capable of utilizing free information resources in order to find information that they may need in order to complete university assignments or projects that they may encounter upon graduation. Discussion of this project will include an assessment of the practical considerations that must be addressed in designing such a course, an introduction to the development and scripting process utilized, and an overview of project-related concerns. The librarians at the Daytona State College/University of Central Florida Joint-Use Library have employed the “embedded librarian” concept to provide online research assistance and instruction. Their discussion will include marketing to faculty, development, techniques, student and instructor feedback, and learning outcomes.

Interactive Panel Discussion with New Librarians
How to Keep Academic Libraries at the Center of Campus Life.
Three students, selected via a formal sponsorship process, will share their thoughts and solicit audience participation.

*Co-sponsored by Florida Library Association Academic Libraries Member Group