SLA Information Technology Division Blog

SLA's IT -- Pro Development

This information comes from SLA's Public Policy office:

Net Neutrality Bill Moves Forward
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to approve Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act bill.  The bill would prohibit broadband providers from blocking or impairing their customers' access to Web content offered by competitors. Supporters of net neutrality want Congress to enact legislation prohibiting broadband providers from charging content providers based on bandwidth consumption. Without this provision, it is feared that the internet will be controlled by a powerful grouping of gatekeepers that will be able to decide which sites work most efficiently based upon the amount charged. Read news stories:

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3607371

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1968217,00.asp

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/05/25/78683_HNnetneutpass_1.html

Internet access in Convention Center

Looks like bloggers will still be again struggling to post live from sessions in Baltimore at the Annual Conference. SLA HQ will not provide service. Individuals can access wireless internet using the WiFi Internet Café service at the Starbucks in the Pratt Street Lobby entrance. There will also be wireless access at the Main and Outdoor Terrace locations on the 300 Level. My understanding is that it is not free.

So, which one will I buy, the access in the Center or my hotel room? Decisions...

Thanks to Ted Baldwin on sla-dche for the info.

Conference Registration Rate Changes Soon

If you haven't registered for the Annual Conference yet, registration rates will go up after May 31.  Be sure to register now!

Please join us at the IT Business Meeting and Awards Tea.  Simply add ticket #715 to your registration.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Award winners

With great joy, I just learned that Stacey Greenwell, IT Division's Chair-Elect, and contributor to this very blog, received last Friday the Professional Award from the Kentucky Chapter of SLA. Also, and not the least, Constance Ard, a member of the IT Division as well, received the Chapter Member Award from the same Chapter.

A lot of Kentucky members are also part of IT, and that's because of Stacey. I should know, she got me too before I left the state :)

Congrats you two, it is richly deserved!

Interesting Session at SLA

I've got good news and bad news! 

Good news:  I've come across what looks like an excellent presentation about new technologies and their use in the National Geographic library.

Bad news:  It is at the same time as the IT division business meeting and awards tea, which is a thing not to be missed!

However, I'd keep an eye out for perhaps the powerpoint presentation of this session, or contact the presentors for info, because it sounds like it is exactly the sort of information the Digital Content members are looking for (this is copied from the SLA conference planner):

SLA Hot Topic: Web 2.0 – Making Use of Collaborative Applications - Wikis, Blogs, CoPs, RSS and Podcasts Track: [Default] Tuesday, June 13, 2006 1:30PM - 3:00PM Location: Convention Center,  318-319

Beyond the catchy names for Web 2.0 applications, what are they and what can you do with them? This session will give a brief overview of Wikis, Blogs, Communities of Practice, RSS feeds and Podcasts, explore National Geographic’s implementation efforts, and discuss lessons learned.

Audiences: All attendees

Speaker(s):

Karen Huffman, Manager of Knowledge Initiatives, National Geographic Society

Barbara Ferry, Director of Business and Editorial Research, National Geographic Society

Hi from the Chair!

Hi Everyone!

I'm giving this a try - thanks to Catherine for covering for me!  As an employee of one of the "traditional" services (i.e. Dialog), I can sometimes be very literal.  I also lose track of email very easily.  So I tried to follow Catherine's email (I had so many, I opened the wrong one) directions "to-the-letter" and couldn't get in!  I thought it was just me being "behind-the-times".  I emailed Catherine and she told me that she helped me out by already setting me up on the blog.

So here I am and I think it's really neat.  Visit our blog to see what's going on in our Division.  If you're in Baltimore, look for our red IT Division ribbons and ask the wearer about what we do.  We're a fun Division, but also a productive one.

See you in a few weeks - Holly

IT Division Final Program

Gang, here is the IT Division's Final Program for Baltimore. Unfortunately,
due to lowregistrations, we have had to cancel one of our CE courses.  
By the way, please note our vendor sponsors and do make an effort to stop 
by their booths to thank them for supporting the division.  We would be

unable to present the programming we do without their support! Hope to see
you in Baltimore!!!  Take care, James
Information Technology Division-Final Program Listing
2006 Annual Conference
Baltimore, Maryland
Saturday, June 10, 2006
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Taxonomies for Indexing: A Hands-On Approach

Location: Convention Center, Room 303
Ticketed Event #125-Price: $299 member/$399 non-member

A well-built taxonomy connecting search queries to relevant content in 

databases is a fundamental part of the information architecture underlying

Web sites and corporate intranets. This session provides a comprehensive

introduction or skills refresher on taxonomy construction for precision 

information retrieval. With multiple hands-on exercises, attendees will 

develop the skills and confidence to build taxonomies for corporate, 

government, and other sectors. Definitions of key concepts will provide a 

foundation. Examples of taxonomies in action make these abstract concepts 

concrete.

Speaking: Alice Redmond-Neal, Senior Editor, Chief Lexicographer, 

Access Innovations Inc.; Jay Ven Eman, CEO, Access Innovations Inc.

Presented by: Information Technology Division

Sponsored by: Access Innovations Inc.
3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.	

Information Technology Division Board of Directors Meeting

Location: Hyatt Regency, Chesapeake A

Members of the 2005-2006 Information Technology Division Board will meet.
All IT Division members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Moderated by: Holly Chong-Williams, Thomson-Dialog
Sunday, June 11, 2006
8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Information Technology Division Open House: Mystery Night with Jane Kelly

Location: Hyatt Regency, Constellation C-D

Join the Information Technology Division's own mystery author, Jane Kelly.
 The author of four mystery novels, she will be the hostess for the
evening's mysterious events.

Moderated by: Stephanie Wical, Skeen Library, New Mexico Tech

Speaking: Jane Kelly, Independent Consultant and Author

Sponsored by: Factiva
Monday, June 12, 2006
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Are Sci-Tech Libraries ready for RFID, and is RFID ready for Sci-Tech
Libraries?

Location: Convention Center, Room 319

This program will explore the questions:
­ What exactly is RFID?
­Is it a privacy nightmare or an inventory godsend for sci-tech
libraries?
­Is this technology ready for use?
­What are the issues, challenges, and potential problems? What are the
benefits, advantages, and possible future of RFID?

Moderated by: Janet Hughes, Biological Sciences Librarian, Pennsylvania
State University

Speaking: Max Anderson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Integrated
Technology Group; Oleg
Boyarsky, President/CEO, Library Automation Technologies Inc.

Presented by: Science and Technology Division, Engineering Division,
Information Technology Division 
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Technical Support Roundtable

Location: Convention Center, Room 303

Bring your questions and share your ideas at this forum for technical
support issues. What are you doing about the spyware invasion? How are you
blogging? Whether you are a technical support expert or someone who serves
as a de facto support professional, join us to share your experiences and
concerns.

Moderated by: Stacey Greenwell, Head, Desktop Support, University of
Kentucky Libraries

Presented by: Information Technology Division
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Evolving the Resolving: Open URL

Location: Convention Center, Room 301-302

OpenURL technology has made a big impact on how users access electronic
information in recent years. Those who decide to purchase and implement a
link-resolving product will face a very complex task. Administrators must
make many informed decisions regarding the implementation of this type of
product for it to optimally meet the needs of their users. This session
will focus on how to make a link-resolving product work best for your
organization.

Moderated by: Jill Sherman, Head of Technical Services, Kornhauser
Library, University of Louisville

Speaking: Rafal Kasprowski, Electronic Resources Librarian, University of
Houston Libraries; Nettie Legace, SFX Product Manager, Ex Libris Ltd.;
Cindi Trainor, Director, Information Technology, The Libraries of the
Claremont Colleges; Judy Wulff, Electronic Services Librarian, University
of Louisville Libraries

Presented by: Information Technology Division

Sponsored by: Dialog
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Implementing Semantic Web in Government

Location: Convention Center, Room 337
Ticketed Event #565-Price: $26 member/$26 non-member

The opportunities for interoperability and computer-driven interactions
have driven many government organizations to explore the semantic Web.
This emerging field of information management has tapped information and
library science skills for a variety of aspects. Attendees will hear about
real-world implementations where the concept is taking hold.

Moderated by: Richard Huffine, Chair, Government Information Division

Speaking: Dean Allemang, Top Quadrant Inc.; Marjorie Hlava, President,
Access Innovations Inc.

Presented by: Government Information Division, Information Technology
Division

Sponsored by: SCOPUS/Elsevier
1:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Blogging Section's SLA Bloggers Get-Together

Location:  Edgar's Billiards Club

Moderator:  Catherine Lavallée-Welch
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Accessibility and Universal Design

Location: Convention Center, Room 328

Moderated by: Elizabeth Brown, Binghamton University

Speaking: Elizabeth Harrison, Academic Retention Specialist, University of
Arizona

Presented by: Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics Division, Information
Technology Division, Science and Technology Division

Sponsored by: Springer
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

One Million Pages a Year and More: The National Digital Newspaper Program

Location: Convention Center, Room 314

Participants will hear some of the first results of the groundbreaking
National Digital Newspaper Program to digitize and make freely available
more than 20 million historical newspaper pages in 20 years or less.
Open-source architecture, selection, and implementation will be discussed.
Members of the first award group will detail their experiences in
selecting and preparing their collections for this national program.

Moderated by: Georgia Higley, Serial and Government Publications Division,
Library of Congress

Speaking: Mary Molinaro, Director, Preservation and Digital Programs,
University of Kentucky; George Schlukbier, Office of Strategic
Initiatives, Library of Congress

Presented by: Information Technology Division
8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Information Technology, Engineering and Sci-Tech Division Open House:
Science Fiction, the Future, and Libraries

Location: Hyatt Regency, Constellation Ballroom C-D

Science fiction has plenty to tell us about the future of libraries. Join
us to hear from leading science fiction authors. There will be time for
questions, a book signing, as well as the usual networking time and
refreshments

Moderated by: Stephanie Wical, Skeen Library, New Mexico Tech

Speaking: John Hemry; Mindy Klasky; Tee Morris; Bud Sparhawk; Michael
Swanwick; John Wright

Sponsored by: Thomson Scientific, Dialog
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Is Federated Searching Good for Sci-Tech Libraries?

Location: Convention Center, Room 302

Federated searching is touted as a boon to searchers, allowing multiple
databases to be searched simultaneously. But this facility comes at the
cost of limited searching ability. Is it really a benefit for users? Is it
suitable only for public libraries and low-level undergraduate use? Is
there a role for federated searching in corporate libraries where the
comprehensiveness of searches may be more important than ease of use? The
panel will discuss the pros and cons of implementing federated searching
in sci-tech libraries.

Moderated by: Pamela Enrici, Engineering and Medical Librarian, University
of Minnesota-Duluth

Speaking: Tate Nunley, Regional Account Executive, Ex Libris Ltd.; Pamela
Enrici, Librarian, University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Presented by: Science and Technology Division, Information Technology
Division

Sponsored by: EBSCO Information Services
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Information Technology Division Business Meeting and Awards Tea

Location: Convention Center, Room 325
Ticketed Event #715-Price: $15 member/$15 non-member

All members of the Information Technology Division are encouraged to
attend the Annual Business Meeting and awards presentation.  Have lunch
elsewhere, but enjoy tea and light refreshments with us as we conduct our
annual meeting and celebrate the division's award winners.

Moderated by: Holly Chong-Williams, Thomson-Dialog

Sponsored by: LexisNexis
8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Information Technology Division and Leadership and Management Division
Open House: Pirate Dance Party

Location: Hyatt Regency, Constellation Ballroom C-D

Put on your dancing shoes and your eye patch as the IT and LMD Divisions
take to the dance floor. Or just stop by to enjoy the show and network
with colleagues.

Moderated by: Stephanie Wical, Skeen Library, New Mexico Tech
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Technical Standards Update

Location: Convention Center, Room 337-338

Speakers will provide an update on the National Information Standards
Organization’s newly proposed and in-progress standards, and the revision
of ISSN Standards. The program will also consider new control vocabulary
and metasearch issues.

Moderated by: Julie-Mae Stanley, Assistant Vice President, Database
Solutions, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Speaking: Marjorie Hlava, President, Access Innovations Inc.; Peter Noerr,
Chief Technology Officer, MuseGlobal; Regina Reynolds, Head National
Serials Data Program and ISSN Center, Library of Congress; Patricia
Stevens, Interim Executive Director, National Information Standards
Organization

Presented by: Information Technology Division, Technical Standards
Committee
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Collaboration Tools: Using Social Software

Location: Convention Center, Room 301

Sharing information and knowledge is critical in today’s global business
environment, which makes the use of social software and online
collaboration tools a priority in many organizations. This session
highlights the current landscape for social software tools and focuses on
how information professionals can use blogs, wikis, instant messaging,
voice over internet protocol, and other technologies. Since the tools are
global in their use and application, speakers also will discuss the use of
social software tools outside the United States (and how it use compares
with our U.S. use)-plus how Web-based computing could finally push social
software into the mainstream.

Moderated by: Nina Platt, Director of Information Resources, Faegre and
Benson LLP

Speaking: K. Matthew Dames, SNTReport.com and Seso Group LLC; Ross
Mayfield, CEO, Socialtext

Presented by: Leadership and Management Division, Information Technology
Division
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Web Development Roundtable

Location: Convention Center, Room 315

Bring your questions and share your ideas in this forum for web
development issues.  What software issues are you facing?  How are you
incorporating feedback from the user into your design?  Join us to share
your experiences and concerns.

Moderated by: Mark Paul, Assistant Director, Office of Libraries
Technology, University of Louisville

Presented by: Information Technology Division

Bloggers Get-Together in Baltimore

The Blogging Section invites all bloggers and those interested in blogging to join us for a get-together at the Annual Conference in Baltimore. On Monday, June 12th, from 1:30pm to 3:30pm, we will meet at Edgar's Billiards Club & Restaurant (htt://www.edgarsclub.com) on the outdoor patio. Look for the sign "SLA Bloggers Get-Together". Restaurant and bar service will be available for you to order refreshments (each pay his/her own). A pool table will be reserved inside for us.

Edgar's offers 10% off the tab for conventioneers so don't forget to bring your conference badge with you. The club is conveniently located between the Baltimore Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency on the Baltimore Inner Harbor Skywalk, above Pratt and Light streets.

Even if you are not a member of the Section, or even the IT Division, we would love to meet you. So, come relax, practice your eight-ball and talk about blogging with us!

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Blogging Section Blog too!

The Blogging Section invites all bloggers and those interested in blogging to join us for a get-together at the Annual Conference in Baltimore. On Monday, June 12th, from 1:30pm to 3:30pm, we will meet at Edgar's Billiards Club & Restaurant (htt://www.edgarsclub.com) on the outdoor patio. Look for the sign "SLA Bloggers Get-Together". Restaurant and bar service will be available for you to order refreshments (each pay his/her own). A pool table will be reserved inside for us.

Edgar's offers 10% off the tab for conventioneers so don't forget to bring your conference badge with you. The club is conveniently located between the Baltimore Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency on the Baltimore Inner Harbor Skywalk, above Pratt and Light streets.

Even if you are not a member of the Section, or even the IT Division, we would love to meet you. So, come relax, practice your eight-ball and talk about blogging with us!

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Blogging Section Blog too!

Welcome to the IT Division's Blog

Welcome to our Division blog!  The IT Division is one of SLA's largest divisions and one of the most diverse with members coming from many disciplines. "IT" has come to have many meanings and we try to address these by having sections/committees representing the many technologies and topics now under the "IT" umbrella.

And speaking of technology, blogs are certainly a dynamic application of IT.  Here, you will find news about the Division and it's sections, activities, interests and people.  The contributors are the Board members of the Division.  Check back often or subscribe to the feed to keep current. Enjoy!

Holly Chong-Williams
Chair, 2005-2006