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From the Chair

The Emerging Technologies in Reference Section, aka MARS, had a series of productive meetings at the Midwinter conference in San Diego, and we are looking forward to a number of exciting new initiatives.

We held four well-attended discussion forums at the conference. The Hot Topics discussion group sponsored a forum on QR codes and augmented reality. The Local Systems & Services committee continued their series of discussion forums on discovery services, focusing this time on how discovery layers are changing library websites. The Management of Electronic Resources and Services and Public Libraries committees co-sponsored an open discussion on the assessment and evaluation of virtual reference, and the Virtual Reference Discussion Group hosted a discussion on the latest in virtual reference.

Several new projects are also in the works. The Products & Services Committee is working on a new initiative to provide timely reviews of the latest products and technologies available for reference and user services. These reviews would be published on a new MARS blog being developed by our Publications Committee. The Education, Training and Support committee is planning a webinar on screencasting based on their successful program at ALA Annual 2010, while our Professional Development committee is working on guidelines for future MARS webinar offerings.

Programming for the 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans is underway. We are working with the Reference Services Section to plan a preconference on reference/IT collaborations. MARS will also offer an exciting program on the relevant topic of User Experience Design; see details of both of these events below. The MARS/RSS Virtual Reference Committee will sponsor a program on the human side of virtual reference, and we’ll sponsor our usual Hot Topics discussion group and Virtual Reference Discussion Group on Saturday. The MARS Happy Hour will move to Saturday night and, thanks to a generous sponsor, will include some tasty food at a famous local venue, as well as the usual cash bar. Watch for more details of these events as the conference approaches.

In another important initiative, we are currently reassessing our presence at Midwinter. Given that many committees now do their work virtually, and that many MARS members can no longer afford to travel to conference, we are considering whether in-person Midwinter meetings are necessary. In the near future, a survey about Midwinter will go out to MARS members. The survey will be of special interest to MARS committee members and to anyone who has considered or is considering volunteering for a MARS committee, but all are welcome to respond. Among other things, we would like to know the value our members place on in-person meetings, how many of our members are able to travel to conference, and how many have the technology available to participate in virtual meetings. The announcement of the survey will go out to MARS-L and everyone is invited to respond.

If you are interested in getting more involved with MARS—either in person or virtually—we would love to have your participation! MARS members are encouraged to volunteer for committees. Volunteering is easy; just go to the form on the RUSA web site. Opportunities to volunteer for MARS Committees appear at the end of the form. Dianna McKellar, the MARS Vice-Chair, will be appointing MARS committees for next year soon after the Midwinter meeting. If you have any questions about committees, fell free to contact me or Dianna (mckellar@udel.edu).

Anne Houston, MARS Chair

ahouston@virginia.edu

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Committee Reports and Announcements

The Virtual Reference Discussion Group (VRDG) held an exciting session at the 2011 ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, CA.

Discussion topic: “Embedded by Hashtag: Using Twitter to Provide Real-Time Reference and Instruction”

Presenter:

Ellen Filgo, E-learning Librarian at Baylor University Libraries opened the session with a presentation on her experiences as a virtually embedded librarian in the Fall 2009 and Fall 2010 offerings of Gardner Campbell’s Introduction to New Media Studies course. She described how she used Twitter to answer reference questions posed during each week’s live class session.

http://connect.ala.org/node/118525

Group Discussion:

Following Ellen’s presentation, the forty-seven attendees spread across seven tables to discuss Ellen’s approach, additional opportunities for using social media to deliver reference services, and other topics of interest to them relating to virtual reference. Table notes collected at the end of the session revealed several common themes in these discussions related to the presentation:

●     Participants were excited about some of the advantages of Twitter-based reference. These include: (1) the ability of class participants to participate in a back-channel discussion (2) the opportunity to continue the discussion outside the class period; (3) the use of a hashtag to see and participate in related discussions; (4) Twitter’s 140 character limit encourages creativity, and resource sharing; (5) by using url-shorteners (e.g. tinyurl.com, bit.ly) librarians can promote library resources by linking to archival resources, ebooks, catalog records, and databases; (6) the opportunity it presented for librarians to do just-in-time reference and/or instruction.

●     Several tables wondered whether using Twitter as a real-time back channel might distract students and prevent them from fully attending the in-person lecture or discussions. When this question was addressed to Ellen, she read an e-mail from Dr. Campbell, who has himself been asked the same thing many times. His e-mail revealed that he has seen the back-channel help students to become more, not less engaged.

●     While attendees recognized the value of contributing to discussion through Twitter, many expressed concern about the amount of time this would require. When these concerns were addressed to Ellen, she said that it is an approach that should be considered one tool that might be helpful in specific classes, and it could not logistically become a cornerstone of virtual reference service. It was suggested that it might be helpful for distance learning and online classes. Edmodo was suggested as a type of twitter for classes, i.e. not public.

Amanda Clay Powers, MARS VRDG Chair

APowers@library.msstate.edu

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MARS Local Systems & Services

On January 9, 2011, the MARS Local Systems & Services held a Discussion Forum at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego entitled Designing Around a Single Search: How Discovery Layers are Changing Library Websites. Three panelists spoke to an audience of over 120 attendees about how they have incorporated a new discovery system into their libraries’ existing websites, including information about statistics, branding/naming and design choices.

Josh Boyer (North Carolina State University) discussed the web site redesign NCSU completed in August 2010 and its incorporation of a locally-developed metasearch solution, QuickSearch, with Serials Solutions’ Summon. Next, Beth Bernhardt (University of North Carolina, Greensboro) discussed her library’s implementation of EBSCO Discovery Service. Finally, Johan Oberg (Macalester College) discussed Macalester’s decision to prominently place a single search box for WorldCat Local on its home page, and the ensuing gains in catalog use, circulation, and interlibrary loan they observed.

The three short presentations were followed by a general Q & A. Fuller notes on the presentations and copies of each presenter’s slides can be found at:http://connect.ala.org/node/128191.

The Committee is currently planning a discussion forum on Learning Commons services for Midwinter 2012 (Dallas) and a program called Discovery Systems: The Promise and the Reality for ALA Annual 2012 in Anaheim.

Amy Fry, MARS Local Systems & Services Committee Chair

afry@bgsu.edu

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MARS/RSS Preconference Planning Committee

The MARS/RSS Preconference Planning Committee is busily planning an exciting full-day session for ALA 2011 entitled Strange Bedfellows: IT and Reference Collaborations to Enhance User Experiences. Speakers, drawn from both reference and information technology backgrounds, will present their methods for working together to make innovative projects a success.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in breakout sessions for delving further into strategies for implementing successful technology projects for meeting customer needs. They will also have the opportunity to brainstorm on strategies for projects they’re currently working on or envision for the near future. This is a solutions-driven session that explores methods for implementing effective collaborations and successfully leveraging the skill sets of multiple departments.

This joint effort of MARS and RSS should not be missed. Keep an eye out for it at early registration to ensure a seat (and a low cost!). We look forward to seeing you on Friday, June 24, in New Orleans!

Donna Scanlon, MARS Preconference Program Planning Committee Co-Chair dscanlon@loc.gov

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MARS Chair’s Program at Annual

Please plan to join us on Sunday June 26 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm for an exciting MARS Chair’s program at ALA Annual in New Orleans!

It’s All About Them: Developing Information Services with User Experience Design

Applying User Experience (UX) Design to your library’s public services involves understanding your patrons’ needs and preferences. In this session, expert panelists John Blyberg (Darien Library), Cody Hansen (University of Minnesota), and Jenny Benevento (Sears Holding Corporation) will define UX design and explain why it’s important, discuss how it can help improve patrons’ overall experience of library resources and services, and describe how it can be implemented in library and information service settings. With practical tips and examples, you’ll be well-equipped to consider UX issues in your own library.

We’ll also be announcing the winner of this year’s My Favorite Martian Award.

Courtney Greene, MARS Conference Program Planning Committee Chair

crgreene@indiana.edu

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Management of Electronic Reference Services (MERS) Committee

MERS co-hosted a discussion forum with the Public Libraries Committee (PL) at ALA Midwinter 2011 titled Assessment and Evaluation of Virtual Reference. Twenty-five of our colleagues joined us for an open discussion of how new social networking tools such as text and Twitter are being used in a Reference environment. Lines of discussion included how such services are being staffed, managed, counted, and used. Additional consideration was given to how libraries choose to implement emerging technologies and how to advocate for including them in our service portfolio.

In the Spring, MERS is continuing to collaborate with PL in a call for Virtual Poster Sessions. Poster sessions are being solicited for topics related to the evaluation and assessment of social media for Reference Services. Virtual Posters selected by the committee will be announced at ALA Annual 2011 and will be posted online for viewing.

Valerie Boulos, MERS Chair

vboulos@fiu.edu

To subscribe to MARS-L, seehttp://lists.ala.org/wws/info/mars–l

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Message from the MARS Chair

Messages from MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section
Missy Clapp, Editor

Greetings!

We are looking forward to a wonderful year with MARS, the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section of RUSA! Change seems to be the only constant in reference these days, and MARS is no exception to the rule. As our environment changes, MARS is changing to meet the needs of its members. Before we look at what is ahead, let’s take a moment to reflect on the Annual Conference.

MARS and RSS hosted a very successful preconference, “Strange Bedfellows: IT and Reference Collaborations to Enhance User Experiences.” Guest speakers shared personal experiences to illustrate successful collaborations and overcome obstacles. This was an excellent preconference! Congratulations to all who participated in the planning! Special thanks go to Donna Scanlon and Carolyn Sheffield, the MARS and RSS Co-Chairs of the Preconference Planning Committee.

The MARS Chair’s Program, “It’s All About Them: Developing Information Services with User Experience Design,” was standing room only with 164 in attendance and more than 100 additional people who wanted to attend! Comments were very positive and included requests for a follow-up webinar. Thanks to the efforts of Courtney Greene, chair of the Program Planning Committee, Anne Houston, MARS Chair, the members of the Program Planning Committee, and the panelists—the program was a huge success!

Hot Topics and the Virtual Reference Discussion Group (VRDG) both held very interesting discussions. Hot Topics hosted a discussion forum, “How are We Measuring up? Using New Technology to Schedule, Standardize, and Assess Reference Services.” More than fifty people attended this lively and informative discussion forum. Special thanks to Matt Torrence who chaired the Hot Topics Committee! The Virtual Reference Discussion Group hosted a discussion forum, “Mobile Goes Both Ways: Using the iPad for Virtual Reference.” The session was well attended and very interesting. Many thanks to Amanda Powers who chaired the VRDG committee!

The RSS/MARS Virtual Reference Services Committee also sponsored an impressive program, “Behind the Text: Pulling Back the Curtain on Virtual Reference.” Thanks to the leadership of Ellen Filgo and Donald Boozer, co-chairs of the committee.

The MARS Happy Hour was another highlight of the conference. This year’s gathering was held at Mulate’s Restaurant. It was a wonderful way to conclude the day—great food, and great company! Congratulations and much gratitude to Arlie Sims for chairing the Outreach Committee that planned the MARS Happy Hour.

Each year, we recognize one member of MARS for his/her outstanding efforts and contributions to the section. I would like to acknowledge Linda Keiter for receiving the MARS Achievement Recognition Certificate, otherwise known as the “My Favorite Martian Award!” Linda was recognized at both the MARS Chair’s Program and the RUSA Awards Reception. Congratulations Linda!

Now let’s look ahead at a few upcoming changes for MARS. Two task forces were formed just after the Midwinter Meeting. One task force examined the feasibility of continuing the MARS/RSS preconference in the current economic climate. The other task force examined the presence of MARS during the Midwinter Meeting. The work of the Preconference Task Force resulted in the change of a six-year tradition: MARS and RSS will not continue the practice of hosting the Reinvented Reference Preconference in the immediate future. Instead, MARS and RSS will work together to produce workshops—based largely on the model set by STARS. All of the logistics have not been determined, but more will come in the months ahead.

The second task force examined whether MARS should continue to meet in person during the Midwinter Meeting, or if it would be better to meet virtually during Midwinter.  A survey was drafted and distributed to MARS members and those who are interested in MARS.  The survey revealed that most participants see the advantages of meeting in person while acknowledging that it is becoming harder for members to afford traveling to two conferences each year.  Based on this information, MARS will pilot a new model for Midwinter 2012.  There will be no MARS All-Committee meeting during the 2012 Midwinter Conference.  Only the elected members of the Executive Committee will be asked to attend the conference and attend the ExComm meetings.  Committee Chairs do not need to attend the Executive Committee meetings at Midwinter unless they would like to do so.  Of course, if a committee is hosting a discussion forum during Midwinter, enough committee members to run the discussion forum will need to be present.  If your committee would like to meet for planning purposes, please contact me ahead of time, and a room will be reserved for your meeting.  All committees will be asked to submit a report concerning the committee’s activities prior to Midwinter.  The Executive Committee will use the reports as the basis for ExComm discussions during Midwinter.

More details concerning Midwinter will be sent at a later date. The thing to remember at the moment is that you should not book your travel plans for Midwinter until you speak with your committee Chair and find out if your MARS committee is meeting during Midwinter. This is particularly important for those who attend Midwinter primarily for MARS committee meetings.

If you are interested in joining MARS or learning more about the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section, please contact us. We welcome all members, those who can meet in person as well as virtual members. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at mckellar@udel.edu.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Anne Houston and Carolyn Larson, past chair, and past-past chair of MARS, respectively, for all of their help during my year as vice-chair. Your guidance was appreciated. I’d also like to thank all of the members of MARS for working together and continually striving to create venues that allow experiences and information concerning emerging technologies in reference to be shared.

Warm Regards,

Dianna McKellar
MARS Chair, 2011-2012

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Best Free Websites Committee

When you surf the web do you discover great websites? If so… we need you! Join the MARS Best Free Websites committee and nominate those awesome sites for recognition from MARS. This is probably the easiest committee you will ever be a part of and it’s a lot of fun. Our work does not really start until after the new year and everything is done virtually via email. It’s low stress, minimal commitment and a great way to participate in RUSA. If you are interested, email one of our co-chairs.

Erica Swenson Danowitz, Co-Chair, EDanowitz@dccc.edu
Donna Scanlon, Co-Chair, dscanlon@oc.gov

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Conference Program Planning Committee

Three dynamic speakers, babies, kittens, lots of laughs, just over ninety tweets and one very small (and very full!) room came together for a fun and informative program in this year’s MARS Chair’s program, “It’s All About Them: Developing Information Services with User Experience Design.” All told, 164 people attended, filling the aisles and open spaces, and more than 100 were turned away because of the size of the room.

The program began with the awarding of this year’s My Favorite Martian Award to Linda S. Keiter, Online Services Librarian at the University of Utah. Keiter has been an active member of MARS for many years, serving on numerous MARS committees including Continuing Education, Hot Topics in Electronic Reference Discussion Group, and the Future of MARS Task Force. Linda has also served as a representative for MARS on RUSA committees. Her colleagues in MARS note, “Linda has been a role model for dynamic leadership in MARS.”

Panelists John Blyberg (Darien Public Library, CT), Cody Hansen (University of Minnesota Libraries), and Jenny Benevento (Sears Holding Corporation) began the panel with a general discussion defining user experience (UX) design. Each then followed up with a short presentation highlighting UX from his or her unique perspective: Blyberg talked about the process of creating the UX department at his library, and the importance of creating a culture that places value on the user experience; Hansen thoughtfully outlined his experiences conducting user testing which have led him to conclude that we can add value for users and provide them with the best experience by carefully curating resources; and Benevento provided a strong finish to the panel discussing taxonomies and ROI—her humor and pull-no-punches style made for as provocative and lively a discussion on those topics as I’ve ever seen.

Participants were encouraged to tweet their questions and comments during the program (using the hashtag #marsUX), resulting in an active conversation. (One great comment by Richard Kong [@kongtemplation]: “@jennybento [Jenny Benevento] just gave one of the best presentations I’ve been to at any conference.”) Of those who responded to the program evaluation (n=45), 56% were from academic libraries, with nearly a quarter from public, and the other categories (special, vendor, other) making up the sum. All respondents agreed that it was a relevant program (84% strongly, 16% just agree). Everyone that completed the question agreed (and overwhelmingly, strongly) that the speakers were knowledgeable. All but eight respondents reacted negatively to the space.

The evaluations included some great comments as well. My personal favorites:

  • Delightful and intellectually stimulating program delivered w/a sense of humor
  • Humor was an excellent conveyance mechanism.
  • I was happy to finally see something *so* absolutely relevant.
  • Great balance of presenters and conversation.
  • GREAT panel! Best I’ve attended at ALA ’11.

Access the presenters’ slides via ALAConnect.

Thanks to everyone who attended, to our fantastic panelists, and to the awesome, hard-working committee who put the event together: Anne Houston, Carolyn Larson, Rosemary Meszaros, Suchi Mohanty, and Beth Overhauser.

Courtney Greene, Chair
crgreene@indiana.edu

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Education, Training and Support and Committee

The Education, Training and Support and Committee is sponsoring a RUSA webinar on August 2 called “Introduction to Screencasting for Online Tutorials and Reference.” This webinar evolved from our program in 2010 at Annual in Washington, D.C. Our committee is using two of the same speakers and a member of ETS to moderate. This is the first RUSA webinar to be offered and in the future we will be offering our experience to other MARS committees wishing to develop webinars. For more information see the RUSA online training website.

Van Houlson, Chair
houls001@umn.edu

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MERS (Management of Electronic Resources & Services)

Eight people attended the MARS MER meeting at ALA Annual in New Orleans. We have accepted two submissions for our virtual poster presentations, and will be advertising on Facebook and on academic listservs to ask for more proposals. The topic for the Virtual Poster presentations will be  “Reaching out to Patrons in Virtual Ways.” We met with the Hot Topics group and began planning for a joint session at Midwinter 2012 in Dallas; the topic will be: “Virtual Services to Move Beyond the Desk: What have we learned?” Incoming chairs for the committee are Matt Torrence (torrence@usf.edu) and Lindsay Johnston (lindsay.johnston@ualberta.ca).

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Outreach Committee: MARS Happy Hour a Big Success in the Big Easy

MARS members, friends, and curious others gathered on Saturday afternoon of Annual Conference for the Annual MARS Happy Hour. Attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, drinks, music, and conversation. Sponsored by Serials Solutions, the party was held at Mulate’s, across from the Morial Convention Center. Between beers, stuffed mushrooms, and fried alligator nuggets, approximately ninety people chatted about the work of MARS while catching up with old friends and getting acquainted with new ones. Not a bad way to unwind after a busy day of meetings and programs! A special thanks goes out to Serials Solutions for their generosity and to all those who attended!

Arlie Sims, Chair

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MARS Products & Services Committee

Change is good. Why do I say that? Within the last year, the charge for the Products & Services Committee has been modified. The committee now solicits and writes and/or posts reviews about emerging technologies in reference and user services, and I have no doubt that these reviews will be beneficial to public services librarians and their workplace. The products and services that are reviewed are considered “emerging,” meaning that they represent a new technology or trend that could have increasing uses or impact in the future. Recently the committee posted reviews on the official MARS blog for four discovery tools: Ex Libris Primo, OCLC’s WorldCat Local, EBSCO’s Discovery Services, and Serial Solutions’ Summon. The reviews looked critically at the capabilities and impact of each tool, with images of the search results, and contact information for each reviewer to help considering libraries decide on a discovery tool.

The products and services reviewed can be anything that helps plan, develop, manage, conduct, or deliver electronic reference or user services in libraries. This could include completely new products/services or new approaches to existing ones. Ideas for possible products or services to review as well as volunteer reviewers, who have direct experience with or knowledge of the product/service being reviewed, are always welcomed.

Please contact me, Yen Tran, chair of the Products & Services Committee, at nttran@callutheran.edu with your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you!

Yen Tran, Chair

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MARS Virtual Reference Discussion Group Planning Committee Update

The topic for the MARS Virtual Reference Discussion group at 2011 ALA Annual was “Mobile Goes Both Ways: Using the iPad for Virtual Reference.”

The presenter was Stephanie Graves, Humanities Librarian at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Libraries. She opened the session with a presentation about SIU-Carbondale Libraries’ use of iPads for roving reference and for operating IM services in non-traditional locations (for more details about this project, see the article in C&RL News she co–wrote with Megan Lotts). Her presentation included a wealth of practical information as well as ideas for improving services. The practical information included a description of the genesis of the program, an explanation of how they set up and manage their iTunes account, an explanation of how they maintain the iPads, and a discussion of apps they have found particularly useful for serving patrons and for conducting their own work. She encouraged participants to visit SIU Carbondale’s “iPads at Morris” LibGuide for additional information, including a list of apps installed on their iPads.

Group Discussion:
Following Stephanie’s presentation, the thirty-five attendees divided themselves among five tables to discuss possibilities for using iPads for roving reference at their institutions, recommendations for apps, challenges involved in maintaining iPads, strategies for using them for effective reference, and other ideas of interest to them relating to virtual reference. Table notes collected at the end of the session revealed that a wide range of topics arose at the five tables. Those topics included integrating tutorials for virtual (VR) use, developing customized library apps (vs commercial apps); staffing VR services, getting started with VR, mobile reference problems; looking at Springshare’s mobile application builder; problems with DropBox that developed during the conference and discussion of alternative products including Wuala; Lexis-Nexis new mobile app; using roving librarians to back up VR at the desk; problems with iPad docking stations; getting tech like iPads and eReaders for the staff to play with at Kansas State Libraries; QR codes use in museums and need for good wifi for their use; using Facetime for VR; apps for research (Papers, WorldCat, Blackboard app if it works for your campus); VR/traditional reference breakdown; SMS reference, and changes in methods for keeping reference statistics.

Committee News
The Virtual Reference Discussion Group Planning Committee has expanded its membership from 4 members to 7 members. They are: Henry Bankhead (chair-elect), Jason Coleman (chair), Aileen Marshall, Robert Metrick, Julie Piacentine, Amanda Clay Powers, and Jessica Sender. The committee has several goals for the coming year, including:

  • Plan and facilitate Virtual Reference Discussion Fora at ALA Midwinter and ALA Annual. For each, we will identify an exciting emerging trend related to virtual reference and recruit a volunteer to provide a twenty-minute presentation to stimulate small group discussions.
  • Update the committee’s public page on the ALA website. We plan to include lists of past members as well as lists of past topics for the Discussion Fora at Midwinter and Annual. When possible, the list of topics will include links to notes and presentation materials.
  • Establish and promote a public page on ALA connect for soliciting suggestions for future topics for Discussion Fora.
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Virtual Reference Services Committee (RSS/MARS)

The RSS/MARS Virtual Reference Services Committee held its official meeting at ALA Annual in New Orleans on Saturday, June 25, as part of the RSS All-Committee meeting. Eight people were in attendance. The primary goal of the meeting was final planning for the committee’s sponsored program held on Monday, June 27, at 8:00 A.M.: “Behind the Text: Pulling Back the Curtain on Virtual Reference.” (The program was quite successful with 135 attendees and several people offering congratulations and asking for the presenters’ slides.) The committee also discussed the program pending approval by RUSA Board for ALA Annual 2012 on evaluation of virtual reference services, (tentatively titled) “Are Virtual Reference Services Worth the Effort?,” and briefly brainstormed ideas for ALA Annual 2013. The Virtual Reference Tutorial Subcommittee reported on their exemplary work in updating the Online VR Tutorial. They are awaiting the migration of the ALA site to Drupal to update specific aspects of the tutorial, but they are prepared to move forward with two currently updated modules. The current plan is to conduct the committee’s official midwinter meeting virtually in January 2012.

Ellen Filgo, Chair,
Ellen_Filgo@baylor.edu

 

To subscribe to MARS-L, see http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/mars–l

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Messages from MARS, the Newsletter of the RUSA MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section

Missy Clapp, Editor

From the Chair

 
MARS is busy getting ready for ALA Annual in New Orleans, and we hope you’ll be able to join us for what promises to be an exciting lineup of events. As the Emerging Technologies in Reference Section, MARS focuses our programming on reference innovations in all types of libraries. Here are some highlights of what we’ll be offering in New Orleans.

On Friday, June 24, MARS and the Reference Services Section (RSS) are co-sponsoring a preconference on the stimulating topic of reference/IT collaborations. Speakers will come from both the library and IT sides. Registration is available on the ALA website.

As usual, we’ll also be hosting the popular MARS Happy Hour. In New Orleans Happy Hour will be held on Saturday, June 25 (please note the change from our usual Friday time) from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at Mulate’s Restaurant, 201 Julia St. Complimentary snacks will be served, and MARS members will be on hand to let you know all about the work of our section. Come to learn more about us, or just come to relax with a drink and some yummy local cuisine. As a former New Orleanian, I can promise that the food and venue are not to be missed.

Immediately before the Happy Hour, please join us for the Virtual Reference Discussion Group (VRDG), which will be discussing the use of iPads for virtual reference. The discussion will be held from 4:00 – 5:30 pm on Saturday at the Embassy Suites on Julia St, which is right around the corner from Mulate’s. So come for the VRDG and then join us for the MARS Happy Hour! The MARS Hot Topics Discussion Group will also be held on Saturday from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm and will discuss the use of technology to schedule, standardize and assess reference services.

I’m very excited about the MARS Chair’s Program, which will cover the hot topic of user experience design. Speakers from academic, public, and special libraries will talk about what UX means to them, and how they implement good UX design. Don’t miss a chance to learn more about this topic of growing interest. At the program, to be held Sunday, June 26 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, we’ll also honor this year’s recipient of the My Favorite Martian award, Linda Keiter. The MARS/RSS Joint Virtual Reference Committee will also be sponsoring a program with the intriguing title “Behind the Text: Pulling Back the Curtain on Virtual Reference,” on Saturday, June 25 from 8:00 – 10:00 am

Finally, please consider joining us for the All-Committee meeting on Sunday, June 26 from 8:00 – 10:00 am If you’re interested in getting more involved with MARS, this is a great opportunity to sit in on the meetings of all the MARS committees in one room, observe what we do, and check out volunteer opportunities. Visitors are welcome and can move from table to table to talk with different committees. For the exact location of the meeting and all other MARS activities, please consult the final program. Additional details on some events are also available below. We hope to see you!

In other MARS news, our committees have been hard at work on other projects. Watch for this year’s list of Best Free Reference Websites, to be published in the Fall issue of RUSQ. The Education, Training, and Support committee is planning a webinar for May 25 on Screencasting Tips and Tricks based on their successful program at ALA Annual 2010. More details will be available soon. Our Professional Development committee is working on more webinars, and our Local Systems and Services Committee continues to follow developments in the area of discovery systems and will be sponsoring upcoming discussions and a program on this topic.

We welcome participation in all of our programs and initiatives. If you’re interested in getting involved with MARS, just contact me (ahouston@virginia.edu) or Vice-Chair Dianna McKellar (mckellar@udel.edu) for more information.

Anne Houston, MARS Chair 2010-2011

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Linda S. Keiter to receive My Favorite Martian Award

Linda S. Keiter, Online Services Librarian, The University of Utah, is the 2011 recipient of the MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section Recognition Certificate, also known as the My Favorite Martian Award. The award is given to an individual to recognize excellence in service to MARS.

Linda Keiter has been an active member of MARS for many years, serving on numerous MARS committees including Continuing Education, Hot Topics in Electronic Reference Discussion Group, and the Future of MARS Task Force. Linda has also served as a representative for MARS on RUSA committees. Her colleagues in MARS note, “Linda has been a role model for dynamic leadership in MARS.”

Anne Houston, MARS Chair writes, “Linda, your dedication to the profession and to MARS is recognized and appreciated! We thank you for your excellent service.”

The certificate will be presented at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans during the MARS Chair’s Program, It’s All About Them: Developing Information Services with User Experience Design Sunday, June 26, 2011, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm. Keiter also will be honored at the RUSA Awards program.

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Strange Bedfellows: IT and Reference Collaborations to Enhance User Experiences.

A joint preconference from the Reference Services Section (RSS) and Emerging Technologies in Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)

Friday, June 24, 2011, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; Morial Convention Center, Room 354

Visit RUSA’s preconference page for registration information. The group registration form (PDF) can be downloaded here.

This preconference will present strategies for creating successful collaborations between Reference and IT departments. The session will open with a keynote from Char Booth that addresses the innovative technology-driven potential of meeting user needs when reference departments work in collaboration with IT. Following the keynote, a series of topics will be presented by four teams of Reference and IT staff who have worked together on successful collaborative projects. The line-up includes:

  1. Dan Suchy, User Services Technology Analyst & Matthew Critchlow, Web Technical Manager, University of California, San Diego: Mobile apps
  2. Joanne Kossuth, Technology Strategy Team Member at Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing: Technology Strategy Team Member at Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing: Sharing resources between institutions
  3. Tom Maier, Senior Director Special Projects & Catherine Murray-Rust, Dean of Libraries, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta: Strategic Planning, Implementation, and Facilities Development across multiple departments within and beyond libraries
  4. William Denton, Web Librarian & Adam Taves, Reference and Instruction Librarian, York University, Toronto: Divisiveness, communication failure, and boundary wars as tragicomedy. A staged reading.

 
The afternoon will include breakout sessions where attendees can work with the speakers to brainstorm on applying the strategies presented to real-world projects that they are currently involved in or would like to see realized.

This is a solutions-driven session that explores methods for effective collaboration and successfully leveraging the skill sets of multiple departments. This is a session about how to make a technology-driven reference project a success!

We hope to see you in New Orleans!

Carolyn Sheffield and Donna Scanlon, Co-Chairs

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Happy Hour

Saturday, June 25,2011; 5:00 – 7:00 pm; Location: Mulate’s Restaurant (Across from the Convention Center), 201 Julia St.

MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section invites you to mingle, chow and imbibe at the Annual MARS Happy Hour Social There will be complimentary snacks and a cash bar.

Interested in the work of MARS? Friend of a MARS member? Enjoyed a MARS program? Member of MARS? Please come and invite others!

The Annual MARS Happy Hour is your opportunity to enjoy good company, meet other MARS members, and learn about the work of the Section.

This MARS Happy Hour is generously sponsored by Serials Solutions.

Arlie Sims, Chair
asims@colum.edu

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MARS Webinars

This winter, the Education, Training and Support Committee (ETS) was officially approved by RUSA to deliver a webinar that is similar to our 2010 annual program: Screencasting Tips and Tricks. Our hard work at Midwinter paid off! MARS will be the first to deliver a RUSA sponsored webinar presentation. ETS is trailblazing the path for other committees to consider webinars for delivering professional development to ALA members. The webinar is coming up soon, on May 25 and is tentatively called "An Introduction to Screencasting Tutorials." One of our goals for Annual is to create guidelines and procedures for other committees to follow in order to create their own webinars and possibly fulfill a new role for MARS as your webinar facilitators. We have learned a lot about the steps for getting an idea approved and what RUSA expects for course development. By Annual, we will have even more experience delivering a webinar and using the GoToMeeting software and technical support from RUSA.
 
Van Houlson, Chair
houls001@umn.edu

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MARS Chair’s Program – It’s All About Them: Developing Information Services with User Experience Design

Sunday, June 26, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm; Morial Convention Center, room 269

Please plan to join us in New Orleans for an exciting MARS Chair’s program. We’ll be announcing the winner of this year’s My Favorite Martian Award, followed by a thought-provoking panel on user experience design.

Applying User Experience (UX) Design to your library’s public services involves understanding your patrons’ needs and preferences. In this session, expert panelists, including Cody Hansen (University of Minnesota) and Jenny Benevento (Sears Holding Corporation), will define UX design and explain why it’s important, discuss how it can help improve patrons’ overall experience of library resources and services, and describe how it can be implemented in library and information service settings. With practical tips and examples, you’ll be well-equipped to consider UX issues in your own library.

Courtney Greene, Chair
crgreene@indiana.edu

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Hot Topics – How are We Measuring up? Using New Technology to Schedule, Standardize, and Assess Reference Services

Saturday, June 25 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm; Doubletree Hotel, Madewood A

Please join us for the Hot Topics Discussion Forum (MARS): How are We Measuring up? Using New Technology to Schedule, Standardize, and Assess Reference Services. Speakers will demonstrate a variety of inventive, original, and efficient ways to study and accommodate changes in user preferences, locations, and modes of communication when seeking reference and research services. Presentations are in panel format, but are relatively informal and are intended to jumpstart discussion among the attendees.

Matt Torrence, Chair
torrence@usf.edu

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