Virginia Tech Libraries

Jennifer Nardine -- July 15, 2014

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Virginia Tech• Public Land Grant University Founded in 1972

• “Land Grant” means land given by state for educational use with expectation that it would benefit the state

• Originally call Virginia Polytechnic Institute• Male only• Military institution

• Now about 35000 students, 2 campuses plus extension

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• ~3 million items• Subs to over 300 databases• Microfilm, journals, scores, data sets• Special collections – American Civil War,

Appalachia, Food

VT Libraries

Vet Med and Art & Arch

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• 5 public floors & 1 for offices• Sorted by US LC call #• Divided into quiet and noisy• Food/drink allowed; cafe• WiFi throughout building• Wireless printing• Open 24/5• 3 classrooms, 2 standard &

1 flipped

Newman Library

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• Information commons design & implementation• Weeding, new furniture, new collaborators,

• Programmatic partnerships across campus• Learning lifecycle curriculum/curriculum mapping, new literacies review• Develop strategy for supporting locally generated digital content

• launch online platform for new and legacy materials, integrate with virtual community platforms, repository, Digital humanities, seed $ for eresearch collab, epublishing, event capture, virtual communities

• Collect and analyze learning and research needs of students & faculty• Peer rovers, advisory boards, class surveys, reference surveys, chat transcripts

• Develop online learning platform including web-based modules• Support internationalization

• Language lab, diversity council, close work with international center and LCI

• Support online learning by increasing eholdings, eapprovals, DDA• Develop digital project space• Create instructional design team

Strategic Plan 2013-18

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Org ChartLearning Division

Learning Services

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Learning Services• Courses• Online sources• Internal/professional training

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Courses• Most are face-to-face

• FYE program• Some “one shot” & some multiple session

• Online graduate class 5124• English, works with other course & required for all

English students• Stand-alone/optional for all other groups

• Engineering (Chemical, Computer, Civil, Mechanical)

• Business• Sciences (Chemistry, Biology)

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LibGuides

• New investment to compliment CMS

• Designing modules for courses and subject areas

• Librarian with subject expertise or who is teaching the class builds the guide based on template

Internal training• ILC – library• Non-teacher training – library• CIDER, NLS - university• LEO – regional• Research/publication/presentation at

regional, national, international levels

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Information Literacy• ACRL New Standards

• Metaliteracy: ability to create and consume information in many formats, engagement with info ecosystem, greater self-direction, learning throughout and past school

• Based on 6 frames which define threshold concepts: • Scholarship is a conversation• Research as inquiry• Authority is contextual and constructed• Format as a process• Searching as exploration• Information has value

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Scholarship is a conversation: no one right answer, discursive practice• Identify contribution a piece makes to disciplinary knowledge• Summarize changes in perspective on a topic over time• Contribute to conversation on proper level• Predict that individual work doesn’t represent the only perspective• Critically evaluate contributions• Recognize entering middle of conversation, not a completed one

Research as Inquiry: iterative and based on increasingly difficult ?s• Research through the lens on inquiry (iteration)• Give evidence of understanding that methods of research leading to new knowledge creation vary by

need, circumstance and type of ?• Formulate questions for research based on gaps in current info available• Communicate effectively with collaborators, learn from different viewpoints• Engage in self-directed learning with broader worldview thru global reach of technology

Authority is Constructed and Contextual: depends on info origin, need, context of use• Determine how authoritative info is for given need• Identify markers of authority and understand limits• Understand that disciplines have acknowledged authorities/standards, which can still be challenged• Authoritative info may be formal or informal, may include dynamic user-generated info• Recognize that they themselves may be seen as authority, recognize inherent responsibility• Evaluate user response, being aware of nature of different feedback mechanisms

(tradition and social media platforms)

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Format as process: characteristics of format during creation process• Understand that format and method of access are different things• Recognize that different creation processes result in distinct attributes (ISBN vs doi)• Articulate purpose of various formats & their characteristics• Identify which format best fits need• Decide which format to use when sharing own creations (articles, blogs, etc)• Transfer knowledge to new formats as environment evolves

Searching as exploration: non-linear, iterative, broad range of sources, flexibility in choices• Determine the scope of question or need• Identify others that might produce info on a topic and how to access it• Demonstrate importance of matching info need and search strategy to correct tools• Recognize some tools may be searched with basic and advanced strategies, and why• Are inclined to find citation management/sharing features (info mgt strategies)

Information has value: time, original thought, resources used (value varies by viewer) cc• Give credit to original ideas of others through citation/attribution• Recognize the meaning of intellectual property in the US• Understand that IP is a social construct that varies by culture• Articulate purpose/characteristics of copyright, open access and public domain• Know how to find open source material• Differentiate between new production and re-use/mix of open sources• Manage online presence responsibly• Decide where their info, as creator, should be published.

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Translating this to action• Online versus face-to-face versus blended• Traditional vs Flipped classes• Active learning

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Thank youJennifer T. Nardine, Assistant Professor

Virginia Tech University Libraries

jnardine@vt.edu