SLA-TSG's tour of the Fisher library an overwhelming success!

On Friday, Sept.19th, I had the great pleasure of escorting 24 excited students to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

We were treated to a fabulous, extended discussion of the library's history, a Q&A of "what defines a rare book", and an introduction to some of the Fisher's most precious holdings by P.J. Carefoote, Medieval Manuscripts, Incunabula, and Early-Books Specialist. P.J. indulged us well past our end-time and was a most wonderful host as he answered everyone's questions, and showed us a truly amazing showcase of the library's holdings.
As some of you know, the Fisher is one of my most favourite places in Toronto; by the end of the tour, the library had enchanted many, many others.

Special thanks to P.J., and to Anne Dondertman, Assistant Director for having us.

Oh, and last but not least: to the girl who asked P.J. if he wouldn't mind "grabbing that first folio", a thousand times, thank you!

Our next tour, "Special Libraries: Media Collections. The Toronto Globe & Mail" (Fri. Oct.3) has now reached capacity. Remember, you can RSVP in advance to secure a spot on our tours. Check our website for further announcements and upcoming events.

--Carolyn

SLA Toronto Event Report - Partners In Technology

On September 18, SLA Toronto hosted the “Partners in Technology” talk. Eric Bergeron of CEDROM-SNi and Todd Peterson of XPI enlightened the crowd with glimpses of the near future of information searching and delivery.

Just as we were getting comfortable with the Web 2.0 world where boundaries between information consumers and producers were blurred, we are about to enter the universe of Web 3.0, according to Bergeron. New products are being developed that handle the analysis of the millions of results (and information overload) that many searchers experience. This analysis will organize results differently each time a search is performed. Essentially these new platforms will search the full text of each result, derive strings of words that occur repeatedly, and organize results under these derived headings allowing searchers to hopefully find more quickly and efficiently what they are in need of. This is somewhat similar to what ISI’s Web of Knowledge does, although ISI utilizes a controlled vocabulary in organizing its results.

Peterson similarly stressed the importance of creating solutions to better handle the abundance of information searchers are often forced to sift through. Peterson spoke strongly of reinserting human intervention into information to make it far more valuable, although it seemed to me that these new software developments are making human-information interaction less and less necessary. While human analysis will always be necessary, these continual web and software developments make the certain skills of the information professional less valuable, as end users will be able to find what they need more easily without our help. If the Web 3.0 developments are successful, the roles of librarians will quickly evolve. Prepare yourselves for this change and keep your eyes open for ways that information professionals can continue to insert value into the ever shifting world of knowledge!

--Andrea Gagliardi

SLA Student Scholarships - Application deadline Sept. 30!

Note: The SLA Scholarship is open to Canadian Students. You do not need to be a member of the SLA to receive this award. Check eligibility criteria for other awards.

SLA's Scholarship Program consists of awards for graduate study leading to a Master's Degree, graduate study leading to a Ph.D., and for post-M.L.S. study.

Each year, SLA awards $30,000 to at least 5 students who have demonstrated their ability and desire to contribute to the Special Librarian field. Details regarding the different scholarships, requirements, instructions and applications are outlined.

DEADLINE to apply is SEPTEMBER 30, 2008!

--Carolyn

This Thursday: SLA Toronto event and speakers: "Seeking Information: More is not more..."

This is a free event, open to all iSchool students, but you must register by September 17 (see below)


SLA Toronto Presents:  Seeking Information: More is not more - Why less is more

Join us as senior Research and Development professionals from SLA Toronto's 
partners in technology, CEDROM-SNi and XPI Inc., present an insider's 
perspective on what's next in the technology space.

Seeking Information: More is not more - Why less is more

When information is relevant and specific to you and your particular 
requirement, it has an impact.

The next level of value in information services lies in creating links 
between an understanding of the person seeking information, their 
requirements and the context for that information and then connecting them 
quickly to the information they seek.

Our Special Guests:

Stephane Jasmin, President and CEO, XPI Inc.

Éric Bergeron, Vice-President, Technologies and Operations, CEDROM-SNi

Date: September 18, 2008
Time: 5:30 PM (sign-in), 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (event)
Toronto Board of Trade
1 First Canadian Place
Fourth Floor

Cocktails (cash bar) and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Register online for this event: 
http://units.sla.org/chapter/ctor/events/register.asp?eid=224

The deadline for registration is September 17, 2008.

--Carolyn

Toronto 'Word on the Street' Festival

Listen up, bibliophiles!

Toronto's Word on the Street Book & Magazine Festival is two weeks away.

On the last Sunday in September, Queen's Park will transform into a booklover's paradise with a marketplace of more than 258 book and magazine exhibits, 248 of Canada's top authors, poets, storytellers and presenters and 198 readings, performances, workshops and other events.

It's fun and free!
Sept. 28th, 11-6. Queen's Park

http://www.thewordonthestreet.ca/toronto/home.asp


--Carolyn

Thomas Fisher Library Tour is now FULL

***UPDATE: Rumour has it that the iSchool Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) Student Chapter is planning a tour to the Fisher in the upcoming months. Here's your chance to view the Fisher's collections if you missed out on our tour!! Date TBA. Watch for Kristen or Rebecka's announcement over the MISt listserv.


Please note that Friday's tour of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has reached capacity and we are unable to accommodate further students. But don't fret! Our next tour, a visit to the Globe and Mail Media Resource Centre and Photo Archive will take place on October 3rd.

Remember, you can RSVP at any time to reserve your spot on one of our tours or events.

For information on upcoming events, announcements, and general points of interest, bookmark this page and visit our website

--Carolyn

SLA Toronto Event Report - Click U Live! Webinar: Best Practices for Setting up a Wiki

On September 11, SLA had an organization wide Webinar course on creating wikis. I had an opportunity to attend this Click U Live! course, as did other iSchool students free of charge thanks to SLA Toronto's Student Sponsorship Fund, which gives students an opportunity to attend all local events at no cost, whether they are SLA members or not.

The workshop definitely took a "no assumptions" approach, in that it covered many of the basics of what wikis are and why they are useful, which is information that many iSchool students may already be aware of. What I found most useful were the examples of wikis, comparisons of various wiki platforms, and suggestions of free web-based wiki software, including Wet Paint, Media Wiki (used by Wikipedia), and Wikispaces to name a few.

The following were the emphasized strengths of wikis:

1. They make collaborations to create content easy.

2. They remove bottlenecks and speed up collaboration.

3. They are easy to set up and maintain.

4. They are flexible and dynamic.

It is important to keep in mind that wikis are not always the best solution. The scope of the project, organizational culture and willingness of potential participants must always be considered.

Try WikiMatrix if you are interested in starting a wiki but are unsure which of the many software options to choose from. This site allows you to compare the functionalities, and join forums to get in touch with real users.

Join us at the next Click U Live! Webinar: The Year in Web Searching on October 8 at Queen's Park from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Take advantage of these events for the professional development and networking opportunities.

Ciao

-Andrea Gagliardi

Hart House Library Launches African-Canadian Literature Collection. Event Tonight!

As part of the massive Hart House Wide Open House event, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Hart House Library and the Literary and Library Committee is hosting a Reading Event to launch the new African-Canadian Literature Collection. To celebrate the occasion, highly-acclaimed and award winning poet and playwright, U of T Professor George Elliott Clarke will be reading from a selection of his works.

The Literary and Library Committee will also be sharing information on upcoming events, their Reading Series calendar, and how you can get involved.

Why: Literature, and Special Collections, of course!
Where: Hart House Library, 7 Hart House Circle
(campus map)
When: Launch begins at 7pm.

**Wide Open House begins at 11am and ends at midnight. 8mm film screenings, free food, and Apostle of Hustle live are just a few of the planned festivities. Full event schedule is listed on site.

Mmmmmm Literature. Mmmmmm Hart House

See you there?

--Carolyn

Career Centre Work-Study Opportunities of Interest: Health Research and More

Each fall, the Career Centre at the University of Toronto offers numerous on-campus student positions through the Work-study program. These paid, part-time positions can offer much-needed job experience while also providing supplementary income to eligible students. (ok, so the pay isn't spectacular, but trust me, there is no shortage of jobs here!!)

Many of these positions -- research assistant, archive assistant, administrative support, et al -- are beneficial to library and archive students as they involve working one-on-one alongside professors and faculty members.

For more on the Work-study program at U of T and eligibility requirements, visit: http://www.careers.utoronto.ca/jobsearch/workstudy.aspx?tr=
To view and apply for positions, you will need to REGISTER:
http://www.careers.utoronto.ca/jobsearch/searchjob.aspx?tr=
-----------------------------------------


Listen Up Health Librarians!
Of the several suitable positions available this year through the Work-study program, the Comparative Program on Health and Society (CPHS) at the Munk Centre for International Studies is offering three research assistantships for the 2008/2009 academic year.

The Research Assistants will perform the following duties:
(1) Assist Visiting Fellows, Post-Doctoral Fellows, and Doctoral Fellows
with their research needs (a great chance to meet and work with some
very exciting established and up and coming scholars). Responsibilities
may include the following: conducting literature reviews, assisting
with qualitative data collection and analysis, editing reports and
papers, assisting with the preparation of presentations.
(2) Assist the Program Manager and Advisory with program-related
research activities.
(3) Assist in the planning, organization, and communication of CPHS
events and activities, including our Seminar Series (a great chance to
hear some exciting talks).
(4) Provide general administrative assistance for program-related
activities, fellowship competitions, and other initiatives.

Qualifications:
-Senior undergraduate student or masters degree in progress in
Health/Social Sciences/Humanities
-Interest in health and health research
-Previous research or organizational experience preferred
-Ability to function independently and as part of a team
-Effective interpersonal and communication skills
-Demonstrated time management and organizational skills

Hours of Work:
10-12 hours per week. Availability on Wednesday mornings is desirable.

The CPHS supports comparative research on social determinants of health and the relationships between health and society. For more information, please contact cphs.munk@utoronto.ca or see
WorkStudy opportunities, Work Order 2009.WC.0703 at www.careers.utoronto.ca

Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter by mail,
e-mail (cphs.munk@utoronto.ca) or in person to:

M. Bianca Seaton
CPHS
Munk Centre for International Studies
University of Toronto
1 Devonshire Place
Toronto, Ontario
---------------------------------------


For more on the Work-study program at U of T: http://www.careers.utoronto.ca/jobsearch/workstudy.aspx?tr=
To view and apply for positions, you will need to REGISTER:
http://www.careers.utoronto.ca/jobsearch/searchjob.aspx?tr=

--Carolyn

Professional Profile: Dave Hook - MDA Space Missions

Dave Hook is a Faculty of Information graduate (and former SLA-TSG co-chair), now employed at MDA Space Missions in Brampton, Ontario. MDA, self-described on their site as "the world leader in space robotics," occupies an undeniably interesting nook in the special libraries world. This is an especially special library.

In conversation with Andrea Gagliardi, Dave revealed some of the experiences and professional development resources that helped put him where he is today.

Q: Describe your job. And feel free to talk about your non-library roles as well.

Dave's current title is "Manager, Operations Information & Configuration Management," notable for its lack of words like "library" or "librarian." In explanation, Dave said that since getting his job, fresh out of iSchool in 2000, his duties have evolved far beyond their original parameters.

Initially, he said, his job was to manage the company's library and intranet. Over time, this led to him being tasked with the oversight of other departments, including product assurance records, configuration management, and business process systems. He acknowledged that his job, in its current form, puts him far from what would be considered the "traditional" librarian role within a corporation, but said that all of his duties are "related to information/documentation control," despite their unfamiliar ring to the iSchool ear.

"I still manage the library here," he said, "but it is a very small part of my job these days. In fact, whenever I can get a summer student, I hand the responsibility over to them."

Q: What were your first jobs in libraries?

"I had absolutely no library experience whatsoever until I started at FIS. Realizing that I'd need to get some library experience before I graduated, I took a part-time job over at the Bora Laskin Law Library. I know a lot of FIS students tend to stay away from Bora Laskin jobs if they can because they don't pay very well as compared to other student jobs on campus. If you look beyond the low pay, however, the job does give a great deal of responsibility and experience for a student job. I used to work a weekend shift there; if you work evenings or weekends you are usually the only staff member present, so you are essentially running a three-storey library by yourself.

"During my time at FIS I also worked at the Business Information Centre at Rotman, the Engineering Library and (very briefly), the Inforum.

"During the summer between my first and second years at FIS I worked at the law library for Nortel Networks in Brampton. That was a great experience: I learned a lot at that job."

Q: What were some of the "do's" and "don'ts" you followed when you were searching for your first job?

Do: Start Early

"I always encourage students to start their job search as early as they can for a number of reasons. It can take a while to find and land the right job, so the process can take a while. Also, if you are following job postings on a regular basis, you get a better feel for what jobs are out there and what jobs you might be able to get. I even encourage students in first year to frequently check what jobs are being posted even though they are over a year away from graduating – that way they can get an idea of what skills are in demand and choose their second year courses appropriately."

Do: Take Advantage of the Career Centre

"The Career Centre at U of T has a number of great resources and it's unfortunate that few FIS students take advantage of them. They do resume critiquing, have interview workshops and have a library for researching companies, just to name a few of their services."

Do: Get Involved with Professional Development

Dave advised getting involved with local professional society chapter events. Besides the obvious networking benefits, he said, activity of this kind can provide a way of seeing what career options are currently available to information professionals in the area. There are no sources of career information more up-to-date and complete than the minds and mouths of people currently employed in the field.

Don't: Be Afraid to Look Beyond the FIS Job Board for Postings

"The FIS job board is a great resource for job postings, but it is not the only source. There are many organizations that need the skills that FIS students have, but might not thinking of advertising here. Check MBA job boards, or the ones at the career centre."

Don't: Take the Job Search Process Lightly

"As I mentioned before, expect the process to take several months. As well, it can take up a great deal of your time between checking job postings, researching companies, writing resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews, etc. All in all, I found that the time involved was almost equivalent to having an extra course. It's a lot of work, but in the end, or course, the main reason that most of us go through the program is to land a good job afterwards, so the effort is worth it."

Q: How do you see your job, or information professional jobs in general evolving over the next ten years?

"I expect to be doing much less of the 'traditional' library work in the future. End user searching is happening more and more; interfaces are improving and individuals are becoming better at searching for information themselves.

"Where I see myself getting more involved with is improving the overall information flow within the organization. I think the value of information professionals is that we have an understanding of information – how it is created, how it is used, etc. and are in a better position to architect information systems than many people with an IT background who approach information system design from the technology point of view."

And on that hopeful note, the interview ended. More information about about MDA Space Missions can be found on the company's website.

Interview conducted by Andrea Gagliardi.