I would love to learn about/discuss/connect on collaborative digital projects. As we all know, in these tough economic times, collaboration between institutions becomes all the more important.

Digital projects such as River to Rail and Wabash Valley Visions and Voices are great illustrations of terrific, interesting, and interactive projects that can be done between institutions.

Estimated Time: An hour?

- Alison Stankrauff/ Indiana University South Bend

A recent post by David Lee King (http://www.davidleeking.com/2009/01/06/ask-a-librarian-services-need-a-reboot/) got me thinking about the quality of reference services we (collectively) provide digitally. I would be interested to discuss the policies in our Indiana libraries relating to the types of reference questions that may (or may not) be answered through digital services.

Estimated time: One hour?

Danielle Acton, Anderson Public Library

Here is something I'd love to learn about...

We are in the midst of a pretty bad recession ... depression ... "The New Millennial Splat" ... whatever you call it people are hurting...

In greater numbers people are turning to libraries for help -- looking for work, applying for jobs and assistance online -- this is a good thing. However, we're often faced with a digital chasm. Many of the employees being laid off do not have the digital skills and haven't written a resume in years if not decades. How can libraries bridge the gap when we can't afford to hire anyone new to deal with the new workflow ourselves?

Time: 50 minute session.

Jerry Yarnetsky, Madison-Jefferson County Public Library

Recent discussions/presentations from John Blyberg are very interesting. I wish the guy didn't live way out eat in Conn.

-- The future of librarianship heading in the direction of information architecture -- http://www.slideshare.net/jblyberg/the-ecology-of-information-a-future-in-a-library-without-walls?type=presentation

-- The Darien Statements on the Library and Librarians -- http://www.blyberg.net/2009/04/03/the-darien-statements-on-the-library-and-librarians/

Anything we can riff on?

I'd be happy to attend the digital history collaboration session and share our experience with River to Rail between our library and local historical society. Our library is working on our third digital history project right now ... http://historyrescue.mjcpl.org which is in early beta testing. Are there ways of pushing the envelope on the discussion? Chime in, I'm thinking about it.

-- Jerry Yarnetsky, Madison-Jefferson County Public Library

I second the suggestion for a discussion about meeting patrons' needs related to their unemployment issues.

Oops, that was me, up above, seconding that suggestion.

Since this is the reference division, how about talking about some good resources for answering reference questions out on the web that don't cost an arm and a leg? I'm assuming other libraries are also suffering from disappearing budgets.

Melissa Kiser
Information Technology Librarian
Allen County Public Library

That's a good idea, Melissa! Since questions got from different type of library varies, maybe we can post some popular reference questions and we can then share resources that can be use to answer them.

I'd like to know how others are documenting the quality/added value of their reference services.

I also would like to discuss meeting the needs of those patrons who are unemployed, but lack the tech skills needed in todays market.

Ellen Pitcher
Reference Librarian
Starke County Public Library

I, too, would like to see some discussion on dealing with patrons and unemployment. And I realize in many libraries Genealogy is a separate section/department, but that is not always so in smaller libraries. Our reference staff (one full time and one part time and me) work in the genealogy room too and we always need and want to learn more about assisting patrons in their family searches.

Rita Douthitt, Director
Jasper Dubois Co Contractual Public Library

I suppose it's too late for this year but maybe in the future . . . I would like to discuss library anxiety and what libraries can do to lessen it, especially in academic settings.