Summer 2009

GSLIS West students Kirstin Kay, Aaron Rubinstein, and Emily Toder gave presentations about their own library-related projects at the PVAAL (Pioneer Valley Association of Academic Librarians) meeting in April.

An article by Stephanie Willen Brown, adjunct professor, and Leslie Porter, GSLIS West alum, was published in Reference & User Services Quarterly, Spring 2009, Vol. 48 Issue 3. The article is entitled "Making Unmediated Access to E-Resources a Reality."

GSLIS student Jessie A. Howell was awarded a Simmons Student Research Fund for her work "Dongguan Public Library (DPL): A Case Study of Technological Innovation and its Social Effects," which she's doing under the supervision of Professor Ching-chih Chen. Howell's research will also be supplemented by additional support from Chen's NSF Grant. Howell's research involves visiting one of the most technologically innovative libraries in China. DPL, a collaborator on the Global Memory Net, became the first international library to receive an award from the American Library Association at its Annual Meeting in June 2008 for its library service innovation. Howell will travel to Dongguan, China to conduct this research on-site during the period May 11-June 1. Howell is also the recipient of the Beta Phi Mu's 2009 Harold Lancour Scholarship for Foreign Study for this study, which includes a cash award of $1500.

Adjunct Professor Gail Matthews-DeNatale published a piece entitled "Information Literacy and IT Fluency" in the May/June 2009 issue of Educause Review. She also co-presented an Educause Learning Initiative (ELI) online webinar, "The Role of Play in Learning with Technology," in May. At NERCOMP SIG she gave a two-part presentation entitled "Assessment Into Action," which covered the development, implementation, analysis, and use of qualitative assessment. In April she organized and presented at the day-long NERCOMP SIG conference a presentation entitled "Blended Learning: Realizing the Promise of the Best of Both Worlds." And at NERCOMP's first online webinar, she organized and presented a talk called "Educating the Whole Student: What's Our Evidence?" In March, Matthews-DeNatale was named to the Founding Board of Directors for the Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL), a professional association for those at the nexus of learning initiatives, assessment, and educational technology.

Adjunct professor Claudia Morner gave a presentation at NERCOMP SIG in April entitled "Collaborating for Blended Learning."

GSLIS student Shanti Freundlich was recognized as the Scott/Ross Center Distinguished Civic Engagement Graduate Student for her outstanding work with our community partners.

GSLIS student Jessica Brody was pictured in a March 11 article in the newspaper Armenian Reporter about Project SAVE's Armenian Photograph Archives. Jessica Brody is an intern working at the archives.

Professor Ross Harvey gave a presentation, "Doing Digital Preservation: Do We Have to Learn New Tricks?," at the Harvard University Library in April. In March he participated on a panel discussion, "From Research to Practice: How Archival Research Shapes What We Do," at the New England Archivists Spring Meeting. He also gave a presentation entitled "Appraise and Select" at the Digital Curation 101 Workshop in London, England.