MD Tech Connect 2016

Keynote Address

The IMLS National Digital Platform and Your Library: Updates on Projects You Can Get Involved In
Trevor Owens, Institute of Museum and Library Services

As libraries increasingly use digital infrastructure to provide access to content and resources, there are more and more opportunities for collaboration around the tools and services that they use to meet their users’ needs. To this end, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is making substantial investments in developing collaborative and sustainable technical and social digital infrastructure for libraries through the National Digital Platform initiative. In this talk, you will learn about a series of digital tools, services, training opportunities and resources IMLS is funding through the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The presentation will focus on ongoing projects and efforts that you and your library can get involved in and make direct use of. It will also provide insight into how you could develop competitive proposals for projects that could be funded through this national effort.

Trevor Owens serves as the Senior Program Officer responsible for the development of the national digital platform portfolio for the Office of Library Services at the Institute of Museum and Library Services. He steers an overall strategy encompassing research, grant making, and policy agendas, as well as communications initiatives, in support of the development of national digital services and resources in libraries. From 2010 – 2015, Trevor served as a Digital Archivist with the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) in the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Library of Congress. Before that, he was the community manager for the Zotero project at the Center for History and New Media.

Trevor has a doctorate in social science research methods and educational technology from the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University, a bachelor’s degree in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in American history with an emphasis on digital history from George Mason University. He teaches graduate seminars on digital history and digital curation for American University’s history department and the University of Maryland’s iSchool.
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In 2014, the Society of American Archivists gave him the Archival Innovator Award, an award granted annually to recognize the archivist, repository, or organization that best exemplifies the “ability to think outside the professional norm.”

Affinity Groups

SimplyE – Michael Blackwell, St Mary’s County Library, Room 3062
​SimplyE is a new app for tablets and smartphones that employs a branded single interface for browsing, borrowing, and reading ebooks from multiple different vendors, as well as public domain ebooks. Enabling customers to discover and start reading library ebooks with as few as three clicks, this initial version of the app was started by the NYPL-led Library Simplified project and is being continued by national partners in the LEAP initiative with a $1.5 million grant from IMLS. This session introduces the app and tells you more about the project, including our vision for Maryland customers.

Michael Blackwell, director of St Mary’s County Library, is the chair of the advocacy work group for ReadersFirst and for LEAP and a member of ALA’s Digital Content Working Group. He has presented on library e-content at OverDrive’s Digipalooza and ALA conferences.

Tableau – Colin Khem, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, Room 3052
Tableau is an interactive, customizable data visualization software that can connect to various types of data and display it in ways that is meaningful and informative to all levels of management and staff in a business-structured environment. Libraries can benefit from this type of data management in the same ways as corporate entities by evaluating their services and performance and making evidence-based decisions. DLDS is currently providing a grant to all the counties in Maryland that includes not only the software, but training and consulting hours with a professional group to make sure every library system makes the most out of Tableau. This session will introduce the program, its core features and demonstrate how libraries are and will be using the software meaningfully.

Colin Khem is the Business Intelligence Analyst for Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and has been leading the project for implementing Tableau statewide. He is a part of the Maryland LibStat group that is working to define and standardize statistics throughout the state of Maryland. He has also presented on the importance of the concept of data, business intelligence, and collection methodology at conferences like The Collective, the LibStat group’s inaugural meeting, various library meetings throughout the state, and as guest speaker in MLIS classes at the University of Maryland.

Digital Maryland – Linda Tompkins-Baldwin, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Room 1052
Digital Maryland is a statewide digitization program headquartered at the Enoch Pratt Free Library/State Library Resource Center in Baltimore. Its mission is to facilitate the digitization and digital exhibition of the historical and cultural documents, images, audio and video held by Maryland institutions. Digital Maryland also coordinates with other institutions to develop standards and procedures. This session will introduce Digital Maryland services and how it works with partner institutions.

Linda Tompkins-Baldwin, is the coordinator of Digital Maryland and the Digitization Supervisor at Enoch Pratt Free Library. She has presented on Digital Maryland and Digitization projects at the Maryland Library Association, Mid-Atlantic Archives Convention, and Greater Baltimore History Alliance.

Tor Browser – Sara Stephenson, St. Mary’s County Library, Room 1042
The Tor Browser is free software that allows for anonymous browsing of the internet by masking a user’s location and protecting against tracking of behavior. St. Mary’s County Library recently implemented the Tor Browser on all public computers, providing customers with the option to browse anonymously. This session introduces Tor Browser, discusses some of the reasons for implementing it on public computers in the library, and provides helpful resources for implementing Tor and educating customers about online privacy.

Tor Browser Resources

​Sara Stephenson is the Virtual Services Coordinator at St. Mary’s County Library. She is responsible for the library’s website, digital resources, virtual reference, and other digital projects.

Digital Mapping – Eileen G. Harrington, Priddy Library, The Universities at Shady Grove, Room 1032
Many free, online mapping software have emerged in recent years that allow users to easily create interactive and engaging maps that also include video, audio and images. This session will provide an overview of a few of them, including Esri’s ArcGIS Online, Esri’s Story Maps and Google My Maps. We will also explore how libraries can use maps to highlight their collections and services, extend the reach of library exhibits, and train users on this type of software.

Digital Mapping Presentation Slides

Eileen G. Harrington is the Health and Life Sciences Librarian at the Universities at Shady Grove. In this role, she continually searches for new technology tools to share with the students and faculty with whom she works, including GIS software.

Piktochart/Canva – Nickolas Falk, Priddy Library, The Unviersities at Shady Grove, Room 2052
Infographics are quickly becoming an important tool in our communications across all disciplines. Learn how you can pack information into a more visually appealing and easy to understand format using Piktochart. I will talk briefly on why we use info-graphics, some quick design principles, data, a few tips to keep in mind and then provide a quick orientation of this free web-based tool.

Infographics Presentation Slides

Nickolas Falk is from the Universities at Shady Grove, Priddy Library. He plays an active role in new technology searches, implementation and instruction. He has presented on using Piktochart to created infographics at the University of Maryland Libraries.

Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality: Uses and applications in education – Liz Sundermann, Division of Library Development & Services, Maryland State Department of Education & Jen Bishop, Carroll County Public Library, Room 3032
Virtual reality gaming devices will be among the big buzz items this holiday season. But how will these emerging technologies impact K-12, higher education, and community education? What are the devices currently on the market capable of in terms of education, and how can librarians, teachers, administrators, and others implement them successfully? In this session we will focus on planning a VR implementation project in a way that will be successful for your institution and your students and customers.

View Liz Sundermann’s slides

Liz Sundermann is Data, Communications, and Services Coordinator, Division of Library Development & Services, Maryland State Department of Education, where she leads new emerging technology education initiatives in Maryland public libraries.

Jen Bishop is the Online Services and Emerging Technology Supervisor for Carroll County Public Library, where she recently introduced virtual reality to library staff and the public.

​Building a Community of Future Ready Librarians – Sara Trettin, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education, Room 2062
Future Ready builds on the momentum of the President’s ConnectED Initiative and focuses on four areas: Collaborative Leadership, Personalized Student Learning, Personalized Professional Learning, and Robust Infrastructure. Librarians are essential resources for schools and districts working to meet the goals of Future Ready. Future Ready Librarians aims to raise awareness among district and school leaders about the valuable role librarians can play in successful transitions to digital learning in order to position librarians as educational leaders in support of Future Ready. In this session, participants will examine the goals of Future Ready, identify areas of alignment with library practice, and determine actionable next steps.

Sara Trettin is a Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education where she
leads the open education work for the Department, directs digital engagement for the Office of Educational Technology and leads the office’s efforts surrounding libraries and librarians. Prior to joining the Department, she worked as a Learning Services Librarian and served as Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress. ​

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Tech Expo – Explore & Learn