Rochester Regional Library Council [RRLC]
This morning I went to Tech Camp at RIT. Organized by the RRLC, this conference focused on new and emerging technologies that librarians and other information technology professions might find useful.
In the first session, Electronic Resources librarian, Adam Traub shared his experiences using Prezi, a presentation tool. Prezi is a cloud- based tool. Marketed as a more dynamic or non-traditional presentation tool, Prezi takes advantage of visual zooms, image imbedding and other features to challenge the tradition, linear PowerPoint presentation structure.
Prezi seems best for putting puzzle pieces or fitting related concepts together. The tool allows the user to zoom in and out to focus on different words, phrases, images, etc. Traub’s advice: create a Prezi for yourself before sharing in with others.
I presented Omeka: Bringing the 19th century on Online: the Post Family Papers Digitization Project. I shared with my audience the workflow I’ve created as project manager, along with my colleague Melissa Mead, for the Post Family digitization project. I focused on the benefits of using Omeka, while describing the limits of this content management system. Most important for information technology professionals, Omeka does a great job with displaying “pretty pictures.” I don’t believe it can be your one stop shopping place for all of your digital content.
Using Omeka, undergraduate students at the University of Rochester are transcribing 19th century manuscript letters from the Post Family Papers, scanning those letters to create a digital surrogate of the physical collection.
In the third session I attended, Wallace Center staff member, Mary Beth Koon shared the features of one of their technology infused classrooms or the TLT Studio. This space offers faculty and students 3 screens for projecting course content, tablet work stations, and collaborative spaces. Providing a physical space to explore new ways of teaching and learning offers faculty and students alike the chance to consider new ways of learning within the library.
The last session I went to featured apps for mobile devices. This session was somewhat self-indulgent, rather than strictly informational.
By participating in Tech Camp I had the opportunity to see what tools and ideas colleagues are implementing, which inspires me to stay current on trends in library science.