Darlene Fichter

 

A bit about me

 

 

Unlike Roy Tennant, who won't like be wearing his tie at the conference, I probably will wear the jacket in the picture below as well as few other brightly colored outfits.  That should make me easier to spot. :-)

 

Please introduce yourself and tell me what you're wondering about/thinking about with libraries, new technologies, emerging technologies, etc.

 

I'm always particularly interested in meeting colleagues from overseas and hearing what's happenning with libraries and technologies and communities.

 

If you happen to come to the workshop or talks, I'd love to have feedback - what ideas were intereting or inspiring or hit on things you're already doing. Or tell me what ideas were deadbeats, off the wall, ...

 

You can usually spot me near the coffeeat conference breaks or at the receptions or when I'm moderating the Web Development and Design track.

 

If you want to connect up one before the conference I'm on Facebook, Library20.ning.com and LinkedIn or link up another way.

 

 

  

 

  

Workshops

•  Web Managers Academy: Survival Guide for Library Web Site Redesigns - April 19, 2007

  9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. [FULL DAY]

   

  Darlene Fichter, Head, Indigenous Studies Portal, University of Saskatchewan

  Frank Cervone, Assistant University Librarian for Information Technology, Northwestern University

  Jeff Wisniewski, Web Services Librarian, University of Pittsburgh

  Marshall Breeding, Director, Innovative Technologies and Research, Vanderbilt University

 

Does your library Web site need a redesign? What are the signs? Where do you start? One place to begin is by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your current site. Learn how to use Web site analytic tools to discover how the current site is used. Pick up new usability methods that can help you test proposed revisions early so that the new design doesn’t just “look” better, but also “works better” for the users. See how other libraries are using content management systems, database-driven content, federated search, and OpenURL resolvers to provide customized and personalized content for users. Explore how social software applications including blogs, wikis, tagging and RSS fit in the mix. Pack your toolbox and take home tips, tools, checklists, and new design techniques that you can immediately put to use. Learn about common pitfalls and success factors for library redesigns. Topics will include:

• Redesign process
• Practical project management
• Web content management systems
• Usability and ethnographic methods: affinity mapping, photo reports, and map diaries

 

Presentations

• Cool Tools & Toolkits for Webmasters - Monday April 16, 2007 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

   

   

  Jeff Wisniewski, Web Services Librarian, University of Pittsburgh

  Darlene Fichter, Head, Indigenous Studies Portal, University of Saskatchewan

  Frank Cervone, Assistant University Librarian for Information, Technology, Northwestern University

   

  This session reviews excellent free toolkits from Google, Yahoo!, and Mozilla to help Webmasters do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. Learn about how people are or are not finding your site, how to quickly and effectively test the accessibility of your pages, and how aligned your site is with accepted usability heuristics. From Google’s new Webmaster Tools to Firefox’s accessibility plug-ins to Yahoo!’s pattern library, get a tour of these effective free tools that together can help you take your site to the next level.

   

• What’s a Mashup & Why Would I Want One? - Tuesday April 17, 2007 - 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

   

  A “mashup” mixes content from independent sources to create something new. Many mashups are simple to create and require little technical know-how, allowing Webmasters of all sorts to put on their creative thinking cap. Jump on board and take a tour of interesting mashups, including library mashups, and explore the opportunities for libraries and how to remix library and other content to create new and innovative services. Take away tools that you can use to build mashups, for users or yourself, and recommended sites to learn more.

 

Fun Things

• Opening Reception
• Speaker's Reception
• InfoTubey's