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Searchpath @ Rutgers. Roberta Tipton, Rutgers University Libraries Digital Resources and Librarians: Invention and Implementation June 6, 2005. Thanks to Jeanne Boyle and Sam McDonald for their contributions to this presentation. What We Did.
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Searchpath @ Rutgers Roberta Tipton, Rutgers University Libraries Digital Resources and Librarians: Invention and Implementation June 6, 2005
Thanks to Jeanne Boyle and Sam McDonald for their contributions to this presentation.
What We Did • Adapted a tutorial created by Western Michigan University for use by students, faculty, and librarians at Rutgers University • Rewrote content for our catalog, index, approaches • Created backend for handling quizzes and gathering statistics
2,500 faculty 50,000 students Located across New Jersey at three main campuses Growing number of off-campus and distance education students 87 librarians 17,000 students taught in nearly 1,000 library instruction sessions Rutgers Context
Previous Experience with Systemwide Tutorials • eCollege tutorial • Single person • eCollege technical support • KnowledgeMaze • Committee effort • Never became interactive
Our Goals • Address information literacy competencies • Serve students at all appropriate levels • Increase effectiveness of librarian-led sessions • Expand reach to students we currently do not serve
Jeanne BoyleAssociate University Librarian • Administration liaison/Champion • Administrative support • License • Image permissions
Instructional Services Committee • Instruction coordinators from every unit of Rutgers • Content • Assessment plan • Implementation
Sam McDonald, Webmaster • Feasibility studies • Workspace • Scheduling • Coding • Programming
Harry Glazer, Communications • Marketing plan • Low-cost alternatives
Marilyn Wilt, Training • Will implement training for library staff
Administrative Planning Process • Strategic Plan for RUL • Cabinet Strategy for Information Literacy • A Learning Framework for Information Literacy and Library Instruction Programs at Rutgers University Libraries • Information Literacy Initiative PlanningSpring Semester, 2004 • Faculty Advisory Group • Symposium
The “Make or Buy” Decision • Time • Cost • Chose TILT as adapted by Western Michigan University • Ended up “making” AND “buying”
Developed 2000-2001 Based on TILT Open publication license Adopted by a growing number of libraries Zip file downloaded by Rutgers dated March 2003 800 files, 8 megabytes Old HTML No backend Searchpath @ Western Michigan
Technical Changes • Pages re-coded to use style sheets • Some tables retained • Extraneous HTML discarded • Flash to rebuild "Information Overload" and "Thinkfast game"
Technical Changes • Backend created with PHP and MySQL to enable • Page counting • Records of quizzes • JavaScript for quiz validation • Server-side includes for easy management, updating • Future extendibility • Email quiz results
Technical Issues and Challenges • Requirements • Apache, PHP, MySQL installation, with mail host • PHP programmer • Database designer • Flash editor and software • XHTML, CSS, JavaScript skills • Converting quizzes from JavaScript to PHP
Marketing • Signature file • Better Research, Better Papers, Better Grades! Try Searchpath, our new online information literacy tutorial. • Website news and placement • Email to library personnel • Ads in student newspapers • Pens • Notepads for department chairs • Articles in Targum and Focus • Word of mouth
What We Have Learned • Support from the top is essential • Project management is key • Open source is barely and rarely good enough • Need to sell the product • It’s a never ending story
Next Steps • iLink—New catalog version • Assessment • Market for fall • Reports • Generate graphs for visually displaying usage • Export for analysis with SPSS • NetID login vs.guests
Searchpath @ Rutgers Better Research, Better Papers, Better Grades!
Questions? • Roberta Tipton • tipton@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Resources • Searchpath • http://searchpath.libraries.rutgers.edu/ • A Bridge to the Future • http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/about/long_range_plan.shtml • Strategy for Information Literacy • http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/groups/instructional_services/reports/info_lit_strategy.shtml
A Learning Framework for Information Literacy and Library Instruction Programs at Rutgers University Libraries http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/groups/instructional_services/reports/learning_frameworks.shtml Information Literacy Initiative PlanningSpring Semester, 2004 http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/groups/instructional_services/reports/infolit-init-planning-sp04.shtml Resources
Resources • Fowler, C.S. and Dupuis, E.A. What have we done? TILT’s impact on our instruction program. Reference Services Review, November 2000, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 343-349