Building a Community Portal of Library Learning Resources Exploring the use of MERLOT by California State University library faculty 2002/2003 TIGERS Grant Proposal Regional CATS Workshops PROPOSAL TEAM Laura Hudson, Electronic Systems and Services Librarian Telephone: 619-594-3521 Fax: 619-594-8982 Email: lhudson@mail.sdsu.edu Patrick Sullivan, Instruction Coordinator and Business Reference Librarian Telephone: 619-594-5877 Fax: 619-594-3270 Email: sullivan@mail.sdsu.edu SUPERVISORS OF PROPOSAL TEAM John Ross (for Laura Hudson) Director, Information Systems and Technology Telephone: 619.594.5858 Email: jross@mail.sdsu.edu Linda Muroi (for Patrick Sullivan) Acting AUL for Public Services Telephone: 619.594.2554 Email: lmuroi@mail.sdsu.edu
Building a Community Portal of Library Learning Resources Exploring the use of MERLOT by California State University library faculty Librarians have been involved with categorizing and organizing Web resources since the advent of the technology. At the same time, we are becoming increasingly concerned that information competence skills be taught in the undergraduate curriculum, a concern that is being addressed at a campus and system wide level. This group proposes to explore current and future use of the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) by CSU librarians. The theory is that MERLOT shows promise for librarians as a portal for organizing Web resources and as a tool to promote information competence. The MERLOT project, an international cooperative for high quality online resources to improve learning and teaching within higher education provides a Web-based infrastructure for organizing online resources. The project features subject communities and peer reviews as methods for creating learning communities and highquality online information. It is unclear at this time whether librarians are using this shared resource to its fullest potential. This group proposes a survey to determine current use of MERLOT by CSU librarians, two regional workshops exploring current and promoting the future use of MERLOT by librarians, discussions with MERLOT leaders, a packet of information presenting our findings to the Council of Library Directors (COLD), and an email listserv to promote the group s recommendations. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goals 1) Determine how librarians are currently using MERLOT. 2) Explore the use of MERLOT by librarians as a portal for subject resources. 3) Explore ways that MERLOT might be used to promote information literacy. Objectives 1) Determine current use of MERLOT through a Web-based survey to all CSU librarians. 2) Explore future use of MERLOT by holding two regional meetings of librarians (we propose one at San Diego State University and one at Sonoma State University, though this is subject to further exploration). 3) Further explore the use of MERLOT through telephone and email discussions with MERLOT leaders. 4) Develop these ideas through a series of recommendations for future use of MERLOT by librarians. 5) Present these materials as a packet to COLD. 6) Pursue the goals put forth in the recommendations through active communication via an email list.
DELIVERABLES Survey results: The group will compile results from the survey detailing CSU librarian use of MERLOT. Workshop handouts: The group will develop detailed handouts for workshop attendees. Workshop findings: The group will compile the outcome of workshop discussions and activities. Recommendations: The group will generate a series of recommendations for future use of MERLOT by librarians. PROJECT TIMELINE July 1, 2002 July 1, 2002 August 1, 2002 August 15, 2002 October 15, 2002 October 15, 2002 November 8 & 15, 2002 December 15, 2002 December 30, 2002 January 15, 2003 January 30, 2003 February 1, 2003 Web-based survey compled Email notice of survey sent to CSU librarians Telephone follow-ups completed Survey results compiled Registration deadline for workshops Workshop materials completed Workshops held Telephone discussions with MERLOT leaders completed. Email list available Workshop results compiled Recommendations developed All materials compiled and available for COLD SOURCE MATERIAL The California State University Information Competence Initiative: http://www.calstate.edu/ls/infocomp.shtml Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT): http://www.merlot.org/
BUDGET Budget item Item breakdown Cost Telephone communications 1 $150 Student assistance 2 $240 Zoomerang Web survey software $599 Workshop materials 3 $200 Workshop room rental at Sonoma $250 State Lunch for workshop participants SDSU (15 participants) $500 SSU (15 participants) $500 Travel to Sonoma State Air transport, two people $400 Car rental, 2 days $150 Hotel, 1 night, 2 people $300 Food, 2 days, 2 people $200 Other expenses 4 Release time - Computer use - Total budget request $3489 1 Reimbursement to SDSU for long-distance telephone calls. 2 30 hours of assistance with surveys and other clerical work at $8/hour. 3 Paper, photocopies, other supplies. 4 Covered by SDSU.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Laura Hudson, Electronic Systems and Services Librarian San Diego State University Laura has been working at the SDSU Library and Information Access as an electronic resources specialist for two years, and before that worked as a reference and instruction librarian at Ohio University. At Ohio University, she was involved with two major information competence initiatives, both of them aimed at working directly with teaching faculty to integrate information literacy into the curriculum. Laura s major professional interest is to use Web technology as a tool for creating community and improving our services to the public. Patrick Sullivan, Instruction Coordinator and Business Reference Librarian San Diego State University Patrick Sullivan has been working at the SDSU Library and Information Access as a business reference librarian for two years and recently assumed the role of Instruction Coordinator. Prior to SDSU he worked at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a business reference librarian and at UC Berkeley in the Haas School of Business as the evening MBA reference librarian. At SDSU he has been involved with a CSU sponsored Information Competence Grant for the development of a web-based information literacy tutorial for use with freshman students. While at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo he also worked with their information literacy initiatives.