If interested in participating, please vist 911study.org.

I admit that I am a heavy watcher of PBS programs (my DVR is full of NOVA, Frontline, and Bill Moyers). I was happy to have an opportunity to work with the PBS program POV on some of their digital initiatives last year, and get insight into some of the work they do. POV airs independent documentaries during the summer months on most PBS stations. They also have a significant community engagement initiative where they loan their programs on DVD to public libraries, among other groups (museums, community centers, etc.), and they hold structured screenings of the film.

I have authored a paper that looks at the civic engagement impact these structured events have on attendees, specifically within the context of Public Libraries. A pre-print of the article is available here, and the published version is available at Public Library Quarterly’s website. The paper abstract is below:

ABSTRACT
This project asks the question, Can libraries act as places for promoting civic engagement through the use of socially and culturally significant documentaries? In this initiative, documentaries are screened at public libraries throughout the United States and are followed by post-screening discussions. Coordinating librarians and audience attendees are surveyed to uncover the outcomes of each event’s civic-engagement. Results indicate that the screening of socially and cultural significant documentaries at public libraries, combined with post-screening discussions, can positively impact library patrons’ interest in becoming more civically engaged and foster a greater understanding of the issues raised by the films.

I am presenting a poster at ALISE 2013 for a research project I have proposed. The poster and abstract are below:

ABSTRACT

In the last several years, cultural heritage institutions (museums, libraries, and archives) have begun to make use of mobile technology to reach new members and investigate the potential of mobile technology to add value to their educational offerings. However, little research has been completed that rigorously and comprehensively demonstrates how this technology can be used to advance the major goals of cultural heritage institutions, such as enhancing patron knowledge construction, historical understanding, engagement and inspiring lifelong learning. This research project will produce a set of best practices for how these goals can be promoted using mobile computing. These best practices will be derived from analyzing the response from focus groups to their use of mobile technology at the sites of five major New York City cultural institutions, including:

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Spring 2013 classes have started (early, I know) and I thought I’d share my syllabi.

This semester, in Projects in Digital Archives, we will be again working with the Archives of the American Joint Jewish Distribution (JDC) and the dance critic Barbara Newman. In Digital Libraries, students will be working on creating new digital libraries and designing a funding campaign through Kickstarter. We will be using the NDSA collection of Kickstarter projects as inspiration for the projects we will be creating this semester. Should be fun!

LIS 665-01 Projects in Digital Archives
LIS 665-02 Projects in Digital Archives
LIS 693-01 Digital Libraries

I am super happy to be the recipient of the Pratt Severn Faculty Innovation Award, sponsored by ALISE and Pratt. The award is for innovative uses of information technology in MSLIS curriculum. I am grateful to all the folks–especially those at Teachers College–for getting me (and other students) to think about how to incorporate IT in education in a meaningful way.

One of the other great things about the award is that it was setup by a 1968 Pratt SILS alumni, David Severn, which makes it extra special. Thank you to all who made this award possible.

I have always enjoyed reading the Library of Congress’ blog, The Signal, about all these related to digital preservation.  Trevor Owens of LOC was kind enough to interview me and put it on The Signal.  You can check out the interview on their site.

I am teaching a new course this semester called Projects in Moving Image and Sound Archiving.  We will first cover the issues around the transition from film to digital, starting with a screening of Side by Side at the Quad Cinema.  We will then swing into issues related to converting video and sound, since we will be working on creating two archives that make use of this medium.  We’ll also cover issues like metadata, file formats, digital rights, film preservation, and cases of digitization.

I will also be teaching two sections of Projects in Digital Archives, where will be working again with the Lesbian Herstory Archives and the Archives of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Download the Course Syllabi:
LIS 697-12 Projects in Moving Image and Sound Archiving
LIS 665-01 Projects in Digital Archives
LIS 665-02 Projects in Digital Archives

Below you will find a pre-print for the forthcoming article in the Journal of Documentation: Does Place Affect User Engagement and Understanding? Mobile Learner Perceptions on the Streets of New York (co-authored with Debbie Rabina).

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The aim of this research project is to uncover if place-based learning can increase learner engagement and understanding of historical topics.
Design/methodology/approach: To study this, learners will use GeoStoryteller to learn about a historical topic on the places where significant events occurred, and then be interviewed by the researchers.  GeoStoryteller is a tool developed by the researchers that runs on smartphones, such as Apple’s iPhone.  It provides the user multimedia stories about the historical sites, delivered via the mobile web or through Layar, an augmented reality web browser.  The initial application of this technology focuses on German immigration to New York City between 1840 and 1945 through a partnership with the Goethe-Institut, the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institution, which operates worldwide.  After using GeoStoryteller to learn about this content, N=31 participants were interviewed by the researchers, and transcripts were subjected to a quantitative content analysis.
Findings: Results indicate that the use of place increases learner perceptions of their engagement and understanding of historical topics; however, novel user interfaces like augmented reality impose significant usability issues, and more standard interfaces are preferred by users.
Originality/value: The use of place in mobile learning environments provides a meaningful entry point into historical content.  Teachers of history and social students, as well as those working in memory institutions (museum, libraries, and archives) should be encouraged in using place in their teaching and mobile education initiatives.

Download Pre-print PDF

I am very pleased to be the recipient of the National Digital Stewardship Innovation Award 2012.  I would like to thank all my students who have participated in these digital preservation projects.  I would also like to thank all the organizations and individuals that have opened their doors to me and my classes, including:

The Dalton School
The Lesbian Herstory Archives
Archives of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs
Barbara Newman

Thank you again.

I am pleased to be teaching Projects in Digital Archives once again this summer.  In the course, we will be working to finish up the Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold archive that my Fall 2011 class began.  I’ve also added some new things from last year.  For example, we will be reading a selection from Sarah Schulman’s new book to get us talking about why we should archive audio.  We will also be reading the AIMS Born-Digital Collections report.

Download Syllabus