Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogical strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. Characteristics of PBL include learning by challenging, open-ended problems, students working in small collaborative groups, and teachers taking the role of “facilitators” of learning.

How can PBL strategies be successfully implemented into academic library instruction for promoting better Information Literacy skills? Come hear all about it at a presentation by Ms. Jane Carlin, Library Director of the University of Puget Sound (as of 7/1/08). Thursday, May 8, from 12:15-1:30pm in the YRL Presentation Room.

The presentation is open to all UCLA Librarians and staff. It is sponsored by Information Literacy Program - Instructional Development Group. Refreshments will be provided.

The elections for the Library Staff Association board are almost upon us. If you are interested in joining the board, contact Adam Sexton (sexton@law.ucla.edu) to be added to the upcoming ballot. Please have your submissions/nominations in by Friday, April 18. You must be a current LSA member to vote and/or be nominated.

The current positions available are as follows (including those on the ballot):

Vice-President/President Elect (Dan Palodichuk)
Event Chair
Book Sale Chair
Treasurer (Adam Sexton)
Secretary

The upcoming board's new President will be our current Vice-President, Alejandro Nunez-Sanchez.

Overwhelmed at the thought of attending ALA for the first time this year?

If you are attending ALA for the first time this year, you can apply for a mentor through the Conference Mentoring Program sponsored by the New Members Round Table (NMRT) Mentoring Committee. The committee will be accepting applicants through May 1st. To fill out an online application, and to read the guidelines, go to www.ala.org/ala/nmrt/comm/mentoringcommittee.htm. To read a success story, go to louisville.edu/~tlholt02/nmrt/Footnotes/august2004/genX.htm. If you have questions, please contact the NMRT Mentoring Committee at nmrt_mentoring@yahoo.com.

Learn more about assessment at Immersion

ACRL's Institute for Information Literacy (IIL) just announced a new addition to its popular Immersion program. Assessment Immersion Track: Assessment in Practice is intended for librarians active in teaching and learning and those with leadership roles for information literacy program development who want to improve their knowledge and practice of both classroom and program assessment.

The application form (along with instructions) is available at: www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/professactivity/iil/immersion/ assessmentimmersiona.cfm, and the deadline to apply is June 2, 2008. While the program's content will build upon the assessment curriculum presented in the Teacher and Program Tracks of the Immersion Program, previous participation is not required. Participation is limited to 45 to ensure an environment that fosters group interaction and active participation. Preference will be given to individuals with at least five years instruction experience in an academic library.

The program will be offered December 4 - 7, 2008, at the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, TN. The Scarritt Bennett Center is located in the heart of Nashville within walking distance of Music Row, Vanderbilt University, area shops, and restaurants.

Complete details about the program, including learning outcomes, are available at: www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/professactivity/iil/immersion/ assessmentimmersion.cfm. Questions about the program and/or application process can be directed to Margot Conahan at 312-280-2522 or (mconahan@ala.org).

Like talking about instruction with librarians?

Consider convening a discussion with instruction librarians at the ALA Midwinter convention in Denver in January, 2009. The ACRL Instruction Section (IS) hosts Current Issue Discussion Groups to provide a forum for discussion of issues related to instruction.

If you have an idea, submit a proposal covering the following five areas:

• A clear description of the discussion topic's issue/s
• Rationale for convening a discussion on the topic's issue/s
• Importance of the topic's issue/s for academic instruction librarians
• At least three sample discussion questions that may be used to facilitate group discussion
• Proposed strategies and structure that will maintain group discussion

Proposals must be submitted by May 15, 2008, for ALA Midwinter in Denver, CO. Proposal writers will be notified by June 30, 2008, as to whether or not their proposal was accepted and will be assigned one of the two discussion time slots. Conveners are responsible for their own conference registration and travel expenses, and must be IS members.

Conveners agree to:

• become up-to-date and familiar with the discussion topic;
• explore possible discussion formats and selecting the appropriate format that allows for maximum discussion within the parameters and scope of the topic;
• draft an initial two-page to three-page, double spaced "Current Issue Digest" summarizing findings about the issue to be posted to ILI-L at least two weeks (by January 8, 2009) before the conference and handed out at the discussion;
• identify a few key readings, related organizations and/or programs to include in the "Current Issue Digest;"
• facilitate one of two "Current Issue Discussions" at the ALA Midwinter Conference (in Denver, CO: January 23-28, 2009);
• revise and submit a final "Current Issue Digest" to be posted on the IS web site within one month (by March 1, 2009) of the discussion;
• distribute the final Current Issue Digest to the ILI Listserv after the ALA Midwinter Conference;
• maintain communication with an assigned liaison from the Discussion Group Steering Committee throughout the planning, program, and follow-up processes.

For more information, and to get a proposal form, contact committee co-chair Rebecca Jackson (rjackson@iastate.edu) or Gail Gradowski (ggradowski@scu.edu).

Appointments

Reclassifications

Open Positions

Previous issues

• Issues 846 and forward are available on the Staff Intranet.
• Printed copies of previous issues are available at the UCLA Library or by email request.
• Issues 837-854 are available in print under the title UCLA Library Newsweb at the UCLA Library or by email request.
• Issues 1-836 are available in print under the title Library Newsletter/UCLA at the UCLA Library.

• Library News for the Faculty (www2.library.ucla.edu/facultynews/3300.cfm)
• UCLA News (www.uclanews.ucla.edu)
• UCOP News (www.ucnewswire.org/ucnw.cfm)

The UCLA Library Staff Newsweb is published every other Monday by Library Human Resources. News items should be sent to Sheila Knapp, Library Newsweb, LHR. Please submit via email to Sheila at sknapp@library.ucla.edu. The deadline for the next issue (April 28) is Friday, April 18 at 3 p.m.

Other Publication dates and deadlines (www.library.ucla.edu/publications/libnews/deadline.htm)