2009 MDBUG Users Conference

Learning 2.0: Beyond the LMS

2009 MDBUG Users Conference

April 23, 2009

University of Maryland, College Park

Keynote

The Reward of Risks: How Learning 2.0 Tools Help Higher Ed Reinvent Itself
Jeffrey Treciak, University Librarian, McMaster University

Over the past two years the McMaster University libraries have undertaken a dramatic transformation from very traditional academic library to innovative, user-centred partner in teaching, learning and re-search. It is an evolution that most recently culminated in the receipt of the 2008 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Excellence in Academic Libraries award, which we received in recognition of ‘a successful transformation from a traditional research library to an innovative, user-centered library using technological advances to accomplish its goals’. Successful organisations are measured today, in part, by their ability to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of their users. Adaptation requires a culture of risk-taking and innovation that encourages and rewards the radical rethinking of library resources and services. University Librarian Jeffrey Trzeciak will explain how and why the McMaster University community reinterpreted and reinvented itself, and share lessons learned that may be useful to other colleges and universities along with insights for faculty and their teaching.

About Jeffrey Treciak

Jeffrey Trzeciak is the University Librarian at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As the University Librarian he is responsible for the management of the Thode Science and Engineering Library, Innis Business Library and Mills Library for the Social Sciences and Humanities. As one of the top research libraries in North America, the McMaster University Library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries.

Jeff has more than twenty years experience working in academic and public libraries. Previously he held positions including Associate Dean at Wayne State University Library System in Detroit, Michigan and Head of Systems at Wright State University Libraries in Dayton, Ohio. In 2004 Jeff was recognized for his innovation by Library Journal in their “Movers and Shakers” edition. He is also a graduate of the Frye Leadership Institute (2005) sponsored by EDUCAUSE, CLIR, and Emory University. He has spoken internationally on a variety of topics including digital library initiatives, web 2.0, organizational change, and library innovation. When not at “work” Jeff can frequently be found online in Facebook, SecondLife and World of Warcraft.

Sponsored by
MDBUG, MEEC and Blackboard, Inc.