Wisconsin Dells 2006

WHSLA met in conjunction with the Wisconsin Library Association in the Wisconsin Dells. Julie Schneider coordinated WHSLA's participation.

Some highlights of WHSLA sponsored or co-sponsored events included:

Tuesday, October 31

8:30 AM-12:30 PM

Will Duct Tape Cure My Warts? Examining Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The goal of this class is to increase understanding of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Students will learn the history of CAM and its impact on medical practices. They will learn how CAM is used, how to avoid "bad science" and how to look up evidence of the effectiveness of CAM therapies. (CE course)

1:00-5:00 PM

Making the Health Literacy Connection: Easy as A, B, C or 1, 2, 3

Health literacy is the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions and to follow instructions for treatment. Low health literacy leads to lower health knowledge and less healthy behaviors, poorer health outcomes, and greater healthcare costs. The presentation participants will be able to understand the scope of the problem, identify barriers faced by both patients and clinicians, identify and implement strategies to enhance health literacy and advocate for healthcare system change. (CE Course)

5:00-6:30 PM

WHSLA Board meeting

7:00-9:00 PM

Connecting with our Past: dessert reception and tour of the H.H. Bennett Studio & History Center for WHSLA and AWSL

(includes WHSLA business meeting)

Wednesday, November 1

9:00-10:15 AM

WSLL Web Tour

Wisconsin State Law Library (WSLL) staff will lead attendees on a virtual tour of their website, pointing out the many resources available on the Legal Topics, Wisconsin Law, Federal Law, and other pages. The program also includes an overview of WSLL resources and services available to both librarians and general inquirers, including reference service, document delivery, website, newsletter, classes and workshops.

11:00 AM-12:15 PM

Reference: Heart of the Library or Superfluous Service

With the explosive growth of Internet resources, many argue that the golden age of reference has ended and that the search for answers to questions has become an individual pursuit through Google and other resources. Others argue that the role of reference in libraries has expanded as people interact with their local library in person, by phone, by email, and other online mechanisms. What is your opinion? What is the future role of reference as a library service? Join us as we discuss the importance (or lack thereof) of reference services.

2:00-4:00 PM

Connecting research, practice, and technology: a second generation look at EBP

2:00-4:00 PM

The Information Specialist Role in the Health Care Boom

Thursday, November 2

9:00-10:15 AM

New Directions in Public Access to Scholarly Research

The process of publishing research results may be changing rapidly and the libraries of the UW-Madison are joining national efforts to engage faculty and university administrators in a discussion of scholarly communication issues. Legislation introduced in late 2005 and in May 2006 has sent an important signal that there is interest in Congress to broaden free public access to federally-funded scholarly research. Join us as we explore the issues and discuss the libraries role in the current debates.

Friday, November 3

9:00-10:15 AM

Beyond Newsletters: RSS Feeds, Blogs, and Podcasts

What's the difference between a blog and a podcast? And what does RSS stand for, anyway? During this session you'll find out the answers to these questions as well as discover how you can use these tools to create "newsletters" that showcase library resources and services.

10:30-11:45 AM

Tradition and Innovation: Helping Patrons Perform Historical Research in the Printed and Online World

From finding a 19th century obituary to locating original sources on Southern midwives in the 1950s, historical inquiries constitute a wide range of reference questions. This presentation will examine innovative approaches to framing a historical inquiry, and to identifying print and online resources. Between electronic catalogs, newly accessible finding aids, digitized images, and full text databases, there's never been a more dynamic and fulfilling time to help your patrons discover the "old stuff."