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Webjunction conducted a webinar
on technology skills for librarian in the 21st century to provide librarians with a basic understanding of what their library
employees should know at the most basic level in order to provide library patrons with good service. Skills included the following:
"Core Email Applications: 1). Performs Basic functions of email applications - Receives, opens,
forwards as needed, or deletes email messages
- Composes or replies to, addresses, and sends email messages
- Sends, receives, and saves attachments
- Manages addresses/contacts
- Creates folders and files messages for retrieval as needed
- Identifies and uses Web-based email programs as well as desktop email applications
2). Performs basic calendar operations and task management" - Creates, accepts,
and sets recurring appointments
- Sets reminders
for calendar items
- Plans and schedules
meetings and invites attendees
- Creates and
manages task lists"1
ILS501,
ILS503, ILS504, ILS506, ILS514, ILS519, ILS560, ILS565, ILS585, ILS600, ILS655,
ILS680
All of the online courses taken at Southern incorporated the use of email, both personal and as part of the WebCT course software. All projects and some tests
were sent via email as an attachment.
Email was a standard form of communication both between professor
and students and students among themselves. Most classes gave a grade for the amount of time was spent in dialog using the
WebCT email feature, sometimes accounting for twenty percent of the grade even.
Email was also a collaborative
tool. We typically had a list of about ten to twenty other students as contacts. Conversation was not available in any other
way making email absolutely necessary for collaborative work when we worked in teams or with partners. Most classes had some
type of group project.
Because online
classes made it impossible to speak to a professor during his office hours the only contact for problems or issues was through
email. Most professors were very good about responding in a timely manner and one did not feel a lack of help or contact because
we were not on ground.
Although there was a calendar in WebCT for use during the period classes were in session I did not
really use it to any great extent. We do use the Outlook calendar at work, however, for scheduling and tracking purposes,
so I am aware of it and use is daily.
1Reed, L., Winfield,
P., Gales, K. and Rosenburg, K. (2008) Technology: Core Skills Webinar. WebJunction. Retrieved May 25, 2009 from: http://www.webjunction.org/catalog/coursecatalog/competencies
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