Week 03 - Project Management and Planning

Week 3: Table of Contents

Topic/Focus: Project Management and Planning

• Project-based learning/key ideas for getting started, brainstorming of ideas
• Video: Stop Sign Re-Design - Humor or reality when re-inventing ourselves, defining a project's scope, requirements, audience, etc.
• Products, services, collections, technology, staffing, measurements (metrics, usage and analytics)
• Defining who your users are: Internal, External
• Developing user services: Reference, consultation, training/education, project facilitation, marketing
• Liaisons programs, growing partnerships, community outreach
• Working with people, organizational culture
• Brainstorming session for SL business case/project

Speaker via Web Conference

• Christina de Castell, Manager of InfoAction, Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Presentation: Project Management (PPT)

Exercises and Assignments

Hands-on Training in Class

• Let's plan to briefly discuss resources you selected to monitor through your reader and why.
• Explore Mindomo and project management tools such as ones listed on 23 Things Online Applications and Tools and WebJunction's TechAtlas for Libraries. We'll discuss how mind mapping and project/tasklist-type tools can add value as your develop your projects and presentations.

Independent Learning

Complete the following items before we meet for Week 3's class:

• Review requirements for Project #2: Themes in Library Technologies (restricted area for students only). Register for a topic by adding your name to a selected category and briefly describing the focus for your topic.
• Review mind mapping tools and resources:
  • 2008 Online Mapping Resources & Tools developed by Lisa Metzer, Learning Librarian for National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.
  • Personal Learning Environments aggregated by Scott Leslie on EdTechPost, 2008.
• Recommended (optional):  Attend DCTIPs Technology Session on Second Life (PDF) on February 12, 2009 from 3:00-4:30 PM. Location: Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library The George Washington University Medical Center 2300 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. If interested, RSVP by February 9 (see attached PDF linked above for contact information and more details).

Readings and Resources

Topic-focused

• Birdsong, Lark (March 2008).  "Growing on a Shoestring" (Part 1 of 2), Searcher, 16(3), p. 16 (10 pages). Available on ProQuest. (See restricted readings area.)
• Birdsong, Lark (March 2008).  "Growing on a Shoestring" (Part 2 of 2), Searcher, 16(4), p. 14 (12 pages). Available on ProQuest. (See restricted readings area.)
• Dare to Share: Read summary and comprehensive text (PDF) about SWOT. URL: http://www.daretoshare.ch/en/Dare_To_Share/Knowledge_Management_Toolkit/SWOT (accessed 1/2/2009).
• WebJunction: Technology Planning. URL: http://www.webjunction.org/techplan (accessed 6/29/2008). There are some good pointers for creating a plan, managing the key aspects, and building teams. Scan through the two sections below and select three or so articles that interest you the most:
  • Technology Planning. URL: http://www.webjunction.org/techplan/resources/wjarticles (accessed 1/2/2009).
  • Writing a Technology Plan. URL: http://www.webjunction.org/techplan-writing/resources/wjarticles (accessed 1/2/2009).

Team Experience

• Long, Phillip (March 2007). Virtual Learning Environments in 3D (PPT and Podcast), EDUCAUSE Connect. URL: http://connect.educause.edu/Library/Abstract/VirtualLearningEnvironmen/39318 (accessed 7/12/2008).
• Owyang, Jeremiah (February 2008). Online Community Best Practices. Cambridge, MA: Forrester. (See restricted readings area.)

Optional Readings

• American Library Association's (ALA) wiki: Request for Proposal (RFP). URL: http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php/Request_for_Proposal_%28RFP%29 (accessed 6/29/2008).