Patricia Albanese
CIO & Director of LITS
Mt. Holyoke College
Neil McLean
Director, IMS Australia
Macquarie University, Sydney
Patricia Stevens
Director, Cooperative Initiatives
OCLC, Inc.
E-learning’s influence in higher education grows each term; it is a presence on almost every university campus and in an increasing number of college courses. It has created a vibrant and fluid environment, one in which growth and change are the norm culturally, institutionally, and technically. Within this environment, the academic library is searching for a serviceable position that is flexible, accessible, and up-to-date with the wider university structure. To help libraries respond to this dynamic situation, OCLC created an interdepartmental, cross-organizational E-learning Task Force to explore the current relationship between academic libraries and teaching and learning on campus, and future possibilities.
This briefing will outline the Task Force’s findings as set forth in its white paper, “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-learning.” We will consider the current e-learning environment, the issues surrounding it, and the proposed strategies for future cooperation and collaboration. Topics will include pedagogy, learning technologies, learning objects, metadata, digital assets and repositories, as well as associated technological issues. We hope that our findings will begin to help frame discussions about what roles libraries might play in the new and emerging technologically laced classroom.
