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2007 Poster Sessions

This presentation will explore how information specialists, including theological librarians, can help resolve the current debate over internet censorship in China. This debate was recently ignited in the popular media when Google followed Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Yahoo in bowing to Chinese censorship in exchange for a share of the rapidly growing Chinese market. These big companies claim that it is necessary to comply with local laws. On the other hand, web-giant Wikipedia is attempting to defy China’s censors, insisting that it is immoral to deprive the Chinese people of their freedom of speech. Cindy S. Lu will analyze the impact of these companies’ dealings with the Chinese government based on the United Theory of Information (UTI) proposed by Christian Fuchs, Wolfgang Hofkirchner, and Bert Klauninger at the Vienna University of Technology. The purpose of this paper is to find out what concrete actions theological librarians can take to help the Chinese people obtain information freely.

A New Framework for Old Knowledge Management (KM) Schemas: ATLA Research Debuts in the City of Firsts
Presented by T. Patrick Milas, Doctoral Research Associate, College of Information, Florida State University

Even as theological librarians enjoy Franklin’s ingenious Library Company of Philadelphia, ATLA’s challenge is to dynamically manage vast knowledge across domains Franklin never envisioned. T. Patrick Milas developed the first framework for integrating metadata and hypertext with KM schemas from theology—librarianship’s first specialty. He reveals its promise at "A City of Firsts."

The ATLA Selected Religion Websites Project
Presented by Eileen Crawford, Collection Development Librarian, Vanderbilt Divinity Library and Amy Limpitlaw, Research and Electronic Services Librarian, Yale Divinity Library

The ATLA Selected Religion Websites Project evaluates websites for scholarly content and creates MARC records for purchase as an OCLC Collection Set. This project began as an association based collaborative project in 2004. The ATLA Conferences have provided the venues for discussion, training, and recruitment of participants. The poster session is another opportunity to increase visibility for the project and recruit additional ATLA librarians as selectors and catalogers.

Public Theology: Building Collections and Communities in Public Libraries
Presented by Serge Danielson-Francois, Reference Librarian and Coordinator of Free ABE, ESL and Family Literacy Outreach, Cy-Fair College Library

The factors that influence collection development in the areas of religion and ethics for public libraries have yet to be exhaustively documented. Cy-Fair College Library is a joint-use (academic and public) library serving the information needs of over 100,000 patrons in northwest Houston. We have developed a vibrant collection of religion and ethics titles that circulate very robustly and meet the changing needs of our cosmopolitan clientele.

So You Want to Be a Volunteer Librarian in an International Institution
Presented by Margaret Tarpley, Associate in Surgery, Vanderbilt University and D’Anna Shotts, Director of the Library, Baptist Theological Seminary, Kaduna, Nigeria

The poster will include suggestions for: choosing a volunteer position; learning what the expectations of the volunteer may include at the chosen institution; and preparing for travel including estimating costs, what to carry along in order to improve the experience, and cultural sensitivity issues.

To Reflect Our Faith: Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Library Construction Project
Presented by Ms. Eileen K. Saner, Librarian and Director of Educational Resources, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Library

Buildings consume 70% of the world’s electricity and produce 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Planning and constructing a new library provides a rare opportunity to significantly reduce this negative impact and to restore the local ecology. Eileen Saner will describe the process of planning and constructing a new library at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary using the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) rating system of the US Green Building Council. Planning this library required balancing the commitment to care for creation with commitments to protect library materials and to provide comfortable and convenient spaces for using print and electronic resources.

Ethical or Legal? Analyzing Internet censorship in China with the United Theory of Information

A New Framework for Old Knowledge Management (KM) Schemas: ATLA Research Debuts in the City of Firsts

The ATLA Selected Religion Websites Project

Public Theology: Building Collections and Communities in Public Libraries

So You Want to Be a Volunteer Librarian in an International Institution

To Reflect Our Faith: Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Library Construction Project