Multimedia & Information Technology Lab Overview

 

Mission

The Multimedia & Information Technology Lab collection is designed as a laboratory of instructional resources for support of the teaching function of the Department.  Resources range from traditional printed materials to electronic equipment and services. 

The instructional activities of the MIT Lab include, but are not limited to, computer user support, development and presentation of computer and online systems training and workshops, development of written and online instructional materials, and provision of audio visual services.

Introduction

The MIT Lab provides direct instructional support to the two degree programs offered by the UCLA Department of Information Studies, namely the Masters and PhD in Library and Information Science.   The MIT Lab collections and electronic resources are available to students enrolled in the degree programs, undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in individual classes offered by the department, IS faculty and staff. 

The print, digital and audio-visual resources as a whole support the specializations within the department:  library studies, archival studies and informatics.  The MIT Lab is truly a “Laboratory” in that students utilize it for class projects such as the analysis and evaluation of journal usage by faculty and students, database design, and the development of a portal or gateway to the Lab’s electronic collections.  The MIT Lab is also an internship site for students seeking experience in systems and/or a special library setting.  Such internships have included redesigning the Department’s web site, revision of the Lab’s collection development policy.

Print Collections

The print collection includes resources in library and information science history, the history of printing, bibliography, cataloging and classification, reference and bibliographic instruction, information systems, archives and preservation, children’s literature and services.  This selective print collection includes monographs, journals, newsletters, reports and documentation to support the online resources available in the MIT Lab.   The Lab has several highly specialized collections:  The FAIR (First Amendment Information Resources) Collection, the Frances Clarke Sayers Collection of Children’s Literature, and the Walter Collection of Children’s Books.  The Sayers Collection holds classic children’s literature and includes Newbery, Caldecott and Coretta Scott King award books.  The Walter Collection consists of recently published works collected to support IS Storytelling, Children’s Literature, and Young Adult Literature courses.

Technology & Electronic Resources

The technology resources in the MIT Lab directly support the Department of Information Studies curriculum, from providing the applications needed by students to complete their coursework, to offering technological assistance for classroom instruction.  The Lab supports a Windows environment with both Windows and Macintosh laptops available for classroom use.  All of the more than 30 workstations are outfitted with software for word processing, creating spreadsheets, database design, preparing presentations, image creation and manipulation, web browsing, e-mail, and web page authoring.  A group of workstations is available for multi-media production, including digitizing and manipulating audio and video files, burning CDs, scanning images, and downloading photos from the Lab’s digital cameras.  The Lab provides multiple laser printers. In support of required coursework, the Lab makes available to students digital still image cameras, camcorders, and audiocassette recorders.

Through its Collections Gateway, the Lab provides access to a selection of digital resources including full text journals and commercial online databases.  In addition, the Lab maintains databases of employment and funding opportunities, and the MIT Lab children’s book collections.

Instructional Support

For classroom instructional support, the Lab has mobile workstations as well as data projectors.  The Lab also maintains a multi-media classroom outfitted with stationary projectors for data and video display, a video record/player, and an audiocassette recorder/player.  A mobile video recorder/player, DVD player, and monitor are also available for classroom use.  One classroom has been outfitted with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound system.

For faculty instructional support the MIT Lab assists with the instruction for all courses that have an information technology component, including various networked and online systems, bibliographic utilities, and multimedia resources.  This includes instructional support through classroom lectures on the various computer-based systems, and the provision of individual instruction and consultation in knowledge navigation, instruction and training in the use of digital multimedia resources for students and faculty.

ITW & Other Workshops

The Lab prepares students to use its technology through the Intensive Technology Workshops (ITW).  Incoming students are introduced to the Lab’s resources, services and applications that are necessary to complete required work in the core classes.  In the past, ITW has included topics such as:  Database Design, Digital Imaging, Design Concepts, Web Authoring and Online Searching.  The workshop series sets the foundation for student technology skills and provides building blocks in a highly technology-driven curriculum. 

The MIT Lab periodically conducts topic specific workshops open to students, faculty, staff, and current practitioners in the field.  This is in addition to the workshops conducted in support of classroom instruction.

  

MIT Lab Staff

All professional MIT Lab staff have MLS/MLIS degrees. The Lab has two professional librarians, the Director, and the Digital Resources Librarian.  The Director is responsible for the present and future operations of the lab, supervision and training of the lab staff, maintenance of all collections.  The Digital Resources Librarian is charged with development of instructional components including technical resource education workshops, computer services planning, and web administration. The other professional staff is the Programmer Analyst.  The Programmer Analyst is responsible for system administration, future technology planning, implementation and maintenance of departmental technical resources. 

Graduate students in the MLIS program are the other component to staffing.  The experience they gained by providing support to their peers and IS faculty is invaluable to their development as information professionals.  Typically, student lab staff are employed for the duration of their time in the degree program. The combination of professional and student staffing guarantees student access to Lab resources.