Naka Ishii, UMass Amherst Marion Muskiewicz, UMass Lowell Elizabeth Winiarz, UMass Dartmouth

The beginning
2008: UMass System Library Directors call meeting with their science librarians to brainstorm
Ways we could work together Needs/opportunities

It was the first time many of us had met

Science Librarians
Characteristically
Many do not have a science degree Many have been in their positions for a long time

Professional development
Most updates are new library technologies or products Hard to keep up with developments in our disciplines What about new scientific disciplines?

Subject Education
How to stay current in fast-changing science subjects? Requirements: At the right level Inexpensive Overview of field and Research detail

The Boot Camp Concept

Three subjects covered in 2 days Entice our faculty to present
Overview o Current research
o

Fun!
o

Opportunity to meet other science librarians in an informal way

Creating Science Boot Camp

Collaboration among 5 UMass campuses First location, UMass Dartmouth Liz was the point person on site but everyone willingly pitched in Organizing
A few face-to-face meetings o Conference calls (several) o Email (LOTS) o Wiki (not used much)
o

Lots of Logistics
Speakers UMass and other local faculty Site lodging, meals, parking, classroom, wireless Publicity flyers, LibGuides Registration & money handling tricky, very tricky Fun! banquets, badges, contests, wine, women, songs Video capturing the content Assessment quick paper surveys & online survey after

LibGuide for Boot Camp

UMass Dartmouth Boot Camp 2009

UMass Dartmouth Facilities

Apartment Dormitories

Brutalist architecture

Topics and Speakers 2009

GIS
(Geographic Information Systems)

Dr. Zong-guo Xia, UMass Dartmouth Matthew Arsenault, consultant with NOAA, Woods Hole Bioinformatics Dr. James T. Griffith, UMass Dartmouth Dr. David Osterbur, Harvard Medical School Nanotechnology Dr. Sanjeev Manohar, UMass Lowell

GIS Presenter, Dr. Xia.

Finances 2009
5 UMass Library Deans - $1000.00 each Boston Library Consortium - $800.00 Registration Fees:
Full Boot camp $200.00 o Full Boot camp, no dorms - $100.00 o Single day - $50.00
o

Informal conversations added to value of Boot Camp

Attendees 2009
60 attendees 5 states Survey Comments:
I was very impressed by each presentation. Needed hands on component for GIS and Bioinformatics. David Osterbur was terrific but went a little too fast for my slow brain! to justify my coming to the Boot Camp, I studied the campus web site for faculty expertise on the three subjects. To my delight Brandeis offers courses in all three.

Fun 2009
Merit badges
Non-sensible shoe banquet & contest

Sing-along with Sally

Little Data Sets (to the tune of Little Boxes) High Tech (to the tune of High Hopes)

Shoe Contestants 2009

Dinner in New Bedford

Science Boot Camp 2009 - the DVD

Boot Camp 2010

UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center (ICC) June 9-11 Genetics Climate Change Remote Sensing

Registration Table at the ICC, handled by UML Library staff.

UML volunteers staffed the Swag table for the entire Conference.

Early arrivals took a tour of the Lowell Downtown and Boott Mills area, Lowells National Park

Topics and Speakers 2010

Genetics
Dr. John Landers, Dr. Guangping Gao, Dr. Miguel Sena-Esteves, all from UMASS Medical School

Climate change
Dr. Mathew Barlow, UMASS Lowell Dr. Brian Howes, UMASS Dartmouth

Remote Sensing
Dr. Qian Yu, UMASS Amherst Dr. Dayalan Kasilingam, UMASS Dartmouth A conversation on data curation with Dianne Dietrich, Cornell University Metadata Librarian

Wednesday PM - Genetics class

Thursday PM - Remote Sensing

Finances 2010
UMass Library Deans 5000.00 Donations from Vendors 250.00 Grant money NLM 10,000.00

Fees were the same as the first year. 200.00 entire conference with room 100.00 entire conference, commuter 50.00 one day registration

Attendees 2010
57 Campers from 5 New England States *plus* New York Pennsylvania Utah New Mexico and Alberta, CANADA (yes, we went international!)

Fun 2010
Tours Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon Happy Hour Wednesday evening with Singalong Wednesday Dinner with Awards for
o o o

Camper of the Day Longest Distance Traveled to Attend Librarian with Longest Service

Thursday afternoon Bus tour of UML campus Clambake at the Boathouse Least sensible shoes contest Boot Pinata Awards for
o o

Camper of the Day Most Unusual Background

Sally Gore, song writer and leader, practicing for sing-along

And we all sang along!

Wednesday night get-together in the lounge. Lots of instruments available!

Least Sensible Shoes, Thurs - Flippers won first prize!

Intact piata, which proved quite hard to break.

Dr. Barlow makes an attempt. Note the unusual bat. We forgot to bring a broomstick!

Assessment 2010
Evaluations
Quick paper survey for each subject - turn it in and get your "badge" Online survey after for Boot Camp as a whole 2010 results were "wordled" by a team member

2010 Presentations can be viewed:

http://library.uml.edu/media/bootcamp/

Final thoughts
Couldnt have done it alone collaboration is vital for success
o

Now also collaborating with WPI, UConn, Tufts

Keep it going
2011 Science Boot Camp, June 8-10, @ WPI o Inspire and help Boot Camps start up in other regions and subjects
o

The Word is Spreading!

e-Science @ UVirginia

Social Sciences @ Tufts

Members of the planning committee

Questions?