Welcome to the 2012 Winter Institute on Statistical Literacy for Librarians (WISLL)

We are pleased to announce that the 2012 Institute will be held Wednesday, February 22 - Friday, February 24

at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Librarians are facing more statistical information than ever before because of the electronic dissemination of statistics over the Internet. Concomitant with this are greater demands for statistics from user communities. Greater availability to statistics online, however, has not made this information necessarily easier to find or to retrieve. This Institute provides training in the strategies and tools for finding statistics and providing them in formats directly useful to users. This Institute is valuable and relevant to professionals working in academic, public and special libraries.

Note: Because of limited enrollment, participants in previous workshops are kindly requested not to register in 2012. We appreciate your cooperation.

Registration opens November 14th!

Please click here for ONLINE REGISTRATION.

The 2012 Institute will be held Wednesday, February 22 - Friday, February 24 at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

The Institute will take place in Rutherford Library South in the second floor computer lab, 2-03. Signs will be posted inside the Rutherford Complex directing participants to this location. In-person registration will begin at 8:30am next to Room 2-03 on Wednesday, February 22. Light breakfast will be available at 8:30am each morning.

Online registration for WISLL will begin November 14th and will run until January 31, 2012 (or until the event is fully subscribed). There is only room for 30 registrants. Once the Institute is full, names will be placed on a waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis if requested. The cost for this workshop is $250, which includes breakfast and lunch for all three days.

This Institute is valuable and relevant to professionals working in academic, public and special libraries.

Note: Because of limited enrollment, participants from previous workshops are kindly requested not to register in 2012. We appreciate your cooperation.

To avoid any conflicting information, we would like to draw your attention to the following: this workshop will not provide instruction about how to do data analysis, nor will it provide assessment training, although some examples will include the use of data to demonstrate how statistics are produced.  Also, some exercises will make use of a statistical software system (SPSS) but participants are not required to know SPSS in advance. This workshop focuses on finding statistics, not their production.

Participants will work with a variety of online official and non-official statistical sources and with the tools for finding and retrieving them.

Topics to be covered

Audience

The workshop will be of interest to reference librarians working in academic, public and special libraries that serve user communities with interests in statistical information.  There are no prerequisites for enrolment.

Please note: This Institute will be covering the same curriculum as WISLL 2011. This is not an advanced version of last year's Institute.

To avoid any conflicting information, we would like to draw your attention to the following: this workshop will not provide instruction about how to do data analysis, nor will it provide assessment training, although some examples will include the use of data to demonstrate how statistics are produced.  Also, some exercises will make use of a statistical software system (SPSS) but participants are not required to know SPSS in advance. This workshop focuses on finding statistics, not their production.

Instructors

Chuck Humphrey
Data Library Coordinator,
University of Alberta

Chuck Humphrey has been the Head of the Data Library at the University of Alberta since 1992 and also assumed responsibility for the implementation and management of a Statistics Canada Research Data Centre (RDC) at the University of Alberta in 2001. He has worked on several regional, national and international initiatives to increase access to data for teaching and research. Over the past 21 years, he has team-taught a week-long workshop offered by the ICPSR Summer Program at the University of Michigan on providing social science data services. He helped create the curriculum for and is an instructor in the DLI training program that teaches specific data services skills in regional workshops across Canada. In 2000, Mr. Humphrey received the Canadian Association of Research Libraries Award for Distinguished Service to Research Librarianship recognizing his "expert knowledge of data formats, data access and preservation”.

 

Anna Bombak
Data Librarian,
University of Alberta

Anna Bombak (MLIS, 1985) has served as the University of Alberta Data Librarian since 1989. In addition, Anna has worked as a Reference and/or Metadata Librarian for the University of Alberta, Concordia College, and Alberta Education, with special subject expertise on government publications, statistics, technical reports, and computer-readable data. Anna currently works in the Humanities and Social Sciences Unit of the University of Alberta Libraries.

 

Leah Vanderjagt
Digital Repository Services Librarian,
University of Alberta

Leah Vanderjagt, B.Sc. (Geog.) MLIS, is the Digital Repository Services Librarian at the University of Alberta.  Previously, Leah was the Education Programs Lead and Clinical Research Librarian with the Complementary and Alternative Research and Education Program in the Department of Pediatrics at Stollery Children's Hospital, University of Alberta.  Prior to becoming a librarian Leah worked with Statistics Canada numerical and spatial data as a data/GIS analyst for five years, and also worked as Prairies Regional Geographer for the 2001 Census. Leah also worked in the Data Library at the University of Alberta Libraries to establish a pilot GIS service and in this capacity consulted with a wide variety of students and researchers on visualizing statistical information.

 

Amanda Wakaruk
Government Information Librarian,
University of Alberta

Amanda Wakaruk (MLIS, MES) is the Government Information Librarian at the University of Alberta. Amanda returned to Edmonton after working as a Reference and Government Information Librarian at York University (Toronto) from 2001-2009, where she also served as Acting Data Librarian from 2002-2003. While in Ontario, Amanda edited a quarterly column dedicated to web-based government resources in the Ontario Library Association publication Access (2003-2007) and another focused on statistical resources in the SLA Courier (2001-2002), published by the Toronto Chapter of the Special Libraries Association. She has also worked in public, special, and government libraries.

Staff

Nicole Dalmer
WISLL Coordinator

Nicole is a second-year student at the School of Library and Information Studies at the U of A and is also a student assistant at the Data Library. She’ll be the one answering all of your logistical questions prior to and during the Institute. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with her if you have any questions or concerns.

November 14, 2011: Registration opens

January 31, 2012: Registration closes (or when registration is full)

February 1, 2012: Last day for refunds (with a $50 administration fee)

February 22 - 24, 2012: WISLL 2012 at the University of Alberta

Here’s what some participants from WISLL 2011 had to say:

"I enjoyed working through the assignments as a class. The topics subjects were important reinforcement of past learning and experiences. Instructor enthusiasm was great!"

"Better overall knowledge of how to approach finding statistics, both free and fee-based sources."

"The incredible breadth and depth of knowledge that all of the instructors brought their respective suggestions. Very passionate about statistics."

"The whole idea of a framework to understanding statistics. I can now say that the statistical world is now more familiar to me."

"A wonderful workshop! I learned a great deal a fantastic job by all the instructors!"

"It was well timed; lessons were dense, but not rushed."

"The practical exercises and emphasis of key messages."

University of Alberta

Downloadable Campus Map

Interactive Campus Map

Information about Rutherford Library

Accommodations (On or Near Campus)

University of Alberta Conference & Guest Accommodations
Various locations on-campus
780-492-6056
Email: guest.services@ualberta.ca

Campus Tower Suite Hotel
11145 87 Avenue
1-877-221-3989

Metterra Hotel
10454 82 Avenue (Whyte Avenue)
1-866-465-8150

Varscona Hotel
8208 106 Street (Whyte Avenue)
1-866-465-8150

 

Transportation

From Airport:
Airport Taxi Service (Flat Rate)
Sky Shuttle Bus/Van Service (Flat Rate)

Public Transportation:
Edmonton Transit Service (ETS)
$2.85/adult
Plan your trips (Trip Planner link) around Edmonton using our bus or LRT (subway) system. Note that the University of Alberta is accessible via bus or LRT (University stop).

Campus Parking:
Visitor parking is available at the Timms Centre (underground, heated), Education Car Park, and HUB Mall (Lots N & U)
Campus Parking Map
Further Information

 

Restaurants Near Campus

Sugarbowl
10922 88 Avenue
780-433-8369

Leva Cafe
11053 86 Avenue
780-479-5382

Café Mosaics (vegetarian)
10844 82 Avenue (Whyte Avenue)
780-433-9702

Urban Diner
8715 109 Street
780-437-7275

High Level Diner
10912 88 Avenue
780-433-1317

Phobulous
8701 109 Street
780-988-2696

Remedy Cafe
8631 109 Street
780-433-3096

Transcend Cafe
8708 109 Street
780-756-8882

Earl’s Campus Tower
8629 112 Street
780-439-4848

Hudson’s On Campus
11113 87 Avenue
780-433-6364

The King and I
8208 107 Street
780-433-2222

Kyoto Japanese Cuisine
8709 109 Street
780-414-6055

Murrieta’s West Coast Grill
10612 82 Avenue (Whyte Avenue)
780-438-4100

Dadeo New Orleans Diner and Bar
10548a Whyte Ave.
780-433-0930

Entertainment and Shopping

Art Gallery of Alberta
Free Admission February 24th (6-9 pm)
Right on the LRT line (Churchill stop)

Princess Theatre
10337 82 Ave (Whyte Ave)
Current films and documentaries

Garneau Theatre
8712 109 St
Current films and documentaries

Old Strathcona
Information about the various shops, services and restaurants in the historical Old Strathcoma district. Within walking distance, and on the bus route.

West Edmonton Mall
Visit North America's largest mall! Direct bus (#4) available from the University Transit Centre.

Southgate Mall
Shopping Centre located conveniently on the LRT line (Southgate stop).

E-mail: wisll@mail.library.ualberta.ca

Phone : 780-492-5212

Mailing Address :
WISLL
c/o Data Library

1-01 Rutherford Library, South
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB
T6G 2J4