Free Webinars in March

There’s a great lineup of FREE Web-based seminars this month. To register or get more info about them, just click on the program title (except for the one program from NLM.) After you participate in a program, be sure to let Linda Jensen know so that she can record C.E. credits earned. And thanks to our friend Jamie Marcus of the Wyoming State Library for his work in compiling this list. 23 Things Summit (WebJunction Webinar) March 3 (1-3 p.m. CT) “23 Things” is a revolutionary staff development learning concept centered on social collaboration tools. Helene Blowers successfully created the first program while at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.Thousands of libraries and library organizations of every size and type have adapted the idea for their staff. Hands-on, self-directed, and innovative, 23 Things style programs have introduced many, many library staff, volunteers, trustees, and others to 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis. During this 2 hour Summit, organizers from several successful programs around the nation will share best practices and lessons learned. Participants will be able to ask questions and seek advice to help in implementing a similar program. ALA Connections Salon: The Next Generation Library Catalogs, with Special Guest Marshall Breeding (OPAL) March 5 (1-2 p.m.) Marshall Breeding has been studying, tracking, and writing about the online library catalog industry for years. Join us for an informal conversation about the promise, trends, and challenges of next generation library catalogs. Roadmap for Creating a Successful Marketing Campaign: TechSoup Talks (MaintainIT) March 5 (1-2 p.m.) Want to learn from an organization that won an award for their creative marketing campaign? This nonprofit used Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop to create all the components of a fun and engaging product marketing campaign that was chosen as runner up in the Adobe-TechSoup 2008 Show Your Impact contest. Kami Griffiths will interview Lea Anne Armstrong from Evergreen to talk about their winning entry and how it was created. Cruise to Success: Marketing for Libraries (OPAL) March 6 (11 a.m.-Noon) Loreen Phillips, the Head of Information Literacy Services at McDermott Library at the University of Texas-Dallas, has written a recently published book about marketing for libraries, Cruise to Success: How to Steer Your Way Through the Murky Waters of Marketing Your Library, published in Dec. 2008 by Chandos Publishing. Phillips provides clear, step-by-step instructions and guidelines for developing a successful library marketing program. We will speak with her about how libraries of all types, but especially academic libraries, can improve their marketing strategies, activities, and results. OCLC Quarterly Update (BCR) March 6 (11-Noon or 3-4 p.m.) This session gives participants an opportunity to review the latest changes from OCLC across all service and product areas. Sign up if you use OCLC services regularly and are interested in a summary of recent and upcoming OCLC activities that may affect your use of OCLC. IT Asset Management: A MaintainIT Book Club Discussion (MaintainIT) March 10 (1-2 p.m.) How old are your computers? Are they still under warranty? How many software licenses do you have and do you need to buy more? It can feel overwhelming to keep track of serial numbers, vendor contact information, networking data, etc. Luckily, there are IT Asset Management solutions that can help and some of them are free! Kendra Morgan, TechAtlas Project Coordinator, will be a special guest for this discussion. LJ’s Spring Book Buzz (Library Journal) March 10 (1-2 p.m.) Get the buzz on new and forthcoming titles directly from the source! Sign up for LJ’s Spring Book Buzz webcast and get four prominent publishers in front of you to discuss their spring 2009 new and upcoming fiction and non-fiction titles. This exciting 60-minute presentation will help guide your purchasing and collection development and give you an insider’s perspective to both satisfy your love of books and to share with your patrons. Technology Grants for Libraries 101 (MaintainIT) March 12 (1-2 p.m.) Discover the confidence and knowledge to successfully receive library grant funding. Find out where to easily locate grant opportunities, learn a step-by-step method for writing grant proposals, and discover real library grant success stories. Stephanie Gerding, an experienced trainer and author on library grants, will provide practical advice ideal for new grant writers. Lost in the Virtual Woods: Keeping Track of Digital Objects (BCR) March 13 (11-Noon or 3-4 p.m.) Digital objects are notoriously slippery creatures, known for changing location and/or ownership while no one is looking. The DOI (Digital Object Identifier) System, sometimes called “the bar code for intellectual property,” assigns names to intellectual property expressed in a digital environment in order to persistently track digital entities. With more library materials becoming available in a digital format, discover why publishers and other stakeholders increasingly are relying on the DOI System and how DOI names work with, and for, your library. The Customer Focused Library (WebJunction Webinar) March 17 (1-2 p.m.) What happens when you look at your library through the eyes of your customers? Three public libraries and one academic library from the Chicago area did just that, as part of a LSTA grant-funded initiative on patron needs assessment. A retail-space consulting firm conducted a two-day study of patron behavior, touch points, and interactions at the four libraries. The results of those observations led to the libraries adjusting staff behavior, space layout, signage, and marketing tactics, in order to better serve and delight their patrons. ALSC Student Session: “How I got my First Library Job: Tips from Library Directors” (OPAL) March 19 (5-6 p.m.) With today’s economy, you’ll need an extra edge to land that first library job. Let ALSC help. Join us for a panel discussion to hear first-hand from experienced professionals about skills that make new librarians more marketable, new technologies that directors will hope you know how to use, and most importantly, how you can stand out in a sea of new graduates. The Collaborative Mind: Tools for 21st Century Learning (SirsiDynix Institute) March 20 (10-11 a.m.) 21st Century Learning standards (AASL & ISTE to name a few) highlight the importance of collaborative learning and thinking. What tools can foster collaborative student engagement while also addressing budgetary and infrastructure limitations? This institute will offer participants a look at tools which address this question, including Google Education Edition, Noodle Bib, and wikis. Technology on a Shoestring: Big Tools for Small Budgets (Library Journal) March 24 (1-2 p.m.) More than ever, communities across the country are relying their local libraries for support in these tough economic times. From helping patrons convert old resume files to enabling military families to connect overseas, libraries are challenged with offering more services on smaller budgets. This one hour webcast will walk through over a half dozen free solutions that can help with some of the library’s toughest patron services challenges. Educational Resources for Kids: Turning the Pages, K-12 Exhibitions, Science Resources for Teachers(National Library of Medicine) March 25 (2-3 p.m.) The National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region is presenting a new series of online classes. Once a month in 2009, liaisons will present information and exercises on various databases from the National Library of Medicine in an hour-long web conference. All classes are free and no registration is required. You will simply need 1) a computer with Internet access and 2) a phone (the system will call you – free of charge). To join the webinar, go to: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcrupdate/ on the day of the program. How Much Digital Storage Do We Need for Video? (BCR) March 27 (11-Noon or 3-4 p.m.) When planning a moving image digitization project it’s relatively simple to count the number of image-hours to be migrated and multiply it by bytes-per-second/minute/hour, thereby estimating the total storage requirements. But should all bytes be treated equally? Can they go to the same kind of storage? What are the librarian’s and archivist’s roles in making these decisions?