Author Archives: Laura Johnson

A new LE@D class authored by Nebraska’s own Kit Keller is now available from the University of North Texas, Online Research Strategies for Librarians “explores the online resources that impact library services, providing tips and techniques for improving Web search capabilities.”
LE@D (Lifelong Education @ Desktop) offers many online C.E. programs for librarians at modest prices. Some class titles that caught my eye include: Grant Writing Basics, Financial Management in Tough Times, and Retailing Methods and Techniques in Libraries. That’s just a small sample, so check them out.
Nebraska librarians who participate in LE@D courses earn C.E. credit in the Nebraska Librarian Certification program.

Building the Digital Branch: Designing Effective Library Websites, with David Lee King will be presented Tuesday, August 3, 2010, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. (CDT). The Registration fee is $50.00.
Every library needs a presence on the Web. Whether you work at a large academic library or a public library in a small town, you need to be able to provide service and content to your patrons beyond the walls of your building. In this workshop, David Lee King will take you through the process of building an effective, user-friendly library website that will exand and enhance your library’s presence in its community. Building the Digital Branch will include:

• Defining the Digital Branch
• A Guide to Usability on the Web
• Gathering Information and Planning
• Building the Branch
• What to Do Once Your Site Is Built
• Creating Community through the Digital Branch
• Planning for Expansion

Whether you’re looking to launch your first website, redesign your site, or expand the site you have, this workshop will provide practical guidance for every step of the process.
As a workshop registrant, you will receive follow-up instructions about workshop access and
information about preliminary reading materials. Find further info and registration at the link above.

The list of Webinars just gets longer and better every month! There’s a sparkling array to choose from on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Free Webinars list, including:

• Nebraska Libraries Host Prime Time Family Reading Time
• Successful Social media Programs at Your Library
• Social Networking for Advocacy & Activism
• 10 Social Media Tips & Secrets
• Five Ways the iPad Can Entertain You
• Return on Investment: The Business Case for Accessibility
• Conducting Surveys III: Analyzing Data and Reporting Methods
• Do More Great Work: How to Increase Your Time, Space, and Courage
• The Administrator’s Guide to Organizing Marketing Webinars
• OCLC Web Services
• Let’s Get Social: Social Bookmarking
• Building Trust and Transparency in Your Organization
• Communication–Getting the Word Out: Does your audience hear what you mean?
• Deploying Virtual Classrooms: Getting It Done & Doing It Right
• Tech Talk with Michael Sauers
• Is Your Career Taking Advantage of Your Strengths?
• Look for a Job Using Online Sources
• How to Make the Most of WebJunction

Webinars are “Bustin’ Out All Over!” Titles for this month include:

• Power to the User: Interactive Online Reference Sources
• Participating in the Creative Commons
• Re-tooling Frontline Staff with E-government Resources
• Now Hear This: Audiobooks A to Z
• Conducting Surveys II: Data Collection
• Improving Health Literacy in Your Community
• Re-tooling Frontline Staff with E-government Resources
• Articulate: So what do you do? Talk Up Your Value in 30 to 60 Seconds
• Creating Inviting Low Cost Teen Spaces
• Christian Fiction Book Buzz
• Beyond Slideshows
• Getting Started with a Social Media Plan
• Managing Your Library’s Online Reputation
• Tech Talk with Michael Sauers

Visit the Free Webinars list for program descriptions and registration info. And visit the list during the month, because I add things as I hear about them.
Thanks to our friend Jamie Marcus at the Wyoming State Library for compiling his list every month!

There a loooong list of great Webinars happening in May. Titles include:

 
• 21st Century Digital Knowledge Management: The Changing Role of the Media Specialist With Classroom Technology

 

• 24/7 Readers’ Advisory: Multichannel Delivery of Reading Recommendations
• Accidental Leadership with George Needham

  

• Archival 101: Dealing with Suppliers of Archival Products
• Build Rapport With The Language of Influence
• Cataloging with RDA: An Overview – Online Session
• Collaborate with Wikis
• Conducting Surveys I: Introduction and Questionnaire Design
• Crime Fiction Past and Present 

 

• Digital Photo Management for Libraries

   

• Functional Requirements of Authority Data: FRAD

  

• George and Joan on Successful Middle Management
• Getting Your Resume Noticed
• Grant Seeking Basics

  

• Great Summer Reading Program Reads with Sally Snyder
• Helping Your Patrons Help Themselves
• Intro to Website Analytics
• Mission Critical: Services to Spanish Speakers
• Opportunity for All: The American Public Benefits from Library Internet Access
• Reference: The Missing Link in Discovery

   

• Tech Talk with Michael Sauers
• Trends in Teen Lit: The Independent View

  

• Understanding the New Discovery Landscape
• Video in the Library: Trends and Best Practices

For more info and links to the programs, see the Free Webinars page on the Nebraska Library Commission Website.

Notices for a couple of interesting C.E. opportunities came across my desk this week. While I wouldn’t pass on information about a program I thought would not be worthwhile, I’m not endorsing these programs either.
You will earn c.e. credit in the Nebraska Librarian Certification program if you attend one of them. Be sure to let us know. And if you do attend, I’d love to hear what you think about the program. Laura Johnson.
In case you haven’t seen these–
Infopeople is offerering “Jobs and Workforce Recovery: Libraries Helping Individuals and Communities.” It will run from May18 to June 14. Fee is $150.00.
Course Description: This online course will give you the knowledge and skills needed to help your library users who are unemployed or under-employed. You will be reading case studies, completing assignments, and participating in online discussions. By understanding the stages of the job search process, and the needs of the unemployed, you will be able to proactively identify resources in your library and in the community. Experienced employment counselor Dana Lee will provide resources and practical tips that you can use immediately with job seekers, empowering them to take ownership of the process as they prepare, research, apply, and interview for jobs. Learners will create pathfinders to print, web, and community resources for their own libraries. They will explore collaborative partnerships with local EDD offices and job resource centers, workshops on job-hunting skills, and computer classes on related topics. During the third week of the course, Kitty Yancheff, public service division manager for Humboldt County Library, will be a guest presenter during an online meeting on how libraries can triage with social service providers.
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Southeast Community College is offering the “Chick-fil-A Leadercast,” on May 7, from 8:00 a.m. – 3 p.m at the SCC Continuing Education Building, 301 South 68th ST Place. Tickets are $79 until April 30th and $89 after that.
You are encouraged to spend a day perfecting your leadership skills and knowledge by attending the Chick – fil – A Leadercast. This one-day leadership event features a premier speaker lineup of the world’s best leaders. The Leadercast is broadcast LIVE from Atlanta to hundreds of locations throughout the world. The Chick-fil-A Leadercast is a catalyst for new ideas and better leadership practices and to help you be the leader that makes lasting impact in the lives of those you lead.  You will be inspired to set your sights on being the one to make all the difference by living out the leadership principles that guide your decisions and your life. 
For further information: contact Sarah Kahler, 402 323-3387, skkahler@southeast.edu, or visit www.giantimpact.com.
To register: contact Rochelle Morton, 402 437-2832, rmorton@southeast.edu.

Registration is now open for Reference and User Service Association RUSA’s spring and summer online courses. Registration is $130 for RUSA members; $175 for ALA members; $210 for non-members and $100 for student/retiree members of ALA.
Genealogy 101, May 17 – June 18
This new course is designed for reference staff with little to no experience in genealogy. Using a case study to frame the coursework, participants will learn about tools and techniques they can use to confidently assist patrons with family history research. A review of archival material, print reference tools and online sources is included in the curriculum.
Business Reference 101, May 10 – June 4
Appropriate for librarians and library staff of all types who wish to acquire business reference expertise, Business Reference 101 will demystify such topics as SIC, NAICS codes, ROI and 10ks. Students will also have access to such proprietary business reference databases as Standard & Poor’s Net Advantage and Thomson/Gale’s Business & Company Resource Center.
The Reference Interview, April 19 – May 21
This comprehensive course covers such reference interview topics  as cultivating an approachable reference environment, successful questioning and listening techniques and appropriate follow-up methods. Staff of all levels at all types of libraries will find this content helpful in their day-to-day engagement with library patrons.
Readers’ Advisory 101, June 28 – Aug. 14
Through practice sessions, participants learn how to use RA tools, craft annotations, read in genres, articulate appeal and experiment with methods to offer RA services. Readers’ Advisory 101 is tailored for those at all types of libraries—support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians and those librarians who want to brush up on their skills.

Booklist, the College of DuPage, InfoPeople, Library Journal, Nebraska Library Commission, SirsiDynix Institute, Texas State Library & Archives Commission, and WebJunction, will be webcasting the following FREE programs during April. 

•  Directions in Metadata with Karen Coyle
• Libraries Go Boom! Library Service to Older Adults and Baby Boomers
• Introduction to WorldCat – What is it and how can it help me do my job?
• Creating a Successful Teen Advisory Board
• The Success of Web-Scale Discovery in Returning Net-Gen Users to the Library
• Technology Trends in Libraries: Tools, Skills, Staffing, Training
• The State of America’s Libraries
• Competency Success Stories for Your Library
• Tech Talk with Michael Sauers
• Gadgets: Personal Electronics for your Library
• Religion & Public Libraries: Do You Dewey 200?
• Digitize Summer Reading with Wikis and Glogs
• Let’s Get Graphic: Kids’ Comics in Classrooms and Libraries

For further information, see our Free Webinars directory.
 

About Continuing Education, that is. If you’ve always thought that knowing more about games for the senior set, or cataloging maps, or keeping track of the budget with Excel would be just what the doctor ordered, now’s the time to let us know. There’s a survey on Survey Monkey–short and kind of fun–where you can tell us about what sort of training you’d like and how you’d like it delivered. The survey is at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RF39QQ8. We’d really like to hear from you.

The list of free webinars for March is chock-a-block with great stuff. Check it out, and get some of that learning delivered right to your desktop.
And new this month! A list of Webinar producers, so you can check their caches of archived programs.

*3/2/2010
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Adding Appeal to the Art of Suggesting Books (Library Journal and NoveList)
How do you know when Baldacci is a better match for a Grisham legal-thriller reader than Turow? The answer is appeal. Readers’ advisory pioneer Joyce Saricks created an appeal vocabulary to help her and her staff find the best books to suggest to the readers at the Downers Grove (IL) Public Library. Learn how you can use storyline, pacing, characterization, frame/setting, style/language and mood/tone to find the books that are just right for your readers.
Fiction Librarian Jen Baker will discuss how she uses appeal in her work with readers everyday at the Seattle Public Library and Victoria Caplinger from NoveList will demonstrate how NoveList is bringing appeal terms to the profession’s most used readers’ advisory resource.

Some of the free programs coming up in February are:

And there’s lots more!
See a list of programs and particulars on the NEW “Free Webinars” page.
Thanks to our friend Jamie Marcus at the Wyoming State Library for compiling a list.

Start off the new year with continuing education delivered right to your desktop. Listed here are webinars from a number of different sources. Click on the link to check for further information and registration, and to double-check times. Most webinars are archived for later viewing. Check with the producer for archive info.
1/11/2010
Noon – 1 p.m. (CT)
Bite-Sized Marketing: Realistic Solutions for Overworked Librarians
Librarians are increasingly under pressure to step up their marketing efforts but where to begin when there’s no plan, no time, no staff and no money? Is it possible to create a marketing plan when your organization has an outdated or nonexistent strategic plan? You betcha! There are many news tools available for marketing. Create effective strategies and avoid the “Shiny Object Syndrome” by learning how to determine which web 2.0 tools are best for your library. Join Nancy Dowd as she shares tips on working with the new marketing mix to find the right combination for your library. She will discuss the newest trends in marketing including mobile marketing, word of mouth marketing strategies, Twitter, Facebook, blogging and Podcasting.
1/12/2010
3 – 4:00 p.m. (CT)
Twenty-first Century Reference Collections
Reference collections are changing, driven by technology and new patterns of use. Join Booklist’s Mary Ellen Quinn, Editor of Reference Books Bulletin, and a group of library and publishing experts as they talk about how the traditional reference collection is being transformed. Panelists include David A. Tyckoson, Associate Dean, California State University Henry Madden Library; and representatives from Encyclopaedia Britannica, M. E. Sharpe, World Book, and ABC-CLIO.
As a webinar registrant, you will receive follow-up correspondence from Booklist publications and may receive other special offers from our sponsors.
1/14/2010
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (CT)
New Copyright Tools and Best Practices: Copyright Law Update 2010
Join Mary Minow to get updates on new copyright tools and best practices that can be helpful for libraries; Learn the latest developments in copyright laws and cases, including the latest in the Google Book Search case, e-reserve and coursepack lawsuits. Learn about a simple procedure to file with the Copyright Office to minimize liability for user-supplied-content. This webinar will be of interest to library staff who confront copyright issues in designing web pages, making digital copies for interlibrary loan and e-reserves, and will help those who fear receiving copyright infringement notices.
1/14/2010
1 – 2 p.m. (CT)
Web Usability Testing: part 1 of the “Enhancing Your Online Presence Series”
Lana Johnson, CIT DEAL Lab, Communications, Information and Technology, University of Nebraska, will be explaining the process of testing for how ‘usable’ your website is. Usability is the ease with which people can perform a certain task on an object or system to achieve a particular goal. Web usability testing allows us to observe what users do, where they succeed and where they have difficulties. Feedback from this testing can then be used to improve web designs and interfaces for better user experiences. For further info on the series, see University of Nebraska eXtension Free Webinar Series on Enhancing Your Online Presence.
The Web meeting room opens 10 minutes before the start time. Go to http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ecop to view.
1/21/2010
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (CT)
Let’s Get Social: Photo and Video Sharing
We’ll look at and discuss photo and video sharing sites, such as YouTube, Flickr, and Picasa. Everyone is welcome to attend this live online event, which will last approximately 90 minutes. If you live outside of Illinois, there is no need to register.
1/22/2010
11 a.m. – Noon (CT)
Hot Tools for Tough Times Drive-by Series – Pt. 1: Helping Your Patrons Help Themselves
No matter where you are or what kind of library you’re in, times are tough and money’s tight. Your library budgets are most likely getting slashed, and it’s quite likely that your patron’s wallets are a little less thick than they used to be, too. We all know that in dark economic times, more and more people turn to our institutions for help and entertainment, but it’s not always clear how we can best help them – and ourselves – when we have seemingly fewer resources with which to do so. This series of short presentations will hopefully help you brainstorm some creative ways you can add value to the services you provide, without adding more stress to your budget!
Part 1: Helping Your Patrons Help Themselves
This hour long talk will explore a few ways you can help members of your community who find themselves out of work or just looking to better their financial situation. We’ll briefly discuss programming possibilities, a few free technologies that can be of great benefit to job-seekers, and some smart ways to supplement cash flow and manage money.
This is a free presentation given as part of BCR’s Free Friday Forum series. Anyone is welcome to attend. Space is limited, so make sure to register early.
1/28/2010
1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (CT)
Libraries and Workforce Recovery
The data show that people turn to libraries in tough times. As part of Project Compass, an IMLS grant-funded initiative by WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina, research has been conducted to assess the type and extent of current patron needs from libraries and the response to those needs by state and local public libraries. Join us for an overview of this initial research, and to be introduced to the project and to a new section on WebJunction for Workforce Resources designed to collect library-specific resources and responses to these tough times.
You’ll hear about strategies for triaging social services and how to analyze your library’s services in relation to existing community social services. You’ll discover new ways to create partnerships with community agencies to leverage workforce development efforts. Finally, you’ll get tips on tactics that can be implemented on a shoestring or non-existent budget to respond to patron workforce development needs.

December brings a strong slate of great Web-delivered programming. The following Webinars are presented by several different organizations or institutions: click on the link to get further information on the content, to register, and to double-check the time. If you’re participating in the Nebraska Librarian Certification program, please be sure to let Linda Jensen know that you attended the Webinar.
And remember the Nebraska Library Commission’s own weekly NCompass Live programs.
Running a Virtual Meeting (OPAL)
December 2, 11 – Noon (CT)
As the cost of gas rises and travel time eats into our workdays, and as new technology opens new possibilities for meeting at a distance, librarians are learning how to lead and facilitate meetings that are not face-to-face. Have these new meeting technologies gotten ahead of the human factors? What still works? What needs to be reinvented? What’s best avoided? Carolyn Caywood and Nicole McGee will present and facilitate the discussion.
Library Computer Networking Q&A (WebJunction Webinar)
December 2, 2 – 3 p.m. (CT)
WebJunction and TechSoup for Libraries are teaming up to bring you a panel of library technology experts to field your questions in a “Car Talk” fashion that’s sure to be informative and fun! The expert panel includes: Robert Williams, Technology Consultant at the South Texas Library System; Chris Jowaisas Library Systems Grants Administrator of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Monica M. Schultz, IT Director at the Peninsula Library System; And moderated by TechSoup’s Stephanie Gerding
Staff Day Success! Tips for Planning, Delivering, and Evaluating All-Staff Events (Infopeople Webinar)
December 3, 2 – 3 p.m. (CT)
Join presenter Mary Ross – who has planned and implemented numerous all-staff events, as well as library-related conferences, workshops and training-as she shares tips, tricks and strategies for success. You’ll be able to tackle the challenges in planning and delivering an all-staff event, resulting in a day that is valuable to and celebrates the value of all employees.
Connecting Kids with Great Websites (OPAL)
December 8, 7 – 8 p.m. (CT)
Learn how to find, evaluate and use Web sites for kids! This presentation features the chairs of the ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids Committee who evaluate 100s of sites every year to find fun and educational tools for children and families. They’ll show you what the committee does to come up with their widely used “Great Web Sites for Kids” list and how you can incorporate these resources into your library programming.
From Libraries to Lifebraries (SirsiDynix Institute)
December 9, 12 – 1p.m. (CT)
As libraries continue to evolve to meet customers’ needs in a rapidly changing culture, the concern over the future of print and the “book” remains core to their existence. However, in looking at current trends, there is evidence to suggest otherwise. The future of libraries may not be dependent on the creation or evolution of new service delivery models based upon the book, it may actually reside in something more “deeply local.” Join Helene Blowers in a lively conversation about “new life” opportunities for libraries. As old formats and service models decline, there’s a new phoenix rising from the shadows.
The National Library of Medicine Gateway (National Library of Medicine) To join the webinar, go to: http://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr on the day of the program.
December 9, Noon – 1p.m. (CT)
The National Library of Medicine Gateway. 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).
Integrated Library Systems: Open Source and Customization (WebJunction Webinar)
December 10, Noon 1:30p.m. (CT)
Please join us on December 10th for a discussion of Integrated Library Systems (ILSs) and the trend toward customizability through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) with library systems expert Marshall Breeding and representatives from leading vendors in the field. We’ll discuss new features and capabilities available in the most modern library software, and what it really means for these tools to be “customizable.” This event will coincide with the publication of Marshall Breeding’s December 2009 issue of Library Technology Reports and is presented in collaboration with ALA TechSource.
Writing a Library Behavior Code (Infopeople Webinar)
December 10, 2 – 3 p.m. (CT)
This webinar will benefit participants by helping them draft legally enforceable behavior codes. It offers guidance on reasonable behavior rules, distinguished from restrictions on user’s free speech rights. What type of notice must the library give its users about its behavior policies? When is an appeals process required, and what should it entail? The webinar also looks at the emerging issue of library user behavior at library spaces online in chat, text, blog comments as well as third party spaces like library myspace and flickr pages.
FiLBeRt Roundtable Discussion: The Future of Libraries, Books, and Reading (OPAL)
December 16, 1 – 2 p.m. (CT)
The shared futures of libraries, books, and reading seem very hazy at present. Join us for a monthly, lively, informal discussion of new developments, challenges, and opportunities. It’ll be a roundtable, so everyone is welcome to chime in. If it’s a FiLBeRt discussion, it’s going to be nutty!
Thanks to Jamie Marcus, Wyoming State Library, for this great compilation.