Happy New Year everyone! We, the members of the Cont. Education Committee, wish you a wonderful new year, and would like to remind you about the great opportunities out there to enhance your skills, learn something new, or simply meet other people with the same interests. If you have any questions or suggestions for us, please do not hesitate to contact the committee. We strive to serve VLA members as best as we can, and we appreciate any feedback.
Cynthia Church continues to provide us with lists of free events for each month (thanks Cynthia!), and we hope that you will find something this month that interests you.
Wednesday, January 5 (11am-12 pm)
Emergency Preparedness for Public Libraries (Nebraska Library Commission)
As part of the NCompass Live series, Marty Magee, Nebraska Liaison for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, presents information on a public library’s role in a community disaster preparedness plan.
To register for this event, go to: http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=10201
Wednesday, January 5 (1-2 pm)
Wikipedia in the Classroom (EDUCAUSE)
Few educators have used Wikipedia as a teaching tool in their classrooms, but this is beginning to change due to the Wikipedia Public Policy Initiative. In the fall 2010 semester, 13 classes from 10 universities participated by developing various assignments that incorporated Wikipedia editing as a main component. Here, professors and trained ambassadors worked together to develop assignments that achieved the learning goals of the professor while contributing to the development of new content on the free encyclopedia. In this session, staff from the Wikimedia foundation and a Campus Ambassador will discuss the program in general, some examples of how Wikipedia is being used in the classroom, where the program is going, and how professionals in higher education technology can bring some of the advantages of this program to their institutions.
For more information and to register for this event, visit: http://net.educause.edu/live111
Thursday, January 13 (11am -12 pm)
1 hour of Facebook (Texas State Library & Archives)
In this session of Tech Tools with Tine, technology trainer Christine Walczyk will focus on Facebook from a business perspective. Creating groups versus pages will be discussed, as well as what functionality comes with each type of Facebook presence. The series is meant to be short on talk about library context and higher concepts about social media. It’s really all about the tools themselves! Our aim is to demonstrate how to use one tool in each webinar in under 60 minutes with time for Q&A built in.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/workshops/webinars/
Tuesday, January 18 (2-3 pm)
Best Small Library in America 2010 (WebJunction)
Library Journal’s annual Best Small Library in America Award, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was created in 2005 to encourage and showcase the exemplary work of libraries serving populations under 25,000. As we await the naming of the 2011 winner (expected February 1, 2011), we’re pleased to bring you this webinar exploring the inner workings of 2010’s winner, Glen Carbon Centennial Library, in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries and featuring GCCL library director, Anne M. Hughes and Library Journal’s executive editor, Rebecca Miller.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventcalendar.asp
Tuesday, January 18 (3-4 pm)
Introduction to Digital Storytelling: Everyone Has a Story to Tell (Infopeople)
Everyone has a story to tell and our need to tell and record these stories led to the launch of the digital storytelling movement by Dana Atchley in 1993. Libraries currently preserve the memories and histories of the communities they serve in variety of formats. By the end of this webinar you’ll have the basic knowledge needed to move forward in preserving the memories and history of your community through implementation of a digital storytelling program. This webinar will be of interest to public library staff planning or currently involved with digitization and local history. This webinar highlights a California program and will focus on California libraries. Libraries in other states may find relevant content, but the focus will be on California.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://infopeople.org/training/webcasts/webcast_data/479/index.html
Thursday, January 20 (11am -12 pm)
1 hour of Netvibes (Texas State Library & Archives)
In this session of Tech Tools with Tine, technology trainer Christine Walczyk will focus on Netvibes, the popular dashboard tool. Find out more about this tool here: http://www.netvibes.com. The series is meant to be short on talk about library context and higher concepts about social media. It’s really all about the tools themselves! Our aim is to demonstrate how to use one tool in each webinar in under 60 minutes with time for Q&A built in.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/workshops/webinars/
Tuesday, January 25 (2-3 pm)
Battle Bullying with Books: Celebrate No Name-Calling Week (Booklist)
Bullying is a hot-button topic, and while kids and adults alike acknowledge the distressing problem of peer intimidation, it remains a pervasive issue. Join Booklist Publications for an hour-long webinar on how high-quality children’s and young adult literature can help prevent bullying, including a presentation by James Howe, acclaimed author of The Misfits (2001). Attendees will also learn about the eighth annual National No Name-Calling Week (January 24–28, 2011), created by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Sponsored by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Albert Whitman and Company, Rosen Publishing, and Candlewick Press.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
Tuesday, January 25 (2-3 pm)
Get Your Geek On: Improve Local Funding Outlook through Community Advocacy (WebJunction)
Geek the Library is a public awareness campaign that is used as a platform for educating the public about the library’s important local role and the critical funding issues that libraries are facing today. Campaign materials include advertising, collateral, a Web site, social media and other online tools. In this webinar, Jennifer Pearson, Advocacy Programs Senior Manager at OCLC, will discuss the campaign and how your library can participate. With Jennifer will be Heidi Gustad and Liz Kudwa of the Capitol Area Library District of Lansing, MI, who will share with you why they implemented the campaign, how they are applying it locally, and its impact on their community.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventcalendar.asp
Tuesday, January 26 (3-4 pm)
Summer Reading Outcomes Measures (Infopeople)
Further details and information can be found at http://www.infopeople.org/training/webcasts/list
Tuesday, January 26 (11am -12 pm)
Tech Talk with Michael Sauers (Nebraska Library Commission)
In this monthly feature of NCompass Live, the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Michael Sauers, will discuss the tech news of the month and share new and exciting tech for your library. There will also be plenty of time in each episode for you to ask your tech questions. So, bring your questions with you, or send them in ahead of time and Michael will have your answers.
To register for this event, go to: http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=10188
Thursday, January 27 (2-3 pm)
Libraries Are Essential: Providing Core Services for Readers (Library Journal/EBSCO)
In this first of a three-part series of webcasts on the essentialness of libraries, Robin Nesbit, Sharron Smith, and Duncan Smith explore the value of readers’ services and best practices for conveying that value to the community.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://www.libraryjournal.com/csp/cms/sites/LJ/Tools/Webcast/index.csp
Thursday, January 27 (2- 3 pm)
Understanding Unemployment Insurance and Its Impact on Your Library Customers (WebJunction)
In this webinar, we will be joined by an Unemployment Insurance Specialist from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, who will explain out how the service works. In addition, Alice Neve, Public Service Manager at St. Paul Public Library, will describe how your library can support UI customers. Using her library as an example, she will describe how to collaborate with local UI offices, analyze challenges and implement solutions throughout your library system. This session is the first in a series brought to you in collaboration with the Jobs and Small Business Task Force of MELSA, serving the eight public library systems of the Twin Cities metro region of Minnesota.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventcalendar.a
SPECIAL! Preview of a Feburary webinar:
Tuesday, February, 2nd (2-3 pm)
E Rate for Beginners
Have you heard of the federal E-rate program, but aren’t sure if it is the right choice for your library? This program is a great opportunity for libraries to receive discounts on telecommunications and Internet access, but applicants are sometimes nervous about program complexity. However, recent changes in program rules streamlined the application process for many libraries. This one-hour webinar will cover the basics of E-rate including the overall program, the application process and filing deadlines. Greg Weisiger and Donna Mattingly from E-rate Central will provide participants with the tips and tricks to a successful application and also save time at the end of the presentation for general questions.
For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1687