BlogJunction Connecticut » Continuing Education

LJ: Building a LibraryAware Community: Making the Connection

Kris — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:06 +0000

Does your library need to build stronger community connections, but the thought of where to start leaves you feeling overwhelmed? This webinar will inspire you to kick-start the process.
We have gathered together four amazing librarians who will share the philosophies that helped them integrate outreach into their library’s DNA. They will talk about their programs that built strong community relationships, helped library staff members make incredible connections with high powered executives and helped a community get on board with using eBooks. Best of all, they will talk about how any of these programs can easily be scaled to your library.
And then we will move into “kitchen table” talks where our speakers will genuinely talk about the challenges they faced and overcame, as well as ideas they wished they had pursued (or still dream of pursuing).

Join us and get inspired by the energy, creativity, optimism, and leadership that have made each of these libraries successful.

Thursday, February 16, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: Building a LibraryAware Community: Making the Connection

OCLC: Cloud Computing 101

Kris — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:05 +0000

“Cloud computing” seems to be all the rage, but what actually is it? This overview presentation will explain what cloud computing offers libraries, how libraries are using these services, and what you should consider when thinking about using a cloud service in your library. A distinction between services for end-users and services for organizations will be made, explained, and illustrated, as well as the terms used to describe cloud services. Learn how quick and easy it now is to deploy applications “in the cloud” using tools such as Google Docs, Google App Engine, and Amazon’s Web Services, among others. Resources for further exploration will be included.

*If you require Closed Captioning in order to attend this webinar, please contact Jennifer Peterson by February 3 petersoj@oclc.org.

Thursday, February 9, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m
Onnline

For additional details and registration information visit: WJ: Cloud Computing 101

InfoPeople: Youth Media Activities in Your Community: Teaching Digital Natives

Kris — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:22 +0000

Engaging today’s youth through technology is critical to reach a generation that has had access to advanced technology throughout their entire educational and personal lives. Reaching this “tech generation” may seem overwhelming as the proliferation of technology advances and the ever-changing trends make it difficult to determine what efforts will be effective. This webinar will focus on what you can do to educate and engage youth using technology.

*Find out how prevalent technology is in the lives of youth.
oTake a look at the facts
*Understand the opportunities to incorporate technology into your youth programs.
oCheck out what other libraries are doing
*Determine where to start.
oReceive tips and tools to engage youth using technology.
*Learn how to get things moving.
oReceive resources that can assist you with next steps.

By the end of this webinar attendees will have the basic knowledge to incorporate technology into your programs engage and educate youth.

This one-hour introductory webinar will be of interest to library staff that are ready to embrace online technologies to engage their young patrons.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: InfoPeople: Youth Media Activities in Your Community: Teaching Digital Natives

InfoPeople: Children’s Literature Update 2012

Kris — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:28 +0000

Frustrated that you cannot think of a recommendation when a child asks for a “good book to read?”
Tired of recommending the same books because you can’t think of anything new to recommend to a child visiting the library?

Discover the new books that you can recommend to children who use your library! Hear about books published in 2011, and upcoming Spring 2012 titles, that will be popular with children ages 0-12. These include picture books, easy readers, transitional fiction, genre fiction for middle grades, graphic novels, poetry, nonfiction, and more! Hear about books that will appeal to the “reluctant reader,” boys who may have drifted away from reading, and books that will have popularity with a wide audience of children.

At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will:

Be able to identify “read-alikes” – other books you can recommend to children after you find out their favorite book
Discover books that will grab the attention of reluctant readers, including the newest graphic novels for kids, nonfiction including “gross” topics, and popular culture titles
Hear a recap of the recent ALA awards (such as Newbery, Caldecott, etc.) and other recent children’s book awards, to make sure you have these available to recommend
Take away a list of helpful websites to use when doing readers’ advisory, and sites that will help you keep up-to-date on the latest children’s books

This webinar will be of interest to any library staff or volunteer who serves children ages 0-12, in either public or school libraries.

Thursday, February 2, 2012
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: InfoPeople: Children’s Literature Update 2012

OCLC: Developing and Maintaining E-Reader Policies & Procedures for Libraries

Kris — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:28 +0000

As debates rage on about e-books, publishers and privacy, how are libraries approaching policies for managing e-readers? Join us for this webinar focused on the nuts and bolts of serving patrons with gadgets, including policies and procedures for libraries lending e-readers and for patrons using their own readers to access library e-book collections. Hear from a library who has e-reader policies and procedures in place, including how they review and update polices; and from a library who’s recently developed policies and procedures after researching and learning from many other libraries.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online

*If you require Closed Captioning in order to attend this webinar, please contact Jennifer Peterson by January 25 petersoj@oclc.org.

For additional details and registration information visit: WJ: Developing and Maintaining E-Reader Policies & Procedures for Libraries

TechSoup: App it Up!

Kris — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:30:37 +0000

In this free, one-hour webinar, we will share valuable information regarding creating and using apps in libraries and nonprofits. Thanks to a grant from Microsoft, TechSoup’s App it Up project has enabled us to learn about the kinds of apps nonprofits and libraries are using to engage constituents, tell stories, and accomplish their goals. Discover popular apps you can put to use right now. Listen in when Shawn Michael of NPower explains how her organization effectively uses apps. Find out how to develop and deploy an “app-propriate” strategy when we share tips and lessons learned on the entire process of developing apps.

Thursday, January 19, 2012
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: TechSoup: App it Up!

GLS: Ebooks, Discovery, and the Library

Kris — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:30 +0000

Publishers, authors, booksellers, and librarians have traditionally thought of discovery as something that happens in a physical place. A patron browses the shelf, a librarian offers some reader’s advisory, a new author is picked up from an artfully created display. Online discovery lags behind, despite Amazon’s best efforts. People still pick books up based on word of mouth. Libraries, with entire sections of staff devoted to helping people pick out books, are word of mouth engines, but struggle to prove our worth to the rest of the book ecosystem. Ebooks make that even more difficult when the library as place is taken out of the equation. This session will explore some possibilities for libraries as channels of discovery in an ebook-dominated market.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: GLS: Ebooks, Discovery, and the Library

GLS: WordPress for Library Websites (and more!)

Kris — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:00:07 +0000

Does your organization need a new web site? One that is more dynamic, easy to update and can easily incorporate social media and other ways to communicate with your library’s patrons/customers? WordPress (free, opensource) may be the answer. WordPress is a powerful web Content Management System (CMS) that has grown far beyond its origins as a blogging tool.

WordPress can be used to power your library website and help you build a dynamic web presence for your library, school, personal web site, business or other project. Its ease of use and flexibility make it a perfect choice for libraries that are struggling to keep their websites up to date and/or looking for a more up-to-date look for their website. Its extensibility via plugins and other customizations make it a great choice for more complex sites as well.

This webinar will cover:
*Examples of sites built with WordPress
*Why WordPress is a great choice for schools & libraries
*Hosting options and requirements
*WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
*Making it look great: Themes
*Building blocks of WordPress: Posts & Pages

You’ll leave the webinar with an understanding of how to get started building your own WordPress site and be able to evaluate whether WordPress is the right solution for your library’s needs. (If you’re interested in learning more about WordPress, ALA is offering a 6 week WordPress eCourse starting in January.)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: GLS: WordPress for Library Websites (and more!)

OCLC: Building Bridges Speaker Series: Communicating Your Value

Kris — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:00:06 +0000

Without sufficient funding, your service to your community can suffer. But you can effectively communicate your value to those who fund your library—learn how.

This free OCLC Web seminar is a live presentation viewable via the Web with audio provided by WebEx.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: OCLC: Building Bridges Speaker Series: Communicating Your Value

InfoPeople: Caregiver Resources

Kris — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:45 +0000

A recent study on caregiving reported a startling statistic: during any given year, more than 65 million people, (nearly 30% of the U.S. population), provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend and spend an average of 20 hours per week providing that care. Other findings show that these efforts take numerous tolls on caregivers, including extraordinary time demands, financial burdens, and the physical and mental health status. Impacts on employers and the workplace are significant, in terms of lost productivity, reduced time at work, and increased health care costs.

This webinar will give library staff practical knowledge about the information needs and the role of the caregiver. Topics to be covered will include:

What the caregiver needs to know and do – resources for:
•Planning
•Decision making
•Working with the healthcare team
•Day-to-day tasks required to care for the loved one

Health and wellness of the caregiver:
•Finding support groups
•Tips for managing stress
•Coping with feelings of anger, sadness, and grief

Tips and strategies for working with library employees who are caregivers

At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will:
•Understand the spectrum of caregiving topics, from daily tasks to the issues and challenges facing people who are in caregiver situations
•Be aware of caregiver resources for specific conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease
•Be able to find resources regarding financial issues and housing decisions
•Be able to provide support resources for the health and wellbeing of the caregiver

This webinar will be of interest to public library staff, including reference librarians or reference desk staff, adult and teen services librarians, and staff from organizations who provide health information to consumers and members of the public.

January 19, 2012
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: InfoPeople: Caregiver Resources