Resources

Choose the Right Path

• Pathfinders provide efficient access to collections of resources with common themes and different organizational needs. These guides are often created for academic and public library patrons as introductory maps to locations and subjects of information items. Explore some of the WJ pathfinders such as Internet Filtering and CIPA and Open Source Solutions for Libraries and see a list of models for creating pathfinders developed for the Springfield Township High School Virtual Library.

Libraries as 21st Century Technology Leaders

• Through an LSTA grant - Libraries as 21st Century Technology Leaders: Developing a Statewide Toolkit - a statewide research study, under the direction of the North Suburban Library System, identified and shared the best practices of academic, public, and school libraries which have embraced and integrated new technologies into their library services. Download and read the report and on this innovative project, then take the assessment by visiting the project wiki, and share your library’s success stories and how-to instructions on how best to leverage technology in your library.

Successful Patron Interactions 

• If you’ve ever come away from a patron interaction feeling frustrated and discouraged, you’re not alone. Providing services to people is an unpredictable roller coaster of twists and turns, and sometimes it feels like you’re barely hanging on for the ride! The good news is that working effectively with the public is a skill set that can be learned and refined through practice. Find out more about the courses available to you on this topic on WJIL, and download an example of a problem patron policy.

Community

New Illinois Libraries PhotoMosaic

• In this latest addition to the Illinois Libraries Group Portrait, the Indian Trails Public Library bookmobile and the Lincoln Trail Libraries System staff are front and center.

Live from WJIL – The DuKane School Institute

• WebJunction Illinois visited with school library staff from the DuPage Library System at the annual DuKane Institute. This video segment shares brief clips from 3 presentations delivered at the Institute and provides some of the supplemental materials from those presentations.

Courses and Learning

Strategies for the Health Reference Interview with Spanish Speakers

• Listen to the archive of this Spanish Language Outreach Webinar, download the presentation slides and follow the quick links to additional materials mentioned in the webinar.

WebJunction and Drexel University offer Discounts on Online Degree Program

• If you are looking to earn your Master’s in Library Science but don’t want to put your career on hold to pursue it, then a Drexel Online degree program may be the answer! Through a partnership with Drexel, Webjunction Illinois members will receive 20% off the on-campus tuition rates when enrolling in either the MS in Information Systems or the ALA-accredited MS in Library & Information Science program offered through Drexel’s College of Information Science and Technology (iSchool!) Click on the link above for additional information.