Librarians are Wikipedians Too

Posted on 31 July, 2012 by WJIL Project Team

Thursday, August 2, 2012 ♦ 1 pm CST ♦ 60 min ♦ Cost: $0

Wikipedia is an increasingly prominent player in the web search environment, and more people are finding it “a good place to start research.” Despite open questions regarding quality, Wikipedia shares common goals with libraries in ensuring free accessibility to information, and relying on authoritative sources. This presentation will overview the past efforts and future potential of libraries and librarians working with Wikipedia. Discussed are strategies to drive web- and foot-traffic to libraries through the use of Wikipedia. Plus powerful tips and tricks are revealed into the software and policies of Wikipedia, helping librarians to critically address quality for themselves.

Presented by: Max Klein, Wikipedian in Residence at OCLC Research

Register>>

Virtual Connections

Posted on 3 April, 2012 by WJIL Project Team

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 ♦ 1 pm Central ♦ 60 min ♦ Cost: $0

Get connected with your library patrons! Connecting with patrons in the online world is vital for libraries. Learn how to build and maintain virtual, internet-based connections with your patrons by utilizing the tools they are increasingly using themselves, including Google Plus, QR Codes, and Pinterest. We will focus on how to get started with these platforms and how to immediately put them to use for your library. You will also be provided with ideas to expand your use of these great connection-oriented tools. Learn how libraries are growing virtual community connections and engaging with their patrons.

Presented by: Melanie Hedgespeth, technology manager and Randy Merrell, tech trainer, Salina Public Library (KS)

Go to Registration Page>>

Internet Librarian Conference

Posted on 22 August, 2011 by WJIL Project Team

A discount is being offered to all ILLINET member libraries for the Internet Librarian 2011 Conference in Monterey, California on October 17–19. For information on conference topics, a preliminary program, hotels and exhibitors, visit here.

To request a registration form with special discounted ILLINET member pricing, e-mail Jill Heffernan at jheffernan@ilsos.net or call 217-557-7259. To obtain the discount, forms must be returned to Jill by September 16.

Upcoming WJ Webinar: Information Cartographer – Social Media Librarians of the Future

Posted on 21 June, 2011 by WJIL Project Team

The upcoming WebJunction Webinar Information Cartographer: Social Media Librarians of the Future is scheduled for Wednesday 7/20/2011 beginning at 1:00 PM Central Time.

Ever wonder if it’s too late or too early to bring social media services to your library? Whether you are in a one-person library or one with one hundred staff, social media applications are impacting library services just like the Internet has. But how do you fit social media into your already busy schedule, and what has to change to make that possible? Will enough of your patrons use your new services to make it worth the effort? Come hear from a library that has successfully “operationalized” its social media services and actually has fun in the process. Join Stephanie Bents, digital services librarian, and Greta Chapman, director of the Rapid City Public Libraries, recognized by USA Today as one of the top libraries in the U.S.

Trends in Social Media & Impact: Analyzing the Social Landscape

Posted on 9 May, 2011 by WJIL Project Team

Dominican University, Graduate School of Library and Information Science sponsored a workshop on Social Media Planning for Libraries. Develop a strategy – Measure effectiveness – Engage your community – Have some fun. Download the slides and handouts from this April 19, 2011 workshop presented by Dawne Tortorella sponsored by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science as part of their ongoing professional development series. One of her key messages: Don’t panic. The time you invest in articulating and understanding the reason your library needs to be present in the social media landscape can be a valuable learning experience.

You can also visit the Dominican website for a list of their programs – http://www.dom.edu/academics/gslis/continuinged.

Library News Shared on Twitter

Posted on 7 March, 2011 by WJIL Project Team

If you follow WebJunction’s Twitter feed, you won’t learn what they had for lunch or who were their Oscar picks. Instead, you’ll get links to stories of libraries and the profession in the news, and new online resources they think are worth checking out—all in bite-sized (140-character) chunks.

They also read the tweets of many other library organizations and librarians, and pass along those that will be relevant to WJ readers. The hashtag #libs4jobs is used to mark posts about libraries supporting job seekers, which are fed to the Workforce Resources section of WebJunction Illinois. And, during online conferences, attendees use #wjconf to tag their tweets from the sessions. So, if you already have joined Twitter, you can become one of the 1,400+ followers. If you are new to Twitter, we hope WebJunction’s feed will give you a reason to try it out.

New WJIL Notification Features for “Groups”

Posted on 27 July, 2010 by WJIL Project Team

WebJunction has introduced a new feature that will update you through email about what’s happening in the WebJunction groups you have created or joined. You can now opt to receive email alerts when members join the group, documents are posted, or discussion threads are started. You can also choose how often you want to receive these notifications.

To start getting your group updates:

Sign into WebJunction Illinois
Go to the Groups list on your My WebJunction page. (Via the tab at the top of the site)
Click on the Actions button by a group for which you want to receive alerts.
Click on Manage Notifications and complete the form.
Repeat steps 3-4 for each group to start alerts.

Note: If you do not set up alerts for a group, you will not receive them. You can change these settings at any time through the Manage Notifications menu on your My WebJunction page.
This new feature is in addition to the RSS feeds and discussion thread subscriptions that you may have already set up.

For more information about these and other Groups features, read the Groups User Guide. If you encounter any issues, please report them to support@webjunction.org.

ILEAD U This Week

Posted on 14 June, 2010 by WJIL Project Team

ILEAD U (Illinois Libraries Explore, Apply and Discover), the State Library’s innovative program to build technology and leadership skills among Illinois librarians, returns this week for the second of three three-day seminars.

There will be a pre-meeting Monday, June 14th for the Instructor Corps, Mentors, and ISL Staff. Follow ILEAD U on Twitter and Facebook for real-time updates June 15-17.

The keynote speech by Beck Tench will be tweeted at 8:30 a.m. CST on June 16. Tench serves as Director for Innovation and Digital Engagement at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC where she studies and experiments with how visitors and staff use technology to plan, enhance and share their everyday lives.

Maximizing Connections with “Mini” Conferences

Posted on 9 February, 2010 by WJIL Project Team

Join us on February 17th for Maximizing Local Connections and Resources with “Mini” Conferences, the second in a series of webinars presented in collaboration with REFORMA. In these times of tight budgets and restricted travel, attending national conferences has become impossible for many library staff. Many local and regional agencies are joining forces to coordinate “mini” conferences that provide the means of connecting and collaborating locally, often providing a more focused and meaningful experience for attendees.

Since 2005, the Northeast Chapter of REFORMA has joined forces with ALA ethnic caucuses to present a terrific conference where library workers network, exchange ideas and listen to quality speakers. What started as an idea has grown into an annual event embraced by REFORMA, AILA, APALA, BCALA and CALA. Come hear best practices in planning, coordinating and hosting a “mini” conference from your colleagues who have had success in their regions. Webinar presenters include Loida Garcia-Febo, REFORMA president, Tess Tobin, REFORMA’s Northeast Chapter; and Haipeng Li and Janice Rice, co-chairs of the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color.

More information on registration on L2.

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A weblog for the WebJunction Illinois community

Category Archives: Social Computing