BlogJunction Kansas » Tech

Frequently Asked Questions: Broadband Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Jeff — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:29:04 +0000

Bob Bocher, Technology Consultant for the Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning, Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, has put together an excellent overview of the opportunities for funding improvements to broadband infrastructure included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). In the form of any easy-to-read FAQ, you can find it at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/arrabbfaqgen.pdf.

The Top Ten Things You Can Do Now…To Get Broadband Stimulus Funding for Your Library

Jeff — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:16:32 +0000

The Washington Office of the American Library Assocation has posted The Top Ten Things You Can Do Now…To Get Broadband Stimulus Funding for Your Library.

“Good tips on actions to take or consider undertaking,” says Bob Bocher, Co-Chair of the ALA Office of Information Technology Policy’s Telecom Subcommittee.

Technology Planning in TechAtlas

Jeff — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:29:17 +0000

Technology Planning in TechAtlas

January 29, 2009 10:00 AM Pacific/ 1:00 PM Eastern

Join us for a free, 60 minute webinar where you will discover a free software designed just for libraries that offers an easy, step-by-step process for creating a technology plan from mission and vision to goals and objectives along with budget development. Learn how to use WebJunction’s TechAtlas for Libraries.

In challenging economic times, creating a sound technology plan with well documented budgetary needs can assist you in gaining Board approval and funding. Learn how to build a strategically designed set of goals, objectives, and activities that can be assigned to staff with deliverable deadlines and planned funding.

E-rate applicants that need to write technology plans can also use the TechAtlas for Libraries and take advantage of specific tips and reminders to keep in mind while going through the planning process.

Joy of Computing Toolkit – New from MaintainIT

Cindi — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:35:07 +0000

Here is the line up for MaintainIT’s winter webinars. They are FREE and you don’t have to leave your desk to attend! Register for the events you want to attend (see the links below). Want to stay in the loop with MaintainIT? Subscribe to the events page RSS feed to be automatically notified of upcoming MaintainIT webinars, train-the-trainers and book clubs.

Laptop Labs: Creating, Maintaining, and Using Them
When: 12/09/2008 11:00am – 11:30am Pacific
Register: http://tinyurl.com/5t2zne
Duration: 30 Minutes
Description: Maybe you’ve been dreaming about building a laptop lab to use for training and now you’re ready to make it a reality. What should you buy? What kind of maintenance will be involved? How have other libraries used laptop labs? Join this fast-paced and interactive webinar to find out more. Take 30 minutes out of your day to learn from the experiences of others and get something started. This webinar is offered in collaboration with WebJunction. Remote Desktop Software: A MaintainIT Book Club Discussion
When: 12/16/2008 11:00am – 12:00pm Pacific
Register: http://tinyurl.com/6ebvn6
Duration: One hour
Description: Every month, MaintainIT hosts an online book club discussion. We select a chapter from one of the free Cookbooks, invite people to read it, and then meet to discuss. December’s Book Club Topic is: Remote Desktop Software.

Keeping up with technology: A MaintainIT webinar
When: 12/12/2008 11:00am – 12:00pm Pacific
Register: http://tinyurl.com/5w2gdn
Duration: One hour
Description: Keeping up with technology can seem overwhelming. In that sea of information, where do you find relevant resources for your library? In this free webinar, we’ll explore some of those resources… and why you’ll reap a number of benefits when investigating new resources, saving time and money.

Using MaintainIT Resources for Technology Training: Focus on Best Practices
Event Type: Train-the-Trainer
When: 12/17/2008 11:00am – 12:00pm Pacific
Register: http://tinyurl.com/6jnuod
Duration: One hour
Description: The MaintainIT Project has gathered hundreds of stories and best practice examples related to public access computing in libraries. We have created resources that may be of use to you in the training you provide. We’ll review some of the ways libraries are using our resources for training and showcase best practices for technology training in public libraries.

ARCHIVE NOW AVAILABLE: In case you missed one of the webinars, or if you want revisit one again, visit: http://www.maintainitproject.org/events/archive. Each new webinar will be added to the archive within a day after it’s debut.

New MaintainIT Cookbook Features Planning

Cindi — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:03:30 +0000

“Joy of Computing — Planning for Success,” http://www.maintainitproject.org/cookbooks/planning-for-success

MaintainIT’s latest cookbook is a guide for the over-worked librarian. This comprehensive online resource offers the most current ideas and best practices for planning, building, and managing your library’s computer technology. “Planning for Success” does not aim to turn you into a networking guru. Rather it provides the details you need to get your library’s technology up and running properly, sustain its growth, and ensure its viability. Based on real life experiences and successes of librarians across the country, this cookbook is supported by a complete set of online tools and links to additional Internet resources. One librarian that shared her real life experience is Monique Sendze, Johnson County Library. Browse this table of contents for a preview of the cookbook:

* Planning and Decision Making covers the ins and outs of creating a technology plan that ties to your strategic priorities and goals.
* Communication and Partnerships delves in the fundamentals of day-to-day technology communication from a “techie” and “non-techie” perspective. It also includes some important guidelines for working and collaborating with key stakeholders.
* Buying and Deploying Technology goes through some of the core actions and decisions you need to consider when planning deployments, installations, and upgrades.
* Maintaining and Sustaining Technology offers important insight into the daily management of public computers.
* Networking and Security covers some of the basic standards and practices for ensuring your library’s network security.
* Innovation highlights the true value of today’s libraries and the role in serving as the center of new community conversations via a much higher level of user interactivity and experiences. If you are ready for Web 2.0, this is a good place to start.

MaintainIT serves a full menu of live webinars that will help you make the most of the cookbook series while giving you the chance to share your successes and ask your questions. Visit the MaintainIT events calendar, http://www.maintainitproject.org/events for an up-to-date listing.

Questions? Contact Brenda Hough, bhough at techsoupglobal.org

Kansas stars in the next MaintainIT webinar

Brenda — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:30:53 +0000

Sharon Moreland and Liz Rea, from the Northeast Kansas Library System, will be the stars of the June 18th free MaintainIT webinar called, “Notes on setting up wireless at your library”. This 30-minute session will cover just the basics on how you can set up wireless without being a super-techie or super-human.

Wednesday, June 18th, 1 PM (Central Time Zone)
Instructions for joining the webinar can be found HERE.

Hope to see you there!

Reducing your online footprint

Royce — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:41:49 +0000

Ever done a google search on your favorite username, or your name?

Well, it is a good way to figure out what things you have signed up for over the years. Since jumping full-on into this 2.0 thing a few years ago, I have found that there are literally dozens of things I have signed up for that I no longer use. Myspace, Mog, Utterz, Pownce, flock, speck, etc……the list goes on. I have tried a few things out and found that for the most part it only takes a couple of days to figure out if you are into what the the service or site has to offer.

My recent divorce with an online social networking site has been twitter. It only takes so many times of a site being down or not working for me to move on, and twitter was hitting about 50% on whether it was up or not. Just not reliable enough, plus I got really tired of people telling me how useful it was without ever presenting any real world examples of success.

Right now, I am putting all my chips on Facebook. I find that next to my Gmail account, Facebook really fills the needs for interaction that I have. And now that Facebook has added chat, I am pretty much set. (It should be noted that nothing will hang a browser quite like using Facebook chat.)

I am curious, what 2.0 tools have you tossed aside, and which ones are must haves?

Discuss.

Now You Can Find MaintainIT on WebJunction Kansas

Cindi — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:59:55 +0000

MaintainIT, the library technology cookbook people are now available on WebJunction Kansas. From their WJ-KS location you can link to a pot full of resources to help you keep your library computers humming. Here is just a taste of the kinds of information waiting there for you.

MaintainIT Cookbooks – packed with tips and techniques from public librarians from across the country, with practical information covering a variety of topics related to maintaining your public computers (New cookbooks will be released this summer.)
Library Spotlights – learn from the experiences and strategies of other librarians who are keeping their public computers running.
http://ks.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=19996 – Live online sessions where librarian, cookbook contributors share their stories. Next up is Wednesday, May 21 at 1:00 CDT, Noon MDT, Wireless Acceptable Use Policies. You’ll also find links to archived sessions here. (Instructions for Joining the Webinar.)
Discussions
– where difficulties are aired and solutions are shared. Post your thoughts and be sure to share how you’ve used the Cookbooks in your library.

Sharon Moreland Blogs MaintainIT

Cindi — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:21:05 +0000

Have you visited the MaintainIT blog? If not, do it now and you will be treated to a new guest blogger post by our own Sharon Moreland, director of the Tonganoxie Public Library.

Sharon’s posting, “Top 10 list of why my patrons will love Koha,” will introduce you to Koha, an open source cataloging product. Sharon’s previous posting, “From Sirsi to Koha,” talks about issues related to transitioning to a new catalog system. If you been hearing about “open source catalogs” and want to know more — Sharon’s postings will get you started.

Sharon is one of the guest chefs for MaintainIT’s second cookbook, “Recipes for a 5-Star Library.” Other Kansas chefs contributing to “Recipes” are Jamie Kelly, Marysville Public Library, Ken Werne, Johnson County Library and Kim Priest, Mary Cotton Library, Sabetha.

The MaintainIT Project is a three-year project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Stories from public libraries about how they support public computers and their tips and techniques are published in Cookbooks and articles, available for FREE on the project web site. MaintainIT is a project of TechSoup, (www.techsoup.org) a nonprofit with extensive experience helping other nonprofits use technology effectively.

One More on Virtual PLA

Cindi — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:40:54 +0000

Just one more quick note: excellent session on reference in today’s world by Joe Janes and I am now listening to Nancy Pearl. What I really like about the method of this conference is that the delivery is styled to the presenter. Nancy is conducting a conversation with us – no formal presentation but answering our questions. Joe Janes did more a straight presentation with questions woven in and taken at the end.

The variety is helping me stay engaged in what would otherwise would be a lonnng day online.

The sessions are backed up by discussion forums and the archives of the recorded sessions. Tomorrow, I’ll talk about them.

Later!

P.S. WebJunction is the sponsor for the PLA Virtual Conference. Thank you, WebJunction!