LIBRARY LOUNGE

Just finished reading the Movers and Shakers from Library Journal and I was really excited about some of the programs these Librarians have implemented. Tony Tallent of PLCMC had a great one that he calls “Drop Everything and Learn Day”. He describes this as a “learn-and-play program encouraging staff to stay curious and inspired as they learn from one another.”

When I read this I just had a gut feeling that it would be an effective team building exercise/program for our staff. I would love to put the word out asking staff, “what skill do you have that you would like to teach your fellow workers”. We could then gather up these “mini” programs and offer them during an in-service day. Staff could pick and choose to attend what they think would be fun and helpful for them. Each one would be 45 minutes and throughout the day staff would rotate through the programs they choose.

Some ideas for mini programs: Yoga, 4 of my favorite Internet Tools (Flickr, Protopage, Pandora, Bloglines), Second Life 101, Independent Bookstores - Why They are good for libraries and for consumers, How to manage your schedule (and more) with Outlook, Time Management Tools, How to Improve Your Credit, Shopping for Bargains in Adams County (the best of the best) etc.

So many of our staff have interests that they are passionate about and by being asked to share their passions I think we can make a huge stride in building a “team” at our Library.

I just finished a great column by Rachel Singer Gordon and Jessamyn West in the February Issue of Computers in Libraries (tech tips for every librarian - page 42-43). I especially related to the following quotes:

“If we want to continue to market ourselves as a place for answers and support - not to mention as a place to get on-line - we can’t leave out the technological piece entirely. We can certainly establish a level of support that we are able to and willing to provide, then refer patrons to an authority on the subject (just as we would refer them to a community law library for legal resources, or to a doctor for medical advice). But when we provide no support at all, we leave a gaping hole in our claim to provide information and make it more difficult to make the argument that libraries remain essential in a technological society.” (emphasis is mine)

“When patrons’ attempts to access our online resources with their personal equipment are thwarted, they deserve the same level of support as they’d get if they were in the library.”

“When we provide and promote technology in our libraries, we take on a certain responsibility for ensuring patrons’ smooth use of that technology. When we take on the role of providing information, we can’t decide that technology is somehow exempt.” (emphasis is mine)

“Providing technology support and training for patrons parallels our role in supporting literacy, from our story times through our collections to our sponsorship of formal literacy programs. Computer literacy today is equally as important for participating in society, whether it involves applying for jobs on the internet or looking up a book in the online catalog.”

I look forward to a time when this attitude is predominant in libraries of all sizes and job descriptions change to encompass these ideas.
Mindy

Dump the Org. Chart: Get `Er Done!: Management for a 2.0 Library

I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this SirsiDynix Institute presentation. You can listen to it as a podcast or view it using your Windows Media Player. If you have never checked out the free programs from the SirsiDynix Institute I highly recommend them. I have watched quite a few and have never felt that it was a waste of my time.

They describe them as: the SirsiDynix Institute presents compelling speakers selected from among leaders in librarianship and information technology. In each biweekly Web conference, presenters will share their expertise and enhance your understanding of current topics important to librarians.

One of my favorites was 25 Technologies in 50 Minutes by Stephen Abram MLS —Vice President Innovations, SirsiDynix. Another one I highly recommend is Library Conflict Management for Consenting Adults Turning Enemies into Allies by Pat Wagner —President, Pattern Research.

On Friday I was able to attend an Internet Safety Conference sponsored by the Boulder Valley School District and the Internet Safety Foundation. There were a lot of educators and law enforcement officials including representatives from the FBI and there were also a few public and school librarians.

Although there were plenty of participants who seemed to believe that filtering and censorship was the way to go, that was not the main focus of the conference - education and training was. The Daily Camera said, “The main message of the conference: The Internet, from educational sites for research to social networking sites such as MySpace.com, is an integral part of teen life. Instead of trying to block it or ignore it, parents and educators need strategies to keep children safe — and teach children how to keep themselves safe.”

I think this is an important role for - and a challenge - for librarians. We can and should step up to the plate here. I know that many libraries do offer training in this area.

A great starting point looks like the programs put together by a group called iCrew. iCrew was started by Monarch High School graduates Lynn Ersek and Kelsey Kreager. They created Internet safety lessons that they use to talk to Boulder Valley elementary, middle and high school students. As part of iCrew, they’re also making Internet safety podcasts for teens. Who better to talk to teens than other teens.

You can find the podcasts here. I am hoping to invite them to come to our libraries and do some programming for both staff and our community.

Continuing Education Calendar for Colorado Libraries

As discussed at today’s branch manager’s meeting, above is the linke to the Calender of training opportunities in Colorado for different types of Library Training and Conferences.

Mindy

Archive of Previous OPAL Events About
Library and Information Science Topics and Trends

Below are just some highlights of the many programs that are available for your viewing:

Meet the Millennials: Risk Takers and Rule Makers, presented by Jami Schwarzwalder on October 6, 2006.

Sustaining the Rural Library, presented by Bernard Vavrek on October 4, 2006. Sponsored by the State Library of Kansas.

“Libraries Building Community Through Citizen Dialogue” presented on September 15, 2006 by Taylor Willingham, Donna Lauffer, and Therese Bigelow. Sponsored by the Johnson County Library.

Developing Community Programming presented by Jennifer Mahnken from the Johnson County (Kansas) Library on July 21, 2006.

SOCIAL SOFTWARE: A SURVEY OF WEB 2.0

Ten Top Technologies for Librarians 2006 presented by Michael Stephens from the Tame the Web Blog on April 6, 2006.

Do any of these sound interesting to you? If so just click on the link above and scroll down until you find the program you want to watch. You will be able to hear the dialogue as well as view the slides just as if you were there during the original presentation.

Mindy