PLA Virtual Conference - Sign up for sessions!

Not going to be in Portland for the 13th National Conference of the Public Library Association?

All Cumberland County Library System staff are invited by the Capital Area Library District (CALD) to attend individual sessions during the PLA's 2010 Virtual Conference, and it's being hosted at CADM in the computer training lab! There will be 6 sessions on each day - March 24 and 25 - between 10:45 am and 6:15 pm.

CALD purchased 9 seats per session as an opportunity for continuing education, and each participant will receive 1 CE credit for each session attended. There is a limit of 9 people in the room at any time, so sign-ups are on a first come, first serve basis. Pick and choose the sessions that most interest you!

After the event, each library will be billed for their attendees. It will cost $5 for each person to attend each session. Please try not to cancel at the last minute, because then we’d have empty seats.

View session names and sign up from the CCLS staff Intranet. Find details and links for Thursday, March 25 and Friday, March 26. Hope to see you there!

MLS Scholarships from PaLA

Thanks to the continued support of both individuals and corporate sponsors, three MLS Scholarships are available to Pennsylvania residents and Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) personal members who are seeking a Master's degree in the Library Science field that will earn them professional status.

Deadline for submission is May 15, 2010. This $1,500 award requires that twelve credits must be completed toward the degree during the scholarship year. Verification of enrollment in an ALA accredited program and three references are required.

Read more about it on the PaLA website.

Engaging Your Audience with a Poll

Every so often I come across a really cool (mostly free) tool that I want to share with the world. This is one of them! My thanks to Buffy Hamilton for making a very detailed posting about it on the ALA Learning blog. She starts by saying:

One of the coolest tools I have discovered for engaging teen learners....as well as adult participants in my presentations is the service Poll Everywhere.

Poll Everywhere allows you to pose a question to your audience via an embedded widget on your website or blog; you can also embed a poll directly into a PowerPoint! Your audience members can then respond to your poll via SMS text, Twitter, or the web.

Please read the full post to learn more about it. She give real life examples of putting this tool to use with photos and tutorials. Use of this technology is free for questions allowing up to 30 responses, which is perfect for a small training session or a teen advisory group. And you can customize the auto-responder message for cell phone users. Poll results automatically update on your PowerPoint slide, web pages, blog posts, web forums or almost any other technology that works in a web browser.

If you are a Cumberland County library staff person and decide to use this, please let me know! I'd love to hear about your success or experience.

Bee Alert - Google is Rolling out New Tools!

Google Buzz is a new way to share updates, photos, videos and more with the world, or your just your friends. Through your existing Gmail account, you can start sharing each time you post from your computer or mobile device. Google Buzz connects to other sites - currently Picasa, Flickr, Google Reader, and Twitter - so you can seamlessly share what you're doing around the web. And of course you can edit your privacy settings.

Check it out on YouTube:



You'll want to know more about Google Buzz, because as word spreads (and it spreads the minute you open your Gmail account!), you'll want to be able to assist library customers with questions.

Read more about it on the Google blog. Find information on editing privacy settings at the SaveDelete blog. Or learn how to rid your life of it altogether at CNET News.

Webinars for Policy Makers

I ran across a couple of online webinar sessions that will not be hosted as CCLS trainings, but may be of interest to library managers and policy review team members. CCLS, with the help of our soliciter, just finalized some policies related to photography and videography in the library, but this still looks like it would be an informative and thought provoking webinar. It is brought to the library community by Infopeople.org:

Library Laws for the Mobile Web Environment

This one-hour webinar will be of interest to library managers, anyone who works public service, those who create content for library social networking sites, and those looking for guidance regarding a variety of situations facing libraries using the mobile web and social networking.

This presentation will be archived, or participate live on Thursday, February 18 at 3:00 pm.

If policy writing and online learning interest you, you might also enjoy the following Infopeople webinars, which are archived and available anytime:

• New Copyright Tools and Best Practices: Copyright Law Update 2010
  
• Writing a Library Behavior Code
  

Snuggle up with a Web Conference!

Just in time for the snowstorm!

Tomorrow and Wednesday, WebJunction is hosting a free two-day online conference called Technology Essentials 2010.

The focus is

"on practical and timely strategies for leveraging technology to help you in a wide range of library services and operations, including:

• Staff training
• Marketing
• Outreach, funding, advocacy
• Services and programming
• Technology planning
• Virtual libraries
• Your library's web presence"

Session and speaker information is available on WebJunction and there is still space available for additional registrants.

There are short, one-hour talks on a variety of topics. Log in and use WebEx (client download required) to access the training, and you can come and go to sessions as you like. Use VoIP or a toll free phone number for audio access, and complete the post-conference survey for CE credits.

CCLS staff are asked to use the wireless connection at their libraries, or a home computer connection, in order to avoid overtaxing the CCLS computer network. That is, assuming our buildings are open!

As for me, despite the snow, I'll be participating from some virtual location...either home or office!

Shmoop Overview for Teachers on SlideShare

Since writing my last post, I found this overview that also looks very informative!

Shmoop Overview for Teachers: Fun, Rigorous Resources for Your Classroom

View more presentations from Shmoop .

Are You Using Shmoop?

I'm feeling a little out of the loop that I hadn't heard of Shmoop! And I'm not going to claim to be an expert on it here, rather point you in the direction to learn more, and encourage anyone who has had experience with it to comment.

I enjoyed reading about it on CNET and on the Shmoop site, which includes a video explanation of Shmoop and testimonials from users.

Shmoop’s mission is to make learning and writing fun and relevant for students in the digital age. Shmoop subjects span from middle school to college levels, with an emphasis on high school curriculum with free student Learning Guides in literature, poetry, bestsellers, history, civics, biography, and music.

There are also Teacher's Guides with free access to standards-based activities and related interdisciplinary readings and fee access to discussion and essay questions, quizzes, and activities for relating the topic to current events and pop culture.

Shmoop content is written by master teachers and Ph.D. students from Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and other top universities.

There are Firefox Add-ons for Shmoop and Shmoop online books for your eReader. Follow Shmoop on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or their own blog and learn more!

In this age where Pennsylvania libraries and schools are losing so many resources, I'm curious if this will fill in some of the gaps?

Computers in Libraries - Save 50%

The 25th annual Computers in Libraries conference is taking place in Arlington, VA at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City on April 12 - 14, and the theme this year is Information Fluency: Literacy for Life.

Check out the Conference at a Glance, and follow progress before, during and after the conference on the CIL Wiki.

Lyrasis members can benefit from a 50% discount on the registration fee. Pay $244 for the full conference fee by registering through Lyrasis (not Information Today) using the fax registration form created just for this special fee. It must be to Lyrasis by March 8 (the form says March 15, but the web site says March 8!) to be eligible.

Looking for another money saving tip? We saved over $1000 by renting a townhouse near a Metro station!

What's the BIG Idea?™ Training - CCLS Staff are Invited!

Have you always wanted to incorporate math and science into your library programming and resources? What's the BIG Idea?™ will help you make math and science connections to the programs you're already doing with young children and their families. It will help you bring science and mathematics content, skills and processes to almost any interaction you have with them.

With What's the BIG Idea?™ you will:

• Increase the number of children attending your programs
• Get children excited about math and science
• Use hands-on activities to make books come alive
• Meet national and local education standards
• Have fun!

Children learn math and science by doing math and science. They need to ask questions, have discussions, explore using a variety of materials, collect data and talk about what they're doing. Picture books are a powerful tool to help introduce children to math and science. Make your story hours come alive with math and science activities for young children and their families.

A What’s the Big Idea? workshop will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on Thursday, February 25th at the Hershey Library. Directions can be found on their website, www.hersheylibrary.org. Library staff members should register by February 19 if you are planning to attend, so that the appropriate number of take-home materials can be ordered.

Here is the agenda, in brief:

1. What IS the Big Idea and how it relates to state standards
2. Fun graphing activity (we promise!)
3. Real life experiences of using What’s the Big Idea in a local library
4. Hands-on exploration of program materials with a special focus on Make a Splash! Summer theme
5. How to plan What’s the Big Idea programs, including hands-on planning time
6. Conclusion & evaluation

You will earn 3 hours of continuing education credits for attending. If you have any questions, visit http://www.mothergooseprograms.org to find out more about the What’s the Big Idea? program.

State Budget Cuts Mean Fewer Databases on POWER Library

While POWER Library’s EBSCOhost database subscriptions officially ended on December 31, 2009, EBSCO has ensured that access to the affected resources was uninterrupted for the standard one-month grace period.

Please be advised that this grace period will end on January 31, 2010. This means all schools and public library sites in Pennsylvania will no longer have access to EBSCOhost databases. This is in addition to the POWER Library databases that have already expired.

You may or may not be aware that CCLS has three representatives working with other librarians in the Capital Area Library System to determine, based on what we are losing and the prices we can negotiate, how some of these resources may be replaced at the local level.

You will see these databases disappearing from our Databases tab on HIP and the Searchable Resources page of the web site.

For a limited time, you will find specific database information and the names of our Reference Database team members on the Computer Services News site (Intranet login required.)

WebJunction PA is Here!

HSLC/Access PA and WebJunction partner to provide WebJunction Pennsylvania (WJPA).

Pennsylvania joins over fifteen other states in this cooperative educational system. Under grant from the Pennsylvania Office of Commonwealth Libraries, library employees, library board members, and trustees in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania receive access to discount online courses.

To access the subsidized courses, eligible persons must create a free account on WebJunction or edit an existing one. Be sure to request affiliation with WebJunction Pennsylvania (found under the My Affiliations tab when editing your account.)

Enrolling for courses through the WebJunction Pennsylvania site provides an opportunity to earn CE credits at a very low cost and no travel time. The WebJunction system keeps track of courses taken and can generate a certificate upon course completion.

Log into the CCLS Intranet site for more information.

Libraries can also apply to spotlighted on the PA home page, and listed in the Pennsylvania Spotlights. Download the form and send it in - full information is available on the WebJunction PA site.

10 Things Every Raiser's Edge User Should Know

While reading my latest issue of The User's Edge, Blackbaud's newsletter for Raiser's Edge users, I came across some great checklists that will help users be most effective with the software.

All CCLS Raiser's Edge users should check this one out:

Ready Reference: 10 Things Every Raiser's Edge User Should Know - The User's Edge

Each topic has a link to the Blackbaud Knowledge Base (site login required - most users have one and can be emailed usernames and passwords through the site help; if you need one, contact Jonelle.) The Knowledge Base also links to video demos and user guides for some of the topics.

These are all topics covered in the three sessions of basic training offered by the CCLS training services department, but if you'd like a refresher, it's a great resource!

eBooks on the CCLS Web Site

For those avid bakers out there who don't mind reading a book online, NetLibrary's December eBook of the Month through AccessPA is the full text of The Modern Baker: Time-Saving Techniques for Breads, Tarts, Pies, Cakes and Cookies by Nick Malgieri.

You can get to NetLibrary by going to our web site, clicking on Library Collection > Searchable Resources > eBooks > NetLibrary.

Feel free to read it and try the techniques out on me! (PS - CCLS libraries also own one hard copy at New Cumberland Public Library.)

Where I've Been: Usability World!

So if you've been wondering where I've been and why I haven't been blogging...well...just to scratch the surface, I've been involved in a major web site redesign, planning a state-wide library conference and getting ready to roll out a new operating system and Office suite.

The web site usability testing, which we did with diverse groups of library users from all age and skill levels, was a wonderful learning experience. It led to completely redesigning the site, learning a new content-management system, writing web site policies and providing training to new web site editors. And the work continues as we maintain the site and build the staff Intranet!

I was pleased that our consultant, Kathy McShea, was chosen as a speaker at the PaLA Annual Conference so that our story could be shared. Even if you weren't there, you can see and hear all about it on her web site.

I've got to tell you, I view all web sites with a completely new perspective now... Ours was a site that was organization-centric, the audience was unclear, the navigation was unclear, duplication was a huge problem and we were ineffective in promoting key events and happenings at the library.

Now it is very focused on the needs of library users and centers around them, it's clear which audiences we are targeting, our navigation makes sense and is transparent for the visitor, the duplication has been avoided through unification and targeted direction, and we have found effective ways to highlight important events and information.

Whew! It's been a long ride, but absolutely worth the time and effort!

Tech Training Made Simple with Online Videos

Yes, it's true. I haven't blogged in over a year... time to get back on the wagon!

I thought I'd start by sharing a link to the presentation I just got done assisting with. I was thrilled, and a little star-struck, to be asked to participate in an online workshop through TechSoup called Tech Training Made Simple with Online Videos. (Star-struck because Lee LeFever from CommonCraft was speaking, and I've been a fan for a LONG time!)

The bold link above is to the training video archive. I hope if you watch it you find something inspiring and informative! Here is a description of the training:

Wouldn’t it be great if complicated technology concepts were explained in a simple way that’s easy to understand? Imagine how something like this could assist you in training sessions for patrons or staff. Well look no further, Common Craft creates explanatory videos “In Plain English” that cover topics like green, money, society and technology.

In this free webinar, Stephanie Gerding from TechSoup will interview Lee LeFever, from Common Craft to learn more about their videos and how they are created. We will also hear how Mary Beth Faccioli from the Colorado State Library and Carolyn Blatchley from Cumberland County Library System in Pennsylvania are using these videos to support the needs of their community.

PaLA SCC Fall Workshop Registration

The Pennsylvania Library Association South Central Chapter (PaLA SCC) is sponsoring a fall workshop at the PaLA SCC Annual Meeting on October 1 at Elizabethtown College. The brochure is available for download as a PDF. The cost is $17 for PaLA Members, and $22 for non-members.

Register by September 17 by completing the registration form on the brochure, and returning it to the Hershey Public Library (Attn: PaLA-SCC Registration) with a check made out to PaLA.

Below are the agenda details. See the brochure for complete information on this event (and if you don't know to hover over the word "brochure" or "download" above in order to link to the brochure, you might want to attend The Cyber Smorgasbord session!)

Yes, I Can Help You! : Proactive Preparation for Public Service

8:30 am Registration & Refreshments

9:00 am Morning Session: Challenges of the Problem Patron

11:30 am Lunch

12:15 pm Business Meeting

1:15 pm Concurrent Afternoon Sessions:

• The Cyber Smorgasbord
• Playing it Safe @ your Library

2:45 pm Announcements/Evaluation

Hope to see you there!