Time-traveling back to 1995….

My introduction to the virtual classroom was almost 2 decades ago! One of my undergraduate professors decided that he would have us meet virtually for a class session. In 1995, internet was still a novelty. I had my email through school and felt like one of the elite. I recently stumbled upon an email about that first virtual classroom experience, software has changed, but the premise is the same.

From the 1995 email:

“You will be ‘in’ a virtual ‘classroom’ on the ‘Penn’ campus. See who else shows up, identify yourself, and talk to each other. There’s help on line, but the key thing you need to know is that if you type “ at the left margin, whatever you type until you hit will be attributed to you as spoken ‘discourse’ everybody else can hear…(Some strange things may happen to you, but what the heck?) List-lurkers welcome to come along and meet the rest, and I will try to be there myself, but there are time zones and a schedule where I’m lecturing that evening to cope with.”

I attended this session and was frustrated that my slow typing meant that I was always at least a step behind everyone else in the conversation. Then, we discovered what Professor O’Donnell was trying to teach us. Thirty minutes into the session, “O’Donnell” revealed that he was a Teacher Assistant pretending to be Professor O’Donnell. Lesson learned; we never really know who we are talking with online.

Now, I get the opportunity to teach librarians how to use virtual classrooms for meetings and trainings. In March, I went to Valdez, Alaska to teach a conference session on this topic. I must admit that playing the game “Get Out of Valdez” gave me brand-new appreciation for the Pacific Northwest and reinforced my thoughts that the Alaskan librarians are made of awesome. I was welcomed warmly to our northern most state and had the opportunity to meet many Alaskan librarians, from those working in remote villages with a population of 40 to a former Washington librarian who now manages the Anchorage library. Despite concerns that days of snow may prevent us from departing Valdez, we all made it safely out.

The session focused on how to create interactive, fun webinars and I gave the participants several templates that they can re-purpose for their own use. Attendees later told me that I helped them see the simple things that could be done to enhance the webinar experience.

Through my various communities of practice including; I have been able to practice and fine-tune my webinar skills over the years. In the beginning when the Washington training group decided to experiment with web meetings, I was resistant. I knew I would miss seeing my colleagues face to face and the social interaction of those meetings often lead to great new ideas and projects. However, I soon became a convert. Now, while I love seeing my colleagues in person at trainings and conferences, I appreciate the times that we meet virtually.

Plus, there are so many more opportunities for collaboration now that I live much of my life in the “virtual world” of librarianship. I can meet regularly with my fellow Continuing Education state-wide coordinators from around the states and keep up with my local colleagues between our quarterly in-person meetings. I was able to partner with my colleague, Shirley Biladeau, from the Idaho Commission for Libraries to offer a series of eReader webinars for library staff. We are currently partnering on teaching Turning the Page 2.0 in the fall. Without the help of our virtual spaces including the virtual classroom, my job would be a lot harder.

Now, 18 years after my first attempt at navigating the virtual classroom, I am passionate at sharing my knowledge and skills with others. Also, I generally “know” who is in my classroom because we now have VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) that allows me to hear the voices of my peers. And if someone isn’t on a microphone and communicating over chat, I trust they are who they claim to be.

Jennifer Fenton is the Continuing Education/Training Coordinator at the Washington State Library and can often be found glued to a computer screen with a headset facilitating, attending or monitoring various online trainings and meetings.

2013 is nearly here! WSL is pleased to offer the following FREE webinars in January. Happy Holidays!

 Registration is available here.

 First Tuesdays: Burnout: Avoiding the flames

January 8, 9:00-10:00 a.m. PT

Library staff trying to keep up with changes in technology, demographics, & services may feel somewhat at sea. In this interactive session, Debra Westwood, Library Cluster Manager, King County Library System will look at how libraries are changing. Debra will help attendees learn about individual and group responses to change and devise specific strategies that individuals and work groups can use to remain buoyant in these difficult seas. Presented by Debra Westwood, King County Library System. Instructions and Login for First Tuesdays session

Designed as a continuing-education opportunity for staff of libraries in Washington State, this free web presentation from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., lets attendees share their skills and successes and learn about new topics. The special-subject presentations, lasting about 60 minutes, are recorded so that others may listen at their own convenience.

 Service Excellence in Your Library

January 10, 9:00-10:00 a.m. PT

This spring, Kate Laughlin will be touring with her workshop, Service Excellence in Your Library. Get a sneak preview at this webinar.

All library staff from top to bottom, internal and external, are in a service position. What is it that sets an organization’s level of service apart from others? How can employing these techniques propel the good service we already provide in WA’s libraries into great service? Join us for an engaging look at transforming our library’s culture to one of Service Excellence. Explore how such a transformation occurs, and as an individual, how you can encourage this change. This training emphasizes consistent approaches to service, while providing additional skills to help ensure satisfaction in all customer interactions. It is appropriate to anyone working in libraries, regardless of job position or library type.

Library consultant and trainer, Kate Laughlin, has been working in and with libraries since the late 1990s. In 2011, she had the opportunity to immerse with a focus group of 15 staff from different levels of library work, internal and external. From that intensive work came the creation of Service Excellence training, which is acutely relevant to the work we do in libraries and for our patrons.

TechSoup for Libraries: Washington

January 16, 9:30-10:00 a.m. PT

Whether you’re a regular TechSoup for Libraries user or haven’t heard of them until now, this webinar designed specifically for Washington public libraries will show you something new about the variety of free services offered to libraries and nonprofits.

TechSoup, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is working toward a time when every nonprofit, library, and social benefit organization will have the technology resources and knowledge they need to operate at their full potential.

During this  30-minute webinar, attendees will learn how to register and request over 450 donated and discounted products from more than 50 donor partners — including Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Intuit, and Symantec, and take a virtual tour of other free resources in TechSoup’s tech arsenal including:

• TechSoup’s up-to-date articles and library spotlights
• community discussion forums
• free webinars and tweetchats
• technology news

and more!

This webinar will be of interest to staff in Washington public libraries who want to learn more about how they can benefit from all the free services TechSoup has to offer. Presented by Stephanie Gerding and Brenda Hough.

Legal Research for Information Professionals

January 28, 10:00-11:30 a.m. PT

Legal reference questions can be challenging to answer. This class will help public librarians learn practical skills for approaching these types of questions.

Participants will be able to:

* Translate keywords from reference questions into legal search terms for finding resources

* Describe legal resources available through WA web sites (KCLL, WashingtonLawHelp and others)

* Refer legal questions as appropriate to a law library

Online via Blackboard/Elluminate. Instructions for log-in will be sent to each registrant.

Presented by Kim Ositis, Public Law Library of King County.

Libraries are no longer simply a holding area for books, they are community hubs. People gather at the library to share ideas and enrich their lives. Computers and internet are now standard in libraries and are often in demand. Unemployed individuals can come to the library and apply for jobs. Kids can do their homework (or play games) at the library. But did you know that libraries are now becoming much more than books, computers and internet? Libraries are becoming creation spaces, often called maker spaces (or makerspaces).

What is a makerspace? Personally, I like this definition “Modeled after hackerspaces, a makerspace is a place where young people have an opportunity to explore their own interests, learn to use tools and materials, and develop creative projects. It could be embedded inside an existing organization or standalone on its own. It could be a simple room in a building or an outbuilding that’s closer to a shed. The key is that it can adapt to a wide variety of uses and can be shaped by educational purposes as well as the students’ creative goals.” (Makerspaces, Participatory Learning, and Libraries).

Sound familiar? It is not really that much of a stretch for libraries that already offer book clubs with knitting or various craft programs.

Makerspaces in libraries are also connected to STEM which is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. There is also a group wanting to add art into the mix to create STEAM. Both ideas dovetail nicely with offering maker space for people to experiment and create.

Is your library already a makerspace? If not, can you envision it becoming one?

Here are more resources on makerspaces:
Westport Library Maker-Space
Maker-Spaces-in-Libraries
News story from the Capital Gazette
IMLS

Photo courtesy of Helen K via photopin cc

The kids are back to school and things are kicking into high gear for training librarians. This fall promises to be a busy and educational season for library staff. With our Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) we are gearing up to offer high impact trainings this fall, both on the ground and online.

On September 24, library staff are invited to attend the 2-hour webinar, Legal Research for Information Professionals. Taught by Kim Ositis of the Public Law Library of King County, this webinar will equip library staff with practical skills that will help them to answer challenging legal questions. Kim’s legal webinars have been sponsored by WSL for a few years now and continue to draw crowds.

In October, Arta Kabashi from Amigos Library Services will be coming to Washington State from Texas to train staff in rural libraries on the eReader landscape. Her full-day workshop on All You Need to Know about E-reader Services in Your Library will introduce the concepts and tools necessary in implementing and delivering e-Reader services to library users. E-readers continue to gain in popularity and this interactive workshop is aimed at helping library staff better serve our customers.

In addition to new technologies such as e-Readers, the need for training library staff in traditional skills continues. One of the most requested training topics is Customer Service. Therefore, WSL contracted with Kate Laughlin, Library Consultant, to offer multiple trainings around the state in 2012-2013 on Service Excellence in Your Library. In November, Kate kicks off her full-day workshops in the Tri-Cities. Additional workshops will be scheduled after winter break into spring 2013. Kate’s workshops are guaranteed to be engaging and practical. Our library patrons are sure to benefit as a result of this excellent customer service training.

Continuing to partner with our colleagues is important. As part of a series of joint workshops and webinars, we are pleased to offer a webinar in October about WTBBL (Washington Talking Book & Braille Library) Youth Services. Mandy Gonnsen, the new youth services librarian at WTBBL, looks forward to enhancing services there for children and teens.

In addition to these trainings, WSL continues to offer a monthly webinar series on the first Tuesday of each month called First Tuesdays. Upcoming topics for First Tuesdays include the eReaders: Best Practices,  Summer Reading and Burnout: Avoiding the Flames. Archives of previous First Tuesdays webinars are available at http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/firsttuesdays/default.aspx.

As the kids return to school, librarians are continuing their education as well through these and many other training opportunities.

The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) announced on May 30, 2012 that it has completed an agreement with the Highline Community College (HCC) in Des Moines, Washington, that will allow the graduates in the Library & Information Services Program, who meet the established criteria, to receive the LSSC (Library Support Staff Certification) designation.

ALA-APA and HCC believe that the degree or certificate coupled with the LSSC will benefit graduates, the library in which they work, and library users. Lorelle Swader, Director of ALA-APA, said, “HCC’s graduates in the Library & Information Services Program will be recognized for their acquired skills and knowledge with this national certification, which is quickly becoming a standard for the profession. The LSSC will show employers of these graduates that they have made a commitment to furthering their own continuing professional development and future.”

The ALA-APA proposed this agreement after reviewing HCC curriculum and finding its graduates have completed coursework that meets the majority of LSSC’s competency requirements. To receive the LSSC, candidates from Highline must have the required one year of recent library experience or meet that requirement within four years.
ALA-APA is has similar agreements with the Pasadena City College and the Palomar Community college in California; the Waubonsee Community College, the College of DuPage, and the Illinois Central College in Illinois; the Carolina Central Community College in North Carolina; and the Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. ALA-APA is working with 13 other colleges including Spokane Falls Community College, to see if their curriculums also meet the standards set forth by the LSSC competencies.

Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Library Association developed, established the LSSC Program, and support ALA-APA’s work with these programs.

Washington State Library has partnered with ALA-APA to offer Registration Assistance Awards to individuals interested in pursuing certification through LSSC. In May, WSL and ALA-APA awarded 7 Registration Assistance Awards to the following individuals:

• John Allman, King County Library System
• Ezilda Johns, Yakama Nation Library
• Cathy Miller, Yakama Nation Library
• Kate Mullen, Sno-Isle Libraries
• Chelsea Pomeroy, Washington State Attorney General’s Research Center
• Susan Springer, Sno-Isle Libraries
• Jolena Tillequots, Yakama Nation Library

Three of the awardees represent tribal libraries in Washington, 3 are from public libraries and 1 is from a government library. Congratulations to the recipients. These individuals join over 230 others nationwide currently seeking certification through LSSC. Now that HCC graduates are eligible for LSSC, we hope to see Washington State numbers grow quickly.

Major kudos to Highline Community College on having the first LSSC accredited program in Washington State.

To find out more about this degree or recognition agreements or about LSSC, please contact LSSC Program staff at lssc@ala.org or visit http://ala-apa.org/lssc/.

November WSL Training News

Discover free and inexpensive trainings available online and around the state; compiled by Jennifer Fenton, CE/Training Coordinator, Washington State Library

Featured Free Trainings:

Washington State Library is pleased to offer the following trainings in November:

First Tuesdays:  Getting Graphic: Graphic Novels in your Library (November 1)

Disabilities, Libraries, and the ADA: WSL Webinar (November 15)

Trainings from other vendors include (registration information here):

• Building Bridges #1: Principles of Advocacy
• Reaching Reluctant Readers
• Cloud Computing for Nonprofits
• Hey Kids! Look What We’ve Got! Effective Marketing to Tweens and Teens
• Google+

Remember to double check the time as time zones vary by vendor and Daylight Savings ends November 6!

Featured WebJunction Washington Courses (must be logged into WJ WA to view):

PowerPoint 2010:

If you’re still creating basic PowerPoint presentations, now’s the time to liven up your presentations and design skills! With our 6 different PowerPoint 2010 courses – you can find the ones targeted to your level and that will teach you the particular skills you need. And if you don’t have Office 2010 – we have PowerPoint courses for versions 2007, 2003 and 2000 as well.

PowerPoint 2010: Getting Started
http://wa.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/115275881
PowerPoint 2010: Collaborating and Sharing Presentations
http://wa.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/126734216
PowerPoint 2010: Visually Enhancing Presentations
http://wa.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/116732785
PowerPoint 2010: Adding Images to Presentations
http://wa.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/126750644
PowerPoint 2010: Using Advanced Slide Show Tools
http://wa.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/116732288
PowerPoint 2010: Using Multimedia and Animations
http://wa.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/116732836

Remember that WebJunction Washington now offers unlimited courses to Washington members as well as certificates for completing webinars (if you complete the evaluation.) To sign up for a free WebJunction Washington account, visit http://wa.webjunction.org and select Washington for affiliation.

Other training news/resources:

eGathering 2011: LYRASIS Annual Member Meeting: Lyrasis

November 9, 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PST
All Washington library staff are invited to join Lyrasis for the 2011 Annual Member Meeting, an opportunity for members to collaborate and learn together, both in-person and online. This year’s meeting theme is Content, Access and the Role of Libraries in a Connected World, and will feature a keynote address by Siva Vaidhyanathan, author of The Googlization of Everything, as well as updates from LYRASIS staff and board members, and an open discussion for all participants. This event is free and online.

For many more free and low-cost trainings, visit the Washington State Library Training calendar which is constantly being updated, so check back frequently.

Washington State Library (WSL) staff recently crossed the state to promote statewide library projects and services, and to network with peers.  Conferences for both the Washington Library Media Association (WLMA) and the Washington Association of Library Employees (WALE) were held last week in Spokane.  Here are some highlights from the events.

Washington Rural Heritage Initiative staffers Evan Robb and Ross Fuqua were on hand at the WALE Conference to promote the digitization efforts of small public libraries throughout Washington.  In keeping with the conference’s “Roaring Twenties” theme (celebrating 20 years of the WALE interest group), they presented historic Washington images during Wednesday night’s dessert reception.  This was followed by a performance of The Sedro-Woolley Bank Robbery, a photographic slideshow documenting a violent 1914 theft and ensuing manhunt which spread across Northwest Washington.  The audience sat at rapt attention as David Wright, librarian at Seattle Public Library, read the accompanying narrative.  This digitized set of glass lantern slides and narration (their author and photographer still unknown) will be featured in the soon-to-be published Sedro-Woolley Heritage Collection accessible through www.washingtonruralheritage.org.  The digital collection is an ongoing project of the Sedro-Woolley Public Library and Sedro-Woolley Museum.

Robb and Fuqua also staffed a Spotlight on Success table during the conference, featuring digitized resources from the Washington State Library’s collections, as well as Washington Rural Heritage participants throughout the state.

Other projects were featured at the conference including Statewide Database Licensing, Off the Page: Downloadable Audiobooks for Washington, Wayfinder: The Catalog of Washington Libraries, and Ask-WA: The Statewide Virtual Reference Cooperative, WebJunction Washington, Early Learning, Summer Reading, Early Literacy, the K-12 Library Initiative, and Supporting Student Success, Library Support Staff Certification, Transforming Life After 50 and the eBook Reader Pilot Project.

Will Stuivenga, Jeff Martin and Martha Shinners presented at both WALE and WLMA (Washington Library Media Association) conferences on current cooperative projects at WSL. Their session goal was to make sure that libraries are taking advantage of the opportunities that are available through working together with other libraries throughout the state.

At the WALE pre-conference on eBooks,  Stuivenga shared information about Off the Page: Downloadable Audiobooks for Washington and the new e-Reader pilot project.

Jennifer Fenton kept busy at WALE facilitating panels on “Certification: What’s in it for me?” about Library Support Staff Certification, “Programming with a Boom!” about the Transforming Life After 50 project and a “WebJunction Open House” showcasing free training resources for library staff throughout Washington.

For the WebJunction open house, 21 laptop computers were set up so that participants could create free WebJunction Washington accounts right away and begin registering for free courses. Laptop computers were provided by WSL and Ellensburg Public Library.

In addition to presentations, staff attended sessions at WALE and here are some comments about favorite sessions:

“The session ‘You CAN Judge a Book by Its Cover!’ with Susan Creed, Spokane Public Library’s Fiction Queen, showed how to tell what kind of story is inside a book by what is on the cover.  It was entertaining!” (Bobbie)

“The session ‘Naturalization 101’ provided very interesting information on eligibility requirements and how to obtain information on the naturalization process.  On a personal note, through this session I was able to acquire all of the necessary information for my sister-in-law from Thailand to study in order to prepare for naturalization test.” (Bobbie)

“‘Enhancing Communication between Public and Technical Services: Tag! You’re it!’  I thought it was really interesting to hear the different sides of the topic and they did a great job of having the group participate in the discussion.” (Leanna)

Everyone who was able to attend the J.A. Jance dinner event gave it glowing remarks. Jance’s sharing of her life stories and her writing journey were inspiring and moving.

And finally, the WALE conference was held at the beautiful Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane. As Leanna says, “I really enjoyed the location.  The Davenport is a beautiful hotel and the history it has just added to the theme they choose this year.”

Carla presenting in Kennewick

“This was one of the best workshops I have attended. It was relevant and had great information. The presenter was EXCELLENT!”

“It was an inspiring day full of useful information. Carla’s energy is contagious and she offered information at a lively pace.”

“Wonderful. The presenter was extremely organized and had a wealth of experience. Very impressive.”

“I’ve been employed with this library since 2001 and have attended numerous library conferences, training seminars and workshops during that time. This was the BEST library related training I’ve ever attended!! Thanks!!!”

These comments are direct quotes from the evaluations for the recent round of Successful Volunteer Engagement for Libraries workshops held in eight libraries around Washington State, ranging from Liberty Lake to Bellingham. The workshops were presented by Carla Lehn from The Lehn Group based out of California. Carla is also the Library Programs Consultant at the California State Library.

This workshop grew out of the Transforming Life After 50 project that involves fellows from Washington, California, Idaho, and other states. One of the courses taught as part of the fellowship, which focuses on serving adults 50 years and older, was Volunteer Engagement and Carla was the instructor. Her templates for volunteer job descriptions and targeted recruitment plans proved to be valuable tools.

As libraries across the nation and in Washington struggle with budget cuts, volunteers are more in demand than ever. However, creating successful volunteer programs is not always easy. Carla’s experience in this area provided a great blueprint for libraries in Washington to follow.

The workshop focused on baby boomers and the generations that will follow them and how they are seeking new ways to use their skills and experience to make a difference in their communities. The workshop focused on how to start or “re-tool” a volunteer engagement program that will not only capture the talents of these potential volunteers, but will reap the benefits of ongoing support for the library that comes from having these people meaningfully engaged.

As a result of these workshops, a WebJunction Washington page has been created under “Washington State Library Resources” on Volunteer Engagement Strategies for Libraries. You can access the page at http://wa.webjunction.org/685.

Among the resources shared on the page are links to Carla’s Transforming Life After 50 archived course and a recorded webinar presented by David Junius (Washington Talking Book & Braille Library/WTBBL) called The Bottom Line on Volunteers.

For the workshop scheduled in Seattle at WTBBL, WSL partnered with David Junius and WTBBL volunteer Steve McCarthy to add their unique volunteer perspective as well. Here’s David’s view of Carla’s workshop:

“Both Carla and I have a nonprofit fund development background, so I appreciated her approach to the identification, recruitment and stewardship of volunteers, and her point of view on the generational pools of talent we have available to meet our needs. Fund development is akin to relationship development, which is what managing volunteer programs is all about.

“Carla’s workshop was valuable for new and veteran volunteer managers. Saying WTBBL has 400 volunteers donating 32,000 hours annually is the standard statistic I share, to the point where it almost doesn’t register with me anymore.

“However, when I mentioned this statistic at the start of Carla’s workshop, people were impressed.
That reminded me that even after doing volunteer management for three years, on top of another dozen in various nonprofits working with volunteers, I still have something to be excited about…especially in this economy where volunteers are (even more) valued.

“While we often look at outputs in volunteer management – how many hours, how many volunteers, how many items circulated by those volunteers, etc. – we also need to look at the outcomes. Just as our volunteers help the lives of our libraries’ users, they are also elevating their own lives by being involved with us. Carla’s workshop re-amplified this for me.”

WTBBL volunteer Steve McCarthy also attended the workshop, and he has started to use a few of Carla’s tools in further developing the volunteer corps at the local nonprofit where he is the board chair. Carla’s information is transferable between types of organizations, with the common denominator being a respect for the people involved in each part of the organizational relationship: staff, volunteers, and library users.”

The Washington State Library free Fall Workshop is almost here!

Baby boomers and the generations that follow are seeking new ways to use their skills and experience to make a difference in their communities. While libraries are uniquely positioned to benefit from these volunteers, there is a disconnect between the volunteers’ intent and their actual participation because they do not find the volunteer opportunities they seek. Multiple studies have shown that boomers’ interests in volunteerism are vastly different from those of current “senior volunteers,” and that organizations seeking to recruit them will need to adjust their volunteer engagement practices.

WSL’s free fall workshop is focused on just that – how to start or “re-tool” a volunteer engagement program that will not only capture the talents of these potential volunteers, but will reap the benefits of ongoing support for the library that comes from having these persons meaningfully engaged.

This course will provide tools, techniques, resources and models for volunteer engagement so that participants will be able to: understand the potential for engaging high impact, skilled volunteers to assist libraries – baby boomers and the generations that follow, engage this talent to extend the library’s capacity in the community and to benefit from these new library advocates and supporters, understand what motivates volunteers in order to create diverse and meaningful skilled volunteer positions to attract a broad range of community volunteers, implement the elements of a successful volunteer engagement program; address potential barriers to volunteer engagement, including union issues and staff resistance; and understand current trends and issues in volunteer engagement, including online recruitment and legal issues.

Presented by Carla Lehn, The Lehn Group. For session dates, times and locations, and to register, click here.

Workshop sessions are from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and include lunch and light refreshments.

This workshop is funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

Photo: From TLA50 Institute in Portland, OR: Stephen Ristau and Suzanne Flint, TLA50 coordinators

from Ning Community website: http://tla50resource.ning.com/

• Nearly 2/3 of all the human beings who have ever lived past the age of 65 are alive today.
• Often considered the wealthiest generation in American history, Boomers face unique financial challenges – including the lowest savings rate (10%) of any other generation, the uncertainty of Social Security and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
• Midlife is a period in which individuals begin to think about, plan for, and actually disengage from their primary occupations and the raising of children. They launch a second or third career, develop new identities and new ways to be productively engaged.
• Four out of five Boomers see work as playing a role in their retirement.
• In a 10-year longevity study, researchers concluded that close family relationships, although important, were less likely than a network of good friends to increase longevity in older people.

These are just a few facts that staff from Washington libraries have been learning this past year. Transforming Life after 50 (TLA50), an initiative that began in California, is taking over Washington libraries. From the largest library systems (King County Library System, Seattle Public Library) to the tiniest libraries (Odessa, Neill Public), enhancing services and programs for mid-life adults has become a focus thanks to 18 Washington fellows participating in a year-long fellowship.

Ninety-one Fellows from eleven states are participating in the year-long IMLS Western Regional Fellowship — an initiative to help transform library strategies, policies and practices to better support the needs and interests of midlife adults, ages 50+.  Fellows were introduced to a new framework for serving and engaging these midlife adults at an in-person training institute in Portland, Oregon in September 2010.

In Portland, Fellows heard from guest presenters including Laura Carstensen, Paul Nussbaum, Michael Zielenziger and Robert Atchely. Furthermore, Fellows had the opportunity to meet each other and the instructors for the online portion of the fellowship. May is the final month of the live courses with a wrap up webinar scheduled for June. The online courses will be available to Fellows for a few months for those who need to catch up or wish to revisit previous courses.

In addition to the Fellowship, Washington Fellows have been spreading the word about TLA50 by presenting at the Washington Library Association conference in Yakima. More opportunities to share the TLA50 experience are coming soon with PNLA (Pacific Northwest Library Association) conference in August and WALE (Washington Library Employees) conference in October.

The Fellowship has focused on several areas of programming and services. At the Institute, presentations included the following topics:

• Community
• Financial Security
• Health (and aging)
• Life After 50 Options
• Lifelong Learning
• Spirituality
• Work & Volunteerism

The online courses have built on this foundation with courses on:

• Strategic Facilitation
• Community Assessment
• Partnerships and Collaborations
• Volunteer Engagement
• Evaluating Results
• Engaging Adults through Social Media

As we’ve learned how to engage mid-life adults in the library and community, we have also learned how important the changes brought about by the “Boomer” generation are to all of us today.

For a video peak at TLA50, visit http://tla50resource.ning.com/video/transforming-life-after-50-an

Also, consider joining the Transforming Life after 50 Ning community online: http://tla50resource.ning.com/ which is open to anyone interested in enhancing services and programming for the over 50 population in the library.

One final fact (that speaks for itself):

• 11% of the world’s population is over 60. By 2050, 22% will be.

*Quotes from the TLA50 website, http://transforminglifeafter50.org/.