Volume 7, January 6, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) GO TO THE WEB AND SAY AHH!

2) FIRST TUESDAYS – DISPLAYS THAT POP!

3) FREE EBOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY

4) GUIDE TO STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE DATA

5) CONNECTING DONORS AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) GO TO THE WEB AND SAY AHH!

Was that Multiple Myeloma or Malignant Melanoma? Do questions like these have you quaking in your boots?! Join Gail Kouame, Consumer Health Librarian, to brush up on your knowledge of quality health information resources as well things to consider when performing reference interviews for health and medical information. You will walk away from this free, interactive, hands-on session with new knowledge and helpful resources.

Go To The Web And Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches; Thursday, January 13, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and repeated from 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. Room 207, Washington State Library, Tumwater. Register at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/health.

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2) FIRST TUESDAYS – DISPLAYS THAT POP!

This month, learn from Lisa Dills of Burlington Public Library how to create spectacular bulletin board displays using simple ideas on a tight budget. Designed as a continuing-education opportunity for staff of libraries in Washington State, First Tuesdays, a series of free web presentation usually offered on the first Tuesday of each month, lets attendees share their skills and successes and learn about new topics. The special-subject presentations, lasting about 30 minutes, are recorded so that others may listen at their own convenience.

Tuesday, January 11, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST (delayed a week because of the holidays). For more information about First Tuesdays, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/tuesdays. For instructions on accessing the First Tuesdays Elluminate sessions, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/FirstTuesdays.

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3) FREE EBOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY

Many library patrons received eBook readers of one sort or another as Christmas gifts this year. According to a recent Harris poll, 8% of Americans have an eReader now, and another 12% are planning to get one within a year. Increasingly, these folks will be turning to their public library expecting us to have something for them to read!

For Washington libraries that purchased one or more of the NetLibrary eAudiobook collections offered through the statewide project (www.sos.wa.gov/library/eaudiobooks), a collection of 3460 public domain eBooks was thrown in at no additional cost. These aren’t current best sellers, but there are lots of interesting nuggets, including such authors as Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jack London, Willa Cather, and many others.

Now, a project from the Colorado State Library offers MARC records for nearly 500 of the most popular eBook titles from Project Gutenberg. There is undoubtedly some overlap with the NetLibrary collection, but there are also more modern books, such as titles by Philip K. Dick and Kurt Vonnegut. The MARC records include direct links to each eBook at Project Gutenberg, and offer a variety of formats, including Kindle, EPUB, plain text, and more. Visit www.clicweb.org/e_discover/e_discoverhome.html for more information and to download the MARC records.

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4) GUIDE TO STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE DATA

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration Office of Workforce Investment announces the “Guide to State and Local Workforce Data: For Analysis and Informed Decision Making.” This Guide provides links to a wealth of state and local employment and economic Data-virtually all free-from government and private sector sources. The Guide can be easily customized by the user, and is designed for the broadest possible audience. Some of its features include:

• Comprehensive coverage of the most valuable workforce data sources from government and private sector sources;
• Direct links to the data, which connects users immediately to the information they need;
• Organization by topic (e.g., compensation, education and credentials, etc.), which allows users to quickly locate what they need;
• Summary statistics on the number of states and localities for which data are available;
• A general description for each entry, including when the data series began, and how often and how quickly it is published;
• Essential background information for each entry, including links to frequently asked questions, contact information if the user needs more help, glossaries, and the actual survey questions;
• Key definitions and tips for using workforce statistics.

Access the Guide via this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/guide.

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5) CONNECTING DONORS AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES

School libraries are a great learning resource for students, but they need help. The School Library Exchange makes it easy for parents and other donors to contribute books to school library collections. The new site, which went live earlier this month, helps connect libraries with parents, publishers, community groups, and corporations-anyone willing to donate to a good cause.

How does it work? Register, login, and submit your school library to the site. After verification, you can customize your school page and add book requests donors can access. Librarians add book requests which users can browse to donate books, purchased or contributed from their personal collections, to any school on the site. Visit schoollibraryexchange.org for more information and to sign up.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, January 10:

• Skip Tracing: Finding Personal and Business Information (WSL); 9:30 – 11:30 PST;
• K-12 Introduction to the New ProQuest Platform (ProQuest); 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. PST; www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ03;

Tuesday, January 11:

• First Tuesdays: Displays that Pop! (WSL); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST;
• Maximizing the Value of WorldCat.org (OCLC); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PST;
• Seven Steps to Get Your Career Moving (ALA); 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PST;
• Social Networking to Your Advantage (ADA Online); 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PST;
• Ellumination! Introduction to Elluminate (WSL); 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PST;

Thursday, January 13:

• Tech Tools with Tine (Texas State Library); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PST;
• Go To The Web And Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches (WSL); 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and repeated from 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.; Washington State Library, Tumwater;
• ProQuest’s New “My Research” Tool (ProQuest); 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. PST: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ04;
• Mind Body Spirit Spring Announcements 2011 (Library Journal); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PST;

Friday, January 14:

• Dig Up a Good Idea for Your 2011 Summer Reading Program! (Texas State Library); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PST;
• WorldCat Holdings: Why They Matter and the Tools to Maintain Them (OCLC); 10:00 -11:00 a.m. PST.

All of these sessions (except Go to the Web and Say Ahh!) are online. For more information and to register (unless otherwise linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/training.

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