From the Desk of Joe Olayvar

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a device craze going on.  Nearly everywhere you look in any town or city across the globe, someone is absorbed in conversation, web searching, or game play.  Yes, we’ve come a long way since the Atari or the early phone and its five pound battery pack.  But like every technology, there’s always something new that will eventually overshadow it, or at least add a new facet; in this case, it’s Virtual Reality; better known as simply VR.

VR is nothing new, but it’s influx into the consumer market is.  At first glance, it’s a new platform that takes gaming up a notch with immersive 3D graphics and audio.  But in reality (pun intended), the potential for VR is literally ground breaking on so many levels.  Its ability to transport the user into worlds of every description will reinvent how we learn, conduct business, recreate, experience social media, and even heal.

With this in mind, the Washington State Library has launched the “VR in Libraries” project in partnership with the University of Washington’s Information School (iSchool) and one of the leading VR companies in the world, Oculus.  This two-year project will have several phases.  The initial Pilot (Phase I) includes studying the educational possibilities of VR in six libraries, thanks to the team of iSchool researchers led by Negin Dahya.  The following phases will take advantage of what is learned and ultimately see forty seven VR systems being rotated roughly every six months to reach as many Washington State Libraries as possible by the close of year 2020.

In the course of the project’s two year span, fifty VR systems will have been shared with over 180 libraries.  But at projects end, these VR systems will be granted to fifty Washington State libraries as permanent homes.  That is virtually a real win, win for our communities.

With Microsoft, Amazon, Google and many other companies based in Washington we are a technology state. Washington State is endlessly hungry for skilled technology workers and STEM learning is an important component of educating our future workforce.  The State Library, seeing this need, has invested in many STEM kits which we circulate to interested libraries around Washington. Coding and robotics are work skills that are highly prized, and one of our original, and very popular kits, Lego Mindstorms teaches these skills.  Purchased in 2016 these kits have so far visited 28 libraries and have a waiting list that stretches out until well into 2018.

While endlessly fun, fascinating, and educational, Lego Mindstorms also have a steep learning curve.  At the beginning of the program, Joe Olayvar and Evelyn Lindberg developed a hands on training, signed up interested libraries and hit the road.  Travelling around the entire state, Joe and Evelyn visited 43 public, Tribal, School and Academic libraries, training staff in 44 different Legislative districts. The trainings were a huge success with comments such as, “Great example of how to do a Mindstorms program.”, “Excellent training – I want MORE!” and “I wished there was an hour of just free play.”

As popular as the trainings were, the kits soon had a waiting list that was over two years long.  Joe realized that by the time they arrived at some of the later scheduled libraries, the person running the program might need to learn all over again, or might not even work there anymore. Being a problem solver by nature he set out to do just that, solve the problem.  A comprehensive LEGO^® Mindstorms^® EV3 Programming Basics tutorial was created complete with accompanying YouTube videos.  While he was creating this resource, Joe thought of it as support for Washington libraries. Little did he know that his work would be discovered and spread widely.  The first to contact him was COSUGI .  They were so impressed by the tutorial that they are bringing Joe and Evelyn to Atlanta to do a training at their annual conference in April.  Recently a Community College instructor in Oregon contacted Joe asking permission to use the resource.  Joe regularly receives calls about the tutorials, which are being used around the nation.  We can only imagine what will happen after their April conference presentation!

Thanks to this effort, the youth of our state, and now the nation, are being exposed to robotics education and coding in a way that is so fun and hands-on they don’t even know they’re learning.  You’re welcome Tech industry.

Volume 13, July 27, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) STEM PROGRAMS – FIRST TUESDAYS

2) WASHINGTON READS – ONE STATE/ONE BOOK

3) WELCOME TO SKILLPORT

4) LIBRARIES READY TO CODE

5) IMLS GRANTS WEBINAR

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) STEM PROGRAMS – FIRST TUESDAYS

There is a wealth of information available regarding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) but how does one decide what type of STEM program(s) to implement into the classroom, library, grade level, school or district? This free webinar explores possible ways to implement STEM ranging from simple to complex depending on the amount of time and energy you feel that you can allocate to STEM.

“Implementing STEM Programs: to fit your time constraints and comfort levels,” will be presented by Jane Rizika, Teacher Librarian, East Olympia Elementary School, August 1, 2017, 9:00 a.m., Pacific Time. sos.wa.gov/q/FirstTuesdays.

First Tuesdays is designed as a continuing-education opportunity for staff of libraries in Washington State. This free web presentation allows attendees to 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. Past sessions are archived here: sos.wa.gov/q/Broadcasts.

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2) WASHINGTON READS – ONE STATE/ONE BOOK

By now we hope you’ve heard about the new partnership between the Seattle Public Library and the Washington State Library – the Washington Center for the Book. A major goal for this partnership is to bring all of Washington State and all types of libraries together through literature. We are in the early stages of planning a statewide Washington Reads program and your library’s information and input would be very helpful to us as we move forward. If they haven’t already done so, please ask your community reads coordinator to help us with our planning by filling out a short survey or fill it out yourself, if you’re that person. Here’s the link: www.surveymonkey.com/r/N6QMJ7D. Thank you!

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3) WELCOME TO SKILLPORT

Staff of all types of libraries in Washington now have free access to Skillsoft (via Skillport), a learning management system with access to online self-paced courses and instructional videos. There are hundreds of available topics ranging from using Microsoft Office and Windows, to leadership essentials, to creating budgets. It’s easy to set up a series of classes on a specific topic, too. Register for free and select Washington as your state – you qualify through the Washington State Library’s partnership with OCLC WebJunction.

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4) LIBRARIES READY TO CODE

Applications are being accepted through August for Libraries Ready to Code grants from ALA and Google. The goal is to fund a cohort of school and public libraries to develop resources to help get U.S. libraries “Ready to Code.” The $500,000 pilot program is part of Phase III of Libraries Ready to Code, an ongoing collaboration between ALA and Google to ensure expert library professionals are prepared to develop and deliver programming that promotes computer science and computational thinking among youth, two skills that will be required for challenges and jobs of the future.

25 to 50 participating libraries will receive funding from ALA, along with consulting expertise and operational support from Google. Individual libraries may use funding for devices, staffing, marketing and other costs associated with piloting an educational toolkit developed in partnership, by libraries, for libraries.

The toolkit, set to release in conjunction with National Library Week in April 2018, will consist of computer science resources that libraries find most useful for designing and implementing youth computer science programming. This cohort of libraries will also initiate a community of practice to sustain momentum and build expertise across thousands of school and public U.S. libraries.

To apply for Libraries Ready to Code grants, visit www.ala.org/tools/readytocode.

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5) IMLS GRANTS WEBINAR

Learn more about the National Leadership and Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grants programs from IMLS (the Institute of Museum and Library Services) during the third informational webinar to be held on Monday, July 31, 12:00 p.m. PDT. Use this shortcut link to join the webinar: sos.wa.gov/q/GrantsWebinar.

National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) support projects that address significant challenges and opportunities facing the library and archives fields and that have the potential to advance theory and practice. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that will be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend the benefits of federal investment.

The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) supports developing a diverse workforce of librarians to better meet the changing learning and information needs of the American public by: enhancing the training and professional development of librarians, developing faculty and library leaders, and recruiting and educating the next generation of librarians.

For more information on IMLS grants, visit www.imls.gov/grants.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, July 31

• National Leadership and Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grants Webinar 3 (IMLS) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT

Tuesday, August 1

• Implementing STEM Programs: to fit your time constraints and comfort levels (WSL First Tuesdays) 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) 101 (FDLP) 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Great Book-Group Reads (Booklist) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• WorldCat data sync collections, Part 2 (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• CONTENTdm Basic Skills 1 – Getting Started with CONTENTdm (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• QuestionPoint Administration 1 – Start Your QuestionPoint Service (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• Fundraising 101: The Fundraising Cycle – What Is It, and How Do You Make It Work for Your Mission? (CharityHowTo.com) 12:00 – 12:45 p.m. PDT
• Top 10 Tips When Designing [Learning] for Mobile (Training Magazine Network) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• USA Learns: A Free Website to Learn English and Prepare for U.S. Citizenship (Infopeople/California State Library) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT

Wednesday, August 2

• NCompass Live: Connecting Students to Courses, Experts, and Virtual Field Trips (Nebraska Library Commission) 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT
• NLM’s Online Playground: K-12 Science and Health Education Resources (FDLP) 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Caring for the Mind: Providing Mental Health Information At Your Library (NNLM) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• QuestionPoint Administration 2 – Define Your Institution Profile and Policy Page (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• Social-Emotional Learning from the Top Down: Administrative Practices that Support Children’s Emotional Development (Early Childhood Investigations) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• CONTENTdm Basic Skills 2 – Working with Text in CONTENTdm (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• PSST: Your Talent Called. You Weren’t Home! (Training Magazine Network) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT

Thursday, August 3

• The Pieces of Systematic Review – Final Wrap-Up and Q&A Session (NNLM) 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT
• Misperceptions and the Misused Language of Addiction: Words Matter (NNLM) 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Defending Gov’s Vulnerable Endpoints (GovLoop) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Developing a Strategic Plan for Volunteer Engagement (VolunteerMatch.org) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• USGS Library: Oil, Gas, Coal, Uranium, and Minerals Maps and Data (FDLP) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Connexion Client Module 07 – Advanced Bibliographic Searching (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• CONTENTdm Basic Skills 3 – Maintaining Collections in CONTENTdm (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Connecting The Dots… Incorporating Microlearning Techniques Into Virtual Classroom Experiences (Training Magazine Network) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT

Friday, August 4

• Revamping Your Space—Creating a Modern Media Center (American Libraries Live) 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT

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DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities. By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them.

Subscribe to WSL presents: News from Washington Libraries!

The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

• Facebook: fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: com/WAStateLib.

No matter what type of library you work in or what your role, we all have something in common.  We care about the people we serve, we care about providing excellent resources and we care about connecting those two things.  Library Development is the branch of the state library which administers federal (LSTA) funds.  We create programs to support the libraries of the state which we hope in turn will benefit the residents of Washington state.  We love what we do, but the nature of our work puts us one step away from our end users.  So we really love it when we hear stories about how our projects impact the lives of our fellow Washingtonians.

Imagine how happy we were to hear recently from Jamie Allwine, the manager at Winlock Timberland Library.  For the last few years the State Library has invested in several STEM kits which circulate around the state.  Allowing libraries to host technology based learning programs without a huge investment of their limited resources.  If you are a regular reader of this blog you will have heard about the Lego Mindstorms kits, or maybe the Snap Circuits or Ozobots.  However in this story the STEM kit which visited the Winlock Library was a Roominate program that was held at her library in September. Winlock is a small library and as such gets to know their patrons well.  Jamie wrote to us about a Latina family who were regulars at the library.  Mom routinely brings her three kids to the library but they only occasionally see the Dad.  Jamie and her staff routinely reach out to this family to join them in a program but until recently they have never attended one.  But something about the Roominate kits got their attention and this time the entire family attended.  Jamie reported that “Dad and Mom started out working with the girls building a Roominate house.  Then their son saw the Dash robot and wanted to play with that, so the father and son broke off and played with the Dash robot for a while, and then came back and helped complete the Roominate house.”

Did you know the average publication year of STEM books in many Washington school libraries is 1997?  While it’s true that “Trees haven’t changed much in the last 20 years.” formatting and the visual appeal of books have.  If we want to attract children to our collections it’s important that the material we provide is current and appealing.

With this thought in mind, last summer Youth Services Coordinator Carolyn Petersen solicited ideas from her Teacher Librarians advisory group. Out of this meeting of the minds came “The Future STEMS from Reading” grant cycle.  The Follett Book Publisher won the contract to supply three different collections of award winning books, Elementary, Middle and High School levels.

When the grant opened in the fall of 2015, the applications came pouring in.  Boy did this show how great the need truly was!  249 applications later we read about collections that were over 20 years old, books that were kept even though they were falling apart because there were no funds to replace them, and kids doing science projects with only the web as a resource because the school library had one or no up to date books on a topic.

In the end 230 collections are being sent out in January: 120 to elementary school libraries, 59 to middle school libraries and 51 to high school libraries. We can’t wait to see the pictures of the kids as they open the boxes and check out their new books.

Volume 11, September 24, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) HR – LOOKING OUT FOR RED FLAGS

2) STEM LSTA GRANT CYCLE OPENS

3) IMPLEMENTING WIOA IN RURAL AREAS

4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) HR – LOOKING OUT FOR RED FLAGS

Most supervisors are surprised at the amount of time they spend on human resource issues. Do you have questions about Family Medical Leave, overtime/comp time, or how to deal with difficult employees? Join us for a First Tuesdays session with Pam Ward and Lynda Ring-Erickson of LRE Solutions as they tackle the topic “Things Librarians Should Know about Human Resources.” Bring your questions; as consultants they have worked through these issues and can help you find the answers.

First Tuesdays webinar: October 6, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. For more information, visit sos.wa.gov/q/FirstTuesdays. Instructions for joining the session are at sos.wa.gov/q/FirstT.

First Tuesdays was designed as a continuing-education opportunity for staff of libraries in Washington State; this free web presentation allows 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.

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2) STEM LSTA GRANT CYCLE OPENS

The Washington State Library (WSL) is pleased to announce “The Future STEMs from Reading” grant cycle. The recent recession resulted in cuts to many school library budgets. Since materials in science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) fields become dated quickly, budget shortfalls mean that many school library STEM book collections were particularly hard hit.

In response, WSL is providing an opportunity to help school libraries update their STEM collections. 230 STEM book collections aimed at elementary, middle, and high school students were put together from lists of award-winning books as suggested by an advisory committee of teacher-librarians.

230 STEM collections will be available. Of those, 120 will be awarded to elementary school libraries, 55 to middle school libraries, and 55 to high school libraries. All collections will contain 50 titles plus three professional development titles. The majority of copyrights are within the last 3 years. The book collections will be shipped to successful grant awardees.

All public school libraries are eligible to apply. The collections will be awarded via a one-page grant application process that will be made available at sos.wa.gov/q/grants. The grant cycle will open on Monday, September 28, at which time the application forms will be posted. Applications are due by 4 p.m. October 30, 2015. For questions, contact Carolyn Petersen [email protected].

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3) IMPLEMENTING WIOA IN RURAL AREAS

The WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) is federal legislation. This webinar will focus on what’s different about making workforce investment for youth meaningful in rural areas. Rural areas face challenges related to widely dispersed populations and distance from places to access goods and services in addition to poverty, lower educational attainment, and lower earnings.

In the webinar you will hear how the White House and the Administration are focused on rural areas, the goals and strategies of the Domestic Policy Council on rural affairs, and the important role the workforce system plays in helping young adults meet their education and employment goals. The new law provides opportunities for rural areas to establish regional strategies for youth service delivery, to coordinate planning across workforce system partners, and to use technology to ensure access to workforce services in remote areas. Hear about promising approaches that local youth service providers in two states have taken to solve some of their rural challenges.

The “Implementing WIOA In Rural Areas” webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, at 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Pacific Time. Use this link: sos.wa.gov/q/WIOA. A WorkforceOne site registration is required.

“Implementing WIOA In Rural Areas” is the eighth webinar in the “Enough is Known for Action” series for the youth community, hosted by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Division of Youth Services and Regional Offices, to inspire strategic planning and action now as the system is in the early stages of implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The full series is available on the WorkforceOne website via this shortcut: sos.wa.gov/q/Action.

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4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

September 28

• Teacher-Librarian News Night (Teacher Librarian Virtual Cafe); 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PDT
• ProQuest Research Library – With so many publications, how do you find the right one to search? 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.

September 29

• Reading Nooks that Encourage Writing Too! (Georgia Public Library Service); 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. PDT
• How to protect the freedom to read in your library (Sage); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Boundless Libraries: A Look at the 2015 New Landmark Libraries (Library Journal); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT

September 30

• Total Boox and New Ebook Pricing Models (Minitex); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Getting Your Slice of the Pie – Identifying the Assets You Need in Your Community (4Good); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Enough is Known for Action: Implementing WIOA In Rural Areas (WorkforceOne), 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., PDT
• STEAM & Día: Offering Informal Learning with a Mind Toward Diversity (Texas State Library and Archives); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Libraries & Technology: The Librarian’s Online Management System (American Association of School Librarians); 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. PDT

For more information and to register (unless otherwise linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at sos.wa.gov/q/training.

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The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

• Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: twitter.com/WAStateLib.

From the desk of Rand Simmons, Washington State Librarian

Do you consider those years in elementary, middle, or secondary school as the primary time you invested in learning? Perhaps you went on to college or graduate school. But, over the course of a person’s life only about 3% is spent in formal education.

Education is not the equivalent of learning although one hopes the two intersect. However, some who study learning believe that the most effective learning happens not in formal education environments but in informal settings.

Once called the “people’s university” the public library has filled an important role in society, that of facilitating informal learning. The goal of lifelong learning ranks high on many library mission statements. We know that once a person completes formal education he or she will continue to learn and it makes sense that they turn to public library and use its resources. Libraries remain a trusted place to learn.

Much of the STEM movement has focused on children and on encouraging girls to become engaged in science, technology, engineering and math. But, STEM is important to adults, too. Adults need to find and hold jobs, to enter STEM careers or simply to enrich one’s knowledge.

Sally Chilson, Spokane Public Library

The Washington State Library has invested federal funds to purchase STEM kits – Legos to be exact – that circulate among rural libraries so that kids can experience the wonders of science. 3-D printer is a popular STEM educational tool in libraries. We recently purchased a well-loved Egg Bot (a friendly art robot that can draw on egg-shaped objects) and demonstrated it at the annual conference of the Pacific Northwest Library Association. (See this short You Tube video of the Egg Bot).

Another State Library STEM program is the Microsoft IT Academy, an online technology training program provided free to the residents of Washington through public, two-year academic and tribal libraries. The IT Academy is a partnership between the State Library/Secretary of State and Microsoft and is funded by the State Legislature. Over 15,000 state residents have accounts on the site and are taking advantage of the hundreds of online courses over the past two years.

Project manager Elizabeth Iaukea notes, “Every time a learner takes an IT Academy course they are engaging in STEM. Public libraries have been supporting STEM education for at least two decades.”

“Libraries and museums are improving learning in science, technology, engineering and math, a national priority for US competitiveness.” (Institute of Museum and Library Services)

Rand Simmons and Elizabeth Iaukea recently attended the Public Libraries and STEM conference in Denver, CO.

According to State Librarian Rand Simmons, “Public libraries are amazing. They constantly adapt to meet societal needs. STEM addresses a national concern that the U.S. not fall behind in science, technology, engineering and math. Public libraries partnering with STEM industries and non-profits and government agencies that focus on STEM are part of the solution. Despite predictions of their demise public libraries remain viable and vibrant.”

Topics include:

1) CE GRANTS FOR STEM INSTITUTE

2) CAYAS FALL WORKSHOP REGISTRATION OPEN

3) $2.2 BILLION REASONS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WIOA

4) PNLA CONFERENCE PROGRAM PROPOSALS SOUGHT

5) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) CE GRANTS FOR STEM INSTITUTE

Continuing Education (CE) grants are available from the Washington State Library (WSL) for librarians and support staff who need financial assistance to attend the 2014 Early Learning STEM Institute. To provide additional support during these hard economic times, WSL is temporarily lowering the match for CE grants to 25%, and will cover the remaining 75% of eligible expenses.

The 2014 Early Learning STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Institute, presented by the Early Learning Public Library Partnership (ELPLP) and the Washington State Head Start/ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) Association will include sessions on the following topics:

• Math Common Core and its relation to early learning;
• Project VIEWS2 and the benefits of storytime;
• Integrating STEM in the classroom.

Institute specifics:

• What: Washington Early Learning STEM Institute;
• When: Wednesday, December 3, 2014, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. PST;
• Where: The Museum of Flight, 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle (Exit 158 off Interstate 5);
• Registration: Free for ELPLP members; $100 for non-members; registration deadline is Monday, November 24. To register, go to sos.wa.gov/q/ThriveSTEM14;
• Questions? Contact Susan Yang, Program Director at Thrive by Five Washington at [email protected] or 206.621.5573.

If you need financial assistance to attend the STEM Institute, apply now. CE Grant applications must be postmarked no later than 30 days before the beginning of the conference on December 3. For additional information about CE Grants and to apply, visitsos.wa.gov/q/CE.

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2) CAYAS FALL WORKSHOP REGISTRATION OPEN

Registration is now open for the 2014 CAYAS Fall Workshop.  CAYAS (Children’s & Young Adults Services) is proud to bring you the 2014 Fall Workshop. This year’s workshop is a confluence of trendsetters in children’s and young adult services programming.

Friday, November 21, 2014

• 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• King County Library System Service Center
• 960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah, Washington 98027

For more information, please contact Jose M. Garcia, Jr. at 253-931-3018. CAYAS is an interest group of the Washington Library Association.

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3) $2.2 BILLION REASONS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WIOA

The American Library Association will host “$2.2 Billion Reasons to Pay Attention to WIOA,” an interactive webinar which will explore ways public and community college libraries can receive funding for employment skills training and job search assistance from the recently-passed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

Monday, Oct 27, 2014

• 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Free webinar – Please register now as space is limited: sos.wa.gov/q/WIOA

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act allows public and community college libraries to be considered additional One-Stop partners and authorizes adult education and literacy activities provided by public and community college libraries as an allowable statewide employment and training activity. Additionally, the law defines digital literacy skills as a workforce preparation activity. The webinar will be archived and emailed to subscribers of the District Dispatch, ALA’s policy blog.

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4) PNLA CONFERENCE PROGRAM PROPOSALS SOUGHT

The Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA) conference planning committee is seeking program proposals for one hour presentations. The 2015 conference “Pushing the Boundaries” will take place August 5-7 at the Hilton in Vancouver, Washington.

Please submit proposals to Karen Yother at[email protected]or mail to 8385 N Government Way, Hayden ID 83835.

• For more information, please email Karen or call her at 208-772-5612 ext. 121.

The deadline for submitting proposals is January 9, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

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5) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

October 27

• $2.2 Billion Reasons to Pay Attention to WIOA; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Five Hats of Instructional Design (Insync); 10:00 – 11:00 PDT
• Introduction to the ProQuest Platform; 8:00 – 8:45 p.m. PDT
• K12 ProQuest Research Library/ProQuest Central; 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT
• ProQuest Research Companion; 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. PDT

October 28

• Fall Into a Good Mystery (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Library UX: Creating Usable and Useful Websites; 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• SIRS Discoverer with New Leading Issues (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Historic Map Works Library Edition (ProQuest); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Carreiras em publicação eletrônica – Portuguese (ProQuest); 6:00 – 7:00 a.m. PDT
• Literature Online LION (ProQuest); 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. PDT

October 29

• What’s Your Story How to Lead with a Good Story (Training Magazine Network); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Turn Volunteers into Advocates for Your Organization (VolunteerMatch); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• The Budget Primer: Building and Using Budgets Better (4Good); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Supercharge Your Fundraising Efforts With Content Marketing (4Good); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Programs in a Box: An Infopeople Webinar; 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Supercharge Your Collection: Ways to Boost the Patron Experience and Maximize Turnover (Library Journal); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Crowdsourcing 101: Fundamentals and Case Studies (WebJunction); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Advanced Searching: Beyond the Single Search Box (ProQuest); 9:30 – 10:15 p.m. PDT

October 30

• Participatory, Continuous, Connected: Top Trends from Library 2.014 (Library Journal); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• PRISMA Spanish (ProQuest); 6:00 – 7:00 a.m. PDT
• PRISMA Portuguese (ProQuest); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT

October 31

• Advanced Searching: Beyond the Single Search Box (ProQuest); 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. PDT

For more information and to register (unless otherwise linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at sos.wa.gov/q/training.

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The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

• Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;
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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

Volume 7, February 17, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FREE GENEALOGY EVENT – BING CROSBY’S FAMILY HISTORY

2) WLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – REGISTER NOW

3) PUBLIC RECORDS & OPEN MEETING FORUM

4) FREE WEBWISE CONFERENCE

5) HOST THE KING JAMES BIBLE TRAVELING EXHIBIT

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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