WA Secretary of State Blogs

WSL Updates for February 1, 2018

Wednesday, January 31st, 2018 Posted in For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for February 1, 2018


Volume 14, February 1, 2018 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FREE UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

2) SAVE AMERICA’S TREASURES

3) LIBRARY VOTER SERVICES SURVEY

4) TOPNOTCH NONPROFIT TRAINING

5) LEVY LID LIFT WEBINAR

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) FREE UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

The Washington State Library (WSL) is offering two sets of half-day workshops in February and March at a variety of locations around the state. The topics are:

Sign up now to ensure your spot in one of these free workshops near you. Check the WSL CE Calendar for exact dates, locations, and times. Don’t miss out!

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2) SAVE AMERICA’S TREASURES

The National Park Service is accepting proposals for the Save America’s Treasures Grant Program. The application deadline is February 21, 2018.

The National Park Service, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), is now accepting applications for $5 million in matching grants to support the preservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections through the Save America’s Treasures program. For the complete announcement, use this shortcut: sos.wa.gov/q/save.

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3) LIBRARY VOTER SERVICES SURVEY

Student researchers in The Evergreen State College Masters of Public Administration, Second Year Cohort, are examining the relationship between public access to local ballot measure information and voter participation. Researchers want to identify gaps in current data and utilize these gaps to create a framework for increasing voter knowledge about where to access locally relevant ballot measure information and if this can increase civic participation in the form of voting.

Researchers will examine what role libraries currently play in providing the public with voter information, identify opportunities to provide desired services, and if suggested services are provided, determine if these services are marketed to the public with easy access in-person and online. You are encouraged to take a “Library Services” survey, which should require about 10 minutes of time to complete.

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4) TOPNOTCH NONPROFIT TRAINING

Washington Nonprofits in cooperation with the Charities Division of the Office of the Secretary of State is offering several free webinars this coming week:

Finance Unlocked is an interactive, hands-on workshop that will work through the why, what, who, and how of nonprofit finance including the five main financial topics that every nonprofit person needs to know: Balance Sheets, Income Statements, 990, Giving, and Oversight.

All nonprofits need bylaws. Bylaws are the governing document for the nonprofit and its board of directors. But what does that mean? What is the real purpose of the bylaws and what provisions should be in bylaws? Nonprofit Bylaws is excellent for those who would like to review and update their nonprofit provisions. Highly recommended for nonprofit board members.

Boards play an important role in the success of any organization. Boards in Gear will cover board responsibilities, operations, development, fundraising, and advocacy. This webinar is designed for board members and the people who work with them, namely executive directors and program staff.

For a more complete list of related training events, both live and online, visit www.sos.wa.gov/charities/training/workshops.aspx.

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5) LEVY LID LIFT WEBINAR

Are you thinking about a levy lid lift? The 101% limit on property tax levies restricts revenue growth for Washington local governments. With costs rising at a faster pace than the 1% allowed by state statute and assessed values of property increasing at a pace well beyond inflation for many areas of the state, the only method to access this available levy capacity is through a ballot measure to the voters for a levy lid lift. But what type of lid lift to choose, among the bewildering array available, and timing are both critical components to crafting a successful measure.

This webinar will review how the levy lid lift works and discuss the various levy lid lift options, and it will address the importance of the ballot title and the timing of your ballot measure to assure collection in the next calendar year. Cities, counties, and special purpose districts will come away from this webinar with a better understanding of what type of levy lid lift would best serve their needs and the process for ensuring the measure is brought to public vote.

Webinar details:

  • Date & time: February 7, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST
  • Sponsor: MRSC (Municipal Research and Services Center)
  • Cost: $35.00
  • Registration deadline: Feb. 6, 11:00 a.m.
  • Shortcut link: sos.wa.gov/q/lift.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, February 5

Tuesday, February 6

Wednesday, February 7

Thursday, February 8

Friday, February 9

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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.

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Keeping our library workforce well trained.

Friday, January 12th, 2018 Posted in Articles, For Libraries, For the Public, Training and Continuing Education | Comments Off on Keeping our library workforce well trained.


people sitting at a table with laptopsOne of the roles we take very seriously at the State Library is making sure that the library workforce in Washington is kept up to date with the latest, and greatest information about the skills needed to be a success in the 21st century.  We do this in a variety of ways, First Tuesdays webinars, specific in person trainings offered at sites around the state, professional development grants, support for WebJunction and subscriptions to Skillsoft and Lyrasis trainings .

The first of these, the First Tuesdays webinars, are accessible to anyone in the state or even the world.  We host a webinar every month on a wide variety of topics, selected to be both timely and forward thinking as well as appeal to a broad range of library staff.  Recent topics , “Let’s talk about race in Storytimes” to “Public data and privacy protections”, “Legal Reference – The Basics” give you an idea of the range of topics we cover.  People from all over the country and even outside of the U.S. attend these webinars. All the webinars are archived on our YouTube channel allowing anyone to watch, at a time that is convenient to them.

We also offer live trainings at libraries around the state.  A couple of upcoming trainings are “Self-Talk and Emotional Intelligence: Improving your Work Narrative” and “Screen Scene: Best Practices for Using Screen Media with Young Children” . These trainings are offered at no charge to library employees.  simply register, show up and learn.

Every year we work with our teacher librarians to identify their specific needs for training.  Last year WSL trained over 350 teacher librarians in Digital Citizenship offering trainings at dozens of sites around the state.

Professional Development grants are an amazing, and not very well known, resource for Washington library staff. Any individual who works in a Washington library at least 10 hours a week can apply for a grant.  By applying for a PD grant, organizations can help their staff pursue special interest topics by attending conferences, workshops or seminars. In addition organizations may apply to bring a specific training into their library. Most libraries who receive one of the organizational grants open up the training to other local libraries.

We certainly love WebJunction here at the state library. WSLhas supported them from the very beginning and continues to support this incredible growing library of online trainings.  If you’ve ever taken a WebJunction course you know what high quality webinars and trainings they offer.

Skillsoft is a collection of resources specifically designed for continuing education in libraries. Classes are offered in communication, interpersonal skills, leadership, management and a whole suite of technology applications.

In short, if you want to learn it, we probably provide a means to get you there.  Please explore some of these links. We hope you will take advantage of all we have to offer.

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WSL Updates for April 27, 2017

Thursday, April 27th, 2017 Posted in For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for April 27, 2017


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

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS DOES LINCOLN CENTER

2) METADATA CLEANUP GRANTS

3) SCHOOL LIBRARY GRANTS

4) GRANTS FOR BANNED BOOK WEEK

5) BEST BUY COMMUNITY GRANTS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) FIRST TUESDAYS DOES LINCOLN CENTER

Wish you had an easy way to host community engagement cultural experiences for your library patrons?  Our First Tuesdays speaker for May, Kami Morasco, program manager at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., has a great opportunity to share. Join us as she explains how you can invite your patrons to experience the excitement of Lincoln Center right in their neighborhood library through the Lincoln Center Local: Free Screenings program.

“Lincoln Center Local: Free Screenings Program,” presented by Kami Morasco, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 9:00 a.m. PDT. Sign in at sos.wa.gov/q/FirstT.

First Tuesdays is designed as a continuing-education opportunity for staff of libraries in Washington State. This free one-hour web presentation allows attendees to share their skills and successes and learn about new topics. These special-subject presentations, lasting about 60 minutes, are recorded so that others may listen at their own convenience. For links to archived sessions, visit sos.wa.gov/q/FirstTuesdays.

2) METADATA CLEANUP GRANTS

 The Washington State Library (WSL) is offering Metadata Cleanup Grants to support public, academic, and tribal libraries in remediating, re-cataloging, and/or enhancing digital collection records currently available to the public through digital library and digital repository systems. The primary purpose of these grants is to help institutions prepare for the eventual harvest of collection metadata by a regional or state-level Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) service hub.

  • To review eligibility requirements, grant guidelines, and to download grant applications, go to sos.wa.gov/q/grants.
  • The application deadline is Wednesday, May 31, 2017.

Overall funding to support this grant cycle is $25,000, with a limit of $5,000 per application. It is anticipated that five (5) or more applicants may receive awards. Awards are contingent upon receipt of federal funds and distribution of those funds by WSL, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

For more information, contact Evan Robb at [email protected] or 360-704-5228.—————————————————————————————————————

3) SCHOOL LIBRARY GRANTS

The Washington State Library (WSL) is accepting applications for RSL-2: a new cycle of “Refreshing School Libraries” grants. The purpose of the grant is to help bolster schools’ nonfiction collections. We hope to help support Common Core Standards and student enjoyment.

We anticipate making 100 awards of $2,000 in reimbursable funding. Libraries in public and non-profit K-12 schools are eligible. The deadline for both the online application and the signature sheet (postmark) is May 1, 2017. Awards will be announced on May 30, 2017. For more information, including the guidelines and application documents, visit sos.wa.gov/q/grants.

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4) GRANTS FOR BANNED BOOK WEEK

Each year the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) distributes grants to non-profit organizations to support activities which raise awareness of intellectual freedom and censorship issues during the annual Banned Books Week celebration (September 24 – 30, 2017.) Libraries, schools and universities are encouraged to apply. Grants are awarded at two levels, $1,000 and $2,500. To be eligible for a grant, organizations must not have been a recipient of an FTRF grant within the past five years.

Grantees also receive an ALA 2017 Banned Books Week PromoKit valued at $84 which includes one poster, one roll of stickers, one 50-pack of the “2017 Field Report: Banned and Challenged Books,” one 100-pack of bookmarks, and one tote bag.

Grantees are encouraged to share their events on social media and local press. A follow-up report detailing expenditures, numbers of participants, links to press coverage, and a narrative of the event is due within six weeks of the Banned Books Week celebration.

The deadline for applications is May 12, 2017. For more information and to apply, visit www.ftrf.org/?page=Krug_BBW.

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5) BEST BUY COMMUNITY GRANTS

The Best Buy Foundation will donate up to $2 million in Community Grants to local and regional nonprofit partners offering programs that create hands-on access to technology education and tools that teens will need to be successful in their future schooling and careers. Programs should include hands-on learning opportunities and engage the youth in experimenting, and interacting with the latest technologies to build 21st century skills.

Best Buy invites out-of-school time programs that have a fundamental commitment to youth, ages 13-18, to apply for funding.  Minimum eligibility criteria include:

  • Eligible nonprofits may be a public or nonprofit community-based organization (e.g., community center, school or library) with existing local or regional out-of-school time program and a proven track record of serving youth ages 13-18.
  • Program must operate within 25 miles of a Best Buy store or other Best Buy center of operations (e.g., warehouse, corporate headquarters, Geek Squad Service Center, etc.) to allow for Best Buy employee volunteer participation (if appropriate).
  • Commitment to diversity and inclusion. Other criteria also apply.

Program grants typically range from $4k to $6k, but will not exceed $10k. The application site opens May 1, 2017, and proposals must be submitted by 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, May 19, 2017. For more detailed information and to apply, visit corporate.bestbuy.com/community-grants-page.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, May 1

Tuesday, May 2

Wednesday, May 3

Thursday, May 4

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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.

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

 

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WSL Updates for January 26, 2017

Thursday, January 26th, 2017 Posted in For Libraries, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for January 26, 2017


Volume 13, January 26, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) WRITING EFFECTIVE EMAIL

2) WE HAVE ZINE WINNERS!

3) SPARKING CHANGE AS COMMUNITY CATALYSTS

4) EDITORIAL CARTOON EXHIBITS

5) READING APPRENTICESHIP CONFERENCE

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) WRITING EFFECTIVE EMAIL

The Washington State Library is offering a free, 3-hour, hands-on course designed to teach the following skills:

  • Using email formats to create clarity;
  • Understanding and utilizing the general and courteous “rules of engagement” when composing or replying to email;
  • Performing an audience analysis prior to writing;
  • Composing email that clearly communicates desired actions (e.g., approval, commitment, providing information, etc.);
  • Recognizing and stopping inappropriate, emotional, or harmful email threads;
  • Essential proofreading for tone, punctuation, and grammar.

Identical morning and afternoon sessions will be offered at four locations throughout the month of February:

  • Thursday, February 2, 2017: King County Service Center, 960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah;
  • Tuesday, February 14, 2017: Pierce County Service Center, 3005 112th St E, Tacoma;
  • Thursday, February 16, 2017: Fort Vancouver Regional Library. 1007 Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver;
  • Thursday, February 23, 2017: Spokane City Library, 906 W Main Ave.

Visit www.sos.wa.gov/q/email for exact times, and to register.

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2) WE HAVE ZINE WINNERS!

The Washington State Library received many wonderful entries to this year’s 2nd Annual Historical Zine Contest and the choices were tough, but here are the winners:

  • Grades 4-6: The Grand Coulee Dam, Anna Riley, 4th grade (Bainbridge Island);
  • Grades 7-9: Women’s Rights & Wonder Women from Washington’s Past, Janisa Cook, 7th grade (Bothell);
  • Grades 10-12: Pike Place Market, Adrian Poslednik, 12th Grade (Steilacoom);
  • Adult: 721 Seventeenth Avenue: A Love (Hi)Story, Amanda Demeter (Seattle).

Each winner will receive $75, a certificate of participation and their Zine will be added to the Washington State Library Zine Manuscript Collection. For more information, visit sos.wa.gov/q/Zine.

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3) SPARKING CHANGE AS COMMUNITY CATALYSTS

Remember that “Most Likely to Succeed” award in high school? If you have gone back to a high school reunion you know how unpredictable life’s ups and downs can be. The same holds for community change initiatives. Often it’s the unexpected scrappy little rag-tag groups that succeed. You can dream about change and take your chances on stumbling into just the right partnerships and circumstances, or you can attempt to engineer it.

A new report from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Reinvestment Fund provides insights for libraries and museums to connect with their communities in newer and deeper ways. Produced as part of the Community Catalyst initiative, the 59-page report is a handbook for libraries and museums to position themselves as critical sites within broader social and institutional networks that support community well-being. The report includes case studies and a discussion of conceptual frameworks that can guide libraries, archives, and museums that seek to spark catalytic change in their communities. The report’s full title is “Strengthening Networks, Sparking Change: Museums and Libraries as Community Catalysts.”

For more information and to download the report, use this link: sos.wa.gov/q/spark.

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4) EDITORIAL CARTOON EXHIBITS

On behalf of The Herb Block Foundation, ELY, Inc., a museums services company, is offering five panel exhibitions featuring the illustrations of Herb Block, editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post. We are asking for your help to spread the word about this exciting opportunity to bring these educational and thought provoking exhibits to university and college libraries. There is no rental fee for the exhibitions. The hosting institution is only responsible for the shipping costs. These exhibits discuss the following subjects:

  • Education
  • Civil rights
  • The environment
  • The presidency
  • Democracy

For more information or to apply, visit www.herblockexhibitions.org/exhibit.

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5) READING APPRENTICESHIP CONFERENCE

The third annual Regional Reading Apprenticeship® Conference, Metacognition & Mindfulness: Academic Literacies for the 21st Century, will be held March 10, 2017 from 3 to 7 p.m. and March 11, 2017 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Renton Technical College. As an example of a session described as a must-attend for librarians and English composition instructors, consider the following:

“Thinking About Thinking About the Research Paper: Engaging Metacognition Throughout the Student Research Process,” presented by Zoe Fisher, University of Denver. Participants will:

  • Identify Reading Apprenticeship routines to use at various points in the research process, including searching for sources, reading sources, and integrating sources;
  • Model and practice RA routines to use in the classroom;
  • Reflect on how to integrate RA routines into existing research paper assignments.

For a full schedule, and to register, visit www.rtc.edu/3rd-annual-reading-conference. Early-bird discounted registration is available until February 1.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, January 30

Tuesday, January 31

Wednesday, February 1

Thursday, February 2

Friday, February 3

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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WSL Updates for January 5, 2017

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017 Posted in For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, State Library Collections, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for January 5, 2017


Volume 13, January 5, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) JUMPSTART USER EXPERIENCE (UX)

2) HOW TO DO A TEDX PRESENTATION

3) MICROSOFT IMAGINE ACADEMY LAB GRANTS

4) 50 YEARS OF PNW HISTORY NOTES

5) ONLINE LIS DEGREE PROGRAM AT SFCC

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) JUMPSTART USER EXPERIENCE (UX)

By designing your library with the user experience in mind, you have the potential to deepen the connection your library has with its community, and make your library a place that people love to use. This hands-on workshop presented by UX expert Aaron Schmidt is a practical guide to assessing and improving all sorts of touchpoints in your library, and also covers foundational UX theory. You’ll acquire experience with important user research techniques as well as analyzing the resulting data. After this free workshop you’ll have a keener critical eye, and a framework with which you can make your library the most important place in your community.

Workshops are scheduled from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. as follows:

  • April 5, 2017 – Burlington Public Library
  • April 6, 2017 – Lacey Timberland Library
  • May 10, 2017 – Brooks Library Central Washington University
  • May 11, 2017 – Spokane Public Library – South Hill Branch

Sign up for these workshops via the WSL training calender.

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2) HOW TO DO A TEDX PRESENTATION

This month’s First Tuesdays webinar, “How to Do a TEDx Presentation,” is scheduled for January 10, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Sno Isle Libraries has presented two TEDx events to rave reviews. Join us as Ken Harvey, Sno-Isle Communications Director, who organized these effective events, shares what is needed to stage a successful TEDx program.

Designed as a continuing education opportunity for library staff in Washington State, these free First Tuesdays web presentations are an opportunity to learn about new library-related topics. Sessions are recorded so that others may listen at their own convenience. For more information about First Tuesdays, visit sos.wa.gov/q/FirstTuesdays. For instructions on joining the presentation, visit sos.wa.gov/q/FirstT.

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3) MICROSOFT IMAGINE ACADEMY LAB GRANTS

Applications from Microsoft Imagine Academy program members are being accepted now through January 24, 2017 to receive equipment and limited funding to support new, or expand existing, coding programs and Microsoft certification. Laptops, 10-inch tablet computers, and routers purchased by the State Library are available (there is no limit to the quantity of each that can be requested; hardware technical specs are available in the Grant Guidelines), along with up to $3000 per award to purchase equipment accessories like cases, tablet sleeves, keyboards, etc., or other materials and activities to support project activities.

  • Lab Grant applications must be received by COB Tuesday, January 24, 2017, with contract execution expected before March 20, 2017.
  • Grant materials (Guidelines and Application) are available on the State Library’s Grant page.
  • This Lab Grant opportunity replaces the Microsoft Imagine Academy 2016-2017 grant, which will close Tuesday, January 17, 2017.

Questions and comments about this opportunity should be directed to Elizabeth Iaukea at [email protected].

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4) 50 YEARS OF PNW HISTORY NOTES

For the past 50 years, the Washington State Library has compiled a quarterly bibliography of Pacific Northwest history publications for the Pacific Northwest Quarterly (PNQ). Historian, author, and Washington Room librarian Hazel Emery Mills began the column in the January, 1967, Vol. 58 issue. WSL librarians have performed this service ever since. The current compiler is Sean Lanksbury, WSL Pacific Northwest & Special Collections Librarian. For more information, including links to PNQ and its index, visit Between the Lines, the WSL blog.

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5) ONLINE LIS DEGREE PROGRAM AT SFCC

The online library science degree programs at Spokane Falls Community College, (LiS AAS, LiS Certificate, School Library Media Paraprofessional AAS) offers the following classes starting winter quarter, January 2017:

  • LMLIB 125, 5 credits, online: Introduction to School Library Media Services;
  • LMLIB 126, 3 credits, online: Library Technology for Educational Support (meets ALA Library Support Staff Competency for Technology);
  • LMLIB 220, 5 credits, online: Technical Services II: Introduction to Cataloging (meets ALA Library Support Staff Competency for Cataloging and Classification);
  • LMLIB 116, 5 credits, online: Introduction to Circulation and Customer Services (meets ALA Library Support Staff Competency for Communication and Teamwork).

For more information contact Paula Swan, LiS Instructor, SFCC at [email protected] or 509.533.3617 or visit libguides.spokanefalls.edu/librarytech.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, January 9:

  • What Is Tech-Savvy Leadership? A Panel Discussion (edWeb); 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. PST

Tuesday, January 10:

  • Career Development: Today’s Meta-Priority (Training Magazine Network); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST
  • How to do a TEDx presentation (Washington State Library); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST
  • 2017 ALA Carnegie Shortlist Finalists (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST
  • Bozarthzone! Better Than Bullet Points (InSync); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST
  • Preschool Storytime Basics (Texas State Library and Archives Commission); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST

Wednesday, January 11:

  • The Psychology of Success: Why Are Some People More Likely to Succeed than Others? (American Management Association); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST
  • How to Implement Things When People Hate Change (SirsiDynix); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PST
  • Nonprofit Boards & Effective Governance (4Good); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PST
  • Science Soup, Part 1 On Major Government Science Databases (Federal Depository Library Program); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST
  • Using Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) for Research and Learning (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PST
  • Service Excellence in Challenging Times (WebJunction); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PST

Thursday, January 12:

  • What is Bioinformatics Librarianship? (National Network of Libraries of Medicine); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PST
  • The Power to Delight: Providing extraordinary service (Colorado State Library); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST
  • Outcome Measurement Made Easy with PLA’s Project Outcome (Public Library Association); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST
  • Philanthropy Blueprint 2017 (GrantSpace); 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. PST
  • School Library Resources Available at Wyoming State Library (Wyoming State Library); 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. PST

Friday, January 13:

  • Going Digital (LYRASIS); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PST

For more information and to register, visit the WSL Training Calendar at sos.wa.gov/q/training.

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WSL Updates for March 12, 2015

Thursday, March 12th, 2015 Posted in Digital Collections, For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for March 12, 2015


Volume 11, March 12, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE GRANT CYCLE OPEN

2) RECORDED BOOKS ONECLICK RENEWALS

3) SAN JUAN ISLAND LIBRARY WINS AWARD

4) STORYCORPS COMES TO NISQUALLY

5) WELL-FED & WELL-READ – SUMMER MEAL SITES

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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WSL Updates for March 5, 2015

Thursday, March 12th, 2015 Posted in Digital Literacy, For Libraries, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for March 5, 2015


Volume 11, March 5, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FREE WORKSHOPS FROM WSL

2) MAPPING INCLUSION – FREE ALA WEBINAR

3) AMIGOS CALLS FOR PRESENTATIONS

4) ARSL CALLS FOR 2015 CONFERENCE PROPOSALS

5) ANNUAL CONFERENCE ALERT

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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WSL Updates for September 11, 2014

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014 Posted in For Libraries, News, Technology and Resources, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for September 11, 2014


Volume 10, September 11, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) CE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY

2) AWE GROUP PURCHASE OFFER

3) FREE DISASTER RECOVERY WORKSHOP

4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) CE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY

The Washington State Library/Washington Library Association Continuing Education Needs Assessment (CENA) Survey is now available.

Your participation will help WSL and WLA offer valuable, targeted continuing education opportunities over the next 2 years. Please share this survey widely with all library staff in public, school, academic, college, tribal and other libraries.

The survey should only take 15-20 minutes to complete and is available at www.surveymonkey.com/s/WACENA2014

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2) AWE GROUP PURCHASE OFFER

The WSL Statewide Database Licensing Project and AWE Digital Learning Solutions are again announcing a multi-state special group purchase pricing to all public libraries for both the Early Literacy Station™ and AfterSchool Edge™. To take advantage of this special offer, orders should be placed before December 15, 2014.

The Early Literacy Station™ (ELS) is a dynamic all-in-one digital learning solution for early learners, ages 2-8. It is available in English and Bilingual Spanish and features over 70 content applications. The AfterSchool Edge™ features content for all elementary age students (approximately 6-12 years old). The educational programs, which are correlated to Common Core and state standards, span all seven curricular areas. Each product features engaging graphics, intuitive menus, usage tracking, and administrative functions. No Internet connection is required to use either of these products.

Pricing will be available from the Statewide Database Licensing AWE group purchasing page at sos.wa.gov/q/AWE-2. For more information, contact Cynthia Busse, AWE Senior Account Executive at [email protected] or 281.210.4799.

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3) FREE DISASTER RECOVERY WORKSHOP

Protecting Cultural Collections: Disaster Prevention, Preparedness, Response & Recovery is a free two-part workshop sponsored by the Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS). Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The instructor, Gary Menges, is a retired Preservation Administrator, UW Libraries, a WESTPAS trainer, and a member of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC CERT).

Who should attend? Administrators and staff responsible for emergency preparedness, response and decision-making, in all types of cultural institutions. By registering for the workshop, the institution commits to supporting the attendee(s) to achieve the workshop’s disaster preparedness goals. When possible, please commit two attendees so they can work together on the disaster preparedness activities.

Event details:

  • Part 1: ON-LINE WEBINARS – Prevention & Preparedness (archived 2½ hours total)
  • Part 2: IN-PERSON WORKSHOP – Response & Recovery
  • Wednesday, October 15, 2014 – 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. – Yakima Valley Museum, 2105 Tieton Drive, Yakima, WA 98902.

Participation in the in-person workshop requires viewing the archived Part 1 webinars BEFORE attending the Part 2 in-person workshop AND completing the workshop assignments. Any exception requires the permission of the instructor.

For more information or to register visit sos.wa.gov/q/WESTPAS-Yakima. For registration assistance, contact Alexandra Gingerich, [email protected]; for general & content information, contact Gary Menges [email protected].

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4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

September 15

  • VIP Webinar with Ken Burns (Baker&Taylor); 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/kenb

September 16

  • Shared Print Repositories (ALCTS), two-day webinar; 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/spr
  • When Remembering Really Matters: The Power of Serious Games for Learning (Training Magazine Network); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/whenre
  • Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program (VolunteerMatch.Org); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/volwalk
  • Executive Branch Documents (ProQuest); 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/exdoc

September 17

  • Shared Print Repositories (ALCTS), two-day webinar; 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT wa.gov/q/spr
  • Grant Proposal Feedback Clinic (4Good); 12:00 – 1:00 PDT wa.gov/q/grtfeedback
  • Strategic Decision Making: Shifting Your Culture from Reactive to Proactive; 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/strdec
  • Storymakers: Tell Your Library’s Story (Techsoup); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/storym
  • Subject Matter Expert + Tablet = Faster, Cheaper, Better Video Learning Content (Training Magazine Network); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/subjmex
  • The Team Equation: Managing Teams that Deliver (Training Magazine Network); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/teameq
  • ProQuest Health and Medical Complete; 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/medcompl
  • ELibrary for Schools (ProQuest); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/eschool
  • My Research & RefWorks: Perfect Together; 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/myres
  • Busqueda Avanzada en la Plataforma (Spanish – ProQuest); 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/spapro

September 18

  • Making Our Gadgets Work for Us, Spokane County Library, Argonne Branch, Spokane; 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • You Can Do I.T. On Your Own (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/doit
  • Teen Books Buzz Fall 2014 (School Library Journal); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/bookbuzz
  • Funding Rural America: Finding Support for Small Communities (Techsoup); 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/fundrur
  • Measuring Success: How to Strategically Assess Your Program (VolunteerMatch.Org); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/volmeasure
  • ABI/INFORM FAQ (ProQuest); 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/abipro
  • Ebrary-ebooks for Schools (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/ebraryproq
  • New Literature Online LION (ProQuest); 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/lionpro

September 19

  • Leading without Authority, Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham; 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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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Spotlight on Staff: Jennifer Fenton

Thursday, July 24th, 2014 Posted in Articles, For Libraries, For the Public, Training and Continuing Education | Comments Off on Spotlight on Staff: Jennifer Fenton


If you had to use one word to describe Jennifer “Non-stop” would be a good one. Other words that apply are enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable.  library photo

Jennifer has worked in libraries for over 25 years starting in her high school years at King County Library (KCLS) as a Page. She continued working for KCLS all through her college and graduate school days honing her skills as she went. Her dream job and where she focused her education was in Children’s Services and fresh out of library school she went to work for the Ellensburg City Library as the youth services librarian. Pulling on her experience at KCLS and knowing what was possible, Jennifer took the children’s program to a new level introducing baby and toddler story times, school age programs as well as teen programming. With her quiet charm she roped in the Police and Fire Departments, the City Manager and the Mayor to come and read to the kids. She participated on behalf of the library with the kids in the Ellensburg parade, rode on a float and had on average four programs A DAY! One of the most popular programs was an American Girl Doll event. It started as a Victorian tea complete with real china but soon became a multi-age event for both boys and girls where they put on plays. As she said “The kids enjoy being stage managers and lighting engineers even if they won’t appear on stage.” Sets were made, costumes produced, the show must go on! Jennifer stressed however, that the kids did the work, she just coordinated the event. Did I say “non-stop”?

Besides her day to day work, while in Ellensburg, Jennifer was also the backup Library Director and was often called on to function in this role. In her “free time” She became involved in CAYAS and has been active in the Washington Library Association (WLA) since 1997.

Jennifer loved her time in Ellensburg but wanting to be closer to family she moved back to Western Washington and to the Sno-Isle Libraries, specifically the Mukilteo Library. While at Sno-Isle she was promoted to Assistant Children’s Service Manager. She co-implemented an early learning program called “Ready Readers”. She reports that working with the Children’s staff at Sno-Isle is “Where I got my love of training.” Jennifer’s tenure at Sno-Isle was before Washington’s state-wide involvement with the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), each library had to create their own Summer Reading Program.

Richard Jesse Watson’s Sno-Isle’s Summer Reading Logo

Richard Jesse Watson’s Sno-Isle’s Summer Reading Logo

She developed a partnership with authors/illustrators to help produce programs and materials for the SRP and other programming and is still friends with many of these authors.

While at Sno-Isle, Jennifer also worked as a collection development librarian and was “loaned” to Lake Stevens Library as a Branch Manager. She found she really liked the “high level work” and that is what eventually led her to the State Library.

Ready for new challenges, in 2008 Jennifer became the Training Coordinator for Washington State, coordinating trainings both in person and online. She plans at least two major “on the ground” events a year, this year’s being the wildly successful “Gadget Menagerie” and “Mental Health First Aid”.   “She also partners with the WLA on a Continuing Education Needs Assessment which goes to all  librarians in Washington state. This fall look for a Social Media training and more sessions of “Leading without Authority.” Judging on the success of Jennifer’s past programs you might want to sign up early.

You would think with ALL this going on in her life there would be no time for anything else but Jennifer has a husband and two dogs to keep her busy in her off hours. She and her husband make jewelry (just look the next time you see her) and love to travel. Her cubicle walls are covered with gorgeous pictures taken in London, Hawaii and Egypt. Jennifer Egypt

But enough from me, let’s see what her fans have to say about her.

“Jennifer is a person of many dimensions but more than anything she is patient, everywhere and every when, she is cool, calm and patient with, well, everybody.”

Lauren L R Murphy, Senior Librarian, Bonney Lake Pierce County Library

“I have worked with Jennifer on numerous projects and her depth of knowledge is always a great asset to each one. She brings a genuine enthusiasm to everything she does and her professional joy is infectious. Jenn is such a treasure to work with!”

Brianna K. Hoffman Richland Public Library

“I admire her as a ‘connector’ creating networks with people state-wide as well as with CE people in other libraries around the country.”

Jeanne Fondrie, Learning Coordinator, Whatcom County Library System

‘I first met Jennifer when I was a new librarian – I followed her as children’s librarian at the Mukilteo Library.  From the beginning, I appreciated the way she took me under her wing and mentored me… I can always count on Jennifer to offer advice on potential trainers, improving training or leadership.  She is knowledgeable, friendly and approachable.”

Kristin Piepho, Children’s Coordinator, Sno-Isle Libraries

Are you tired reading this? I could barely keep up with taking notes. Do you have a training need? Washington Librarians and libraries are in good hands with Jennifer Fenton.

 

 

 

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Gadget Menagerie Takes Off

Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 Posted in For Libraries, For the Public, Library 21 Initiative, Technology and Resources, Training and Continuing Education, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »


Less than a month into a whirlwind tour of over 40 libraries around the state and the Gadget Menagerie is officially a big hit in libraries. January kicked off the Gadget Menagerie with visits to Skagit and Lincoln Counties as well as the Ritzville Library and Mid-Columbia Libraries. Now, we are preparing for a super-busy February with visits to Gonzaga University, Richland Public Library, Timberland Regional Library, Washington State Library, Spokane County Library District, Sno-Isle Libraries and Everett Public Library. Wow, that’s exhausting just at a glance!

sedro2

Sedro-Woolley staff show off devices at the Gadget Menagerie

The exciting thing about the Gadget Menagerie program is that it is not only for staff, but also for the public. Libraries wishing to offer a public program are partnering with Washington State Library staff to bring the Gadgets to the library for patrons as well. Working directly with library users has been a joy. It is so much fun to help people discover the world of eReaders and tablets. Everyone has different needs when it comes to using a tablet and our job is to help people understand how they are all similar, yet different. Is this a contradiction in terms? Perhaps, but it is very true.

By working with staff and encouraging them to approach devices in a “device agnostic” manner, we hope to get staff more comfortable helping patrons coming to the library on a daily basis with various devices. Each day of the Gadget Menagerie, we are learning more about devices and about our communities.
Devices in the current menagerie include: Kindle, Nook Touch, Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD, Galaxy Tab 10.1, iPad Mini, Microsoft Surface RT and a Chromebook.

New devices are coming soon and will include more android-based tablets. Patrons and students may bring their own device or explore one from the Washington State Library.

gadgets

Just a few of the available devices at the Gadget Menagerie.

At the public workshops, we assisted many people with their own devices and showcased the gadgets from our menagerie. An 83-year old woman wanted to compare tablets. After working with the various tablets in the Menagerie, she was able to narrow her interest down to 2 tablets. At another session, a 70-something farmer wanted to know when high speed internet would come to his county and town. He loves technology and has quite a few of his own gadgets already. He enjoyed showing us what he liked about the different tablets and was enthusiastic when telling us that when high-speed internet comes to his town, he’d be able to do so much more with all his high-tech toys. When the local librarian asked him “How did you get so tech savvy?,” he responded with, “My grandkids, and I have a lot of them!”

Our youngest patron at the Gadget Menagerie was 9 years old. She had a tablet and wanted to learn about YouTube. Unfortunately, since she has no access to internet at home, her tablet has limited functionality when items aren’t downloaded directly onto it. She loves coming to the library and now knows that she can bring her tablet in and use the library’s wi-fi to download what she needs and ask the friendly staff for help.

So, by now you are probably wondering, what exactly is this Gadget Menagerie?

The Washington State Library is partnering with local libraries across the state providing gadget training for library staff. Library patrons and students will be given similar training focused on the needs of the device user. Over 40 locations and 70 trainings are scheduled for the Gadget Menagerie through June 2014.

“We are very excited to be able to provide this training,” State Librarian Rand Simmons said. “We hope these skills will be beneficial to both library staff and those who rely on library resources.”

burlington

Staff at the Burlington Public Library study devices at the Menagerie.

Library staff will learn how various eReaders, tablets and other devices work. They will discover what these devices have in common, how they differ, and learn basic operating tips. Staff will learn basic troubleshooting and tips for helping patrons with their devices, including how to download books from the library.

The Gadget Menagerie will familiarize local library staff with the variety of gadgets available, allowing for staff to be more comfortable and skilled in helping library patrons.

Not all libraries are offering both types of training; some libraries are focusing only on staff training since they either already offer public workshops or don’t have the resources to offer trainings at this time.

These trainings are funded by the Washington State Library via the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

For this project, which is part of the Washington State Library Digital Literacy project, we are actively encouraging feedback and stories. So far, 100% of the public attendees say they have learned something valuable and would recommend the program to another. Comments from the public vary, but this one is very typical of the responses we have been receiving; “It was useful to have knowledgeable persons explain the equipment-what they will and will not do. Thank you for bringing the variety of devices.”

As one staff person said in a thank-you note, “We couldn’t have asked for better, more useful, hands-on training!”

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