Volume 6, April 8, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) WOMAN’S DAY ALA LIBRARY STORIES CONTEST

2) IMAGINE, PROGRAM, SHARE – LIBRARY PROGRAMMING WITH SCRATCH

3) INNOVATION FOR LIBRARIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

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Topics include:

1) DOWNLOADABLE AUDIOBOOKS PORTAL LAUNCH

2) ROUND TWO BROADBAND APPLICATION FILED

3) CURRENT ISSUES – LIBRARY TRENDS WITH GEORGE AND JAMES

4) NEW STUDY DESCRIBES PUBLIC LIBRARY INTERNET USE

5) YOUTH PROGRAMS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FUNDED

6) AMERICA – THE STORY OF US CONTESTS

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Times are tight once again and have been for awhile now. I remember reading a picture book as a young child about a family facing tough economic times. Later, in library school, I rediscovered this children’s picture book. It is called “Tight Times” by Barbara Shook Hazen and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.  At the time it was an Out of Print book by a great illustrator. I had no idea that many years later this book would once again be timely and needed in our public libraries to help kids and parents deal with a severe economic downturn.

Our library patrons need us now more than ever. Yet, budgets are shrinking rather than increasing with the extra workload created by the economy. So how do we as library staff  keep ahead during these tight times? One answer is e-learning.

E-learning gives us many opportunities in today’s world to continue our education with very little expense. What exactly is e-learning and how do we take advantage of opportunities provided by e-learning?  E-learning is an ambiguous term to many and has various interpretations. When I consider e-learning, I think of taking courses online whether they are live, instructor led courses or self-paced canned courses.

On the ASDT (The American Society for Training and Development) website, e-learning is defined  as a term covering a wide set of applications and processes, such as Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It includes the delivery of content via Internet, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audio- and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV, CD-ROM, and more.

In recent years, online trainings have increased and improved. There are many resources for online webinars and courses. Through funding from IMLS (Institute for Museum and Library Services), Washington State Library is able to offer free trainings to library staff in Washington.

How do you take advantage of these trainings? Is taking an online course harder than taking an in-person class? What about the quality of instruction? Is a download required for taking an online training? What equipment do I need for an online course?

And…will there be any more in-person training for libraries?

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Over the last few weeks I have had a chance to get to know our new employee. Anna is smart and it has been great training her in the procedures for the library. We have the same schedule so we have been carpooling, which is really nice, but we have also been able to talk daily and all day. I no longer only have inmates to interact with and I find that I like having a coworker work the same schedule as me … in some ways it feels like a “real library”. It doesn’t hurt that we like each other and are getting along well. After years of working alone and then with a part time staff member it is really nice to have someone who is here at the same time of day as me. I no longer spend the three nights a week that I work alone with inmates, Anna keeps me company along with the inmates. However, I know this will not last long as soon Anna will be taking her permanent position in Monroe, but for now I will enjoy the company.

Volume 5, August 20, 2009 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FREE NANCY PEARL READERS’ ADVISORY WORKSHOPS

2) WLA SAM SUPERVISORY WORKSHOP CANCELED

3) FREE LIBRARY 2.0 AND GOOGLING TRAINING

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Check out these free training opportunities coming up in July.

Free WSL online trainings:
First Tuesdays: Safety in Small Libraries
July 7, 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Designed as a continuing-education opportunity for all library staff in Washington State, this free web presentation from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., on the first Tuesday of the 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. Presented by Kate Laughlin, Library Consultant, and Matt Berube, Walla Walla County Rural Library District.

Sign in information

Tools for the Reference Desk: Amigos Online Course
July 9 and 16 (2 part course); 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Do you want to learn how to implement Web technologies in your reference desk? This course explores a variety of online tools, from blogs, wikis, to free chat software and web-based platforms from which you can engage your users at the reference desk. Come learn how to utilize several free online tools in your reference activities.
Register here: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/libraries/training/trainingView.aspx?event=483&audience=state
Libraries Helping Job Seekers in Hard Times: BCR Online
July 28 & 30; 8:00-10:00 a.m.

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Over the last two weeks we had some very successful QuestionPoint training sessions online using Wimba software. At least, I’d like to think they were very successful. Thanks to everyone who attended the sessions; I enjoyed your great questions and hope the trainings were useful and worthwhile.

If you attended either (or both) of the trainings, PLEASE fill out the survey linked below. It should take you about 10 minutes and will be immensely helpful for me, both for statistical purposes and for planning future trainings to your needs.

QP Training Survey: http://tinyurl.com/qptrainsurvey

If you know someone who attended these trainings but is not on the Ask-WA email list and doesn’t read this blog, please forward this along to them so they may complete the survey.

If you didn’t make the live training sessions, below are links to the archived sessions. After clicking the link, select “Participant Login”, type in WA_TrainingRoom1 for the room and whatever you like for your name. If you haven’t run the Wimba wizard on your computer yet, you should do so before trying to view the archived session. If you have already run the wizard, there is a link below the wizard button (about 2 inches down) allowing you to skip the process.

QuestionPoint Training #1 (Wimba Archived Session):

http://tinyurl.com/qptrain01

QuestionPoint Training #2 (Wimba Archived Sessions):

http://tinyurl.com/qptrain02

If you have any thoughts or questions, or if you would like to suggest any material for future trainings, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks!