Welcome to the Upcoming Library Events listing. Here you’ll find important dates of upcoming conferences, webinars, training opportunities, and library initiatives. CMLE will be updating this list throughout the year so stop back weekly for updates!
Looking for some less serious days to celebrate? Check out our Notable Dates for your Noggin post, published at the beginning of each month!
Have you already made up your mind about Twitter? To some, Twitter can seem a little like black licorice: you either love-it or you hate-it. Adam Grant of the Huffington Post was, until recently, in the hate-it camp… that is, he was.
In a recent article, he writes about his transition and admits that he was wrong about Twitter. One feature he highlights is Twitter’s ability to share information. “When I share something,” he says, “I know it will be accessible to people who have opted in to see my tweets, and I won’t be burdening anyone else.”
Librarians are finding Twitter can work for them too. Is your travel budget in a pinch? With hashtags on Twitter you can follow the conversation before, during, and after a conference without even having to attend. Right now the #mnitem hashtag is a perfect example. With the ITEM conference on Oct. 2-4 organizers are using it to host tweetchats, connect with attendees, and raise event awareness.
Welcome to the MN ITEM Twitter chat! We are excited to talk about the great things planned for our annual fall conference. #mnitem
— ITEM (@ITEMupdates) September 16, 2014
This year, members will see CMLE utilizing Twitter for increased engagement. Look for our Quick Question Poll soon!
Maybe the best way to sum up, is back with Adam Grant: “if you’re not already on Twitter, give it a try.” Have you been convinced? Check out the video below to get started using Twitter.
http://youtu.be/OOWmZYpI7xg
Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/mob4r3v, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The following post was submitted by CMLE scholarship recipient Jami Trenam, Associate Director, Collection Development at Great River Regional Library
Explore eBooks MN Summit
Thanks to a scholarship from CMLE I was able to attend the Explore eBooks MN summit in August 2014. It was a thought-provoking and exciting day as dozens of Minnesota library staff brainstormed ways to make eBooks easier for our patrons and communities to use. I was struck by everyone’s passion to ensure eContent is accessible to all Minnesota libraries and patrons.
I was inspired and impressed by Deb Hoadley’s work to coordinate a statewide eBook project in Massachusetts. I hope we in Minnesota can learn from the successes and challenges of the MA project. I was very struck by the research Hoadley shared regarding the disparity between staff and user experience: 87% of patrons reported they found what they were looking for, where only 56% of library staff reporting their needs were met. Additionally, I was intrigued by the concept of the state supporting the platform, and the libraries providing content. The concept of statewide collection development is cumbersome and exciting all at once!
I was also taken with Mark Sandler’s presentation on libraries of the future. He encouraged academic libraries to be the cosmetic counter on campus: offer a one-on-one consultation experience. Sandler asserted that people use libraries for service, and perhaps reference is not the service they need. I enjoy the challenge that the ideology of traditional library philosophy is at odds with patron needs. I came away from the session wondering how my library can help solve the problems that keep our patrons up at night, how can we help people achieve their goals – this is certainly one way how libraries will remain relevant in the digital age.
On the drive home from the summit I found myself grappling with more questions than I came with: should libraries even be in the best-seller business? How can libraries better serve local authors? How can we help preserve our local content? I’m contemplating digitizing yearbooks and city directories. I also love the idea of a postcard “End the Digital Lockout” advocacy campaign and I’m thinking about how that concept can be applied to my library’s funding challenges. Thank you, CMLE! Not only did I have the opportunity to work with other professionals to propose how a statewide eBook program could work, I left with a renewed sense of hope. Libraries are truly stronger when we work together, and I look forward to cooperative efforts with partner libraries in the future.
Did you miss the Explore ebooks MN series of webinars? Not able to make it to the Explore ebooks MN Summit? Not to worry, all content from the webinars and summit are available at the Explore ebooks MN website.
Recently, the AASL came out with their 25 Best Apps for Teaching & Learning for 2014. The apps were chosen because they foster innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration.
One of those apps, Monster Physics, is a building app that lets students play with monsters to learn physics! By using 68 different parts including wheels, rockets, magnets and more, students learn physics through solving missions and building their own inventions. AASL recommends that Monster Physics can be used to explain basic concepts such as mass, force, friction, acceleration and more.
At .99 the app is only available on iOS and recommended for 3rd through 12th graders. Check out the promotional video:
For more apps, check out our 2014 Recommended App archive!
If you were lucky enough to attend the ISTE 2014 event in Atlanta this year you probably already know what a ground breaking year it was. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones, SmartBrief put together a list of the top seven takeaways. From discussions about BYOD to “all-in-one” solutions ISTE 2014 covered it all.
ISTE is the International Society for Technology in Education and works to engage educators and education leaders in learning and teaching through the innovative and effective uses of technology in PK-12 and teacher education.
ISTE 2015 has already been scheduled so start making your case why you should attend!