Have you been hearing about a new (technically a few years old) way of doing conferences called the unconference? Admittedly, they are informal events, sometimes on a Saturday, and the success of them is based largely on who attends, who has knowledge of proposed topics, and the willingness of attendees to not only listen and learn, but contribute too. The popularity of Edcamps, a type of professional development for educators, originated from social media connections. Get an insider’s view of what makes these events tick, and what kind of usability we could consider here in Central Minnesota. Go to the full article on SmartBlog on Education, 10/30/2012.
Category Archives: Special
How to Look Good on a Webcam
So, do you cringe when you are about to face your computer to do any sort of webcam type meeting? Read this short article from Make Use Of for sage advice on how to look your very best when participating in the webcam world. Everything from lighting, to pleasing backgrounds to double chins and nose hairs; it’s all here! Read the full article at http://tinyurl.com/bxfs8hu. Make Use Of, 11/2/2012.
CMLE Discounts are Coming!
Have you been wondering why you have not seen the CMLE discounts yet? Are you wondering if our discounts might ever include e-books? Well, wonder no more! We listened to our 
members, and have taken the extra time and care to get e-book discounts this year too.
We have eleven book companies participating in the discount program this year, and seven of them are discounting e-books! Which ones will discount e-books? You will know within a week when you receive an email with all of the details including the special code you need to use in order to receive the discount. Drum roll please…..the eleven participating companies this year are:
Abdo, Baker & Taylor, Brodart, Follett, Gumdrop, Ingram, Mackin, Rainbow,
Sebco, Scholastic, and Usborne
Register for Apple Education Seminar: iOS (iPad) in the Classroom
Register now for the Apple Education Seminar, iOS (iPad) in the Classroom! This event will include demonstrations by schools in “TED Talk like format “(10-12 minutes each) on how they are using the iPads as well as demonstrations and presentations by Apple Systems Engineers and Development Executives on how to best use and manage these devices in a school environment.
Cost: Free!
Date: Wednesday, November 14
Time: 8:45-11:45 AM
Where: Sartell Middle School
Registration and additional information can be found at https://edseminars.apple.com/register/p8W1w-s2d71/&proxy=y.
Patricia and I have registered, and are excited to hear from Apple as well as guest presenters from local schools about their use of iOS devices and apps. The format should be engaging and fast-paced as well — covering a lot of ground in a short time! They’re still looking for presenters for these 10-12 minute sessions, so if you have something to share, consider throwing your name in the hat! Your voice could be unique!
Ten Things I Didn’t Learn in Library School
From the blog Letters to a Young Librarian, comes a frank and funny blog post Ten Things I Didn’t Learn in Library School, Academic Edition about the top ten things that library school didn’t prepare the author for. This particular blog post is focused on academic libraries, while a similar post by Eric Riley focuses on public library work and “interesting” experiences he 
wasn’t exactly prepared for. You’ll laugh as they recount stories about dealing with difficult patrons, “janitorial work”, and the balancing act when it comes to working with and supporting faculty.
In particular, I appreciated the statement that, whether we like it or not, “the library (the department) is not always in charge of how the library (the space) is used”. I often struggled with this exact concept at the last library I worked at — the library was a prime spot for many events, with at least 80% of all campus events occurring in the library — even events seemingly unrelated to the library and its mission. Overtime, I had to find ways of managing this and still supporting the students with our resources even when the library (space) was otherwise occupied. Additionally, if the library got to take credit for the event and awesome free food — all the better!
So, take a look at the blog posts! What are some statements you agree with? Are there others that the authors missed? Check it out!!