Tag Archives: professional development

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

November – January WebJunction Webinars

Here’s the list of November-January webinars available through WebJunction.  Click on the links to register for these upcoming sessions.

November Webinars:

The Power of Image: presenting with the brain in mind

Tues., Nov.  6, 1 p.m. Central,  60 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/The_Power_of_Image.html

The human brain is wired to respond to images. Scientific studies of the brain are providing powerful insights for designing and delivering presentations that grab the attention of the learner. Once you understand the key concepts of strong visual communication, you can get unstuck from the stale text-and-bullet format of presentation. You don’t need to be a designer to learn some simple tips and tricks that will punch up your presentations and wake up your audience.

Presented by: Betha Gutsche, program manager, WebJunction OCLC, and visual communications advocate.

Energize your base: Tips and tools to raise awareness and build support for library services

Wed., Nov. 14,  noon Central,  90 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/energize_your_base.html

We know that libraries are a good investment but with tight budgets, we need to energize our base – to take action to connect more strongly with community members, to find out what excites them, and to let them know how libraries are changing lives – one connection at a time. Our panel will explore three vehicles that can help you increase awareness of library services:

Library Videos – New videos from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that showcase work done in libraries that are transforming lives by changing the way we connect.
Geek the Library – A community awareness campaign offered free to libraries to help strengthen community connections and library support.
Data Visualization – We collect lots of data. Learn how the Colorado State Library is helping local libraries use their data to tell a story about impact.

Presented by: Karen Perry, Senior Program Officer, Global Libraries, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Jennifer Pearson, OCLC Senior Manager for Advocacy Programs; Jamie Hollier, Project Manager with PLA and Library Consultant; and Linda Hofschire, Research Analyst, Library Research Service, Colorado State Library.

 

December Webinars:

Outreach Programs in Rural Communities: Simple Steps for Surprising Results

Thurs., Dec. 6, 1 pm Central,  60 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Outreach_Programs_in_Rural_Communities.html

The PEARL (Promoting and Enhancing the Advancement of Rural Libraries)Project has been successful in helping Texas rural librarians reach out to groups and organizations in their communities and to raise visibility of and appreciation for their libraries. Community outreach plans, designed to identify and fill a need in the community, are at the heart of this unique model. The process is supported by an actionable template which leads participants from community assessment, through strategic planning, to implementation, and concludes with evaluating outcomes. This webinar, co-sponsored with WebJunction and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries, will explore the outstanding results achieved by participants in the PEARL project and share how community outreach plans have led to unexpected outcomes and some surprising results.

 Presented by:  Barbara Blake, Outreach Coordinator for the PEARL Project, University of North Texas; and Louise W. Greene, Association for Rural and Small Libraries and PEARL Mentor.

What Would Walt Do?: Quality Customer Service for Libraries

Wed., Dec. 12, 2012, noon Central, 60 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/What_Would_Walt_Do.html

Looking for some magic to improve customer service in your library? The Disney Institute on Quality Service has set high standards for creating a quality customer experience and their ideas can be applied at your library. Our panel of Colorado librarians attended the Disney Institute Quality Service preconference sponsored by ALA’s LearnRT at the annual conference in Anaheim in 2012. Since then, they’ve been waving their magic wands to improve customer service in Colorado libraries and they’d like to share their discoveries with you. Learn how to define quality service, set a common purpose for all library staff, and better understand your customers. You’ll walk away with ideas to make your library’s customer service sparkle.

This WebJunction webinar is presented in collaboration with ALA’s LearnRT. Did you attend the Disney Institute? Join this conversation and share your ideas and successes.

Presented by: Crystal Schimpf, Trainer, Colorado State Library; Elena Rosenfeld, Associate Director of Public Service, High Plains Library District; and Suzanne McGowan, Branch Manager, Anythink Wright Farms.

January Webinars: – WJMN members may register now for the following January sessions.

The Impact of an Ice Cream Sundae

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 ♦ 1 pm Central, 60 min

Early Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/The_Impact_of_an_Ice_Cream_Sundae.html

What does an ice cream sundae have to do with library partnerships? Let’s pretend that your community organizations (school, academic, public and special libraries, and other local organizations) are your favorite kind of ice cream. Now let’s ladle your favorite toppings over the ice cream to represent  the organizations’ resources, programs, personnel and funding.  How can the ice cream “mix” with the toppings to be the most luscious dessert possible for the most people?  When community organizations collaborate to share their resources with one another, they make the biggest possible impact on the most lives. Learn easy, understandable and powerful strategies that will give you renewed energy to create bold and imaginative collaborations among all types of community organizations.

Presented by: Kathy Jacobs, Director, Yankton (SD) Community Library

Creating a Culture of Innovation in your Library and Community

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 ♦ noon, Central, 60 min

Early Registration:  http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Creating_a_Culture_of_Innovation.html

We hear about libraries that are leaders in innovation, implementing ideas that keep the library growing and vital. Perhaps you have watched from the sidelines and wished you could kickstart some innovation at your library, but you’re not sure where to start. Come to this webinar for an active and lively discussion on how to find innovative ideas, how to connect with the people to help make them happen, and how to get buy-in and support for your ideas. There is a lot to be learned from other libraries’ examples and experiences.

Presented by: Heather Braum, Digital & Technical Services Librarian at the Northeast Kansas Library System, blogger at www.heatherbraum.info, and 2010 Kansas Library Association’s New Professional of the Year.

The WJMN Team –

Cecelia Boone, Minitex

Mary Ann Van Cura, State Library Services

Explore: http://www.webjunction.org/partners/minnesota.html .  Twitter :http://twitter.com/webjunctionmn! Contact Us: mnwebjunction@gmail.com!

Affiliation with WebJunction Minnesota is free and available to members of the Minnesota library community. Tell your colleagues!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

The Professional Development “Unconference”

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.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Introducing American Libraries Live – New Video Broadcast

From ALA….

Library 2017: Tech at Warp Speed
Featuring author and ALA TechSource columnist Jason Griffey

1:00 pm Central time on Friday, November 16

NEW! American Libraries Live, a free streaming video broadcast viewable from your home, library or favorite wi-fi spot. AL Live allows viewers to watch broadcasts about library issues and trends in real time and interact with hosts via a live chat, offering immediate answers to your pressing questions. With the help of real-time technology, it’s like having your own experts on hand. Professionals like ALA TechSource columnist Jason Griffey, author of Mobile Technology and Libraries (THE TECH SET® #2), and other respected figures from the industry will address important topics such as how to get an ideal library job, the latest innovations in mobile services, digging into databases and the inside scoop on libraries and e-books.

In the first program, “Library 2017: Tech at Warp Speed,” airing at 1:00 pm Central time on Friday, November 16, Griffey will speak about libraries in the near future.

The programs are easy to view—just go to American Libraries Live. Upcoming broadcasts include:

  • Nov. 16: Library 2017: Tech at Warp Speed
  • Jan. 10: Landing Your Ideal Library Job
  • Feb. 14: Mobile Services: The Library in Your Pocket
  • March 14: Library Safety and Security
  • April 11: The Present and Future of Ebooks
  • May 9: Library Learning Goes Online
  • June 6: New Technologies in Library Equipment
  • July 30: Discovery Services: The Future of Library Systems
  • Sept. 10: Digging into New Databases

American Libraries Live – a free service offering new and exciting ways to get to the heart of the real issues in our industry. Learn more at American Libraries Live!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Register for the Lake Superior Libraries Mid-Winter UnSymposium

Register now for the Lake Superior Libraries UnSymposium, where you determine the conversation!

At your typical conference, the sessions have been planned months, if not years in advance, so the most current, pressing concerns in Library Land are relegated to informal conversations that pop up along the sidelines.

At the Lake Superior Libraries UnSymposium, the sidelines are the conference. Topics and agendas are determined in a bottom-up, democratic manner, rather than being handed down from on high. Everyone wants to talk about how publishers are handling e-books? Done. You’re the only one who wants to talk about the classification of old-timey radio programs? Too bad. Join your brethren in informative conversation and don’t forget to check out the tech petting zoo. This is an event for folks who want to actively participate (see: unconference). Interested in facilitating a discussion? Read this first: How to run a great unconference session.

You’ll come away from the UnSymposium invigorated by lively discussions and ready to take new ideas and excitement back to your library.

Register now!

Kim Pittman

Reference & Instruction Librarian

University of Minnesota Duluth Library, L270

kpittman@d.umn.edu | 218-726-7829

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

The Flipped College Classroom

1 Comment

A recent Star Tribune article, Internet Flips the Idea of How to Teach a Class, highlighted the efforts of some local college professors and instructors utilizing the flipped classroom method in their classrooms. Not only is this article (and its information) local, but it also details some of the successes and failures of this new teaching method. In addition, a recent study of 720 physics professors showed that at least 72 percent had tried various interactive teaching methods (like those that are a part of the flipped classroom); however, at least a third of those instructors tried — and eventually stopped using interactive methods. Some cite push back from students in the flipped classroom, as well as little support for instructors once they’ve “made the switch”. Ongoing support, continuing education, and access to professional resources is a must for forward-thinking instructors who have gotten up the gumption to attempt the flipped classroom.