Duncanville Public Library Director Carla Bryan has asked us to help get the word out about "a TERRIFIC program our Friends group is hosting." Texas author Bill Crider will be honored at the Friends of the Duncanville Public Library's 12th Annual Author Banquet Thursday Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the library's circulation desk for $15/each, or $90 to reserve a table.
"Bill is a great presenter & a wonderful author whose books are so much fun to read," Carla tells us. To request an electronic file of a flyer to post and/or distribute - or just for more information, please contact her at 201 James Collins Blvd.; Duncanville, TX 75116; 972-780-5053; cbryan@ci.duncanville.tx.us .
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Conference Registration Is NOW OPEN!!!
"Get 'Em In!"
The first annual all-day North Texas Conference for Library Program Planners and Presenters
Thursday November 20, 2008
at the
Lockheed Martin Recreation Area
in Southwest Fort Worth
Designed for folks responsible for presenting and / or coordinating library programs, the event will include training sessions, some presenter showcases, dedicated time to visit exhibits, time to network with peers, and even refreshments and lunch!
Keynote Address: Marketing Without Money
by Emmy Award-winning TV reporter Jeff Crilley
Registration is now open!
Fee: $15 if paid by November 10
$20 after November 10 or at the door
Lunch will be provided for all who register, but lunches for those who register at the door will arrive 15 - 30 minutes later and be served separately.
Conference attendees may earn up to 6 CE/CPE hours at this event.
8:30 - 9:00 Sign-in
8:30 - 1:00 Exhibits - including Service Providers, Product Providers and Presenters for Hire
9:00 - 10:30 Keynote Address - Jeff Crilley: Marketing Without Money
10:45 - 3:30 Training Sessions and Presenter Showcases
11:45 - 1 Lunch (provided)
3:45 - ?? Eric's Circle
Session details will be posted soon on the Library Presentations Network SIG website!
The first annual all-day North Texas Conference for Library Program Planners and Presenters
Thursday November 20, 2008
at the
Lockheed Martin Recreation Area
in Southwest Fort Worth
Designed for folks responsible for presenting and / or coordinating library programs, the event will include training sessions, some presenter showcases, dedicated time to visit exhibits, time to network with peers, and even refreshments and lunch!
Keynote Address: Marketing Without Money
by Emmy Award-winning TV reporter Jeff Crilley
Registration is now open!
Fee: $15 if paid by November 10
$20 after November 10 or at the door
Lunch will be provided for all who register, but lunches for those who register at the door will arrive 15 - 30 minutes later and be served separately.
Conference attendees may earn up to 6 CE/CPE hours at this event.
8:30 - 9:00 Sign-in
8:30 - 1:00 Exhibits - including Service Providers, Product Providers and Presenters for Hire
9:00 - 10:30 Keynote Address - Jeff Crilley: Marketing Without Money
10:45 - 3:30 Training Sessions and Presenter Showcases
11:45 - 1 Lunch (provided)
3:45 - ?? Eric's Circle
Session details will be posted soon on the Library Presentations Network SIG website!
Library Presentations Network Special Interest Group WEBSITE & DISCUSSION LIST
It's AVAILABLE NOW! Another website specifically designed for communication among library staff and supporters who share a common interest.
The Library Presentations Network is one of four Special Interest Groups (SIGs) created by Texas Library Association (TLA) District 7 in partnership with the North Texas Regional Library System (NTRLS). The other three SIGs are the Library Program Planners and Presenters Network, the Library Supporters Network, and the Library Technology Network.
The Library Presentations Network exists to facilitate networking among library staff and supporters involved in planning and presenting library programs.
In addition to having its own website and an annual conference, each SIG will hold periodic meetings for networking and discussion of business. Some meetings will take place online via chat. Meetings will be called and conducted by District 7 officers.
Each SIG website will serve as a gateway to information about the annual conference, additional SIG-specific resources and an email discussion list where members can network. Archives of the discussion list will be available online. Other features will be added in the future to support the online environment for peer networking.
Future plans for the SIG websites include extended features for online peer networking, such as online chats, blogs, wikis, and other Web 2.0 innovations. As each SIG website is enhanced and the other SIGs come online, members also will be able to maintain online profiles and contact lists.
To join the email discussion list for this SIG, visit the Library Presentations Network, click on "discussion" and follow the directions.
Information about the other SIG websites will be posted here as the websites become accessible.
The Library Presentations Network is one of four Special Interest Groups (SIGs) created by Texas Library Association (TLA) District 7 in partnership with the North Texas Regional Library System (NTRLS). The other three SIGs are the Library Program Planners and Presenters Network, the Library Supporters Network, and the Library Technology Network.
The Library Presentations Network exists to facilitate networking among library staff and supporters involved in planning and presenting library programs.
In addition to having its own website and an annual conference, each SIG will hold periodic meetings for networking and discussion of business. Some meetings will take place online via chat. Meetings will be called and conducted by District 7 officers.
Each SIG website will serve as a gateway to information about the annual conference, additional SIG-specific resources and an email discussion list where members can network. Archives of the discussion list will be available online. Other features will be added in the future to support the online environment for peer networking.
Future plans for the SIG websites include extended features for online peer networking, such as online chats, blogs, wikis, and other Web 2.0 innovations. As each SIG website is enhanced and the other SIGs come online, members also will be able to maintain online profiles and contact lists.
To join the email discussion list for this SIG, visit the Library Presentations Network, click on "discussion" and follow the directions.
Information about the other SIG websites will be posted here as the websites become accessible.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Continuing Education Opportunities
The South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association is holding its Annual Meeting in Dallas next month, and several continuing education classes are available. Even if you aren't a medical librarian, you may find one or more classes of interest to you.
Classes will be held at the Radisson Hotel Central Dallas, 6060 N. Central Expressway (Mockingbird @ Central Expwy). CE credit from the Medical Library Association (MLA) is available for all classes, which are listed as follows. Click on the class name for details about that class.
CE1 - Medical Terminology (8 MLA contact hours)
Saturday, October 11
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
CE2 - Measuring Your Impact: Using Evaluation for Library Advocacy (6 MLA contact hours)
Saturday, October 11
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
CE3 - Creating Online Tutorials in Less Than 30 Minutes (4 MLA contact hours)
Sunday, October 12
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
CE4 - Posters 101: Making Order Out of Chaos (4 MLA contact hours)
Wednesday, October 15
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
CE5 - Distance Education (8 MLA contact hours)
Wednesday, October 15
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Note: A Web-based portion will follow the presentation of this class. Participants will receive a total of 8 contact hours, representing their online and live course work.
CE6 - Information Security & Sensitive Information (4 MLA contact hours)
Wednesday, October 15
1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
CE7 - MARC & Copy Cataloging
Wednesday, October 15
1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
To register for these classes, please go to http://www.regonline.com/sccmla-2008 and select the "Partial Conference: CE Only" option to begin. Classes are available for $100 (for 4 contact hours) or $150 (for more than 4 contact hours) per class.
Of course, if you wish to register for the entire meeting, you are more than welcome to do so as well. More information about the meeting may be found at http://sccmla.org/Meetings/Meeting_2008 .
If you have any questions about this, please message dallas2008@sccmla.org.
Classes will be held at the Radisson Hotel Central Dallas, 6060 N. Central Expressway (Mockingbird @ Central Expwy). CE credit from the Medical Library Association (MLA) is available for all classes, which are listed as follows. Click on the class name for details about that class.
CE1 - Medical Terminology (8 MLA contact hours)
Saturday, October 11
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
CE2 - Measuring Your Impact: Using Evaluation for Library Advocacy (6 MLA contact hours)
Saturday, October 11
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
CE3 - Creating Online Tutorials in Less Than 30 Minutes (4 MLA contact hours)
Sunday, October 12
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
CE4 - Posters 101: Making Order Out of Chaos (4 MLA contact hours)
Wednesday, October 15
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
CE5 - Distance Education (8 MLA contact hours)
Wednesday, October 15
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Note: A Web-based portion will follow the presentation of this class. Participants will receive a total of 8 contact hours, representing their online and live course work.
CE6 - Information Security & Sensitive Information (4 MLA contact hours)
Wednesday, October 15
1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
CE7 - MARC & Copy Cataloging
Wednesday, October 15
1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
To register for these classes, please go to http://www.regonline.com/sccmla-2008 and select the "Partial Conference: CE Only" option to begin. Classes are available for $100 (for 4 contact hours) or $150 (for more than 4 contact hours) per class.
Of course, if you wish to register for the entire meeting, you are more than welcome to do so as well. More information about the meeting may be found at http://sccmla.org/Meetings/Meeting_2008 .
If you have any questions about this, please message dallas2008@sccmla.org.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Resources for Texas Libraries, Archives, Etc., Located in Possible Hurricane Path
With weather forecasters predicting the direction of Hurricane Ike to turn toward the Texas gulf coast, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has sent out a list of recommended programs and resources that are available for librarians, archivists, curators, records managers and other custodians of historical records when their units are faced with pre-planning or responding in a natural disaster situation.
TSLAC offers to state agencies and local governments Records Management assistance such as active and continuing records management solutions, protection of governmental records options and preparation before an emergency situations arise. For resources visit http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/ or call the TSLAC State & Local Records Management division (512-421-7200).
HERITAGE EMERGENCY NATIONAL TASK FORCE
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force, co-sponsored by Heritage Preservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has set up http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TFcurrent.html for taking reports on damage to cultural resources and requests for assistance from affected organizations. Used for the first time during the floods this summer in the
AIC COLLECTIONS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
The Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC-CERT) is a product of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works. It offers a rapid-response team of 60 individuals who are trained to assess damage and initiate salvage of cultural collections after a disaster has occurred. They are staffed 24 hours a day. Call 202-661-8068 for simple advice or to request the deployment of a CERT team to your area. To view their brochure, visit http://aic.stanford.edu/news/AIC-CERT.pdf.
AMIGOS LIBRARIES DISASTER PLANNING AND RECOVERY
The Amigos Library Services with a membership of 750 libraries and cultural heritage institutions, mostly in the southwestern
Source: TSLAC Communications Officer Derick Hackett (512-463-5514; dhackett@tsl.state.tx.us)
Trouble keeping up with tasks?????
Interesting site for keeping up with tasks, errands, meetings etc...
Remember the Milk. I really like the idea of listing errands and the locations are then mapped out for the best path.......... For those that love lists - this is for you?? For the rest of us, it may help organize!
Remember the Milk. I really like the idea of listing errands and the locations are then mapped out for the best path.......... For those that love lists - this is for you?? For the rest of us, it may help organize!
Monday, September 08, 2008
Call for Articles from Library Staff and Supporters
If you've been visiting the NTRLS website in the past year or so, you may have noticed that each month we post a variety of items related to a featured topic. In addition to a podcast and the Executive Director's column, there's always an article written by someone in the field.
NTRLS invites its readers to submit articles for our website. Please refer to our Authors' Guidelines for a list of our upcoming themes and details about our preferred format for submissions.
NTRLS invites its readers to submit articles for our website. Please refer to our Authors' Guidelines for a list of our upcoming themes and details about our preferred format for submissions.
2009 Guidelines for J. Frank Dobie Trust Award
Application guidelines for the 2009 J. Frank Dobie Library Trust Awards are much the same as in past years. Please remember all applications are to be mailed in triplicate. Single copies or faxed applications will not be considered.
If you are unable to open the attached pdf file by clicking on the link above and need the guidelines mailed, please contact Michelle Wendel (mwendel@victoriatx.org).
If you are unable to open the attached pdf file by clicking on the link above and need the guidelines mailed, please contact Michelle Wendel (mwendel@victoriatx.org).
Sunday, September 07, 2008
2008-2009 Public Library Internet Survey in the Field
TSLAC Library Development Program Coordinator Stacey Malek alerted us last week that several Texas libraries will be getting letters asking them to complete the 2008 National Survey of Public Library Funding and Technology Access. All libraries are eligible to participate should they choose, and their survey responses will be used as replacements for non-responding sampled libraries.
NTRLS-area libraries selected to participate are in the cities of Alvord, Arlington, Blue Mound, Burleson, Crowley, Denton, Everman, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Granbury, Haltom City, Iowa Park, Jacksboro, Keller, North Richland Hills, Olney, Rhome, River Oaks, Saginar, Seymour, Southlake and White Settlement.
The survey will be available for completion through November 7, 2008. A print version of the survey is included for convenience, but the survey should be completed online at http://www.plinternetsurvey.org. Weekly updates on survey completion progress in our state, in real time and reflecting current completion status, will be available directly at http://survey.pnmi.com/states/ and may be exported to Excel.
Last year's survey response rate was 78.6%. Results of that 2007-2008 study, which include the official overall study book released by ALA, may be viewed at http://www.ii.fsu.edu/plinternet. Funded by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the survey is part of a larger study managed by ALA. This survey group has been conducting these surveys since 1994. Responses provide vital data used by researchers and advocates.
NTRLS-area libraries selected to participate are in the cities of Alvord, Arlington, Blue Mound, Burleson, Crowley, Denton, Everman, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Granbury, Haltom City, Iowa Park, Jacksboro, Keller, North Richland Hills, Olney, Rhome, River Oaks, Saginar, Seymour, Southlake and White Settlement.
The survey will be available for completion through November 7, 2008. A print version of the survey is included for convenience, but the survey should be completed online at http://www.plinternetsurvey.org. Weekly updates on survey completion progress in our state, in real time and reflecting current completion status, will be available directly at http://survey.pnmi.com/states/ and may be exported to Excel.
Last year's survey response rate was 78.6%. Results of that 2007-2008 study, which include the official overall study book released by ALA, may be viewed at http://www.ii.fsu.edu/plinternet. Funded by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the survey is part of a larger study managed by ALA. This survey group has been conducting these surveys since 1994. Responses provide vital data used by researchers and advocates.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
LYSN SIG Listserv Subscribers
It's barely been 24 hours since we announced the "grand opening" of the first of the 4 special interest group discussion lists, and already we have 290 subscribers. I must admit that we kick-started the list with names of CYC conference attendees, but we've received additional subscribers just about every hour since the announcement. It will be interesting to watch the four subscriber lists grow once we get them all available!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Library Youth Services Network Special Interest Group WEBSITE
It's here at last! The first of four websites specifically designed for communication among library staff and supporters who share a common interest.
The Library Youth Services Network is one of four Special Interest Groups (SIGs) created by Texas Library Association (TLA) District 7 in partnership with the North Texas Regional Library System (NTRLS). The other three SIGs are the Library Program Planners and Presenters Network, the Library Supporters Network, and the Library Technology Network. For more detailed information about the TLA District 7 / NTRLS SIGs, click here.
The website for the Library Youth Services Network SIG was developed first because we wanted to capture the networking excitement created by the Children's and Youth Librarians Conference of North Texas, which took place a little over two weeks ago. The Library Youth Services Network exists to facilitate networking among library staff and supporters involved in library services to youth, from newborns through teens. To read more about the Library Youth Services SIG, either visit the website or simply click here.
In addition to having its own website and an annual conference, each SIG will hold periodic meetings for networking and discussion of business. Some meetings will take place online via chat. Meetings will be called and conducted by District 7 officers.
Each SIG website will serve as a gateway to information about the annual conference, additional SIG-specific resources and an email discussion list where members can network. Archives of the discussion list will be available online. Other features will be added in the future to support the online environment for peer networking.
Future plans for the SIG websites include extended features for online peer networking, such as online chats, blogs, wikis, and other Web 2.0 innovations. As each SIG website is enhanced and the other SIGs come online, members also will be able to maintain online profiles and contact lists.
To join the email discussion list for this first SIG, visit The Library Youth Services Network, click on "discussion" and follow the directions.
Information about the other SIG websites will be posted here as the websites become accessible.
The Library Youth Services Network is one of four Special Interest Groups (SIGs) created by Texas Library Association (TLA) District 7 in partnership with the North Texas Regional Library System (NTRLS). The other three SIGs are the Library Program Planners and Presenters Network, the Library Supporters Network, and the Library Technology Network. For more detailed information about the TLA District 7 / NTRLS SIGs, click here.
The website for the Library Youth Services Network SIG was developed first because we wanted to capture the networking excitement created by the Children's and Youth Librarians Conference of North Texas, which took place a little over two weeks ago. The Library Youth Services Network exists to facilitate networking among library staff and supporters involved in library services to youth, from newborns through teens. To read more about the Library Youth Services SIG, either visit the website or simply click here.
In addition to having its own website and an annual conference, each SIG will hold periodic meetings for networking and discussion of business. Some meetings will take place online via chat. Meetings will be called and conducted by District 7 officers.
Each SIG website will serve as a gateway to information about the annual conference, additional SIG-specific resources and an email discussion list where members can network. Archives of the discussion list will be available online. Other features will be added in the future to support the online environment for peer networking.
Future plans for the SIG websites include extended features for online peer networking, such as online chats, blogs, wikis, and other Web 2.0 innovations. As each SIG website is enhanced and the other SIGs come online, members also will be able to maintain online profiles and contact lists.
To join the email discussion list for this first SIG, visit The Library Youth Services Network, click on "discussion" and follow the directions.
Information about the other SIG websites will be posted here as the websites become accessible.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Web 2.1 - Site of the Week, HitmeLater
SiteName: HitmeLater
URL: http://www.hitmelater.com/.
After a long absence, Web 2.1 Site of the Week is back. I took most of August off from the feature to give me some time with my family. :> The site this week has nothing to do with Web 2.o or anything like it, but I thought it was a different concept. You can now hit the Snooze button on your email. If you do not want to deal with an email, you can forward it to 24@hitmelater.com and it will resend the email in 24 hours. If you want the email back in 4 hours, you can send it to 4@hitmelater.com. Microsoft is apparently working on a "Do not disturb" feature for outlook, as I learned through this TechDirt post. I wonder if I can get a snooze button for some other things....
URL: http://www.hitmelater.com/.
After a long absence, Web 2.1 Site of the Week is back. I took most of August off from the feature to give me some time with my family. :> The site this week has nothing to do with Web 2.o or anything like it, but I thought it was a different concept. You can now hit the Snooze button on your email. If you do not want to deal with an email, you can forward it to 24@hitmelater.com and it will resend the email in 24 hours. If you want the email back in 4 hours, you can send it to 4@hitmelater.com. Microsoft is apparently working on a "Do not disturb" feature for outlook, as I learned through this TechDirt post. I wonder if I can get a snooze button for some other things....
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Colony Public Library Recognizes Homeschoolers in August
I subscribe to a semi-monthly newsletter for homeschool families which is published by a good friend and fellow Bedford resident. I'm always interested in what homeschool families want to know and what they want to tell each other about, so I wasn't surprised to see the following article in the most recent newsletter:
The Colony Public Library Recognizes Homeschoolers in August
Getting a library card has never been so rewarding!
If you are heading to The Colony Library during the month of August for a library card or to check out books, there is a special gift waiting for you.
During the month of August, the library is recognizing Homeschools as their "School of the Month." Home-school students who are getting a library card or checking out books can stop by the reference desk to receive their gift. Students under 17 must be accompanied by a parent with a picture ID.
The library is located at 6800 Main Street, at the corner of North Colony Boulevard and Main Street.
For more information, please call the library reference desk at 972-625-1900, extension 3.
However, I was very surprised that I hadn't heard about this through the invisible library network - especially since The Colony Public Library is a member of NTRLS. I realize that there's no way to know everything that's happening in our member libraries, but I feel badly for not knowing about this. What a great way to get students and parents into the library, getting cards and checking out materials - and it's relatively easy to implement in every library community!
Kudos to The Colony Public Library for implementing this program and for whatever they've done to assure that the homeschool community knows about it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to visit some other NTRLS websites to find more great ideas to share with our readers!
The Colony Public Library Recognizes Homeschoolers in August
Getting a library card has never been so rewarding!
If you are heading to The Colony Library during the month of August for a library card or to check out books, there is a special gift waiting for you.
During the month of August, the library is recognizing Homeschools as their "School of the Month." Home-school students who are getting a library card or checking out books can stop by the reference desk to receive their gift. Students under 17 must be accompanied by a parent with a picture ID.
The library is located at 6800 Main Street, at the corner of North Colony Boulevard and Main Street.
For more information, please call the library reference desk at 972-625-1900, extension 3.
However, I was very surprised that I hadn't heard about this through the invisible library network - especially since The Colony Public Library is a member of NTRLS. I realize that there's no way to know everything that's happening in our member libraries, but I feel badly for not knowing about this. What a great way to get students and parents into the library, getting cards and checking out materials - and it's relatively easy to implement in every library community!
Kudos to The Colony Public Library for implementing this program and for whatever they've done to assure that the homeschool community knows about it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to visit some other NTRLS websites to find more great ideas to share with our readers!
Friday, July 18, 2008
TexShare Service Outage 7/18-7/20/08
from TexShare Database Coordinator Russlene Waukechon at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission:
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 9:32 AM
Please be aware that *all* web servers at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission will be down on Friday, July 18 at 5 pm until Sunday, July 20, at 5 pm.
The www.texshare.edu domain and all TexShare Database menu pages hosted there -- including all custom gateway menu pages -- will be unavailable.
The www.tsl.state.tx.us domain and the TexShare Database portal for public libraries hosted there will also be unavailable.
This outage also includes The Library of Texas (www.libraryoftexas.org) and all TRAIL services.
Access to the TexShare Databases for libraries that maintain and host their own TexShare menu pages will not be affected.
rwaukchn@tsl.state.tx.us 512.463.7402 fax 512.936.2306
Web 2.1 - Site of the Week - Dimdim
Site Name: Dimdim
URL: http://www.dimdim.com/
After two weeks off, the site of the week is back with a neat new Web 2.0 site called Dimdim. I'll let the site explain what they do.
"Dimdim is a free web conferencing service where you can share your desktop, show slides, collaborate, chat, talk and broadcast via webcam with absolutely no download required for attendees."
If you ever have used WebEx or some other web meeting tool, you know how expensive they can be. Dimdim offers this capability at no price. Be careful though, you get what you pay for. I started a meeting and invited two people to join me. The chat feature worked very well, however, the sharing of the desktop was bit clunky for the host and did not allow the other meeting participants to take control of the host desktop. The whiteboard was very well done except for the text box seemed to crash on me quite often. We also uploaded a pdf document to share, but it took some time for it to upload and once it was visible, it was difficult for the host to manipulate. I also find my computer freezing up at times.
Overall, I would give this site a B. Nice to have some tools available to utilize, but it needs some refinement to be able to use it to the degree that you can the fee-based services.
URL: http://www.dimdim.com/
After two weeks off, the site of the week is back with a neat new Web 2.0 site called Dimdim. I'll let the site explain what they do.
"Dimdim is a free web conferencing service where you can share your desktop, show slides, collaborate, chat, talk and broadcast via webcam with absolutely no download required for attendees."
If you ever have used WebEx or some other web meeting tool, you know how expensive they can be. Dimdim offers this capability at no price. Be careful though, you get what you pay for. I started a meeting and invited two people to join me. The chat feature worked very well, however, the sharing of the desktop was bit clunky for the host and did not allow the other meeting participants to take control of the host desktop. The whiteboard was very well done except for the text box seemed to crash on me quite often. We also uploaded a pdf document to share, but it took some time for it to upload and once it was visible, it was difficult for the host to manipulate. I also find my computer freezing up at times.
Overall, I would give this site a B. Nice to have some tools available to utilize, but it needs some refinement to be able to use it to the degree that you can the fee-based services.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Free Webinar Helps with Public Computer / Public Printer Issues
Chris Jowaisas, Administrator of Library System Grants & TANG for the Library Development Division of the Texas State Library & Archives Commission, pointed this out to us:
Are you tired of spending time figuring out how to maintain or support your public computers?
Do you wish you could ask someone how they manage public computers at their library? (For example, how do they manage printing? Reservations? Questions from laptop users? And more...)
Are you interested in sharing how your library gets things done?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're in luck! The MaintainIT Project is here to help!
At the MaintainIT Project (http://www.maintainitproject.org/), we interview hundreds of librarians about how they maintain, support, and sustain their public computers. We then publish all of their experiences, successes, and challenges in free guides called Cookbooks, so librarians can learn from the experiences of others who've done it before them.
The best part? Everything the MaintainIT Project does is free, and everything is on http://www.maintainitproject.org/. We also produce free webinars, and we'd like to invite you to a free webinar on how you can use MaintainIT resources to make a difference in your library. Please come!
DATE: July 29th, 2008
TIME: 1:00 PM Central Time Zone
Kam McEvoy, Electronic Resources Specialist for the Central Texas Library System, Inc., will be facilitating this webinar for libraries in your state.
Please spread the word!
To register for this free webinar, click here: <https://cc.readytalk.com/registration/96pccu4n7sej/99eyw9ykhwwb>
Are you tired of spending time figuring out how to maintain or support your public computers?
Do you wish you could ask someone how they manage public computers at their library? (For example, how do they manage printing? Reservations? Questions from laptop users? And more...)
Are you interested in sharing how your library gets things done?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're in luck! The MaintainIT Project is here to help!
At the MaintainIT Project (http://www.maintainitproject.org/), we interview hundreds of librarians about how they maintain, support, and sustain their public computers. We then publish all of their experiences, successes, and challenges in free guides called Cookbooks, so librarians can learn from the experiences of others who've done it before them.
The best part? Everything the MaintainIT Project does is free, and everything is on http://www.maintainitproject.org/. We also produce free webinars, and we'd like to invite you to a free webinar on how you can use MaintainIT resources to make a difference in your library. Please come!
DATE: July 29th, 2008
TIME: 1:00 PM Central Time Zone
Kam McEvoy, Electronic Resources Specialist for the Central Texas Library System, Inc., will be facilitating this webinar for libraries in your state.
Please spread the word!
To register for this free webinar, click here: <https://cc.readytalk.com/registration/96pccu4n7sej/99eyw9ykhwwb>
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
ALA in Anaheim - Great Time!
I was fortunate in that I was able to attend the ALA conference in Anaheim this year. I have been to TLA and PLA and even the Internet Librarian conferences, but this was my first ALA. And lucky me, it was in southern California.
The main appeal to me was of course, getting to meet and talk with librarians from all over - I met 7 men from China that had gone to school together in China and hadn't seen one another in 15 years. I met a very interesting librarian from South Carolina who shared with me the struggles she deals with daily - budgets, overcrowding, older materials, but she still has a passion for her job. The sessions are great - good ideas, new perspectives and all, but the invigorating part of the conference, is hearing the passion about what we do - day in and day out.
In order for this posting to not be too long - I will highlight some of the sessions I attended.
PACs in the Library 2.0 World - It was interesting to see how libraries are using different 2.0 tools in their catalogs. Amy Cantu, Ann Arbor District Library shared that all staff blog - not required but strongly encouraged. They can remain anonymous if they wish - and it is open to controversial comments. Staff are encouraged to make it relevant, fun and simple. They haven’t had problems with spam or inappropriate comments. Staff were very concerned about cursing/etc. in comments but it’s not been a problem at all.
Not Evolutionary - Revolutionary was a program discussing the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County's project to become "America's Best Public Library by 2010." The library departments and tasks were divided among the steering committees and then each committee studied the area and suggested improvements - short and long term. They were each encouraged to look for "low hanging fruit" - those things you can change more quickly. It was admitted that staff were a bit fearful and dubious at first, but as they became part of the process - most are excited about the changes and opportunities. This project is huge - every aspect of the library is under scrunity and change - based on staff comments, public comments and adminstrative insight. I wish every library had a chance to undergo this type of self evaluation and forward thinking movement. Check out the webiste at PLCMC!
Public Programs in a Shoebox: What If You Don't Have a Community Room? Since we have so many smaller, or more rural libraries with limited meeting space, this title really caught my attention. Many ideas were not new - but it was good to be reminded...such as partner with your parks department, restaurants, daycares, even chuches to use their spaces. It was suggested to set up centers throughout your library to separate the crowds (hopefully) that will attend your programs. Also, an idea I hadn't personally thought of - do a progressive program (like a progressive dinner). Start the program at one location and move around town to different sites - this would require more planning and transportation - possibly - but would be fun for the participants.
I attended parts of several other sessions - I am the worst at going to 20 - 30 minutes of different sessions - seems to fit my personality well. Also, I spent quite of bit of time in the vendor areas and saw some great products and furniture - oh if only all libraries were well funded!
Finally, I was proud to pick up an Award for Best in Show for the Bedford Public Library. Way to go Bedford!!
The main appeal to me was of course, getting to meet and talk with librarians from all over - I met 7 men from China that had gone to school together in China and hadn't seen one another in 15 years. I met a very interesting librarian from South Carolina who shared with me the struggles she deals with daily - budgets, overcrowding, older materials, but she still has a passion for her job. The sessions are great - good ideas, new perspectives and all, but the invigorating part of the conference, is hearing the passion about what we do - day in and day out.
In order for this posting to not be too long - I will highlight some of the sessions I attended.
PACs in the Library 2.0 World - It was interesting to see how libraries are using different 2.0 tools in their catalogs. Amy Cantu, Ann Arbor District Library shared that all staff blog - not required but strongly encouraged. They can remain anonymous if they wish - and it is open to controversial comments. Staff are encouraged to make it relevant, fun and simple. They haven’t had problems with spam or inappropriate comments. Staff were very concerned about cursing/etc. in comments but it’s not been a problem at all.
Not Evolutionary - Revolutionary was a program discussing the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County's project to become "America's Best Public Library by 2010." The library departments and tasks were divided among the steering committees and then each committee studied the area and suggested improvements - short and long term. They were each encouraged to look for "low hanging fruit" - those things you can change more quickly. It was admitted that staff were a bit fearful and dubious at first, but as they became part of the process - most are excited about the changes and opportunities. This project is huge - every aspect of the library is under scrunity and change - based on staff comments, public comments and adminstrative insight. I wish every library had a chance to undergo this type of self evaluation and forward thinking movement. Check out the webiste at PLCMC!
Public Programs in a Shoebox: What If You Don't Have a Community Room? Since we have so many smaller, or more rural libraries with limited meeting space, this title really caught my attention. Many ideas were not new - but it was good to be reminded...such as partner with your parks department, restaurants, daycares, even chuches to use their spaces. It was suggested to set up centers throughout your library to separate the crowds (hopefully) that will attend your programs. Also, an idea I hadn't personally thought of - do a progressive program (like a progressive dinner). Start the program at one location and move around town to different sites - this would require more planning and transportation - possibly - but would be fun for the participants.
I attended parts of several other sessions - I am the worst at going to 20 - 30 minutes of different sessions - seems to fit my personality well. Also, I spent quite of bit of time in the vendor areas and saw some great products and furniture - oh if only all libraries were well funded!
Finally, I was proud to pick up an Award for Best in Show for the Bedford Public Library. Way to go Bedford!!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Web 2.1 - Site of the Week - Searchme
| Searchme | Maximize stack view |
Sitename: Searchme
This is the neatest search engine I have come across in some time. I see it as a visual Google. When you do a search, it offers suggestions on which categories to search. For example, I did a search on "North Texas Regional Library System" and it offered me a choice of looking just in libraries, US Government, blogs or everything. I naturally clicked on libraries and was pleasantly surprised when it showed me the pages of the website instead of a textual laundry list. I did another search on "sunburn" and it gave me several possible categories including children's health, movies and cats. The neatest feature is the Searchme Stacks. You can see my NTRLS stack above. This is graphical representation of a favorites list. What makes this so unique is that you can drag and drop the website images to your newly created stack. It is very cool and fun to do. Once you have a stack created, you can share it with others through blogs, emails or just save it to your harddrive. Reference librarians will love it as it will give them a quick and easy way to share websites with their patrons. Be forewarned that the site is still in beta and TechCrunch complained about the relevancy of the searches, but the search engine does attempt to index the entire web so its database will be comparable to some of the big search engines.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Web 2.1 - Site of the Week - Art and Seek
Name: Art & Seek
URL: http://www.artandseek.org/
This innovative website is local to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is hosted by the local PBS affiliate KERA. It allows you to search for art events in DFW and gives you further information. They have a blog and several RSS newsfeeds. You can even bookmark various events to any of the bookmarking services. Organizations can add their own events and I noticed there were a couple of library events listed. Thanks to dona weisman again for this suggestion.
Author's Note: TechNet 2008 took place last Thursday. We had over a 100 people attend the conference. I was very happy with the results and I heard nothing but good reports from everyone involved. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the effort.
URL: http://www.artandseek.org/
This innovative website is local to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is hosted by the local PBS affiliate KERA. It allows you to search for art events in DFW and gives you further information. They have a blog and several RSS newsfeeds. You can even bookmark various events to any of the bookmarking services. Organizations can add their own events and I noticed there were a couple of library events listed. Thanks to dona weisman again for this suggestion.
Author's Note: TechNet 2008 took place last Thursday. We had over a 100 people attend the conference. I was very happy with the results and I heard nothing but good reports from everyone involved. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the effort.
Monday, June 16, 2008
TechNet 2008 Conference in review
Last week NTRLS coordinated the first-ever North Texas Regional TechNet Conference for library staff members and supporters.
Keynote speaker Barbara Galik, Executive Director of Cullom-Davis Library at Bradley University in Peoria (IL), opened the event with a presentation about Second Life. Of the 20 separate sessions presented during the rest of the day, each participant had time to attend four. One participant commented that deciding which sessions to attend was especially hard since almost every topic each time-period related "either to my work or my interests or both!" Participants also spent time visiting with exhibitors, meeting kindred spirits from other types of libraries and generally expanding their tech-networks.
Exhibitors represented companies from coast to coast (CA to NY) and even from another country! Having Canadian company Insignia Software as an exhibitor and keynote session sponsor prompted staff to refer to the event as "our international conference." We welcomed to the exhibit hall some companies which had never before participated in a library-oriented conference plus several companies which are a core part - and constant supporters - of the library world.
Many positive comments have been received, both in writing and in person, and we've not only welcomed constructive criticism but produced plenty of our own. Several people have let us know already that they're looking forward to next year's conference and wish some of their friends and colleagues had attended this one with them.
The good news is that there WILL be a TechNet 2009 and, thanks to everyone's participation, patience, praise and critiquing, we'll be able to improve and build on the success of TechNet 2008.
By the way... if you work with children or youth in a library setting, you may want to register soon for the next North Texas Regional conference: CYC 2008, the second annual Children and Youth Librarians conference for North Texas library staff and supporters. For information about attending and/or exhibiting at that conference, visit http://www.cyc2008.com/ .
Keynote speaker Barbara Galik, Executive Director of Cullom-Davis Library at Bradley University in Peoria (IL), opened the event with a presentation about Second Life. Of the 20 separate sessions presented during the rest of the day, each participant had time to attend four. One participant commented that deciding which sessions to attend was especially hard since almost every topic each time-period related "either to my work or my interests or both!" Participants also spent time visiting with exhibitors, meeting kindred spirits from other types of libraries and generally expanding their tech-networks.
Exhibitors represented companies from coast to coast (CA to NY) and even from another country! Having Canadian company Insignia Software as an exhibitor and keynote session sponsor prompted staff to refer to the event as "our international conference." We welcomed to the exhibit hall some companies which had never before participated in a library-oriented conference plus several companies which are a core part - and constant supporters - of the library world.
Many positive comments have been received, both in writing and in person, and we've not only welcomed constructive criticism but produced plenty of our own. Several people have let us know already that they're looking forward to next year's conference and wish some of their friends and colleagues had attended this one with them.
The good news is that there WILL be a TechNet 2009 and, thanks to everyone's participation, patience, praise and critiquing, we'll be able to improve and build on the success of TechNet 2008.
By the way... if you work with children or youth in a library setting, you may want to register soon for the next North Texas Regional conference: CYC 2008, the second annual Children and Youth Librarians conference for North Texas library staff and supporters. For information about attending and/or exhibiting at that conference, visit http://www.cyc2008.com/ .
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