Recently in CE Category

Don't forget to sign up for our next continuing education workshop on September 16th at the Ripon Public Library! Sue McCleaf Nespeca, nationally-known speaker and author, will be presenting "Raising Literate Children Begins at Birth: Books and Literacy Experiences for Babies and Toddlers" and "Every Child Ready to Read." More information about the workshops and a link to register are available on the CE Workshops page on OWLSweb.

> contributed by Beth

I've been reporting on the status of the 'Casting @ OWLS grant, "Enhancing Library Services via Podcasts, Screencasts, and Vodcasts," for some time now. But I'm really excited about this post, because I can now tell you that the 'Casting Kit is ready to circulate to your library!

You can see what equipment is available, check our online calendar to see what's available when, then reserve the equipment you'd like to try out via our online form. All of this information is available on the new 'Casting Kit page on OWLSweb. (Thanks much to Evan for designing the calendar and reservation forms!!!)

I also have a few Come & Play dates set up for you to come and try out the equipment at OWLS. Check the Computer Lab Classes page for dates and times. These sessions will take place in The Nest at OWLS rather than in the APL computer lab. I hope you'll sign up, as these sessions will not only let you play with help on hand - we'll also take a look at some great examples of what libraries have done with 'casting out there in Libraryland. If you can't come to a session, I'm happy to do one-on-one training with you for specific projects, as needed.

If you have any questions about the 'Casting Kit, classes, or anything else related to this grant, please don't hesitate to contact me!

> contributed by Beth

Check out these exciting continuing education opportunities sponsored by OWLS!

Friday, August 22
Project Play Date on OPAL: "More on LibraryThing"

Tuesday, September 16
Raising Literate Children Begins at Birth: Books and Literacy Experiences for Babies and Toddlers/Every Child Ready to Read with nationally-known speaker and author Sue McCleaf Nespeca. (co-sponsored with Winnefox Library System)

Tuesday, October 14
Leadership for Your Library/Providing GREAT Customer Service at Your Library with Jeffrey Russell, co-director of Russell Consulting, Inc. (co-sponsored with Nicolet Federated Library System)

More information about these programs is available on the CE page on OWLSweb, along with links to online registration, so sign up today!

And just as a heads up, we're also going to have Joan Frye Williams and George Needham present "It Ain't Necessarily So: Challenging the Assumptions of Legacy Librarianship" online in the OPAL Auditorium sometime this Fall (fingers crossed!) They're busy these days, so we're trying to pin down a date that's good for everyone. Once we have a date, I'll let you know ASAP, because you won't want to miss their presentation!

If you have questions about any of these programs, please feel free to contact me.

> contributed by Beth

Project Play held its second Play Date this morning on the topic of Google apps. If you missed the OPAL session, you can still get all the info on the blog, including a recording of the Play Date session.

Our next OPAL date will take place on Friday, August 22nd, when Jean Anderson from South Central Library System will present "More on LibraryThing." Be sure to register online if you'll be able to join us!

(Remember, anyone can participate in the Play Dates, even if you haven't participated in Project Play before this. Directors seeking recertification can earn contact hours for the OPAL session, too!)

> contributed by Beth

At noon on Thursday, July 31, WebJunction and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries will present a free hour-long Webinar focused on a topic important to the work of sustaining Rural and Small libraries, "Motivating Your Board: Money, Lawsuits, and Facilities."  This is the second Webinar in a series on board relationships and strategies.  Presenters Ellen Miller and Jim Connor will facilitate the session outlining proven techniques for motivating the board and empowering them to make the most from their position.  Information about the Webinar, instructions on connecting to the session, and an archive of related Webinar can be found here:
http://webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=13496.

> from Channel Weekly, Vol. 10, No. 39 - posted with permission

Our next Play Date is scheduled for Friday, July 25th at 10 a.m. online in OPAL. The topic will be “More on Google Apps.” Since this is a continuation of an earlier topic, be sure to do Week 2 of Semester 2 so you’re up to speed on the topic before the OPAL session. If you’d like to attend the online Play Date please register on the SCLS web site, so we’ll know how many people to expect. If you can’t make it to the Play Date, the content will be posted here on the blog so you’ll be able to go through it at your leisure.

Remember that you can attend and participate in the Play Dates even if you didn't participate in either semester of Project Play. Just do the blog exercises included above to be sure to be up to speed with everyone else.

“See” you on the 25th!

> contributed by Beth

If you missed the CCBC workshop this past April, never fear! Both the morning and afternoon sessions have been posted in the OWLSweb blip.tv channel. The workshop sessions had to be chopped up a bit to make them more manageable, so for easy access to all the parts, you might want to try our episode archive. Here's part one of "Outstanding Books for Children:"



This was my first test of some of the equipment and software purchased with LSTA funds for webcasting projects in 2008. You can read about the process, progress, and what's next at the 'Casting @ OWLS blog.

If you find the videos useful, please let me know in the comments! It may be possible to post future CE workshops online if this service is valuable to our members.

> contributed by Beth

This in from Nichole Fromm at WiLS:

"Do you feel swept away by the rains of change? Do you and your coworkers seem to spend too much time bailing water and not enough time scanning the horizon and plotting your course?

If so, 'Becoming a change-resilient leader' is an event for you. Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS) is pleased to bring nationally-respected speaker and teacher Lauren Burnett to southeastern Wisconsin for a one-day seminar designed to give you practical tactics for dealing with change in the workplace and beyond.

The event will be held from 9am to 4pm on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at the Frank L. Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville, Mequon, WI. Registration is $100 and includes lunch and morning coffee. A discount is available for multiple attendees from the same institution.

For more information and to register, visit the WiLS web site: http://www.wils.wisc.edu/events/mequon708/."

I'm happy to report that Project Play lives on. We are going to continue the Project indefinitely, but on a less intense schedule and set-up. Here's the plan:

Project Play will now be open to anyone and won't require any registration. People who couldn't participate in the first 2 semesters can, as usual, use the PP blog to do any of the past exercises. We will no longer track participants' progress or supply incentives.

We’ll have “Play Dates” online in OPAL on the 4th Friday of the month June through December 2008 and February through May 2009, during which we will discuss a new topic or more advanced features of an old topic and have time for you to ask questions. We’ll post the Play Date content on the blog on the same day as the OPAL session for those of you who can’t attend. For those of you needing contact hours for certification, you’ll be able to earn credit for the Play Dates, but not for doing the blog exercises on your own.

This summer’s topics will be as follows:

• June: more on del.icio.us (pre-requisite: Week 8: Semester 1)
• July: more on Google apps: Gmail, Sites, Calendar (pre-requisite: Week 2: Semester 2)
• August: more on LibraryThing (pre-requisite: Week 7: Semester 1)
  

If you'd like to sign up for our first Play Date on Friday, June 27th, please go to the SCLS web site to register. You need to sign up ahead of time, so we know how many seats to have available in our OPAL room.

Please let me know if you have any questions about Project Play. I look forward to continuing to play more, learn more, and fear less with all of you!

The next OWLS continuing education workshop will take place on Wednesday, April 23rd. The Cooperative Children's Book Center librarians will be at the Appleton Public Library for our annual  session of "Outstanding Books for Children and Young Adults." The day's schedule and a link to register are available on the CE Workshop page. Be sure to sign up for this fun day right away!

In addition to the CCBC workshop, there are some excellent online classes coming up offered by SirsiDynix Institute and OPAL, including:

• A Casual Conversation with Jenny Levine
• Maximizing the Power of the Web: Pew Internet & American Life Project's 2007 Findings
• Online Marketing for Libraries
• Technology Training and Competencies for Libraries

Details about these online classes with registration information is available on the Online Classes page on OWLSweb.

All library support staff in Wisconsin are also invited to "Initiate & Innovate 2008," a one-day conference sponsored by the Wisconsin Library Association Support Staff Section and Waukesha County Technical College Library on Wednesday, May 21st at the Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. The conference brochure states:

"Become an innovator in your workplace and be inspired to introduce your creative ideas. Join us for a day of professional development. You'll learn valuable skills, network with other Wisconsin support staff, and explore how you can initiate and innovate in your library."

For additional information, go to the conference web site. (The brochure I have actually has more information about the conference in it than is available on the web site. If you'd like a copy sent to you, please contact me, and I'll get one to you ASAP.)

> contributed by Beth