The weekly e-newsletter, American Libraries Direct, is now available to anyone who wants to sign up for it, not just ALA members. The sign-up form, as well as the FAQ, is at http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/aldirect/aldirect.cfm.

Additionally, login is no longer required to view the current issue of the American Libraries print magazine online (in PDF format), or to view the archives, which date back to the January 2003 issue. Go directly to http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/alonlineebrary/alonlineebrary.cfm

First-time viewers will need to install the ebrary reader to view issues. To download, go to http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ala/Download.

Firefox 3 users installing the reader for the first time will need a workaround, http://www.ebrary.com/kb/users/ff3install.jsp, to make the ebrary reader work with their browser.

If you are an ALA member and receive American Libraries by mail, you can opt out of the print copy and save a tree or two! Click here for instructions.

Tags: ALA

Getting more people into your library is easy with online products that take their interests, hobbies and business ideas to the next level. Schedule a free Webinar to learn how Gale is working with your library to provide the best information solutions for your patrons — from global news to antiquing and collecting to starting a small business — there’s a resource that will engage everyone.

Please click on the desired date(s) to register for your free Webinar.
All times are Eastern Time.

Gale Virtual Reference Library

… provides your patrons with unlimited 24/7 access to thousands of electronic reference titles — eBooks — in virtually any subject area.
Oct. 16, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 22, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Literature Resource Center

Uniquely relevant to today’s curriculum, Literature Resource Center’s rich critical, biographical and contextual materials support interdisciplinary approaches, information literacy and the development of critical thinking skills.

Oct. 16, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Oct. 30, 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Tags: gale, Online Resources

SOLINET (Southeastern Library Network) has released the fall schedule of learning opportunities. The classes include face-to-face, live online, and self-paced tutorials.

PLCMC staff must fill out a Continuing Education/Travel Requisition Form and submit this to HR for approval in order to have the library pay your registration fees.

The following is a sample of classes available. Be sure to check fall schedule to see the full list of classes.

10 Interactive Information Literacy Teaching Strategies (Live Online)
Instructor: Russell Palmer
$120(Member)
$170(Non-member)
Distance Education
• Tuesday, November 18 (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.)

Designing Learning Spaces for Your Library (Live Online)
Instructor: Tim Daniels
$120(Member)
$170(Non-member)
Distance Education
• Tuesday, October 21 (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.)

Latino Cultural Workshop: Getting to Know and Serve our Latino Patrons (Live Online)
Instructor: Susana Baumann
$170(Member)
$220(Non-member)
Distance Education
• Thursday, November 6 to Friday, November 7 (10:00 a.m. to noon)

Latino Cultural Workshop: How to Attract Spanish-Speaking Patrons (Live Online)
Instructor: Susana Baumann
$120(Member)
$170(Non-member)
Distance Education
• Wednesday, October 29 (10:00 a.m. to noon)

Promoting Library Services Using Blogs and RSS (Live Online)
Instructor: David Greenebaum
$170(Member)
$220(Non-member)
Distance Education
• Tuesday, December 2 to Wednesday, December 3 (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.)

The Library As Place (Live Online)
Instructor: David Greenebaum
$120(Member)
$170(Non-member)
Distance Education
• Wednesday, November 12 (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.)

Tags: solinet

Here’s a great one-day workshop for anyone new to training or who wants to brush up on his or her skills.

If you’re new to training or are transitioning to a training and development role,
this event’s for you!

Back to Basics is a one day conference that includes these topics:

Delivering Training

• Questioning Skills
• Listening Skills
• Operational Logistics
• Creative Facilitation
• Effective Use of Training Mediums

Designing Learning

• Basic Design Terminology
• Creating a Design Template
• Basics of Needs Analysis
• Classroom Activities
• Simulations
• Developing Effective Test Questions

George Piskurich, an industry expert in designing, developing, and delivering training,
provides the morning keynote!

Date: Friday, October 17th
Location: Employers Association, Charlotte, NC (map and directions)

Price: ASTD Members: $129, Non-members: $179

Registration: register online or register by mail (MS-Word doc, 64K)

PLCMC staff must fill out a Continuing Education/Travel Requisition Form and submit this to HR for approval in order to have the library pay for your registration.

If you are interested in becoming an ASTD member remember that the library will pay for one professional membership per year. Click here for details.

Tags: astd, conferences, train-the-trainer

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world where you can interact with other Second Life members. Many universities and businesses are offering training and even college courses in Second Life. Why? Because Second Life gives you a wonderful way to interact with other people from around the world and is an ideal tool for role playing and simulations.

Last week I found the PLCMC library in Second Life complete with a fireplace and wait…whose picture is that on the mantle?

If you’d like to check it out and see what it is like to attend a seminar in Second Life, here’s a great opportunity.

Libraries and the Homeless: A Discussion Between Library Staff and Shelter Staff in Second Life

Steve Eyler, Director of Information Systems for the Uptown Shelter in Charlotte, NC, will lead a discussion in Second Life with library staff around the world on the homeless and libraries.

This event takes place in Second Life, but you do not need to know anything about Second Life to participate. We will project the conference on a screen and give everyone an opportunity to participate via voice and chat.

When: Friday, October 17, 2008 11am - 12 noon

Where: Main Library (90 minutes of free parking is available at 7th Street Station)

For those of you following this blog who do not work for PLCMC you can participate by going to Cybrary City in Second Life or teleporting to coordinates 124, 157, 24. If you attend please say hello. Our PLCMC group will be logged in as my Second Life resident Rain McLeod.

You can learn more about Second Life here.

Tags: homeless, Second Life

Another free webinar from the MaintainIT Project this one is for trainers!

What: Train-the-Trainer: The Power of Stories in Technology Training

When: Wednesday, October 8, 2008 2-3 pm EST / 11 am - 12 pm Pacific

Where: Register on MaintainIT’s webinar space, and come prepared to share your training tips, too.

Library trainers from around the country are finding this popular webinar series a great opportunity to discuss training tips, techniques, and resources. This month we will focus on how storytelling can enhance your participants’ learning and retention.

Tags: Maintain IT Project, storytelling, train-the-trainer, webinar

Another free webinar from the MaintainIT Project.

How much help should you provide patrons with laptops?

How much troubleshooting assistance do you provide to patrons using their own laptops and the library’s wireless connection? Do you require users to obtain and enter a “key” before they can use the wireless connection? Do you allow people to sit in your parking lot after hours and surf the Web? What sort of furniture do you provide for laptop users?

Please join us to discuss “Meal Plan3 - How Much Help Should You Provide Laptop Patrons?” from the MaintainIT Cookbook Recipes for a 5-Star Library.

Read the chapter, register for the webinar, and join the conversation on Tuesday, September 30th, at 12 PM (Noon) Eastern Time.

When: Tuesday, September 30, 2008  12-1 PM EST

Who: Library staff who work with the public

Where: Register HERE.

*Note: Please make sure you perform the system test in advance. You will need to disable pop-up blockers to access the webinar. A computer, Internet, and telephone are required to participate.

Tags: laptops, MaintainIT Project, webinar, wireless

Maintaining Public Computers: A Free Webinar

1. Are you tired of spending time figuring out how to maintain or support your public computers?
2. 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…)
3. 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!

The MaintainIT Project, interviews hundreds of librarians about how they maintain, support, and sustain their public computers. They 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. They also produce free webinars, and would like to invite you to a free webinar on how you can use MaintainIT resources to make a difference in your library.

To participate in this webinar, you will need to be at a computer and on the phone. Connection specifics will be included in an email sent to you after you register.

DATE: Thursday, September 25, 2008

AUDIENCE: Library staff

TIME: 3-4 PM Eastern Time Zone

Click HERE to register.

*Note: Please make sure you perform the system test in advance. You will need to disable pop-up blockers to access the webinar. A computer, Internet, and telephone are required to participate.

Tags: computers, MaintainIT Project, Technology, webinar

37 staff have been to OverDrive training so far this month and learned how to browse and download ebooks, movies, music, and audio books to PCs and MP3 players. As we expand our OverDrive collection to include iPod compatible audio books this is a great opportunity to learn about the service so you can help promote the collection to PLCMC customers.

Sessions continue for the next two weeks, but if you are unable to attend the training materials, including a recording of the sessions, will be available to you soon.

Remaining sessions are:

• OVERDRIVE 101, 9/23/2008, 11AM-1PM, North County Regional Library
• OVERDRIVE 101, 9/24/2008, 11AM-1PM, University City Regional Library
• OVERDRIVE 101, 9/25/2008, 11AM-1PM, Sugar Creek Branch Library
• OVERDRIVE 102, 9/29/2008, 3PM-4:30PM, Freedom Regional Library
• OVERDRIVE MARKETING, 9/30/2008, 3PM-4:30PM, Freedom Regional Library
• OVERDRIVE MARKETING, 10/1/2008, 7PM-8:30PM, Morrison Regional Library

Register for these sessions on myHR.

Tags: audiobooks, digital media, downloadable media, ebooks, overdrive, webinar

We’ve received 10 laptops to use for training programs. Thank you to the IT department for purchasing these and especially James Bennett for installing all the software we need on these such as Open Office and Microsoft Office.

One of the many benefits to having this mobile training lab is that you will no longer need to travel across the county to attend technology training. We can now bring the training to you–at any location–even off site! If your library or department has a specific training need please call or email me.

Tags: it, laptops, learning