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

The World’s Largest (Free!) Publisher: How the Government Can Help You Impress Patrons, Get Rich and Live Forever

Thursday, September 25th, 2008 @ 2pm at UNCC’s Atkins Library
Presented by: Lois Stickell

Don’t miss the next Metrolina Library Association workshop The World’s Largest (Free!) Publisher: How the Government Can Help You Impress Patrons, Get Rich and Live Forever, presented by Lois Stickell. Stickell is a reference librarian at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she is a liaison to the History Department and oversees Government Documents. She also teaches a class in Government Publications for UNCG’s M.L.I.S. program.

On Thursday, September 25th at 2 p.m., meet at UNCC’s Atkins Library for a hands-on demonstration of some of the best government websites for personal use like health and travel and for serious research for your patrons. If you’re intimidated by Government Publications, this is the workshop for you.

Registration Fee of $10 for members and $15 for non-members includes light refreshments and parking. Register at http://www.mlalibrary.org/

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.

Tags: government, Lois Stickell, mla, resources