WebJunction is an online community where library staff meet to share ideas, solve problems, take online courses - and have fun. Register now (it's free) and join us.
Join us for this free webinar next Tuesday, July 7: Crouching Tigers, Reading Dragons: Creating a Reading Challenge Program. Ada Con, Diversity Services & Programming Coordinator, Fraser Valley Regional Library (BC)and Mary Palmer, Global Reading Challenge Coordinator, The Seattle Public Library (WA) will share their experiences and expertise with Reading Challenge Programs, that encourage team building, reading for retention, and cooperation between school and public libraries. Using a “quiz bowl” format, the programs have successfully challenged teams of young readers across the continent for over a decade. They will demonstrate how the program can fit into your library’s programming, regardless of size or budget; and how it can be done in one building, between public libraries and public schools, or across state or international borders. The program emphasizes books that reflect a diversity of backgrounds, and encourages 4th and 5th grade students of all reading abilities to engage in the “sport” of reading.
WebJunction members, partners and staff are gearing up for ALA Annual in Chicago and while the sour economy is dampening travel budgets, there’s still a sweet line up for those attending. And WebJunction will be blogging with conference updates, session highlights and more for those of us who are watching from afar. The events below showcase WebJunction partnerships with many organizations, including CLENE, ARSL, REFORMA, OCLC, and spotlights a multitude of WebJunction members from Emerging Leaders to Movers and Shakers!
If you are attending, you’ll want to print out the one-pager posted in our Conferences area or stop by Booth # 3923 if you need more details onsite. If you’re a WJ member presenting at ALA, you’re invited to post your slides here: http://www.webjunction.org/conferences and we’ll help share your resources with those that can’t attend.
Saturday, July 11
Creating a Culture of Learning in Your Library
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick Conference Center Rm: 10 a/b
How much time does your library spend on “training?” Statistics show that most learning takes place on the job or with a co-worker, yet as trainers we spend an inordinate amount of time preparing for and delivering classroom training. In this CLENE session you will learn why you need to get your staff out of the classroom and instead focus on creating a culture of learning in your library.
Speakers: Lori Reed, Employee Learning Coordinator, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg; Pat Carterette, Director of Library Continuing Education, Georgia Public Library Service
Only for Passionate Librarians: Working in Rural and Small Communities
Time: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: McCormick Place West - W 190b ARSL members will provide motivational, inspirational, and practical strategies to reconnect with the passion of librarianship, especially while coping with the community and economic development trends affecting the growth or decline of rural and small communities.
Speaker, Panel, Question & Answer Audience Participation
Research into practice: Latino Perception of Public Libraries
Time: 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Location: McCormick Place West - W 185
In September 2008, WebJunction published a national study in partnership with the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute exploring Latino perception of libraries. The objective was to determine how Latinos perceive public libraries to better inform library outreach to Latinos. Panelists will share the project overview, methodology, and results. Information about relevant research will also be presented along with best practices for utilizing research to inform strategic planning, advocacy, and outreach. The esteemed panel of presenters include Loida Garcia-Febo, assistant coordinator, New Americans Program and Special Services, Queens Library, and incoming REFORMA president; Kathy Sheppard, development consultant, South Carolina State Library, and South Carolina’s Spanish Language Outreach coordinator; and Zola Maddison, Community Services Consultant at WebJunction.
Sunday, July 12
OCLC Update Breakfast
Time: 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Location: Chicago Hilton, International Ballroom
What better way to connect with WebJunction staff and find others interested in your favorite online community, then to join us for breakfast? Start your day with coffee and breakfast, learn about the latest from OCLC, and visit with other WebJunction folks at the OCLC Update Breakfast. Register Now.
2.0(verload): What a small, understaffed library really needs
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: McCormick Place West - W 194a
Are you worried that you’ve missed the 2.0 boat or has it been submerged by too much information? Concerned there’s not enough time in the day to implement social networking into your workflow or library? This session will focus on those technologies and programs that have been successfully implemented in small, rural and tribal libraries, with minimal effort. We’ll also put you on the fast follower track, with tips and tea leaves for what’s coming down the pike, and how your library can prepare itself for future technologies.
Speaker: Michael Porter, Communications Manager for WebJunction
Social learning for staff development: What, Where, and How
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Chicago Hilton, Lake Huron Room
An interactive session for library directors, trainers, and CE or staff development officers to exchange lessons and explore successes around training library staff with social tools.
Speakers: Michael Porter, Communications Manager for WebJunction; Betha Gutsche, Learning Initiatives Developer for WebJunction
ASCLA President’s Program: Revitalizing the Library Experience
Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Palmer House Hilton, Empire Room
In a world where information is an offshored commodity, where Google handles more questions in a second than a reference librarian will answer in a career, and where social gatherings have migrated to online networks, how can our libraries thrive? How can we demonstrate the greatest return on funders’ investment? ASCLA President Carol Desch invites you to the President’s Program to discuss these questions with library pundits Joan Frye Williams and George Needham, who will challenge you to rethink library services, turning some old stereotypes on their ears while making our work more valuable and more fun.
6th Annual Training Showcase CLENE
Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: McCormick Place South - S106
This annual CLENE event highlights best training and staff development practices from public, academic, and special libraries; library consortia; library consultants; state libraries; training-related vendors; and others. NEW this year is the Speaker’s Corner where speakers will have an opportunity to showcase their talents. Refreshments, prize drawings, and networking with peers make this a lively annual event.
WebJunction for Organizations
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick - OCLC’s “Red” Suite
(Please ask the hotel front desk for the location of OCLC’s Red Suite)
Are you a decision maker for your library? Are you interested in learning more about partnership opportunities with WebJunction? In this presentation you will discover how we work with library organizations to provide customized, cost-effective resources to keep staff skills up-to-date and libraries relevant to current patron needs. We’ll provide an overview of our tools and how they can be used, our pricing and service options, and follow up with an open Q&A. You will also hear examples from our current partners who are successfully employing WebJunction tools to save time and money while meeting the needs of their library staff. Please visit the OCLC booth (#3923) or contact Michael Shapiro with questions about this meeting: shapirom@oclc.org
OCLC Blog Salon
Time: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Chicago Hilton, Rm: Boulevard C
There will be food and fun, lyrics and libations. Come enjoy some hobnobbing and nibbles with fellow bloggers and blogfans.
Monday, July 13
The Ultimate Debate: Has Library 2.0 fulfilled its promise?
Time: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: McCormick Place West - W 181 IRSIG invites you to attend a lively discussion on Library 2.0. What is Library 2.0? What are its successes and failures? Where is its place in the library landscape? Join us for a discussion by informative and opinionated library leaders on the topic.
Moderated by Roy Tennant.
Speakers: Meredith Farkas, Cindi Trainor, David Lee King, Michael Porter
WebJunction for Organizations
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: OCLC’s “Red” suite at the Hyatt McCormick Center
(Please ask the hotel front desk for the location of OCLC’s Red Suite)
Are you a decision maker for your library? Are you interested in learning more about partnership opportunities with WebJunction? In this presentation you will discover how we work with library organizations to provide customized, cost-effective resources to keep staff skills up-to-date and libraries relevant to current patron needs. We’ll provide an overview of our tools and how they can be used, our pricing and service options, and follow up with an open Q&A. You will also hear examples from our current partners who are successfully employing WebJunction tools to save time and money while meeting the needs of their library staff. Please visit the OCLC booth (#3923) or contact Michael Shapiro with questions about this meeting: shapirom@oclc.org
Two informational webinars are being offered on July 1st regarding enrollment in Drexel University Online, offeringtop-ranking Library and Information Science Programs at one of ‘America’s Best Graduate Schools’ (US News and World Report), all from the comfort of your own home. As a member of WebJunction, you qualify for 10-25% off the regular tuition rates when you take graduate courses at Drexel University Online.
I feel like I’ve spent much of the winter and spring planting competency seeds and I’m finally seeing the seedlings push up the soil and greet the light of day. So here’s what’s growing in the WebJunction competency garden …
♣ The Competency Index
Competency Index for the Library Field is a compilation of competency statements that address a broad spectrum of library practice and service. We aggregated and de-duped twelve leading competency sets from the field and then subjected them to a vigorous review by subject matter expert practitioners. We invite you to download the resulting publication and remix and reinvent it in whatever way best serves your library’s size, structure, and personnel development needs.
♣ Competency-course-content connections
We have integrated a fourth set of competencies from the Index with the WebJunction catalog—The Personal/Interpersonal competencies. Also referred to as soft skills, foundational or behavioral competencies, they apply to most job roles and form the underpinning of effective and stellar practice and service. Start on the Competencies tab of the WebJunction Courses page and discover connections to courses and resources aligned with specific skills and knowledge statements. You can also explore learning opportunities related to library management, core technology, and systems & IT.
♣ Competency evaluations
The results are in from the two competency evaluations WebJunction conducted in March and April. We asked respondents from across the field to evaluate themselves on a selection of skills and knowledge statements for library management and technology. Read the summaries and look for the detailed results in the PDF attached to each summary.
This month’s WebJunction focus is on Social Networking & Web Tools and includes 3 webinars to add to your staff learning calendar:
June 10, 2:00 Eastern: Technology Stewardship @ Your Library
Join presenter Nancy White co-author of the forthcoming book Digital Habitats: Stewarding Technology for Communities, (with Etienne Wenger and John E. Smith) for this free webinar. Nancy is recognized internationally for her research exploring online communities today, and in her work as a technology steward, designer and builder of online interaction spaces. In this webinar, Nancy will focus on librarians as community technology stewards. She will offer practical steps for you to begin to understand your community, assess the technology needs of your community, and how to select, configure, and support the online technologies your community uses.
June 16, 2:00 Eastern: Social Learning with Libraries on WebJunction
For the past six years, library staff have been using tools at WebJunction.org to connect with each other and build new skills for their work in libraries. Meanwhile, the dramatic growth of web-based technology has changed patron expectations of libraries, which means library staff have new needs as well. Join Chrystie Hill, community director at WebJunction, as she describes how WebJunction.org has evolved alongside these trends, to become an integrated ‘learning community’ that’s open, affordable, and always on. Chrystie will also present broader trends in learning and training, demonstrate how our members are using online tools to support their staff or their own professional development, and discuss with you how to shape the future of staff training and library services.
June 30, 2:00 Eastern: Bringing Web 2.0 into Academic Libraries
When the goal is to be “where they are, when they need us,” what does that require at a university library in 2009? As students, staff and faculty move their lives online, university libraries must choose whether to move with them or get left behind. But where is the value in a university library when Google is the new ready reference desk and the libraries’ resources are increasingly digitized? How does a library remain relevant in a socially networked academic world? From their perspective as, respectively, virtual reference and e-learning librarians, Amanda Clay Powers (Mississippi State Univ. Libraries) and Ellen Hampton (Baylor Univ. Libraries) will discuss how libraries can readjust and move their most important resources online—their people. By using social networks and other web-based technologies, libraries can become a value-added member of their community— both online and in person. By using these new tools, librarians can once again hover by their reference stacks with an offer to help that’s just a click away.
And while you’ve got your calendar up, add this one too: Crouching Tigers, Reading Dragons: Creating a Reading Challenge Program. On July 7, join guest presenters from Seattle and British Columbia as they share their experiences and expertise with the Global Reading Challenge/Reading Link Challenge, a program that encourages team building, reading for retention, and cooperation between school and public libraries. Using a “quiz bowl” format, the program has successfully challenged teams of young readers across the country for over a decade. The presenters will demonstrate how the program can fit into your library’s programming, regardless of size or budget; and how it can be done in one building, between public libraries and public schools, or across state or international borders. The program emphasizes books that reflect a diversity of backgrounds, and encourages 4th and 5th grade students of all reading abilities to engage in the “sport” of reading. Guest Presenters: Mary Palmer, Global Reading Challenge Coordinator, The Seattle Public Library (WA) and Ada Con, Diversity Services & Programming Coordinator, Fraser Valley Regional Library (BC).
At WebJunction we talk a lot about partnerships because we truly believe in them as a way to leverage limited resources for the library community. And while we make a lot of individual partnerships with our members, we also partner with organizations. On the first Wednesday of every month, WebJunction hosts a conversation that addresses how we work with library organizations to provide customized, cost-effective resources to keep staff skills up-to-date and libraries relevant to current patron needs. This Wednesday, Michael Shapiro and me, Zola Maddison, will provide an overview of our tools, talk about our service options, and follow up with an open Q&A. We’ll also reflect on how our current partners are successfully employing WebJunction tools to save time and money while meeting the needs of their library staff. If you’re thinking about staff training and want to learn more about partnering with WebJunction, register for one of the upcoming WebJunction for Organizations sessions, online or at ALA. We hope to see you there!
Hats off this week to Lucia Shelton for getting the new WebJunction group, Bibliotecarios de América Latina, up and running. It’s another fine example of leveraging the WJ Groups tool to build a community on the site, this one especailly for Spanish or Portuguese speaking librarians in Latin America. Lucia’s part of the Latin America and the Caribbean team at OCLC and she’s done an excellent job of welcoming folks to the group. Viva la WebJunction internationale!
Mark your calendar on June 10 for this free WebJunction webinar with Nancy White, co-author of the forthcoming book Digital Habitats: Stewarding Technology for Communities (with Etienne Wenger and John E. Smith). Nancy is recognized internationally for her research exploring online communities today, and in her work as a technology steward, designer and builder of online interaction spaces.
In this webinar, Nancy will focus on librarians as community technology stewards. She will offer practical steps for you to begin to understand your community, assess the technology needs of your community, and how to select, configure, and support the online technologies your community uses. Here’s a sample of her well-stocked slideshare account to give you a taste of her passion and commitment to building relevant online communities. The definition of ”technology steward” (slide 9 & 10 ) sounds so much like our work in libraries, that I’m sure there are many of us in libraryland who are eager to change our job titles!
I blogged about my CiL presentation back in March, after Sheila Kearns led me to the Digital Habitats project (thanks again, Sheila) and Nancy White commented on my post! So you can only imagine how excited I am to bring Nancy and her work to the WebJunction community and for the way it relates to technology stewardship @ your library.
I’d like to also take the opportunity to welcome to the WJ fold the brand new WebJunction-British Columbia community, the first WebJunction learning community created for libraries outside the United States!
Come share your green strategies with this new group, browse other WJ Groups, and also welcome our British Columbia colleagues!
One week from today is the day you return to work after the 3-day Memorial Day weekend AND it’s the day of our Libraries as Learning Organizations webinar. Mark your calendars and set your reminders because this is going to be a lively discussion about reframing the approach to library staff training and learning.
Our panelists, representing libraries at different mileposts on the road to becoming learning organizations, will share challenges, strategies, and successes from their own experience.
We’re rounding out the alphabet of member contributions posted to WebJunction this year, in celebration of our 6th anniversary. Please take the time to recognize these valuable and practical contributions from your library colleagues, and remember to post your own resources, templates, cases studies, etc. This simple activity is what solves problems, improves our skills, and moves the library field forward. Here’s to another year of online collaboration!
And here’s another installment of fresh WebJunction member contributions as promised in our birthday post. In case you’ve missed it, we’re sharing a sampled list of content that’s been posted to the site this past year. Here’s a third set of articles covering from M to S.
You can join in our anniversary celebration by posting to WebJunction a new document about something *you* learned or experienced this past year. Your lesson learned serves as useful advice for your colleagues in Libraryland.
As promised in yesterday’s birthday post, we’re sharing a sampled list of content that’s been posted to WebJunction this past year. Here’s a second installment covering articles from E to L.
You can join in our anniversary celebration by posting to WebJunction a new document about something *you* learned or experienced this past year. Your lesson learned serves as useful advice for your colleagues in Libraryland.
Today, May 12, marks the sixth anniversary of WebJunction’s initial launch. Our celebration of this occasion is one of gratitude. We are grateful for your help in building the site and for telling us what you need. We thank you for you work with WebJunction projects, such as the Spanish Language Outreach and Rural Library Sustainability Projects. We are especially grateful for your continued commitment to sustaining libraries.
Since 2003, the WebJunction community has grown to more than 40,000 members and 16 partner sites. To keep apace with this evolution, WebJunction has updated its mission and vision statements.
Our new mission is: “WebJunction bridges the barriers to learning by providing open, affordable, online learning communities. Our members take courses, attend events, share knowledge, and network with others – all in an environment that fosters collaboration and mutual support.”
And our vision: “WebJunction will be the place where the worldwide library profession gathers to build the knowledge, skills, and support we need to power relevant, vibrant libraries.”
Much has happened in the past year in WebJunction Land, as this year-in-pictures slideshow will attest…
We also saw a lot of new content posted to WebJunction.org during this past year. We’ll share a sampled list of that new content throughout the week.
You can join in our anniversary celebration by posting to WebJunction a new document about something *you* learned or experienced this past year. Your lesson learned could serve as useful advice for your colleagues in Libraryland.
will share their experiences and expertise with Reading Challenge Programs, that encourage team building, reading for retention, and cooperation between school and public libraries. Using a “quiz bowl” format, the programs have successfully challenged teams of young readers across the continent for over a decade. They will demonstrate how the program can fit into your library’s programming, regardless of size or budget; and how it can be done in one building, between public libraries and public schools, or across state or international borders. The program emphasizes books that reflect a diversity of backgrounds, and encourages 4th and 5th grade students of all reading abilities to engage in the “sport” of reading.
Sue posted an outstanding list of