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Library Management

Library Management, Library Services, Webinar
Digitization & Preservation Online Symposium
August 23rd, 2010 | Permalink | Comment?
We’re gearing up for Wednesday’s special 2-hour Digitization & Preservation Symposium, from 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern and we hope you can join us! The session will feature presentations on current trends and practical approaches to library digitization and preservation projects. One of the presenters unfortunately had to cancel due to a family emergency, but we’ll have plenty of time for the other presentations and extra time for your questions and comments.

Panelists include:
- Sarah McHugh, Statewide Projects Librarian, Montana State Library, including Montana Memory Project.
- Amy Rudersdorf, Director of the Digital Information Management Program, State Library of North Carolina and lecturer at San Jose State University, School of Library & Information Science.
- Taylor Surface, Senior Product Manager, Digital Collection Services, OCLC.
Register and preview resources »
Library Management, Online Learning, Staff Training
Practical Approaches for Adding Online Learning to Your Training Program
August 9th, 2010 | Permalink | Comment?
A few years ago, I had the privilege of contributing to Trends in E-Learning for Library Staff, a snapshot of how library staff in the U.S. viewed, and used, e-learning in 2005.

This spring and summer, Jennifer Peterson and I interviewed libraries to develop a new snapshot of how U.S. library organizations are utilizing online training tools in their staff development initiatives. Our resulting report is less about how online learning is viewed … in fact, we started with the assumption that online learning is an accepted, even expected, component of training programs today. From there, we examined why online learning was incorporated into the training program, which tools were used, how learner collaboration and ownership were encouraged, what successes were realized, and asked the program coordinators/trainers to offer any advice for other library organizations pursuing similar programs.

The paper we wrote was accepted for inclusion in this year’s IFLA program, and I’ll be presenting our findings this coming Friday, after immersing myself in the international library community for a few days.

I’ve also posted the paper, with practical approaches for adding online learning to your training program, and case studies about the training programs profiled on WebJunction, in our Training Program Management section.

Read the entire paper, or check out the case studies for each of the training programs profiled:
And on a related note, be sure to join us on September 1 for a free webinar with the folks from Baltimore County Public Library on Creating A Virtual Orientation for New Staff.
Library Management, Library Services, Webinar
Webinar: Prepare and Respond: Partnering with Local Emergency Management
July 30th, 2010 | Permalink | Comment?

Free hour-long webinar on August 3, 2:00 pm Eastern.

Libraries are looking for ways to be better prepared for disaster response and recovery. Join guest presenter Lauren Mandel, research coordinator at the Information Use Management & Policy Institute at Florida State University’s College of Communication and Information, as she introduces a new key service role, Get to Know Your Emergency Operations Center (EOC), to the existing Hurricane Preparedness & Response for Florida Public Libraries Project. The Florida-based project helps libraries throughout the U.S. serve their communities through partnerships with fellow responders (e.g., emergency management, local government and other agencies) and become a safe haven, recovery center, information hub and evacuee resource. Come learn how this project can inform your library’s disaster preparedness plan and how your library can play an important role in community preparedness and recovery by working with your EOC. With updates to service roles and resources since the project’s fall webinar and relevance to any sort of partnership development, you won’t want to miss this session!

Register Now »
George, Library Management, Webinar
Webinar: George Needham on “Accidental Leadership”
April 28th, 2010 | Permalink | Comment?

We’ll be exploring topics related to leadership during the month of May and who better than George to get us started. He’s been mentor and optimistic leader to many in the WebJunction community including a 5 year stint as I’m Curious George.

Join us for a free webinar, Accidental Leadership with George Needham on May 5 at 2:00 Eastern:

Leadership may not be something every library staff member aspires to, but in many cases, leadership is thrust upon the accidental leader unexpectedly. How do you find the internal and external resources you need to lead? What do you do when you’re younger than the people you are supposed to lead? How do you exercise authority without becoming either a tyrant or a pushover? Drawing on nearly 40 years of library experience, George will present some anecdotes, some strategies, some practical advice, and, hopefully, a few laughs as he explores this deeply personal subject.

He’s also teamed up with Joan Frye Williams and the pair continue to inspire regularly via Infopeople podcasts and *also next week*, an Infopeople webinar, George and Joan on Successful Middle Management.

Register for WebJunction Webinar »
Funding, Library Management, chrystie
Dept. of Agriculture Grants to Rural Libraries
February 8th, 2010 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Last week, Jennifer mentioned the department of agriculture’s recent announcement about $100 million in grants and loans for rural libraries. I wanted to know a bit more about the program, so checked into it a little bit more. Here’s what I found.

Overview

· The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has designated approximately $100 million in grants and loans (texas state library blog says they’ve learned it’s mostly loans and “a much smaller number of grants”) from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to support public libraries in rural areas or small towns. Loans can be repaid over 40 years, and are available to institutions who can’t otherwise get credit.

· Definition of rural is serving under 20,000 (similar to WJ definition of a small/rural library serving < 25,000).

· Administered through the Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Programs, the funds will support the construction, enlargement, or improvement of public library facilities along with the purchase of facility equipment.

· Depending on funding availability, RD plans to provide up to $500,000 in additional grant funds to each State Office through the Community Facilities American Recovery Reinvestment Act grant account for library projects.

· Funds may be used for costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees, and purchase equipment required for a facility’s operation. Funds can be used to purchase shelving, furniture, computers, audio-visual equipment, distance learning equipment, and bookmobiles.

· Applications will be accepted through the USDA Rural Development regional field offices (different for every state) http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs

· Community Facilities Grants are authorized on a graduated scale. Applicants located in smaller communities with low populations and low incomes will receive a higher percentage of grants. Grant funding limitations are based on population and income, economic feasibility, and availability of funds

Links to more info

· USDA fact sheet on the program (PDF): http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/USDA.pdf

· ALA Washington Office press release: http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/january2010/usdadesignates_wo.cfm
The Secretary of Agriculture has allocated $100 million in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities funding for public libraries to provide educational opportunities and improve public services in rural communities. The funding will be provided primarily through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In 78 percent of rural communities, the library is the sole provider of no-fee Internet access,” Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office, said. “This funding specifically set aside for rural libraries is a lifeline for communities across the country who depend on their local libraries for basic needs such as Internet access as well as assistance with e-government services, literacy and homework programs, and much more. We thank the USDA for its recognition of the vital role libraries play in rural communities and their need for funding.” Funds may be used to construct, enlarge or improve public libraries. This can include costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees and purchase equipment required for operation. Funds can be used to purchase shelving, furniture, computers, audio-visual equipment, distance learning equipment and bookmobiles.

· Association for Small & Rural Libraries re-posted fact sheet information on their grants section: http://www.arsl.info/links/grant-news/usda-funds/

Selected blog mentions
These posts mostly repost the info; a few other state libraries, systems, or associations posted as well but this gives you a good sense for who picked it up.

· WebJunction: http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#search/agriculture/1

· Marshall Breeding: http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=14494

· TX state library: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/librarydevelopments/?p=2374

· Resource Shelf: http://www.resourceshelf.com/2010/01/27/100-million-dollars-allocated-for-rural-libraries-from-united-states-department-of-agriculture-usda/

· Libraries in the News: http://www.ilovelibraries.ala.org/news/?p=686

· Peter Scott: http://xrefer.blogspot.com/2010/01/united-states-department-of-agriculture.html

· Southern Adirondack Library System: http://salsblog.sals.edu/index.php/2010/01/27/money-for-rural-libraries/comment-page-1/ (this post does offer a local contact for assistance)

· Gale: http://blog.gale.com/sizzle/library-advocacy/library-funding-now-available-through-department-of-agriculture/

To those of you who are investigating these loan and grant options and application process, is there anything that WebJunction can do to support this process for everyone? It might be helpful to share applications, tips or tricks for going through the process, or lessons learned once awards are made. Let us know what you’d like to see or how we can help.
Health Information, Library Management, Webinar
Following the flu
October 1st, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Tracking the breaking news and resulting response around the various strains of influenza we are contending with this year has been rather confusing. I know that the big questions around our office and homes has been, “Should I get a flu shot? Should my children or parents? Which ones? By what delivery method?” But I do think that the government and Centers for Disease Control have been doing an admirable job of compiling the essential information and keeping us informed of how to best prepare for this unusual situation.

As WebJunction embarks on this month’s focus on emergency planning and response, I’ve been familiarizing myself with the resources out there that guide businesses and individuals through the process of disaster preparation and recovery. A great site is ready.gov. There is also a spinoff site called flu.gov, which includes a section that contains links to excellent guidance to business for preparing for the seasonal influenza epidemic as well as the N1H1 (aka “swine flu”) epidemic: http://pandemicflu.gov/professional/business/#

I am adding these and other resources to the Disaster Planning topic area on WebJunction, with links to key websites in this document.

We will also be hosting a webinar on October 21 that will discuss how libraries in Florida are being used for hurricane preparedness and response. Visit our Events Calendar to register (it’s free).
Library Management, Tech, Technology Planning
Surveying library technology policies
July 31st, 2009 | Permalink | 2 Comments
WebJunction is gearing up for an August focus on Technology Policies and we’d like to hear from you first. To understand how libraries develop, update and communicate technology policies we would like to invite you to complete a short survey. The short survey asks questions about:
- What sorts of technology policies you’ve developed and why?
- Who’s involved in the review, creation or updating of your policies?
- Which factors prompt you to update your policies?
We will share the results of the survey later in August and will address some of the key issues in an August 26 webinar. Thank you for taking the time to help share a current understanding of library technology policies!

View survey results »
Funding, Library Management, Technology Planning
Broadband is the name of the stimulus game
July 30th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

If you’re not confused by all the acronyms flying around the federal stimulus package, then it’s a miracle! Everybody’s talking about what portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) should go to libraries, but there are certainly not enough folks who understand how to apply for the funds. Thankfully, ALA’s Know Your Stimulus site is helping libraries navigate through the minefield of red tape. I recommend registering for their upcoming ALA webinar on August 5: Nuts and Bolts – Broadband Grant Application Assistance. They’ll help distinguish the BTOP from the NTIA and the NOFA from the RUS (!) Honestly the only thing I feel fairly certain I understand is that there will be 3 rounds of funding and that the first deadline is August 15, so get crackin’!

Tell us what you’re learning about the Broadband Stimulus
Library Management
Computer & Internet Policies for patrons and staff
July 9th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

A hot topic for libraries are how to manage access and use of computers and the internet by both patrons and staff. Questions like: Do we set time limits for computer use and, if so, how do we find a time that meets the needs of most patrons? Do we block certain sites? Do we disallow certain activity? Do we allow (or even encourage) staff to participate in social networking at work? How do we keep abreast of what patrons needs are so that our policies can adapt to them?

We’ll be putting focus on these questions next month, as we spotlight Computer & Internet Policies. For instance, we’ll have a webinar on August 26 that features staff from two library systems who will share their findings on the trends in computer- and internet-related issues and provide examples of different approaches to policies that libraries have developed. We invite you to share your own experiences or policy examples, so that others may learn from you.

Meanwhile, member Patrick McDonald has a question for you: He is looking for policies that address library staff performing professional duties via a personal, social networking profile. If you have some information for him, please reply to his post to the Social Networking & Web Tools discussion board.
Library Management, Library Services, News, Online Learning, Staff Training, Tech
Library competency seedlings are sprouting
June 22nd, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?
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.
- Library Management Competency Evaluation Results
- Technology Competency Evaluation Results
Library Management, Online Learning, Staff Training
How do organizations partner with WebJunction?
June 1st, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

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!
Library Management, Staff Training, Webinar
Mileposts on the learning road
May 19th, 2009 | Permalink | 2 Comments

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.

Read more about the event and register here:
http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1592

See you online next Tuesday!
Library Management
Evaluate your competency in library management skills
March 24th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Now that WebJunction has defined competencies for Library Management and connected them to learning resources, we want to know if it makes any difference in the field. To do that, we need a baseline from which to measure progress.

“Oh no, not another survey!” you say. Let’s call it an evaluation instead. It’s an opportunity for you to assess your level of skill in key library management areas while you help us determine that baseline for the field.

WebJunction wants to help everyone in the field build your skills paths. The competencies are a starting point, but the process is non-static, ongoing, and focused on better outcomes for libraries.

Be part of the process and spend 10-15 minutes filling out our Library Management Competencies Evaluation. We’ll share the results and we’ll all keep moving forward.
Advocacy, Community Building, Library Management, Library Services, Rural and Small Libraries
Library ROI: A Brief Webliography
February 20th, 2009 | Permalink | 3 Comments

First, a confession. I’ve been holding this list for months. Don Reynolds sent this to me back in the fall of 2008, and I’ve been meaning to post it ever since. Today, the guilt finally overwhelmed me, so I went in and checked all the links, tossed out or updated the bad links, arranged the list in chronological order from oldest to newest, and threw myself on the mercy of the court.

REPORTS ON CALCULATING A LIBRARY’S RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Compiled by Don Reynolds, Past President of the Association of Rural and Small Libraries, and Director, Nolichucky Regional Library, Morristown, Tennessee
Updated February 20, 2009

Public Library Benefits Valuation Study. St. Louis Public Library, April 2001.

Library’s Contribution to Your Community. Illinois Regional Library Systems, 2002/3.

Libraries: How they stack up. An OCLC Report. OCLC, 2003.

Value of Public Library Service. Massachusetts Library Association, October 2003. Also available: “Estimated retail value and Values explained” and Calculator work sheet

The Economic Impact of Public Libraries on South Carolina. January 2005.

Taxpayer Return-on-Investment (ROI) in Pennsylvania Public Libraries. Pennsylvania Library Association, September 2006.

Value for Money: Southwestern Ohio’s Return from Investment in Public Libraries. November 2006. Report Summary

Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development. Urban Libraries Council, January 2007.

Worth Their Weight – An Assessment of the Evolving Field of Library Valuation. Americans for Libraries Council (Libraries for the Future), May 2007. Two notes:
1.) This report summarizes all the various valuation projects from around the country.
2.) I was having some trouble getting this to download, but was told by Libraries for the Future that the website issue is being addressed.

Vermont Library Association’s Library Use Value Calculator – What is your library worth to you? August 2007. (Note: Follows Massachusetts model.)

Return on Investment for Public Libraries. Library Research Service (Colorado), 2007/8. Note: This site also includes numerous case studies of individual libraries. Individual ROI Calculator.

Return on Investment (ROI). North Suburban Library System (Illinois), 2008. (Note: Two calculators are available here, one for a library’s return on investment to the community, one for the ROI for an individual.)

Maine State Library’s Library Use Value Calculator. Updated 2008. Note: This approach also follows Massachusetts model.

New York Libraries: How They Stack Up! Revised October 2008. Printable brochure version, also revised October 2008
ALA MW 2009, Community Building, Funding, Library Management, Marketing, Online Collaboration
ALA MW: It has to make sense
January 25th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Librarian Lesson #1 here at ALA MW in Denver: align priorities and learn when to sometimes say “NO.” The message at my table at the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) Breakfast among skilled Project Managers, Supervisors, and Directors was simple: use regular, structured, F2F and online interactions with the public to nail down ”the mission,” then put “results” above all else in selecting and structuring projects that get the maximum bang for the bite. To do this well, it sometimes means saying no, or at least “not now.” Scope creep can render projects and actions null and void. Pinpoint focus on a mission… the right one, gets us to the next (big) thing all the sooner.

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Library Management

Library Management, Library Services, Webinar

Library Management, Online Learning, Staff Training

Library Management, Library Services, Webinar

George, Library Management, Webinar

Funding, Library Management, chrystie

Health Information, Library Management, Webinar

Library Management, Tech, Technology Planning

Funding, Library Management, Technology Planning

Library Management, Library Services, News, Online Learning, Staff Training, Tech

♣ The Competency Index

♣ Competency-course-content connections

♣ Competency evaluations

Library Management, Online Learning, Staff Training

Library Management, Staff Training, Webinar

Advocacy, Community Building, Library Management, Library Services, Rural and Small Libraries

ALA MW 2009, Community Building, Funding, Library Management, Marketing, Online Collaboration