RLA CE Committee

Your Interests

Rich — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:04:16 +0000

Back in May, we asked you to keep in touch with us by registering for email notifications. Besides your name and email, we asked you to tell us what topics interest you so that we can make sure we’re bringing you programs that matter. We received 68 responses so far and here’s what you told us!

Did we miss anything? What other topics are you interested in?

@rla_ce

Rich — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:39:07 +0000

Like the rest of the planet, we’re now on Twitter. Follow us at @rla_ce and you’ll get news about upcoming programs, links to must-read articles about libraries, and more! Not on Twitter? Well, surely you must be on Facebook! “Like us” on Facebook at http://facebook.com/rlacecommittee.

Tell Us What You’re Interested In

Rich — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:25:42 +0000

After our usual time off during the summer, our committee will soon be meeting to plan more programs for local library staff. We have a ton of ideas, but we’d like to hear from you about what you’re interested in. What topics are most important to you and your library? What issues are concerning you? Who are the speakers (local or national) you’d most like to hear in-person? Leave a comment and let us know what you’re thinking!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for one of the following three options to keep updated on what we’re doing:

Sign-up for our own RLA CE email list. By signing up, you will receive news about upcoming programs. We promise not to share your email with anyone else.
Click on “Subscribe in a reader” or “Subscribe by email” on the upper right-hand sidebar of our website to be notified of new blog posts.
Join us on our Facebook page and receive updates on upcoming programs.

Important Announcement

Rich — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:10:52 +0000

As many of you know, the RLA CE (Continuing Education) Committee is a group of librarians dedicated to bringing free programs of interest to the North Suburban Library community. We are independently funded and operated from NSLS and are planning on continuing to offer these educational programs beginning again in the fall. These programs will be even more important now that NSLS will cease offering continuing education programs.

Since the NSLS CoPs (Communities of Practice) listservs will no longer be available by the end of May, we would like to encourage you to sign up for one of the following three options to keep updated on what we’re doing.

Sign-up for our own RLA CE email list. By signing up, you will receive news about upcoming programs. We promise not to share your email with anyone else.
Click on “Subscribe in a reader” or “Subscribe by email” on the upper right-hand sidebar of our website to be notified of new blog posts.
Join us on our Facebook page and receive updates on upcoming programs.

If you have questions or suggestions for future programs, please contact us!

Finally, our committee truly appreciates all the assistance the staff at NSLS has provided us throughout the years. We wish everyone at NSLS nothing but the best in these difficult times.

Sincerely,

Jane Malik (co-chair) Oakton Community College, Des Plaines

Nancy Wagner (co-chair) Wilmette Public Library

Melissa Dessent

Steven Jablonski Skokie Public Library

Richard Kong Skokie Public Library

Gwyn Stupar Northbrook Public Library

Alex Todd Prospect Heights Public Library

Christina Tropea Des Plaines Public Library

Rachel Singer Gordon program canceled

Rich — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:46:08 +0000

Due to low registration and recent news about the future of NSLS, the RLA CE committee has decided to postpone the “Career Building in a Down Economy” program originally scheduled for June 8. We will try to reschedule this program for sometime in the fall of this year, so please keep your eye on this website for a new date.

Career Building in a Down Economy with Rachel Singer Gordon

Rich — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:58:27 +0000

NOTE: This program has been canceled. We will try to re-schedule it during the fall.

Join us for our 2009-2010 year-end program with Rachel Singer Gordon! This program is free and sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning.

Career Building in a Down Economy with Rachel Singer Gordon

What: We’re all frustrated and stressed by the current economic climate and its impact on libraries — whether we’re worried about downsizing or closings, finding even more ways to do more with less, or dealing with constant uncertainty. We need to find ways to counter our initial reaction to stress, which is usually to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. The down economy requires, now more than ever, that we find ways to proactively keep ourselves professionally active and work to prove our relevance. As we’re bombarded with increasingly worse news about everything from library budgets to the library job market, we need to focus on what we can do to keep ourselves moving forward professionally in a down economy. While our associations and professional literature focus on what we can do to help our libraries and our patrons through tough economic times, we don’t always give enough attention to how we can weather the storm ourselves. Career Building in a Down Economy addresses:

The ways in which the current economic climate affects us professionally
How to control our own reactions and combat frustration
How to deal proactively with current events
How to ready ourselves for whatever might come
How to refocus on our own careers and work to build or gain the skills we need to move forward and remain relevant in tough economic times

Librarians and library staff will find new ways to re-frame their perspective and explore their alternatives

Who: Rachel Singer Gordon is webmaster of LISjobs.com, the largest library career site and job database, and is a consulting editor at Information Today Inc., Books Division. She is the former Head of Computer Services at the Franklin Park Public Library, IL, and is currently a freelance writer, editor, and presenter who speaks widely on topics from alternative careers to writing for publication to generational issues. Rachel has authored eight books for librarians and information professionals, most recently, What’s the Alternative? Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros (ITI, 2008), Information Tomorrow: Reflections on the Future of Public and Academic Libraries (ITI, 2007), and The NextGen Librarian’s Survival Guide (ITI, 2006). Among her other professional activities, Rachel is the “On the Brink” columnist for Emerald’s Library Link; she was also the “Computer Media” columnist at Library Journal from 2002-2008 and coauthored “Tech Tips for Every Librarian” in Computers in Libraries magazine from 2006-2008.

When: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 from 9:00am-12:00pm (9am Breakfast and Networking, 9:30am-12pm Program)

Where: NSLS Auditorium, 200 W. Dundee Rd. Wheeling, IL 60090 [map and directions]

Cost: Free – sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning

Register online now!

Resources from Screencastic Program

Rich — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:00:21 +0000

Yesterday’s screencasting program was a success and attendees came away with a better understanding of what screencasts are and how they can be used in libraries to benefit both patrons and staff.

Resources from the program include:

From Mick Jacobsen

Introduction to Screencasting for Librarians

Screencasting to an Audience of One – slides

Screencasting to an Audience of One – blog entry

Recommended Screencasts:

http://business.skokielibrary.info/video-tutorials
http://www.skokielibrary.info/design/AquaBrowser/help.html
http://franklinparklibrary.org/tutorials

From Shannon Scanlan

Shannon Scanlan’s “Screencasting for an Internal Audience” presentation

Prospect Heights Public Library 23 Things

Prospect Heights Public Library Computer Group

Shannon Scanlan’s blog, Lively Librarian

From Stephanie Kerns

Screencasting for an Academic Audience

Screentastic! Screencasting for Librarians

Rich — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:47:33 +0000

If you’re interested in learning more about screencasts and hearing tips on how to create them, this is the perfect program for you! Screencasts are excellent tools for demonstrating software, teaching computer skills, and visually sharing step-by-step navigation of websites and databases. They can be a powerful tool for all types of libraries. Come learn how to design and produce killer screencasts for staff and public use, whether your targeted audience is a single person or an entire community. And check out this article from American Libraries magazine to learn more about screencasts before the program.

Here’s a recent example from Skokie Public Library:

Mick Jacobsen of Skokie Public Library and Shannon Scanlan of Prospect Heights Public Library, both experienced screencasters, will provide an overview of the many ways you can start creating fantastic screencasts right away.

Edit: Stephanie Kerns has been added as a third presenter. She began screencasting with a project to create a PubMed tutorial for the Galter Library in 2003. She is currently interested in how screencasting addresses different learning styles. Her current position is Head of Education and Outreach and Curriculum Librarian at Northwestern University’s Galter Library. She received her MLS from Indiana University, and her job experience includes positions at the medical libraries at the University of Southern California and at Georgetown University.

When: Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 9:30am-12:00pm

Where: NSLS Auditorium, 200 W. Dundee Rd. Wheeling, IL 60090 [map and directions]

Cost: Free – sponsored by HW Wilson

Register online now!

Steven’s Jablonski’s Presentation on Legal Resources

Rich — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:46:09 +0000

Our recent program highlighting legal resources for reference librarians was a big success! Thank you to both attorney Teri Ross, who spoke about Illinois Legal Aid, and reference librarian Steven Jablonski, who gave a presentation on legal resources.

Steven was kind of enough to share his presentation slides with us to post on this site!

Legal Resources for Reference Librarians

Rich — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:49:29 +0000

In this economic climate, it seems like more people are taking it upon themselves to find answers to their legal questions. If you’re a reference librarian in need of a refresher on legal resources, we have a great program for you on March 4!

Attorney Teri Ross will demonstrate the features of the Illinois Legal Aid website and show librarians how to assist their patrons in accessing legal information. She will also provide a brief explanation of the legal services delivery system in Illinois and discuss ethical considerations when providing legal information to the public. In the second part of the program Steven Jablonski of Skokie Public Library will speak about other online resources that every librarian should know about for locating legal cases and codes, looking up attorneys, and finding user-friendly explanations of the law.

More information about this program can be found on the upcoming programs page.

Make sure you register online now!

When: Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 9:30am-12:00pm

Where: NSLS Learning Center, 200 W. Dundee Rd. Wheeling, IL 60090 [map and directions]

Cost: Free – sponsored by HW Wilson