CE Around the State – April Edition
April is a time for celebration. It is the only month of the year you KNOW the Cubs will be in first place (well, tied for first at least). After Opening Day? All bets are off. But for that one glorious day, the Cubs trail no other.
April is also a huge month for CE, so let’s get to it!
First, we’ll highlight our own RLA-CE workshops.
On Tuesday, March 20th, from 9:30-11:30, join Schaumburg Public Librarian and author Amy Alessio at the Des Plaines Public Library as she discusses the latest trends in cooking and crafting books in both fiction and nonfiction. Cookbook & Crafting Readers Advisory will also show how we can entice readers to learn new skills or to explore depths in a favorite hobby! FREE!
And you’ll want to keep Tuesday, April 17th from 9:30-noon free for Business Reference 2012! Business Information Group standouts Emily Kornak of the Barrington Public Library and Shannon Scanlan of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will discuss new resources and databases in business reference as well as helping small businesses effectively use social media; business outreach; and job and career resources. FREE!
Now for the rest of the programs -
WebJunction continues their excellent workshops with Skills for the Everyday Leader on Wednesday, April 4th from 1-2pm. Leading isn’t just for managers! By the end of this webinar, you’ll have some simple and effective tools to help you work more powerfully with your colleagues or become the supervisor you always wanted to work for. FREE!
The ILA Youth Services Council’s Spring Workshop is Monday, April 9th from 10am-4pm. They’ll cover “sense”-sational programs for children with special needs as well as legal issues as they relate to youth programming. Ah those wacky youth librarians and their puns… FREE!
Slam the Boards on April 10th! It’s fun and a great learning experience. Promote librarians beyond the library! On the 10th of each month, visit your favorite “Social Q&A” sites (Yahoo Answers, Quora, WikiAnswers, etc.) and locate questions for which you can provide well-researched answers. Identify yourself as a librarian in your answer. Then post links to your answers on Twitter using the hashtag #slamtheboards. FREE!
Dominican University is sponsoring a seminar on motivating staff on Tuesday, April 10th. Employees who feel valued and recognized for the work they do are more motivated and productive. Diane Decker will teach proven motivational techniques including delegation, coaching and feedback. While this all day event (9:30-4:30) is not free, you will earn CPDU credits.
Tuesday, April 10th must really be the day for workshops because WJ is also offering one from 1-2pm. Virtual Connections will help you get connected with your library patrons and vice-versa. Learn how to build and maintain virtual, internet-based connections with your patrons by utilizing the tools they are increasingly using themselves, including Google Plus, QR Codes, and Pinterest.
On Thursday, April 12 from 9:30-noon, ATLAS is sponsoring a technology how-to program at the South Holland Public Library. Confused about the different gadgets and how they work? Attend our meeting and receive a hands-on experience with a variety of e-readers, and learn how they work.
ATLAS seems to be a new librarian group providing continuing education. Check them out at http://www.southsublib.lib.il.us/. Good luck, ATLAS!
LACONI TSS is hosting a workshop on Workplace Relations on Friday, April 13th from 9:30-3:00pm at the beautiful Glenview Public Library. Join Candace Fisher from Management Association for a full day of interactive discussions and hands-on application of tools to help you in your day to day reality. Hosted by the Technical Services Section but everyone is welcome!
Check out the Readers Advisory Interest Group’s monthly meeting on Thursday, April 19 from 9:30-noon in RAILS’ Wheeling Conference Room. FREE!
There’s a Sassy Meeting at the Limestone Public Library on Friday, April 20th from 10am-2pm. It’s a chance for children’s librarians and their assistants to get together, share ideas, and support one another in their library settings. They will be discussing Tweens and Teen programming and collections during this meetnig. FREE!
Dominican University is hosting the Chicago Children’s Book Publishers – Fall 2012 Preview on Saturday, April 21 from 1-3pm. Local publishers Albert Whitman & Company, Capstone, Norwood House Press, and Sourcebooks, Inc., give a sneak preview of children’s and young adult books coming out for fall 2012. Come see what’s new before the reviews are even written. FREE!
Also on the 21st, the Fremont Public Library is hosting Making Literature Come Alive for Kids from 9:30-noon. Join us for this interactive workshop in which storyteller, librarian, and author Rob Reid shows you how to hook kids’ interest in books through humor, storytelling, poetry, songs, and reader’s theater. A light breakfast will beserved, along with 2.5 CPDUs for teachers and librarians. Registration opens March 15 and closes April 14. FREE!
On Sunday, April 22nd from 10am-1pm, Dominican University will host the first of a three part series Book Reviewing with Janice Del Negro. Learn to review children’s and young adult books from a master! Janice M. Del Negro has been reviewing books for youth for professional library journals for almost thirty years. Acquire or improve reviewing skills and have an impact on the professional world of books for youth. Del Negro, formerly editor of the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, has also reviewed for Kirkus and Booklist, and is currently reviewing for School Library Journal.
Dominican University is working with the Gail Borden Public Library to present Professional Hiring and Meaningful Performance Reviews on Tuesday, April 24th from 9:30-4:30. Along with hiring new employees, conducting performance reviews can be one of a manager’s most challenging responsibilities. Participants will learn the do’s and don’ts of conducting interviews including the best questions to ask. This session will equip participants to provide a more positive and constructive performance review process for those they supervise.
ARRT’s Quarterly Literary Fiction Book Discussion is on Thursday, April 26, from 1:30-3:30. In the words of bad 80′s sitcoms everywhere, this will be A Very Special Episode. They’ll be meeting at The Curragh Irish Pub, to learn first-hand about what it’s like to begin a library book discussion that meets in a bar. There’s also a book discussion involved, so be sure to read Jennifer Eagen’s A Visit from the Goon Squad ahead of time!
There will be a meeting of the Collection Development Librarians Networking Group on Friday, April 27th from9:30-11:45 at the Roselle Public Library. They’ll be talking about developing the 400s, Deweyless libraries/rethinking the call number. The future of audiobooks, and options for discards. Newcomers are always welcome, but please RSVP to Marcia Bose (mbose@roselle.lib.il.us).
Business Reference 2012!
Join us on the morning of Tuesday, April 17th at the RAILS Wheeling building and learn about what’s new in business reference. Business Information Group standouts Emily Kornak of the Barrington Public Library and Shannon Scanlan of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library will discuss new resources and databases in business reference as well as helping small businesses effectively use social media; business outreach; and job and career resources.
When: Tuesday, April 17th from 9:30-noon
Where: RAILS Wheeling Building (the old NSLS building)
200 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling, IL 60090 map and directions
Cost: Free! Sponsored by H.W. Wilson
Registration: Register Here
Have Questions? Please contact us
CE Around the State – Lions & Lambs Edition
Hello again! Here are the upcoming CE opportunities for March.
WebJunction leads off March with the webinar “It Takes a Community to Bridge the Digital Divide” on Tuesday, March 6th from noon-1pm. Susan Hildreth, director, Institute of Museum and Library Services; Ron Carlee, chief operating officer, International City/County Management Association; and David Keyes, community technology program manager, City of Seattle will discuss the key role that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is playing in the broadband adoption challenge and the actions already underway for building digital communities. FREE!
Dominican University is hosting an all day workshop on Wednesday, March 7th (8:30-4:00) called Ebooks: Issues and Trends. Christine Lind Hague, Director, Rochester Hills (MI) Public Library and Member of the American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy E-books Task Force will keynote the event covering copyright, ownership, and the future of ebooks. Whether you have an ebook collection or are thinking about establishing one, you cannot afford to miss this practical one-day ebook extravaganza. This program isn’t free, but you will earn 6 CPDU credits.
If you’ve never Slammed the Boards before, make the most of the opportunity on Saturday, March 10th. Promote librarians beyond the library! Visit your favorite “Social Q&A” sites (Yahoo Answers, Quora, WikiAnswers, etc.) and locate questions for which you can provide well-researched answers. Identify yourself as a librarian in your answer. Then post links to your answers on Twitter using the hashtag #slamtheboards. FREE!
On the Front Lines: Engaging Our Communities is a 3-day (March 12, 13 & 14) workshop at the U0fI Springfield Public Affairs Center. The conference will equip and enlighten front-line staff with training, exposure, 2.0 technology tools and techniques that will enable them to effectively and efficiently meet the needs of their community. The keynote speaker is Eli Neuburger, but the real highlight will be that Northbrook Public Library Dynamic Duo, RLA-CE’s very own – Gwyn Stupar and Leah White!
Dominican University offers another 6-unit CPDU course on Thursday, March 15 at the Gail Borden Public Library. Interpersonal Skills for Supervising Others. This workshop will help participants learn to use communication tools to maintain and improve relationships with staff, peers and their managers. Participants will also learn how to establish and communicate expectations with staff and the use of two-way communication techniques necessary for the successful supervisor.
Dominican GSLIS’s Spring lecture – UNESCO, Libraries, and Inclusive Knowledge Societies will be held on Wednesday, March 21 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. This evening lecture will be presented by Barbara J. Ford, director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs and Mortenson Distinguished Professor at the Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ford will discuss the role of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO to support worldwide humanitarian development values by coordinating efforts and delivering expert advice on issues of education, science, communications, and culture to the U.S. Department of State. Among the topics to be discussed will be digital information and preservation which support the development of inclusive knowledge societies and UNESCO’s mission and are examples of issues that are of interest to the U.S. Commission. FREE!
WebJunction’s Adult Programs on a $0 Budget is sure to be very popular. Join the webinar on Tuesday, March 27 from noon-1pm. In just a few short years, the Laurens County Library, in rural South Carolina, has created an impressive and well attended series of adult programs on a shoestring budget.
Find out what Laurens has done that works, what doesn’t work, and learn how your adult programming can make your library a valued community hub, building awareness and increasing usage of all your services.
CE Around the State – January/February Edition
Hello everyone! We hope you all enjoyed your holidays and are looking forward to all the wintry goodness that comes to Chicagoland in January and February.
We all made the ever-popular “ATTEND MORE CE” New Years resolution this year, right? Well to help you meet that goal, here’s what is coming up over the next several weeks.
If your library has volunteers donating their time and skills, check out this demonstration of Vogistics (a volunteer tracking system) at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library on Thursday, January 26 from 1-3 pm. FREE!
There will be an web conference reviewing the FY2013 Adult Literacy grant application on Monday, January 30th from 9:00-10:30 am and repeated from 2:00-3:30 pm. These workshops are always helpful in ensuring applications are properly completed and for sharing grant ideas. FREE!
Also on the 30th, there will be a meeting of the Reforma Midwest Chapter from 1-3 pm at the RAILS building in Wheeling (formerly the NSLS building). Videoconferencing is also an option. Reforma promotes the development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino oriented materials; the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural library professionals and support staff; the development of library services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; the establishment of a national information and support network among individuals who share our goals; the education of the U.S. Latino population in regard to the availability and types of library services; and lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving the interests of Latinos.
Readers Advisory folks will want to attend the Western Suburbs RA SiG meeting at the Rails Geneva Service Center on Tuesday, January 31st from 9:30-noon. They’ll be wrapping up their 1.5 year study (!) of Science Fiction. The day’s topic is “Time Travel/Far Future.” FREE!
Also on the 31st, there is a WebJunction web conference on Developing and Maintaining E-Reader Policies and Procedures for Libraries from 1-2pm. David Newyear, adult information services manager, Mentor Public Library, Ohio; and Daniel Schwartz, library director, Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library, Kerrville, Texas will focus on the nuts and bolts of serving patrons with gadgets, including policies and procedures for libraries lending e-readers and for patrons using their own readers to access library e-book collections. Hear from a library who has e-reader policies and procedures in place, including how they review and update polices; and from a library who’s recently developed policies and procedures after researching and learning from many other libraries. If your library is planning an e-reader service, this is the workshop for you. If your library already has a service in place, this is a great opportunity to see how your policies compare. FREE!
Moving into February, there is an IMRF workshop on Tuesday, February 7th from 1-3pm. What You Should Know About IMRF brings in Paul Paris to discuss all things IMRF, such as the differences in benefits for employees enrolled in Tier I vs. Tier II, how to get updated IMRF information, even when not the IMRF Authorized Agent, and options such as an insurance selection available to members upon retirement. Paul will take your questions during the session as well. This sounds like a great ‘train the trainer’ opportunity. Staff from your library attends the workshop and then briefs everyone else. FREE!
The Business Librarians Interest Group (BIG) is having a meeting on Thursday, February 9th from 9:30-noon at the Glenview Public Library. BIG consists of librarians working with the business community meet to network together, sharing resources, programming ideas and other related topics of interest to the group. On a side note, if you haven’t yet had a chance to visit the new Glenview Public Library, this is a great opportunity to do so. It’s a beautiful building and alone is well worth the trip. FREE!
WebJunction’s webinar Cloud Computing 101 will be held on Thursday, February 9th from 1-2pm. “Cloud computing” seems to be all the rage, but what actually is it? Roy Tennant, senior program officer in the Research division of OCLC, will explain what cloud computing offers libraries, how libraries are using these services, and what you should consider when thinking about using a cloud service in your library. A distinction between services for end-users and services for organizations will be made, explained, and illustrated, as well as the terms used to describe cloud services. Learn how quick and easy it now is to deploy applications “in the cloud” using tools such as Google Docs, Google App Engine, and Amazon’s Web Services, among others. Resources for further exploration will be included. FREE!
The Readers Advisory Interest Group (RAIG) will meet on Thursday, February 16th from 9:30-noon at the RAILS Wheeling building. The Readers Advisory Interest Group (RAIG) is a group of area librarians who meet the third Thursday of every other month to discuss fiction genres and trends and readers advisory to patrons. All are welcome to attend our free meetings. FREE!
There will be a Live and Learn Construction Grant Committee Review held via videoconference at six RAILS buildings on Thursday, February 23rd from 9:30am-4:00pm. If your library is working on a construction grant, this is a must-attend. FREE!
Also on the 23rd, WebJunction is hosting the web conference Twitter for Job Seekers: Tips for Helping Your Library’s Job-seeking Patron from 1-2pm. Twitter is one of the best online tools for networking and job seeking. Whether browsing job postings or connecting with people in your field, Twitter offers something for everyone. Brooke Roegge, digital information specialist, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Andrea Snyder, manager, Job & Career Information Center, Enoch Pratt Free Library/Maryland State Library Resource Center will cover tips and techniques for helping patrons network and find jobs on Twitter, and provide your library with ways to use Twitter in support of job seekers. Learn how you can use “tweets” to extend and augment your library services, showcase the resources and programs you provide job seekers and demonstrate the powerful connections you create in your library community. FREE!
Dominican University resumes their excellent series of weekend workshops with The Truth About Choice on Saturday, February 25th from 8:30am-6:00pm
Join us for a day-long exploration of the choices we make as teachers, librarians, and readers. Noted author and freedom-to-read advocate Chris Crutcher will speak about young people’s rights to make their own reading choices. Members of the Butler Children’s Literature Center will share ideas about choosing books for classrooms and choosing books with young adults. A panel of editors and reviewers will discuss using book review journals to make wise and economical collection choices, and a panel of librarians and teachers will share some of the best (and worst!) choices they have made. We will end the day with a champagne reception in the new, permanent Butler Center space.
Toby Greenwalt Recap
On November 10th, approximately 60 librarians attended Mobile Solutions for Libraries. Toby Greenwalt has graciously supplied us with his slides from the presentation, and a short 10-minute videoclip is now posted to YouTube for your viewing enjoyment.
CE Around the State – December Edition
Happy (early) Holidays, everyone!
As one might expect, we’re getting into the slow months for CE. The holidays create staffing challenges as more folks want to use vacation time and the weather starts making those lovely scenic morning/afternoon drives to libraries far afield not so lovely nor scenic.
But worry not, there are still some good opportunities out there in December, starting with, of course, RLA-CE!
On Tuesday, December 13th we’ll be hosting Director’s Uncensored from 10:00am-noon. We’ve been brainstorming about this program for a few years now and we’re very excited now that we’ve got it just right. Our all-star lineup of directors – Detlev Pansch of Barrington Area Library, Kate Hall of New Lenox Public Library District, and Mike Madden, former director of Schaumburg Township District Library – will give you the lowdown on what it’s really like to hold down the top job. Director’s Uncensored also marks our return to the RAILS Wheeling building! The former NSLS headquarters building has a great auditorium and we’re very happy that it is available for use again. As always, this program is FREE!
LACONI is hosting a technology workshop on Thursday, December 1st from 9:30-noon at the Northlake Public Library. If you are looking for an answer to your Library’s current website woes, or simply want to learn more about Content Management Systems, then Creating Dynamic Websites with Joomla and WordPress. Ann Stoval from Indian Prairie Public Library and Hadley Ford from River Forest Public Library will be sharing their experiences redesigning their own library’s website. Special guest speaker is Brian Brown, e-marketing and web design consultant, from Strategic Strategies will detail the process of a website migration to a CMS. This program is FREE!
On December 4th is the final class in the 3-part Storytelling workshop presented by Dominican University. This looked like a fascinating series. If you attended, please share your experiences!
On Tuesday, December 6th from 1-2pm, WebJunction is offering Free Windows 7 Curriculum: Basic Computer Training at Your Library. The program is presented by Tom Watts and highlights the My PC Series (http://www.mypcprogram.com/), a completely free and fun, hands-on, jargon-free curriculum of computer classes developed by Microsoft for adult learners that aims to make this challenge a bit easier. This program is FREE!
WebJunction is hosting another hour-long program on Wednesday, December 14th. A Small But Powerful Webinar for Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library is an introduction to the revised edition of the popular Small But Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library, a new toolkit from the American Library Association’s Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds, Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries. This webinar will introduce you to the tips and strategies presented in the toolkit, share the experiences of a rural librarian who has built support for her library, and introduce you to some of the additional advocacy tools and resources from the American Library Association. This program is FREE!
And finally, the deadline for submitting proposals for ILA 2012 – Bouncing Higher! is January 31st. I’m sure most of you are aware of how outstanding ILA is every year. But you may not be aware that the majority of programs come the brainstorms of us librarians. So take the plunge. You have a great idea, and we all want to learn about it!
Directors Uncensored
Have you ever wondered what the life of a library director is like or what they’re really thinking? Join us for “Directors Uncensored,” a revealing panel discussion with three Chicagoland library directors, including Detlev Pansch of Barrington Area Library, Kate Hall of New Lenox Public Library District, and Mike Madden, former director of Schaumburg Township District Library. We will cover a variety of topics, including:
- Thoughts on the future of libraries and librarians
- Change management
- Ideal traits for library leaders
- A glimpse at the day in the life of a director
- Developing partnerships with your community
- The role of technology in libraries
When: Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 10:00am-noon
Where: RAILS Wheeling Auditorium (formerly NSLS) (map and directions)
Cost: Free – sponsored by HW Wilson
Registration: Register here
Any questions? Please contact us!
