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!
Recharge 