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.
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