POSTPONED --Free Content for Library Collections

A web presentation by the College of DuPage Press Library Futures: Staying Ahead of the Curve: Free Content for Library Collections will be hosted by the Arrowhead Library System and North Country Library Cooperative at the Arrowhead Library System building in Mountain Iron, MN:

Broadcast date: Friday, February 4, 2011

11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central Time

Presenters: Michael Galloway and John Mark Ockerbloom

The Internet offers a treasure trove of free resources that can greatly expand the range of information and services that libraries can offer their patrons. But it's not always easy to find the best information to meet users' needs. In this program, Michael Galloway, Manager, Digital Collections for ipl2: Information You Can Trust, and John Mark Ockerbloom, editor of The Online Books Page, will give a tour of some of the millions of books, magazines, journals, and informative web sites that can be accessed online for free. They will discuss how they evaluate and describe online resources to include in their directories, how readers can find what they need in these directories and elsewhere online, and how they can distinguish useful information from unreliable or irrelevant sites. You'll find out how you can integrate free online resources with your local library offerings in ways that give patrons better service than either online or print alone can provide. And you'll also learn how your library and your patrons can contribute to this growing corpus of knowledge.

If you are able, bring your lunch and participate in group discussion following the broadcast. If you cannot get away, register online here and a link to watch at your desktop will be sent to you. Be sure that you chose the Series (4 programs) Paid for by State Library or Agency option which is free, so that you are not billed.

For other locations to view with collegeagues around the state, go the the Minitex site.

The February 4th teleconference, “Free Content for Library Collections” has been postponed due to bad weather. Apparently, a snowstorm to rival the Blizzard of 1967 is headed for Chicago and we were not certain our presenters and program host could get here from Philadelphia and Florida (there were scheduling conflicts as well).

An ENCORE PRESENTATION of the February 9, 2008, teleconference, "Tools of Engagement: Attracting and Engaging Library Users," will air from Noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time this Friday, February 4th, in place of the postponed "Free Content" program.

For information on this program, go to:
http://www.dupagepress.com/library-learning-network/library-challenges-2008/teleconference-2/

Perceptions of Libraries, 2010: Context and Community [OCLC - Reports]

From an OCLC Member Update:

OCLC's newest membership report Perceptions of Libraries, 2010 ( a sequel to the 2005 Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources is now available for free download. The new report provides updated information and new insights into information consumers and their online habits, preferences, and perceptions. Particular attention was paid to how the current economic downturn has affected the information-seeking behaviors and how those changes are reflected in the use and perception of libraries.

The report is based on U.S. data from an onine survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of OCLC. OCLC analyzed and summarized the results in order to produce this 59 page report.

Minnesota Library Futures Initiative Update

On December 10th the Minnesota Library Futurists gathered at the St. Cloud Public Library to discuss the general outlook for Minnesota in 2025, with the goal of creating a common framework for the Futurist’s work in upcoming months. In preparation for the meeting, Futurists researched current trends and outlooks for demographics, economics, education, and technology. For each of these areas, mini-SWOT analyses were performed.

Additionally, Futurists analyzed and discussed the current political climate and how it could impact the library landscape in 2025. Ideas for how libraries will move forward into the future began to present themselves as the day came to a close. These ideas have been recorded for further examination.

The Futurists are also excited to announce that a website and blog are now available. The website is available at https://sites.google.com/site/mnlfi2025/home, and will be used to convey information about the MN Library Futures Initiative, the 23 Futurists, the key focus areas, future-forward bibliographies, archived recordings of guest speakers (when available), and plans for upcoming meetings. Feedback and ideas from the library community are welcome on the MNLFI blog at http://mnlfi2025.blogspot.com/?zx=4e5a215efb8b40d7. The blog will include updates from the Futurists, but the hope is that those with an interest in the future of libraries will also post to the blog. Questions, commentary, and ideas about the future are encouraged.

The group’s next meeting will take place at St. Paul Academy on Friday, January 21^st. The focus for the day is technology.

St. Kate's Big News

This news was shared with us this morning by Patricia Post, CMLE director, and a member of St. Kate's MLIS Advisory Council:

"The Master of Library and information science (MLIS) Program faculty and staff of St. Catherine University are delighted to announce that we have received initial accreditation from the American Library Association. We want to thank all of our students, alumnae/i, friends, and colleagues for their ongoing support and encouragement. To say that we are ecstatic would be an understatement. All of the St. Kate’s community has worked hard to make this happen for all of us. Please stay tuned for more."

Deborah S. Grealy, Associate Dean

And the faculty and staff of the MLIS Program.

New Exhibit Coming to MN Discovery Center

Arrowhead Reading Council Winter Solstice