Free Reference Resources Teleconference

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, March 11, 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 colleagues around the state, go to the Minitex site for registration information.

Meet Author William Durbin

We Need to Reach Kids Where They Are

Making the case for Facebook in education

View more presentations from Jen Hegna.

We need to teach kids how to handle the real world, not shutter them away from it.

Library Advocacy in Action!

British libraries being threatened with closure by the new fiscal conservatism are fighting back. Will that same conservatism threaten our libraries as well?

The blog, Use Libraries and Learn Stuff, on which I found this posted has many examples of advocacy for ideas to fight back. Might be a good thing to bookmark in these austerity touting times where libraries are a prime target despite the pittance they're run on.

Make Your Own Customized READ Poster

ALA Graphics - Make your own customized READ poster! from ALA Publishing on Vimeo.

Care to Share Your Skills?

Are you uniquely qualified to do a lightning quick presentation on one of the following topics? Then Spotlight on Books needs you!

TumbleBooks
OverDrive and/or reading devices
Innovative uses of flip cams
...Skype with an author
Make your own Read posters
Social interaction via the library catalog (reviews, book suggestions, etc.)

Contact Amy Soma (soma@cord.edu) for more information.

Snapdragon Book Foundation - Grant Opportunity for Schools

The Snapdragon Book Foundation was started in December, 2008 to provide funds to improve school libraries for disadvantaged children. Grants will be awarded to public, private, and experimental schools.

Founded by a former school librarian, this foundation exists to put books in the hands of kids. In a time when many schools are reallocating their funds to technology and audiovisual equipment, we hope to make sure that school libraries are still offering children good books to read.

The Snapdragon Book Foundation accepts applications through April 15th each year. Open ended questions on the online application are designed to encourage extended answers.

This is one of relatively few grant opportunites available to add books to school libraries.

Friday Fun

NCLC's Administrative Assistant Pam Johnson recently returned to the frigid northern climes after spending time in Florida where she visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. Pam's sister Nancy worked in the administrative office of the construction contractor who built the attraction and shared stories about the excitement of creating this theme park.

While there she took this photo to share with all us library types.

2011 Spotlight on Books Conference

For more information about 2011 Spotlight on Books as well as conference registration forms and lodging registration forms, go HERE.

Featured authors: Anita Silvey, Sarah Weeks, Mike Wohnoutka, Alison McGhee

Early bird registration rates until Feb 25!

Feb 4, 2011 Teleconference Changed

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/