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Upcoming Webinar: Strategic Planning for Your Online Library Branch, May 10

An online library branch is an innovative way to provide enhanced 24-7 library services to your community.

Online library branches are also one way that many libraries are responding to rapidly advancing technologies, dynamic communications and shrinking budgets. Strategic planning is a crucial step libraries must take to ensure their online branch meets the business and technical requirements for the organization, while also addressing the needs of their multiple audiences. Seasoned strategic planners Cynthia Colmenares, CEO, Jack Frost Design and Beth Larkins, Account Manager, Jack Frost Design, will prepare you to take the first, most effective planning steps to meet these needs.

Our upcoming webinar, “Strategic Planning for Your Online Library Branch”, will be held Thursday, May 10, 2012, at 1:00-2:30 p.m. Central (Chicago) Time using Blackboard Collaborate. Registered participants will receive a link to the recorded session to rewatch at their convenience.

REGISTER NOW.

Individual registration fees start at $40 for ASCLA members. Groups wishing to participate in this session can register for a single login ($99), or pay just $38 per person for multiple logins (minimum 2 participants from the same library, library system or network. State libraries who are members of ASCLA receive significant savings, paying just $69 for a single login or $29 per person for multiple logins.

Register online now for these and other webinars.
Registration will remain open until close-of-business on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. Group registration information is available at the ASCLA online learning page.
Questions about registration? Contact the ALA registration team at registration@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, option 5.
To add ASCLA to your ALA membership, contact membership@ala.org.

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Leadership skills: become an effective facilitator with help of upcoming ASCLA webinar

CHICAGO–Managers and leaders from all types of libraries will benefit from the upcoming May 9 webinar “Being an Effective Facilitator” hosted by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of ALA that cultivates leaders in librarianship with a wide variety of relevant webinars, workshops and online courses.

During this 90-minute online session, Brenda Hough will prepare you to run meetings and lead planning discussions with confidence in both face-to-face and online sessions! The effective facilitation skills that will be covered in this session are relevant to many professional situations including focus groups, staff meetings, brainstorming and learning sessions, and countless other group opportunities where a leader is needed to guide the conversation. Hough will also provide tips for improving participation and productivity, and cover important topics such as group dynamics, learning styles, and models for running meetings and group sessions.

“Being an Effective Facilitator” will be held Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Central (Chicago) Time using Blackboard Collaborate. Registered participants will receive a link to the recorded session to rewatch at their convenience. Individual registration fees start at $40 for ASCLA members. Groups wishing to participate in this session can register for a single login ($99), or pay just $38 per person for multiple logins (minimum 2 participants from the same library, library system or network. State libraries who are members of ASCLA receive significant savings, paying just $69 for a single login or $29 per person for multiple logins.

Register online now for these and other webinars. Registration will remain open until close-of-business on Monday, May 7, 2012. Group registration information is available at the ASCLA online learning page.. Questions about registration? Contact the ALA registration team at registration@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, option 5. To add ASCLA to your ALA membership, contact membership@ala.org.

ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Not an ASCLA member, but interested in forming new interest groups, receiving discounted registration rates on ASCLApreconferences and online courses, and other important membership benefits? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership.

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Registration for ASCLA’s online course “Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities” closes Thursday, April 19

Registration is open through close-of-business on Thursday, April 19, for “Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities”, an online course offered by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) that prepares your library and library staff to provide effective services to all users of the library.

Providing library services to people with disabilities is a role filled by all levels of library staff. From the part-time aide checking out library materials to the library director determining policies, staff skills and attitudes are crucial for a satisfactory library experience. During this course, participants will identify library users with disabilities at their library and the resources and assistive technologies available to assist them; examine changes in attitudes, laws and technologies that have impacted people with disabilities; and will be able to recommend changes in personal and organizational behaviors to improve services for people with disabilities at their library.

This course is truly designed for all library staff, including support staff, general professional staff, age-level or subject specialists, managers and administrators. The course will begin Monday, April 23 and finish on Friday, May 18. Two live online sessions using the FlashChat feature of Moodle, the online course management system, will take place on Thursday, May 3 and Thursday, May 17, from 3-4 pm CENTRAL/Chicago Time. Students complete the remainder of the weekly coursework at their own pace.

Interested participants can register online now, register via fax or mail, or learn more about the course at the ASCLA website. Registration fees start at $130 for ASCLA members. Discounted group registration rates for two or more registrants from the same library, library system or network are available—download the group registration form. Contact ALA’s Membership and Customer Service Team with any questions about registration for this course at registration@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, option 5.

“Improving Library Services for People with Disabilities” is taught by Kate Todd, who has worked as a children’s librarian for The New York Public Library and as emerging technologies librarian for Manhattanville College. At Manhattanville College, she taught “Technology for Special Education” in the graduate school of education. She has also taught several online courses for the Association of Library Services to Children (ALSC), including “Children with Disabilities in the Library”—this new ASCLA course is the general staff counterpart to that course.

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WEBINAR: The “How To” of Digital Preservation Planning

Have you taken steps to assure the long-term survival of your digital collections?
In this upcoming ASCLA webinar, you’ll hear from collaborative digitization experts about the preservation planning process and the tools available to assist with implementation.\

WEBINAR: “Digital Preservation Planning”
Monday, April 16, at 10:00 a.m. Central (Chicago) Time.
REGISTER NOW.
Registration closes at midnight on Thursday, April 12!

This one hour webinar will introduce you to the key concepts for digital preservation planning, and librarians and library workers–particularly digital librarians, digital archivists and managers of digital collections–should definitely plan to attend.

During the webinar, participants will be introduced to digital preservation including definitions, standards and best practices, use of risk assessment as a planning technique, and an introduction to digital preservation services and software. The presenters will address the ever-important “why” of digital preservation, how to decide what digital resources should be preserved, how to convince your organization to undertake a digital preservation program, and what options exist for digital preservation. Participants will gain an understand of the difference between digital preservation and back-up strategies and learn about several preservation services and software options available in today’s marketplace.

Presenters: collaborative digitization experts Liz Bishoff and Tom Clareson

Registration fees: $40 for ASCLA members $50 for ALA members $65 for non-ALA members $45 for ALA student members and retired members
Group Rates:* $99 single login $38/person multiple logins. (min. 2 people)

*State Library Agencies who are members of ASCLA pay just *69 for a single group login, or $29/person for multiple logins (min. 2 people)!

Individuals can register online now. Group registration information is available for download here.
Questions about registration? Contact registration@ala.org or 800-545-2433, option 5.