Library Supporter

I've moved!

2008-04-06T18:48:00.001-04:00

Please find me at TheMLxperience.

Thank you!

Happy Hiatus!

2006-01-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

I'm going to officially call it, folks. This blog will be on standby for a while due to an amazing amount of work and personal duties that are piling up higher and higher.

Here's hoping you have a safe and productive New Year! :)

~Marianne

Ambient Findability (Slashdot)

2006-01-02T16:37:00.000-05:00

norburym writes "Peter Morville is an information architect, an advocate of expanding the boundaries of librarianship in an Internet age and the voice of ambient findability. In this new book from O'Reilly, Morville expands on a theme he's been discussing for several years: we live in an age where computers and the Internet are changing how we access information. Digital networks are available

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

PRESS KIT (ALA)

2005-12-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

The American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world, holds an annual business meeting known as the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

ALA to announce children, teen book award winners; discuss library trends at San Antonio conference (ALA)

2005-12-16T15:50:00.001-05:00

(CHICAGO) More than 12,000 librarians, publishers and guests from around the world will converge on the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio January 20-25 for the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

ALA president sponsors forum on education for librarianship (ALA)

2005-12-16T15:50:00.000-05:00

(CHICAGO) American Library Association (ALA) President Michael Gorman invites library practitioners, educators and students to participate in a half-day forum to explore the big issues in library education as part of the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio, January 20 - 25. The program begins at 1 p.m. Friday, January 20, in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

Teacher wins provincial honour (Simcoe.com)

2005-12-15T02:43:00.000-05:00

A long history of outstanding contribution to teacher-librarianship in Ontario is just one of the many reasons why Pat Elliott, a resource teacher for the Simcoe County District School Board, has been selected as the province's Teacher-Librarian of the Year.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

Putting 2.0 and 2.0 Together

2005-12-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

Family Man Librarian notes in Inner circles in library blogland that perhaps the Library 2.0 rallying cry isn't quite justified.

But I am cautious about the way Library 2.0 is pitched or hailed as A "movement" or "rallying cry" as many seem to do, seemingly without critical evaluation or assessment. More...

I am reminded that Passionate Users Talk Different. Does this mean that the A-list Library Bloggers are more ~~passionate~~ knowledgeableable about the Library 2.0 concept? Not necessarily.

Among other things, a shared vocabulary helps experts and professionals get a message across more quickly. But it also helps build their passion. More...

Perhaps those promoting the Library 2.0 concept their weblogs they are just more "plugged-in" or more in tune with the needs of thier computer-savvy patrons.

~Marianne

Enthusiastic response to ACRLog (ALA)

2005-12-13T10:21:00.000-05:00

CHICAGO - Response to the Association of College and Research Libraries' ACRLog has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. In its first week, over 10,000 visits were made to ACRLog. Posts found there were read close to 20,000 times.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

Physicians find librarians vital (Dallas Morning News)

2005-12-11T04:08:00.000-05:00

More than one doctor has described a resourceful medical librarian as a best friend.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

New OCLC Report on Perceptions of Libraries

2005-12-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources (2005) summarizes findings of an international study on information-seeking habits and preferences.

With extensive input from hundreds of librarians and OCLC staff, the OCLC Market Research team developed a project and commissioned Harris Interactive Inc. to survey a representative sample of information consumers. In June of 2005, we collected over 3,300 responses from information consumers in Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Order the print version (purchase) or see the online version (free) here: http://www.oclc.org/reports/2005perceptions.htm

~Marianne

FG Establishes Virtual Libraries in Polytechnics and Monotechnics (AllAfrica.com)

2005-12-08T13:34:00.000-05:00

THE federal government has taken a giant step in addressing the chronic dearth of books and journals in the nation's polytechnics, monotechnics and specialized institutions by establishing virtual libraries in that sector.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

Lascivious Outreach in St. Louis

2005-12-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

Raleigh Muns, Reference Librarian, University of Missouri-St. Louis, writes the student newspaper as "The Rogue Librarian." A recent Op-Ed piece, Sex and violence in the libraries (mostly sex) speaks of censorship and classical literature:

Most people are unaware that the majority of libraries are secretly seething with works chock full o' sex and violence goodness. Those who seek to remove such literature from our libraries typically pick on obvious choices. For instance, the magazine Playboy used to be a staple of large city public libraries but is rarely found in them today.

...

Willy Shakespeare is rather well known for injecting baudiness into his writings. Unfortunately, his sexiest work, the poem "Venus and Adonis," is seldom read.

Now that's the way to bring 'em to the library!

~Marianne

Library Staff Notice is cautionary, scary tale

2005-12-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

The Woodruff Library Staff wish to inform your that, unless the edicts of the Dewey Decimal System are adhered to with absolute rigor, certain adverse consequences might occur.

And they aren't kidding! Makes me wonder what the Woodruff Library staff would do to thieves and careless borrowers...

If you dig horror movies check out the five minute film at Google Video. Brought to you by CampusMovieFest.com.

~Marianne

A Great Use of the Wiki Format

2005-12-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

Mired in Digitization Doubt? Check out Digi-Wik!

In the summer of 2005 I needed to put together a paper on digitizing audio and video for my library: what our needs were, what formats we might use for digitizing and storing multimedia, and what we might need in the future. Gathering this information was more difficult than it should have been.

Via xRefer

~Marianne

Professor Harry Bruce named dean of Information School (UW News)

2005-12-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

A faculty member since 1998, Bruce has been appointed to be dean of the school effective Jan. 1

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

U.S. Department of the Interior's Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Joins Hogan & Hartson's Denver (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

2005-11-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

DENVER----Nov. 30, 2005--Hogan & Hartson L.L.P. announced today that Rebecca W. Watson, assistant secretary for lands and mineral management at the U.S. Department of the Interior , has joined the firm's environmental and energy practices as a partner in the Denver office.

Click here to view the original Webpage.

Sent using R|mail.

A Staff Training Success!

2005-11-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

Congratulations on your "A" in the blogging course, Stephenie! I'm proud to present The Eclectic Book Club Blog, a new and very active blog for a reader's group in North Alabama. GREAT JOB!

~ Marianne

Shattering Stereotypes at the Speed of "Shush"

2005-11-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

Des Moines Register staff Writer Mike Kilen's thoughtful article on on the downtown Des Moines Public Library staff is really worth a read. While he showers praise on the staff for the recent rescue of a kidnapped child, he also seems to begrudgingly admit that public reference librarians are still a vital resource in the information age:

These are tough folks. Forget the shushing, bifocals-and-support-hose librarian. They don't like that image. Librarians are people who endure fickle budget decisions, the Patriot Act, the ever-changing information age and still have time for random arrests. They may be the most unusual public servant left in our time. More...

Posted on the APLS listserve. Thanks, Pooky!

Blogging from the Back Burner

2005-11-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

Obviously I haven't been posting in the last few weeks nor have I had time to check my Bloglines feeds. This morning the notifier is nagging at me, but I'm afraid I'll just have to mark those as read.

I'm chair of our United Way campaign and our kick-off was this month - still have reports to refine and data to check before I can turn everything in. I've also done the Defending Public Access workshop for the staff several times in the last few weeks. After today I'm off for a few days of much-needed vacation but will try to get back to regular posting later next week.

An Exciting New Blog for Library Learning

2005-10-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

You are invited to the unveiling of the Cerritos Library's clioinstitute NEW thought-provoking blog—with an emphasis on creativity, learning, innovation, and organizational change.

We hope you will find our entries useful, and we urge you to share your own experiences and thoughts to help us create a blog consistently full of fresh and intriguing content.

Join us at http://www.clioinstitute.info/blog for fresh ideas from the library world and beyond.

Background

The Cerritos Library established the clioinstitute in 2002 as its learning arm with the purpose of sponsoring thought-provoking events to help libraries creatively pioneer new approaches to lifelong learning.

The clioinstitute was first featured online as part of the Cerritos Library's online tutorial—to assist, inspire and support those who wish to emphasize the role of the public library as a "learning organization" either by building a new "Experience Library" or reinventing elements of an existing library.

http://cml.ci.cerritos.ca.us/

clioinstitute events

Better Together: Creating Partnerships for Community Learning Conference, April 2006*

http://btconference.info

Aimed at California public library teams, the purposes of the event are to:

• create and enhance partnerships with museums, public broadcasters, governmental and other community organizations

• tap into more resources and increase audiences

• increase the learning assets and opportunities available to local communities

Get Real! Helping Libraries Survive and Thrive in Turbulent Times Conference, September 2004*

http://infopeople.org/partners/getreal/index.html

Aimed at California public library trustees, commissioners and system advisory board members, the purposes of the event were to:

• give an update on trends that affect how libraries connects with their communities

• increase effectiveness as planners, policy-makers and spokespersons

• explore how other types of organizations meet - and exceed - the community's expectations

Reenergize Your Library’s Service Environment Workshop, March 2004

http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop/Workshop/155

Aimed at anyone wishing to reenergize a library service environment, the purposes of the event were to:

• explore the FISH! Philosophy

• practice using playstorming techniques

• rethink local library customer service using the Cerritos Library WOW Customer Service Model and FISH!

Imagine it, Explore it, Create it! Conference, May 2003*

http://infopeople.org/partners/imagineit/index.html

Aimed at California public library teams, the purposes of the event were to:

• imagine new possibilities

• explore how to retool current services

• create unique experiences tailored to local communities

clioinstitute is sponsored by the Cerritos Public Library, Cerritos, California

*Funding assistance for these events has been provided by the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

Learning to Blog

2005-10-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

A fantastic look at what libraries are doing with blogs as learning examples, The Free Range Librarian, K.G. Schneider, has posted her recent conference presentation "virtual handout" on blogging and RSS tools. Check out Blogs: Not Just Another Ugly Neologism

Also, Michael Stevens at Tame the Web has shared his Dominican University's LIS class assignment which includes creating a blog and then making 5 blog posts about libraries, technology and the Web. Wow.

CC: I Am So Gonna Blog This (If Only I Could)

Getting an Interview the Sneaky Way

2005-10-20T09:08:00.000-04:00

How can your resume stand alone from the rest? How to Write a Resume.org has published these seven tricks for getting an interview. Depending on your target, though, I'd say a few of these are way over the top...

Use different colored paper for your resumes.
Use different sized paper.
Have an inside contact.
Send a Certified Letter.
Send your resume with a gift.
Deliver the resume in person.
Do the "PostIt" trick - pretend it's already been seen (and liked) by an insider.

See the full version here.

This article was found in my del.icio.us inbox, which never ceases to educate and entertain. :)

E-Rate Program Criticized by House Oversights & Investigations

2005-10-18T13:28:00.000-04:00

Many of our public libraries and schools get their Internet access with FCC administered E-Rate funds, but a new report by The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations calls the program full of "weakness and abuse" and calls for an overhaul of the program.
Via Yahoo! News Asia.

"Man, are public libraries a fantastic resource!"

2005-10-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

Says David Battino, editor of O’Reilly’s Digital Audio site, and co-author of The Art of Digital Music.

In addition to the expected books and magazines, my local library has a surprisingly good collection of CDs and DVDs. Because the discs are in such great demand, though, finding ones I wanted to try had been an exercise in serendipity.

Then I discovered that by entering my library card number and PIN on the library’s site, I could search for and reserve materials from the entire county library system. The items I request are shipped to my local library, which sends me an e-mail when they arrive. I then have a week to pick them up. It’s like getting NetFlix or Amazon for free, although you have to return the materials after three weeks. (Actually, in many cases, you can renew the materials online as well, so you get more time.) Read more...

Online Course on Blogging

2005-10-08T10:12:00.000-04:00

Taking a cue from Syndication for Higher Ed with a hat tip to Library Stuff.net, I've created an online cooperative course on blogging titled I Am So Gonna Blog This (If I Only Could) using the blog itself as presentation. The introductory post may be found here.

Update: Library Stuff.net says "it's filled with screenshots (great idea!) and well thought out content." Thanks!

~Marianne

Technorati's Post-Librarian Era

2005-10-06T17:10:00.000-04:00

David Sifry, the founder of Technorati, compares Google and Yahoo (as Librarians) to Technorati (as a "big-ass threaded conversation") in this revealing interview at economist.com.

"And whereas a library is by tradition a place where people whisper, Mr Sifry's internet is a cheerfully noisy place."

Interesting reading, but the "post-librarian era" [of the Internet] comment seems abit premature, hmmm?

Homeless Librarian Hits Jackpot after Katrina

2005-10-06T17:03:00.000-04:00

A homeless victim of the storm that ravaged New Orleans shelled out US$4.25 ($6.20) in quarters and won a US$1.6 million jackpot at a Louisiana casino where she had stopped to play the slot machines on her way to shop at a Wal-Mart discount store.

"I am a casino fanatic, it relaxes my nerves," said Jacquelyn Sherman, a 57-year-old retired librarian whose fortune changed on Tuesday. "I like winning but I never expected to win like this."

Sherman has been sleeping on her sister's floor in Opelousas, Louisiana, since the storm ravaged her house and killed hundreds of New Orleans residents in late August.

Sherman said she is determined to find a new, comfortable home back in the Big Easy.

The casino where she got lucky with the slot machine was Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino in Opelousas, near Lafayette where many victims of Katrina and later Hurricane Rita sought shelter.

With regard to Wal-Mart, Sherman said: "We haven't got there yet." REUTERS

Sacremento library staff is mad as heck and not going to take it anymore!

2005-10-06T14:59:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's not quite Howard Beale, but close...

Refusing to be "quiet, please," librarians are speaking out at the Sacramento Public Library, asserting they are overworked, understaffed and increasingly unable to meet the needs of patrons.

Budget-related issues resonating through the 27-branch system are echoing loudly at the flagship central library in downtown Sacramento, where employees recently signed a petition urging more staffing or fewer operating hours. In addition, librarians warned officials that funding cuts last year have resulted in poor customer service, safety issues and low employee morale.

"It is unacceptable to close public (information) desks," librarian Rebecca Higgerson told the Sacramento Public Library Authority Board. "It is unacceptable for patrons to stand in long lines because we don't have enough staff." More...

ALA-Library Supporters?

2005-10-06T14:45:00.000-04:00

Ok, just kidding...

CHICAGO – The American Library Association -Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is in search of a new name. The American Library Association established the ALA-APA in 2002 to advocate for the status and to better the salaries for library workers, and to offer certifications for library staff in specialized fields. With all the challenges ALA-APA faces in improving the status and educational qualifications of library workers, the association is in need of a name that reflects its mission.

“Awareness of the organization and its purposes is steadily increasing, but the ALA-APA is a still a long way from becoming a household name,” said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. “At this point, we need to increase its visibility and create greater awareness of its important work among ALA members and the library community. One way to increase this awareness is through a name more expressive of the organization's purposes.”

ALA members and others interested in the status of library workers are invited to suggest a more appropriate name for ALA-APA that captures its two purposes:

-Certification of individuals in library specializations
-Advocacy and direct support of comparable worth, pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers.

Send all entries via e-mail to Jenifer Grady at jgrady@ala.org, or fax to 312-944-6131. All entries must be submitted by Friday, October 28, 2005. Telephoned entries cannot be accepted.

Louisville celebrates nation's first African-American library

2005-09-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

Bessie Green didn't have much to read at her Chestnut Street home, except for a few black newspapers, some old National Geographic magazines and newspapers she occasionally got from the white woman whose home she cleaned.

So she depended on the Western branch of the Louisville Free Public Library.

"Books are your freedom, child, don't forget that," Green told her 4-year-old granddaughter, Gloria Brady, in the early 1940s as they made their way up the tree-lined street for a visit to the library.

The memory of her grandmother's words is strong for Brady -- now 63 and known as Nana Yaa Asantewaa.

For her and many black people in Louisville, the Western branch library provided that freedom. And as the nation's first full-service library branch run by and for black people, it set a precedent for the country. Read More...

Library Mosaics Ceases Publication

2005-09-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

Hello,

I was saddened to hear that Library Mosaics will cease publication after the November/December 2005 issue. After 16 years of publication the publisher, Raymond Roney, based his decision mainly on financial grounds. Ray also said: "With decreasing circulation, diminished advertising revenue, and rising paper and postage costs, it is no longer economically feasible to continue publishing the magazine. We have struggled against the bottom line as long as we could because we believed in the magazine's value to support staff around the world." Charlie Fox is the Editor and Editorial Director.

Library Mosaics is only one of two journals for library support staff and is the only print journal. The absence of Library Mosaics will leave a void for the library support staff profession.

I would like to express my thanks to both Ray and Charlie for their dedication and for providing an excellent publication. Many of us became involved with library issues and concerns because Library Mosaics provided a forum to present and discuss the view of library support staff.

My best wishes to both Ray and Charlie.

Wendee Eyler
Editor,
Associates: The Electronic Library Support Staff Journal
http://associates.ucr.edu

Reposted from Lipsup-L with permission.

SirsiDynix Offers Emergency Hosting and Consulting Services for Libraries Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

2005-09-22T08:48:00.000-04:00

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—September 21, 2005—SirsiDynix announced today that it has established an Emergency Hosting and Consulting Services Program for libraries in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama affected by Hurricane Katrina, as well as customers in Texas and Louisiana that are likely to face Hurricane Rita by Saturday, September 24. Disaster-recovery services available include ASP hosting of (1) Web servers and general Web page information and (2) entire Unicorn or Horizon integrated library systems, plus general emergency consulting services to assist libraries in their system recovery efforts. The objective of these services is to enable libraries with back-up data to run their systems remotely on SirsiDynix servers housed in secure facilities. These services are available immediately at no cost to currently or potentially affected SirsiDynix customer libraries.

For libraries facing Hurricane Rita
SirsiDynix customer libraries in the projected path of Hurricane Rita that want to take precautionary steps to protect their library data and to use SirsiDynix secure hosting facilities can send back-up data to SirsiDynix now. Then, if the need for hosting arises, SirsiDynix will work to get a given library's system - for staff and patrons alike - up and running on a hosted basis as soon as possible. These customers, most likely in Texas and Louisiana, should consult their SirsiDynix Customer Support Web sites or call 1-800-325-0888, ext. 337.

For libraries already affected by Hurricane Katrina
For SirsiDynix customer libraries affected by Katrina three weeks ago, which have back-ups of their data in hand, hosting services are available immediately. These customers should also consult their SirsiDynix Customer Support Web sites or call 1-800-325-0888, ext. 337.

“We're aware that library facilities that house servers may be severely damaged or even destroyed, while one or more outlying branch facilities remain fully functional,” said Mike Casale, SirsiDynix vice president of Client Care. “That's why the hosting option can be so helpful - libraries can continue to serve their users during a time when having access to information is such a critical need. That's a benefit in addition to simply securing the library's valuable data for long-term use.”

Other relief efforts
In addition to the Emergency Hosting and Consulting Services, SirsiDynix and its user community have undertaken a number of other efforts to aid SirsiDynix libraries along the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina. These efforts include special initiatives to assist with PC and Internet access for affected libraries and communities, collection of replacement library materials, and leadership in a Library Adoption Program, in which one or more libraries “adopt” and assist a damaged or destroyed library.

Within days of the storm, SirsiDynix contacted Florida customers who have experience in restoring library operations after multiple hurricanes. Their unique insights helped the company formulate a list of recovery FAQs, offering Gulf libraries proven and practical advice on how to get systems up and running again. These disaster recovery FAQs are accessible through SirsiDynix customer Web sites. Plans are also in place to develop a series of Webinars, offering a convenient, cost-effective means for sharing this disaster-recovery expertise.

SirsiDynix is communicating with the Mississippi Library Commission, the State Libraries of Louisiana and Alabama, and individual libraries to determine additional ways of meeting specific needs. The company is also coordinating with affected libraries to determine where it could donate PCs, and even possibly Internet capabilities, for use by library staff, and particularly for communities where people are in dire need of access to Web-accessible resources and information.

SirsiDynix users groups have also taken action to assist with the immediate needs of affected libraries. When Louisiana libraries outside the affected areas needed extra PCs to support the large numbers of evacuees pouring into their libraries, announcements were posted to the SirsiDynix users listservs, and the need was filled within 24 hours. The same offer has been extended to Mississippi libraries.

For customers facing Hurricane Rita, SirsiDynix will pursue similar initiatives if and when the need arises.

Toto, We're not in Dilbert anymore...

2005-09-20T19:15:00.000-04:00

This isn't your mother's office humor. My new filing technique is unstoppable is wildly profane, but universally true!

Read the comic.
Play the game.
Buy the book.

Best-Bet ROI: Public Libraries

2005-09-20T17:36:00.000-04:00

Recent studies in Florida and South Carolina confirm that public libraries are economic engines pumping major financial benefits into their communities, directly and indirectly. Public libraries generate significant savings for individuals, families, businesses and institutions such as local schools, while also creating a ripple effect by increasing job creation, wages for all residents, the regional gross product and property values. More...

Nothing happier than a water-dog in a creek

2005-09-17T15:45:00.000-04:00

I know I don't usually post personal stuff but we had so much fun taking Chrissy, our Chesapeake Bay Retriever, to a nearby creek this morning! She's such a beautiful, good dog. Fully recovered from her failed pregnancy and resulting surgery, but she still thinks she needs all that attention...

For a solid hour this dog waded back and forth, scooping water as she went.

Of course afterward we did the whole SUV, dog, and carport wash deal. That's ok, it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning...

~Marianne

Tutorial: Use Risk Management to Bolster Volunteer Recruitment

2005-09-16T10:40:00.000-04:00

If you depend on volunteers READ THIS!

Very nicely done guidelines for hiring and managing volunteers from nonprofitrisk.org.

~Marianne

Unique Inside Look at the Redstone Arsenal Library

2005-09-15T18:07:00.000-04:00

While the web services offer 24-hour convenience from any location, there is still no substitute for a trip to their site. Three floors of information await any who make the trip. The first floor, Open Literature, houses journals, Internet access and information, reference materials and books. Offices are housed on the second floor. The third floor, Documents, is home to classified, restricted and limited information. These materials with soon include the files on the ended Comanche project, which are currently being processed into RSIC. Some of the information housed on the third floor of RSIC is not available anywhere else. Because of the restrictions on such material, working with a librarian is crucial to finding what you need on the third floor. More...

The Redstone Scientific Information Center is located on the Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, and serves the Army work force, retirees and contractors, Marshall Space Flight Center, and the Space and Missile Defense Command. The library was featured in today's Huntsville Times.

Nominations for Library Support Staff Travel Grants

2005-09-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

*NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 2006 SAGE LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF TRAVEL GRANTS*

The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) is pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the 2006 Sage Library Support Staff Travel Grants. Underwritten by a generous contribution from Sage Publications, the Library Support Staff Travel Grants (six to be awarded) make it possible for library support staff to attend the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference to be held in the summer of 2006.

The travel grants cover the expense of attending the conference, including airfare, three nights lodging, and conference registration, up to $1,000 for each recipient. Library Support Staff who currently are employed in a full time support staff position, have a minimum of three years of experience in an area of technical services (acquisitions, cataloging, collection development/management, preservation of library materials, serials), and have not previously attended an ALA annual conference are eligible for the grants. Applicants need not be members of ALA or ALCTS in order to be eligible.

Successful candidates will be required to submit a brief report describing their experiences at the annual conference. This report will be published in the post-conference issue of the /ALCTS Newsletter Online/ and also will be shared with the sponsor. The ALCTS Membership Committee will provide mentoring for each recipient.

To apply, send a letter, brief resume and a short statement (ca. 250 words) outlining why attending the 2006 ALA Annual Conference would be beneficial. A letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor, indicating the employer’s support for the application also is required. Applications and the supervisor’s letter must be submitted in electronic format, with all parts emailed as Word attachments. Please send all documents to: Dale Swensen, Sage Jury. For questions, please contact Harriet Lightman, chair, Sage Jury.

*The deadline for nominations and supporting materials is December 1, 2005. *Successful candidates will be announced on the ALCTS Web site beginning February 1, 2006. The ALCTS office will coordinate travel arrangements and registration. For additional information on the grants, visit the ALCTS Web site at http://www.ala.org/alcts.

(Submitted by Rhonda Marker, Rutgers University Libraries and member of the award jury.)

LIS Career.com Publishes September Articles

2005-09-13T19:14:00.000-04:00

Delumeau, Andrea. "Time Management for Library Professionals." Discusses the special circumstances in which we find ourselves stretched as library staff.

Hourston, Shelley. "The Resilient Librarian." One thing is certain...things always change.

Moll, Joy Weese. "Meet Me at the Placement Center." Insider tips if you use ALA's Placement Center during convention.

Stevenson-Moudamane, Veronica L. C. "Growing Your Talent Tree: Practical Tips for New Professionals." Great career-management guide for those choosing to grow!

The Geaux Library Project Needs Your Help!

2005-09-09T14:53:00.000-04:00

Please pass on to anyone you know or any listserv you are on ....

Dear Librarians, Information Professionals and other Friends,

The Geaux Library Project will attempt to meet the information needs at hurricane evacuee shelters around Louisiana and beyond. Using computers and networking equipment donated to the Red Cross and others by large commercial and local IT companies, we will be setting up small computer labs at Red Cross shelters and staffing them with librarians and other trained volunteers.

Our pilot locations in Louisiana will include the Gonzales, Baton Rouge, and Acadiana (Lafayette) areas. We need your help!

Specifically, we have openings for the following volunteer positions:

On-site positions

Geaux Getters
You will do an initial needs assessment on the shelter(s) in your area. You will be provided with a questionnaire to determine the information necessary for the project. This will require you to visit the shelter physically and in put your findings into a web-based form.

Geaux Coordinators
You will be responsible for determining and assigning the necessary amount of volunteers for shelter(s) that they oversee. Communications will take place over the phone, online, and possibly in person. Coordinators may need to periodically visit the shelter site to determine adequacy of resources. Coordinators can also double as Geaux Librarians.

Geaux Librarians
You will be asked to supervise a small network of computers and volunteers in a shelter. This may include: reference, referring in-depth questions to our searcher network, data entry, instruction on computer use to a population with very limited computer skills, coordinating computer usage times among patrons, opening and/or closing the computer area, basic technical support i.e. turning on computer and maintaining a printer and/or fax machine, other duties as they arise. Shifts are flexible.

Geauxfers
You will need to be available to do anything the Geaux Librarians or Geaux Coordinators need you to do.

Geaux Techs
Hardware and network techs will be needed to troubleshoot any issues that may come up at the various sites, and setup new shelter computers. Some of the work may be done remotely depending on the issue.

Geaux Couriers
You will drive equipment and supplies from a pickup point to the shelters. This can be a one time job or you can volunteer to do it more often. We will specify the locations as they come up. We have an immediate need for a Geaux Courier to bring equipment from Lafayette to Gonzales or Baton Rouge!

Remote Positions

Geaux Speed Searcher
You will be issued a login ID and password that will give you access to questions posted by onsite librarians. You may work on these answers and view other answers until a notice has been posted that no more are needed. This may be done anytime, anywhere, and our only request is, in accordance with the ALA Code of Ethics, to respect the confidentiality of these questions.

Geaux Writer
You will write content for the website as needed such as policies, volunteer position descriptions, link descriptions, etc... Experience in writing clear, easy to read information in a must.

Geaux Webmaster
You will maintain the geauxlibrary.org website. You must have experience in using a variety of web programming languages and using database driven websites.

Everything is completely voluntary at this time, but the satisfaction you receive will be helping hurricane Katrina victims by doing what you know how to do better than anyone else!

For more information and further description of volunteer opportunities, please see our website. Go there to fill out the volunteer signup form to become part of this much needed project.

We are also accepting Donations through the website. Click on the For Donors section to see what items we need and how to donate.

We will be putting out instructions on how to start your own Geaux Library in your area soon, so keep watching the website for more information. The website is just now functional to get more volunteers and donations. We will add more information when we get some help.

For our sanity, please do NOT respond by e-mail! Use the website to communicate with us.

Via Catalogablog

Open Source equals Open Learning

2005-09-09T09:22:00.000-04:00

You might not even realize you're learning programming with Extropia! From Introduction to Web Design to Writing COM components in Perl, these are the types of free online tutorials in which new careers are made.

Also check out their "About" page with the headline, "A case study in open source software." Great background on the whole open source movement.

I just love the smell of coding in the morning...

~Marianne

LexisNexis Opens Access to Katrina News

2005-09-09T09:07:00.000-04:00

Research Buzz reports that Lexis-Nexis, the print archive giant, now allows free article retrieval of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Also included are wire reports, TV transcripts. Check out http://www.lexisnexis.com/news/.

For news and articles publicly available via RSS visit our Hurricane Katrina Live Coverage Aggregator.

~Marianne

Vint Cerf, a Founding Father of the Internet, Joins Google as Chief Internet Evangelist

2005-09-08T14:38:00.000-04:00

Best job title ever.

And deservedly so...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – September 8, 2005 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced that it hired Vinton (Vint) Cerf, the longtime technologist who is widely known as a "founding father" of the Internet, as Chief Internet Evangelist.

"Vint Cerf is clearly one of the great technology leaders of our time," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt of Cerf, who co-designed the TCP/IP protocols that were used to develop the Internet's underlying architecture. "His vision for technology helped create entire industries that have transformed many parts of our lives. We are honored to welcome him to Google."

Cerf will continue his leadership in the Internet community, and help Google build network infrastructure, architectures, systems, and standards for the next generation of Internet applications. More...

Link via Search Engine Watch.

12 Tips for Creating Better Documents

2005-09-08T09:05:00.000-04:00

First published in November of 2004, this Microsoft training module includes a webcast links to further, free training. Still very relevant, check it out for your next Word project!

http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getworkdone/documents.mspx

Via my del.icio.us inbox

~Marianne

Craiglist and Nola.com: Information as News

2005-09-07T18:52:00.000-04:00

From Open Source News. The podcast available here.

The best reporting in the world — no hyperbole, the best reporting in the world — this week came from the web division of the New Orleans Times Picayune, nola.com. Information — missing person reports, safe and alive person reports — became news. And it became a source, even, for rescue teams, more accurate than anything else they had to go on.

Craigslist, after Katrina, became a forum for finding the missing and housing the saved, and what you find on Craigslist are stories as compelling as anything on CNN. Maybe what communities want in a time of crisis is good information, and maybe detailed, accurate information makes the best story. Craig and Jeff helped invent two new ways of collecting and distributing information; Jon is perfecting it right now in the Crescent City.

Guests:
-Jon Donley, Editor, nola.com
-Craig Newmark, Founder and Customer Service Representative, Craigslist
Author, Craigblog
-Jeff Jarvis, Author, Buzzmachine

UA SLIS Reflects on the Principle of Least Effort

2005-09-02T07:06:00.000-04:00

An insight into what they're teaching at Library school at the University of Alabama:

Given the evidence supporting the “Principle of Least Effort,” library professionals are obligated to confront it. They can pass the buck or accept responsibility themselves, but they cannot ignore this tendency. Read more...

From LS 500 Articles Summaries for Blog 16

Job Hunting? Try LibrarySupportStaffJobs

2005-09-02T04:51:00.000-04:00

As usual, I'm behind on site updates and have been planning on adding a significant resource for library support staff. LibrarySupportStaffJobs, a new blog which handily lists job openings for library support staff, library assistants, library technicians, and library clerks.

The site is updated almost daily with new job postings and is presented in a clean, readable manner. It really could be great source of information for library job-seekers...so much so that I've added, with permission, a digest for the site on my sidebar!

~Marianne

Updates on Libraries and Staff Members Affected by Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-01T22:37:00.000-04:00

Click here for updates from the American Library Association concerning libraries in the Gulf Coast impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

ALA also notes that they are "monitoring the situation in New Orleans as it relates to planning for the ALA Annual Conference scheduled for June 22-28, 2006."

I also want to mention that I'm proud, but not surprised, that so many staff members and libraries have offered donations or services for the relief effort. Especially notable is Geaux Library Recovery, a "means to solicit and recruit a means for information professionals from around the country to network and volunteer to help with library and archive recovery and clean-up and to help information professionals and their families recover."

~Marianne

U.S. Patriot Act faces legal challenge in Connecticut

2005-09-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut (Reuters) - A controversial clause in the U.S. Patriot Act that allows authorities to search citizens' personal records faced its first public challenge in federal court on Wednesday as a library sought to lift a gag order on a FBI probe into its records.

The case stems from an FBI request for records of a library patron without identifying the threat posed by the person, said an attorney from the American Civil Liberties Union, representing the unidentified library, in U.S. District Court.

The library chose to challenge the order. Read more...

Testing the Open Blog Concept

2005-09-01T12:18:00.000-04:00

In the interest of providing more access to library staff, I'm going to open posting via email on this blog. I know that there are others out there who care about the issues related to being support staff personnel in a library, and can say things more eloquently than I. The "Open Blog" is a powerful concept and might prove to be valuable here.

Doing this will sacrifice the technorati tags and the del.icio.us categorizing, but I'm thinking the benefits will shine through. I'm really hoping that the site can become more useful to anyone who wants to blog about library work-life but doesn't have an outlet.

To post, simply send an email to librarysupporter.guest at blogger.com or click on this link with your post title as the subject line and body as your message.

I will be moderating these posts for a while to avoid spam and possible formatting issues. I've added the information to the sidebar, as well as a contact link in case there are questions...

Anyway, we'll see if this works!

Thanks,

~Marianne

Testing email to blog functionality

2005-09-01T12:13:00.000-04:00

tap, tap, tap

Is this thing on?

~Marianne

Katrina's Aftermath

2005-08-31T09:57:00.000-04:00

As everyone knows it's been a horrible few days: Hurricane Katrina and her devastation will be felt for years to come. My heart goes out to all the victims and their families.

As you might guess, I'm an information junkie and as the storm approached I was virtually mainlining flhurricane.com as it's weather news and commentary (led by Southern meteorological minded folk) provided ample info to feed my long-running weather news habit. There I found links to live new streams and could watch local New Orleans news as the storm progressed. The blog world became alive with posts about Katrina.

Then the storm hit my area and we lost power. No big deal compared to what others are going through. While at home, I had a small transistor radio. Listening to the coverage on AM radio by candle-light has made me feel closer to what happened...Closer to the victims. The kids aren't complaining because they know there are others who have it a lot worse than us. My 11 year old son asked if we could go down to help...I told him that we'd send in a donation to the Red Cross as they are much better trained at this type thing than we are.

I was struck by the communication pattern that has begun to evolve. Yesterday I caught a station out of Birmingham and refugees would call in to find out information on the types of damage to their home towns. The announcer would then google news reports for that area and relay them to the callers. At one point a woman called in to ask about Slidell where her elderly parents had evacuated...The disc jockey read back that "there was nothing left but slabs of concrete." The woman burst into tears while the man just kept on reading...Even repeating the worst parts.

The staff at WWL, New Orleans largest broadcasters, have been much, much more compassionate when, as is often the case, victims call in for information. I barely slept last night because I couldn't stop listening.

Now, online, there are real, heart-wrenching stories about the storm and it's aftermath: I found metroblogging.neworleans and lots of mainstream media news blogs. Today I find Katrina's Aftermath, an open blog for those who wish to post stories, pictures, and missing persons information.

I also see that at neworleans.craigslist people are offering to make calls or send emails for evacuees, some even posting their addresses and phone numbers, offering to house those in need. People really do care.

Back at work I feel more connected. I can check my Bloglines subscriptions, and get streaming news reports. But I can't get memory of the scratchy AM radio reception and that crying woman out of my mind. My hope for her, as is for all the victims of this disaster, is peace.

Great Guru Knows ALL!

2005-08-26T09:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my husband for the heads-up!

How UCLA Librarians Use Google Scholar

2005-08-25T11:06:00.000-04:00

See the August 2005 survey here.

At UCLA, library staff places high value on “search as service” and also on information literacy. Google Scholar™, as other scholarly search engines, allows and enables users to search over scholarly content. Our decision to “elevate” Google Scholar™ to our home page reflects and supports these values. Our decision to nest Google Scholar™ within the context of the research process writ large similarly reflects these values, serving, at the same time, to reinforce the Library’s relevance to the academic success of our users.

Link via Open Access News

Front Line Staff Unleashed

2005-08-25T10:29:00.000-04:00

Libraries for Dummies

What I say and what I think are often in direct opposition; here you will be privy to my thoughts whereas in the real world you will receive a textbook answer and plastic smile.

Real-life stories about working in a public library...and what you might WISH you could actually say!

Link via my del.icio.us inbox...and then I saw that Steven had already covered it. Ah well...it's worth it. LOL

Your next telemarketer may ask about public libraries

2005-08-25T10:21:00.000-04:00

Americans for Libraries Council, a national nonprofit that champions the role of libraries in American life, announced it has been awarded a two-year, $770,000 million challenge grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to implement Building the Case for Libraries a three-part initiative to build knowledge about public libraries. More...

Using focus groups, interviews with civic and community leaders, and telephone surveys the ALC will examine what people think of libraries in order to expand support for libraries in general.

Hmmmm, wonder why I'm thinking of Chicken Little right now...

Jollyologist: Loretta LaRoche

2005-08-19T11:28:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the limited posting recently but things have gotten crazy here...fortunately I'm showing the Joy of Stress by Loretta LaRoche as lunch-time seminars. What a hoot! Loretta is part comedienne and part therapist: the perfect combination to "Stop Global Whining!" The staff has loved the video and I'm thrilled that classes are FULL!

And I just discovered that she does a radio show every Friday. Yay!

Presentation: Guide to Free Homework Help for Alabama Students

2005-08-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

For background information concerning homeworkalabama.org please see this post.

Click here to access the Flash presentation. Best set your display properties to at least 1024x768 as this guide is meant to be projected. :)

It's Not Just Federal Funding at Risk Any Longer: It's Your Job!

2005-08-15T09:46:00.000-04:00

Noted: the major uproar over the recent incident in which the Valparaiso (Florida) Community Library Director, Sue Martin, has been suspended for allowing a registered sex offender and three juveniles to view pornography on her library's public access computers.

While the Childrens Internet Protection Act hasn't yet required that staff be dismissed for such digressions, local authorities may apparently do so at their whim.

The city attorney's office says she has been suspended with pay and will receive a hearing within 60 days.

So, too, are all of the library patrons being punished: WTEV reports that "Hard drives have been removed from the computers and the public isn't allowed to use them until further notice."

Google Print on Hiatus

2005-08-12T11:49:00.000-04:00

From the Google Blog

So now, any and all copyright holders – both Google Print partners and non-partners – can tell us which books they’d prefer that we not scan if we find them in a library. To allow plenty of time to review these new options, we won’t scan any in-copyright books from now until this November.

While Google may be finally showing respect for the publishers concerns, others view it as a sell-out.

CNet notes that Google will allow publishers to present a list of books not eligible for scanning, however "Google's move apparently did not satisfy all publishers' concerns regarding the project." By marking the copyright owner reponsible (instead of the end-user), copyright law has been "turned on it's ear" according to Patricia Schroeder, CEO of the Association of American Publishers.

ALA-APA seeks providers for public librarian certification

2005-08-11T16:24:00.000-04:00

The American Library Association – Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) has issued a Request for Proposal for educators for it's Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) designation. The program is slated to begin in 2006. Click here for the ALA announcement.

So...I wonder how much longer until we see an announcement like this for support staff?

How to be a Leader in 6 Easy Steps

2005-08-10T10:07:00.000-04:00

Philip E. Agre, Department of Information Studies (UCLA), has updated his 2001 essay "How to Be a Leader in Your Field: A Guide for Students in Professional Schools" and reinforces that anyone can have impact in their chosen field. In summary, these steps are:

Pick an issue.
Having chosen your issue, start a project to study it.
Find relevant people and talk to them.
Pull together what you've heard.
Circulate the result.
Build on your work.

Become inspired here: http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/leader.html

Nancy Pearl Interview at LisNews.com

2005-08-10T09:44:00.000-04:00

Great interview from the Librarian Action Figure Herself:

Q: What do you think about being the model for an action figure that's more popular than Jesus?

A: It’s a hoot - but look how John Lennon got in trouble for saying that about the Beatles! Read More...

Carnival of Infosciences Begin

2005-08-08T13:51:00.000-04:00

See the best of the Library Bloggers! "The Carnival of the Infosciences" is a weekly, traveling column which showcases the best posts concerning Library and Information Science. Check it out at Open Stacks!

Library Staff Overloaded at MLN

2005-08-04T09:31:00.000-04:00

41 public and acedemic libraries in Eastern Massachusetts, otherwise known as the Minuteman Library Network (MLN), are having a hard time keeping up with a 30% increase in patron requests via their online catalog. It is no fault of the library staff, but apparently patrons are getting edgy. Library Director Barbara Myles explains:

It is (by design) so easy to request items from other libraries in MLN that many of our 666,000 patrons use it to borrow many of those 1,246,000 titles. That's the good news. The bad news is, the delivery system is on the brink of heat stroke from the resulting volume of materials moving from Medfield to Winchester, Dover to Concord, with every single item going through Hyde Park for sorting. Read the full story in the Lincoln Journal

Compassion from the Reference Desk

2005-08-04T09:04:00.000-04:00

More than goodness from The Feel Good Librarian: Compassion.

She tells of her library's staff helping a patron find the perfect book for a father who spends his evenings sitting with his grown daughter. They wait for cancer to claim her. I am in tears. And I am so proud to work in a public library.

Thank you for sharing.

ManagerTools.com Audio

2005-08-03T08:59:00.000-04:00

Hear worthwhile business advice from managertools.com: Complete with a .pdf handout and an agenda in .dot format, Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstman present Effective Meetings - Get Out of Jail!. The audio file may be found at www.manager-tools.com/podcasts/manager-tools-2005-08-01.mp3 and should play in Windows media, or what ever you use to listen to audio.

Mike and Mark discuss various meeting techniques including the one-on-one and the team meeting. You can listen or subscribe to all their podcasts here.

Welcome to the Blogosphere: Library Grants

2005-08-01T18:00:00.002-04:00

Library Grants is a new online journal for those interested in grant opportunities in the library field. Grants in education and literacy are also mentioned. Edited by Stephanie Gerding & Pam Mackellar, authors of the upcoming Grants for Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual and CD-ROM for Librarians, this certainly seems to be a promising resource!

librarygrants.blogspot.com

Link via Beyond the Job.

Waxing Philosophic: The Spirit of Public Libraries in Free Culture

2005-08-01T09:26:00.000-04:00

Check out this well written, thoughtful post at Lawrence Lessig's Blog:

I love public libraries. As a kid, I spent most of my lazy Saturday afternoons inside one of the various branches of our library system, delighted at the idea that, wherever I looked, there would be stories, magazines, or books on virtually any subject to capture my attention. The feel of the library was no less captivating. An ethos of learning and relaxation definitely hung in the air, bringing together people of all ages -- from pre-schoolers to senior citizens -- into the midst of a Renaissance-like mesh of scientific thinking and artistic expression. Read more from The spirit of public libraries in free culture

FeedDigest.com Rocks!

2005-07-30T10:51:00.000-04:00

Peter Cooper has updated what was once RSS Digest to the new, improved and highly-usable Feed Digest. Check out the new feed on my sidebar titled "Random References." Ok, I know...sometimes my ego needs a little stroke.

If any of you are publishing feeds via a blog or a locally saved page, this is definitely a great way to go. Control your mixes, see the outputs, play with the templates. This is just too much fun for a feed freak. ;)

Click here for the QuickTime movie that will show you how to get started!

Empowering CSS Layout Tutorial Provoked Microsoft?

2005-07-30T08:44:00.000-04:00

If you're interested in web design and eager to brush up on your Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) skills, check out "Throwing Tables Out the Window. The article points to a simple, yet detailed presentation by Douglas Bowmn of Stop Design.

Though published almost a year ago, the tutorial goes underneath the hood of the Microsoft homepage and discusses how to achieve various navigation effects via CSS. Soon after, Microsoft redesigned their homepage, incorporating at least some of Bowman's style. Click here for "Still Throwing Tables", an article discussing the original publication's affects.

Also noted is the tutorial's delivery method, which I am also studying. :)

PRIMO: American University Library's Information Literacy Tutorial

2005-07-29T10:59:00.000-04:00

Awarded the Association of College and Research Libraries Site of the Month for June 2005, the American University Library’s Information Literacy Tutorial is intended to establish a base-line set of information literacy competencies for students, the tutorial is designed to incorporate higher-order critical thinking skills. Click here to access the tutorial.

via my del.icio.us inbox, originally submitted by MissInformation.

AnnoyancesCentral Debuts

2005-07-28T19:58:00.000-04:00

Those crazy O'Reilly kids have introduced AnnoyancesCentral.com, an easy-to-navigate site for daily tips and fixes for you and your PC or Mac. Right now they're giving away a $29.95 value in the Onfolio 2.0 Personal Edition RSS Reader. Excellent!

Found via Information Today's Online Insider

Live Homework Help for Alabama Students Thanks to State Library Service

2005-07-28T16:37:00.000-04:00

Alabama has become the first state in the nation to have a statewide homework help program. The program is provided to state residents by the Alabama Public Library Service. The personal homework help is conducted via Tutor.com and is for students in grades four through 12 and college intro in math, science, social studies or English.

The system goes live on August 1st. and can be found at homeworkalabama.org.

Click here for Governor Riley's press release.

Tutor.com is bringing trainers into four areas of the state to help prepare librarians, library staff, media specialists, and teachers for the initiative.

Update: click here to access the flash tutorial titled "Guide to Live Homework Help for Alabama Students."

The 10 Most Misunderstood Terms in IT

2005-07-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

acronym
ASP
ATM
bandwidth
JavaScript
kilobit
.NET
platform
server
Windows

Think you know what these terms really mean? Click here to find out!

Scoring

0-3 Correct: Find the nearest Gates Training Center, pronto!

4-6 Correct: Not bad, but you might not pass the Computer Core Competency test...

7-8 Correct: Can probably talk to your IT person without your eyes glazing over.

9-10 Correct: So how long have you been working in the Systems Room?

Add your own Feeds to Personalized Google

2005-07-26T13:26:00.000-04:00

Get your personalized Google page here. Great catch, Library Clips!

Must-Have Technology Skills for Library Staff

2005-07-26T12:17:00.000-04:00

The Shifted Librarian, Jenny Levine, has updated an educator-based technology skills list to include tech skills Librarians should know. Relevant, good stuff!

In the same vein, here are my recommendations for tech skills for Library staff and paraprofessionals:

Your specific library's electronic material management system
Any electronic service offered by your library (ebooks, online courses, scholarly databases)
Word processing and spreadsheets skills (especially those programs installed on your Public Access Computers)
Web navigation skills, including deep searching
News management skills (including Headline News, professional journals, and library-related weblogs)
E-Mail management skills
File management & Windows Explorer skills, including storage devices
Educational Copyright knowledge
Computer security knowledge
Any mandated computer policies, such as CIPA filtering and usage restrictions

July Issue of ASSOCIATES available

2005-07-26T11:44:00.000-04:00

Check it out at http://associates.ucr.edu/. Editor Wendee Eyler says "It's a great issue! Enjoy reading!"

PLA Grant: Institutional Scholarships for Public Library Staff

2005-07-21T19:11:00.000-04:00

PLA provides funding for “Grow Your Own @ Your Library®” institutional scholarships for public libraries, 2005-08

CHICAGO - The Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will award five public libraries with grants of $8,000 each to be distributed to staff for work toward obtaining a master's degree in library and information studies. The application deadline for this pilot program is December 1, 2005.

The scholarship terms require that $6,500 be used directly for payment of tuition at the undergraduate level, or at an ALA-accredited library school graduate level, for as many staff as the recipient library chooses, and $1,500 is to be used to support attendance for one or more of the selected scholarship recipients to attend PLA-sponsored continuing education. For criteria and application information, please visit PLA's website at: http://www.pla.org/ala/pla/scholarshipapp.pdf. More from the ALA Press Release

Scott Berkun's Team Management Essays

2005-07-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

How to learn from your mistakes - If some mistakes are unavoidable, the smart learn everything they can from them.

How to survive a bad manager - What to do when you work for someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Why you must lead or follow - The way teams work, you must know where you stand.

Why I left Microsoft - A personal essay on why I left Microsoft after nearlfy a decade working there.

Why smart people defend bad ideas - I’ve catalogued many of the ways this happens, including advice on prevention.

How to interview and hire people - An approach for getting the most out of a 60 minute interview.

How to pitch an idea - Here's a short primer on how to pitch ideas and concepts to other people.

And that's just July 2005. Wow.

Find more about Scott, who "He helps project teams build better software, work better together, and grow into happy and successful organizations". at scottberkun.com.

Must Read: Creating Passionate Users Blog

2005-07-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

Found via ref:blog:spot, The Creating Passionate Users blog is a fabulously funny and informative blog for trainers, teachers or anyone who instructs. The bloggers are all authors of bestseller Head First books (wickedlysmart.com) --a new brain-friendly series from O'Reilly.

With pointed graphics (love those thought bubbles on the 50's couples!) they are "passionate about the brain and metacognition, most especially--how the brain works and how to exploit it for better learning and memory."

Carnegie Biographer claims 'father of philanthropy' was driven by guilt not good intention

2005-07-18T10:27:00.000-04:00

From a review of Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America

He is revered as the man who made the classic rags-to-riches transformation, the son of a poor Scottish weaver who became the world's richest man then gave away his fortune to help those less fortunate.

Andrew Carnegie became known as the "father of philanthropy" after making his millions in the American steel industry of the 19th century. By his death he had given away more than $350m and set up over 2,800 public libraries.

But the man whose motto was "the man who dies rich dies disgraced" had a dark side and was capable of ruthlessness and cruelty, according to a new book. Read more from The Scotman

Library Staff Ethics Question

2005-07-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

Interesting discussion at Library Lovers' LiveJournal:

Do we really believe that because librarians work for peanuts that we "deserve" to check out new books first?

I imagine that most libraries, like ours, have a staff policy which states that staff members are required to follow the same circulation policies as the public. Our library does have programming accounts with a longer circulation period, and yes, staff members don't accrue fines.

But to sneak a book when it's on reserve for a patron? I had the opportunity last week. I REALLY wanted to read Janet Evanovich's Eleven on Top and found it on the bookmobile. After catching up with the bookmobile Librarian late in the afternoon, lo and behold he has that very book in his satchel. Cool, I thought, he's a mind reader, too! Too bad he'd brought out the book for a patron request...but I let it go.

And I wanted to take that book on my long camping weekend and find out if Stephanie and Ranger finally...oh never mind.

Any way, Yes, I had the opportunity. No, I didn't take it. I have maintained my commitment to our policies...but darn it, I've got to know if she finally picks Ranger or Joe!

Something Funny Happened at LIS Wiki

2005-07-15T06:04:00.000-04:00

More and more I am enjoying LIS Wiki. HOWTO:Apply for a library job is an excellent article with very specific tips plus an insight into the library field.

As I'm following the links I see HOWTO Guides, then HOWTO:Give a presentation. As a trainer I'm always looking for ways to imrove my classes, so I clicked.

Then I snorted coffee through my nose!

Rebuilding of Baghdad library speaks volumes on tenacity

2005-07-15T05:54:00.000-04:00

In April 2003, in the chaotic days following the fall of Baghdad, looters broke into the library, Hussein says.

Her husband brought his gun from home and the two stood sentinel over the building, but not before looters made away with about 10,000 books and magazines, leaving about 5,000 volumes behind.

One day around that time, a U.S. tank pushed into the property and punched a hole in the wall, Hussein says. Military interpreters told her they were looking for Iraq's former leader, she says. Hussein says she used her first paycheck from the city to patch up the hole and mend the fence outside.

Soon after, she visited area mosques and posted signs asking residents to return her books. More from USA Today...

Sign the Campaign for Reader Privacy Petition

2005-07-14T14:19:00.000-04:00

The Campaign for Reader Privacy is a joint initiative of the American Booksellers Association, PEN American Center, the American Library Association, and the Association of American Publishers.

Sign the petition today!

Online Course: What is RSS and Why Should I Care?

2005-07-14T12:26:00.000-04:00

Click here for an online course titled "What is RSS and Why Should I Care?" with a delivery method based on a concept by Librarian.net's Jessamyn West. The zipped archive for this presentation is available here. My apolologies to Ms. West for mutilating her lovely code.

Maximize Your Brain

2005-07-14T10:13:00.000-04:00

How to Write More Clearly, Think More Clearly, and Learn Complex Material More Easily
Michael A. Covington
Artificial Intelligence Center The University of Georgia

via del.icio.us

Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki

2005-07-14T09:48:00.000-04:00

Cool!

All over the world, librarians are developing successful programs and doing innovative things with technology that no one outside of their library knows about. There are lots of great blogs out there sharing information about the profession, but there is no one place where all of this information is collected and organized. See more at the Introduction to Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki.

via lbr blog

Sirsi's Stephen Abrams Joins the Blogosphere with Lighthouse

2005-07-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

Having long been a fan of Stephen Abrams and his articles and presentations, I really look forward to his new blog, Stephen's Lighthouse.

The lighthouse theme is based on what lighthouses do - shine a light on the waters and/or sound a horn to help ships navigate the course. They don't always stop the ships from crashing onto the rocks but they help most of the time. - Stephen's first blog post

ALA Issues & Advocacy Webinar

2005-07-13T16:47:00.000-04:00

A Web-based version or "Webinar" of the ALA Advocacy Institute, which took place Friday, June 24, 2005, at the ALA 2005 Annual Conference in Chicago, is now available on the ALA Web site at www.ala.org/issues&advocacy.

Targeting the beginning library advocate, the Advocacy Institute brought together approximately 150 librarians, library workers, Friends, Trustees and other advocates. Attendees learned strategies for message development, building grassroots coalitions, and lobbying tips.

The Web-based version of the Advocacy Institute provides audio of the actual day, along with accompanying PowerPoint presentations. The program can be downloaded by segment, so that viewers can focus on subjects pertinent to them. The accompanying "Advocacy Action Plan Workbook," as well as an evaluation, can be downloaded from this site.
The site will be available for 30 days.

via Alabama Public Library Service

Ten Tips for the Techno-Challenged

2005-07-13T14:25:00.000-04:00

Techlearning > > Web Research: Ten Tips for the Techno-Challenged > June 15, 2005

Nice article from techlearning.com to introduce (or re-introduce?) "a few key, time-saving facts about Internet research."

The Librarian Shortage Debate Continues

2005-07-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

Alot has been said about the supposed shortage of librarians.

The Exploded Library has written more on the librarian shortage debate for the The Australian Library and Information Association. Like the author, I agree that the article addresses a global issue.

The library directors and leaders of the future don't just appear, they hired into entry level positions, and then mentored, promoted and groomed for management. Are you doing your bit to ensure that this happens?

My thoughts? Both library staff and working librarians need to do everything they can, including using any and all staff training opportunities, to stay current and viable in the library work-place.

What's Cooking in Search Engine Labs...Librarians?

2005-07-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

An article popped up that, while a good insight into the latest developments in Search Engines, also got me thinking "what if..."

Man on left: We might need more resources, go grab somebody off the Reference desk.

Man on Right: SHUSH! Have a little respect here, wouldja?

...ok sorry, there's my sick sense of humor again, but hey, it might not be that far off.

Powerpoint Companion to Getting Things Done

2005-06-30T10:21:00.000-04:00

Archived class materials posted: Click here for a Powerpoint presentation loosely based on a PMI resource deconstructing "Getting Things Done" by David Allen.

Free RSS Calendar Tool

2005-06-29T15:20:00.000-04:00

I'm researching a class I'm putting together on RSS and came across this free RSS Calendar. You can publish to a blog, export to an aggregator or iCal, even allow comments. I like it!

RSSCalendar is an exciting new way for individuals and organizations to share their calendars with family, friends, and co-workers - utilizing the latest in "Really Simple Syndication" (RSS) technology, including RSS channel creation and aggregation. Not only is RSSCalendar easy to use but it is also easy to administer, and setup is a snap. RSSCalendar is well-suited for a variety of uses, including:
Individual calendars
Family calendars
Company calendars
School calendars
Organization calendars
Team calendars
City calendars

http://www.rsscalendar.com/

Learn Health and Well-being via online Course

2005-06-29T15:10:00.000-04:00

From the July 2005 Internet Resources Newsletter we find RDN's Virtual Training Suite which offers new eLearning courses in Arts and Crafts, Digital Photography, Gardening, Health and Well-being, and Job Searching. Nice!

See all their tutorials here.

How to be Lame

2005-06-29T09:53:00.000-04:00

Just in from my del.icio.us inbox: HOW TO BE LAME, v1.337. Pretty cute, but let me add #51: creating a blog and then not posting.

Sorry folks. From reformats to coming up with programming and materials, it's been crazy... I'll try to do better.

:\

thx.

Sirsi AND Dynix

2005-06-24T09:48:00.000-04:00

There has been lots of talk lately about the new SirsiDynix Corporation. Hopefully, any changes in a library's management system will go more smoothly than the initial announcement.

I also hope they continue the Dynix Institute!