The Internet Librarian 2010 Conference has opened up its call for speakers, so get your proposals in now!
The conference takes place October 24-27, and the theme is Insights, Imagination & Info Pros: Adding Value.
The deadline for proposals is March 27.
Get to know me better through my 27 Questions with Me post on the ALA Learning Blog, for which I am a contributing author.
Below you will see my 13 Ways (and 147 Tools) to Help Your Library Save Money on Technology.
These are my favorite options for libraries to use as alternatives to the expensive paid services and software that we use now, usually because our parent organizations or IT departments have gone along with the mainstream, bought the expensive stuff from the well-known companies, and never blinked. But now that we are all facing budget crunches the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades, we have a chance to show these alternatives to the decision-makers, save the organization some money, and support the open source movement at the same time. I have personally used all of these, at least in a demo setting. Most of them I use on a regular basis at work or at home. So trust me — these recommendations do not come lightly! I think these tools are darn good, otherwise they wouldn’t have made the cut.
This list has come out of a few different presentations I’ve given for public libraries recently, from Hawaii to Iowa. Take a look, see what you want to try, and let me know how it works. The list is not exhaustive, so I invite all of you to comment on this post and add your own favorite free web tools, software, and open source awesomeness.
1. Free Software for Public & Staff Computers
2. Free Security Software Suite
3. Free Staff Scheduling Software
4. Free Team Meeting Tools
5. Free Tech Support Tools
6. Free Audio & Video Tools
7. Free eLearning Tools
8. Free “Contact Us” Tools to Communicate with Customers
9. Free Social Network & Extended Web Presence Tools
10. Free Website Management Tools
11. Free eBooks (need to cut your eBook budget? that’s ok – there are a lot of free eBooks out there.)
12. Free Articles
13. Miscellaneous Other Free Stuff
Below is a presentation I did for the Califa Edgy Librarian Online conference, as part of a panel on using Drupal in libraries. My section focused on the resources that are out there to learn more about Drupal, tinker with it, and find support on how Drupal can be best used in a library setting.
Last week I presented a webcast for the Iowa Small Libraries Online Conference. Despite the 7am start time for me (blast those time zone differences!) I rather enjoyed the talk. The chat room was lit up like a Christmas tree the whole time, and we had lots of good questions at the end of the talk. The theme of the conference was tough times, which is something I think all libraries can identify with right now. My talk was entitled “Tough Times Make Tougher Libraries,” and I covered digital services strategies to help us act intelligently during times of resource shortages. I cover free web services & tools to help libraries save money, project management & planning, project success assessment strategies, and marketing ideas. The presentation can be seen below in case you are interested too.
If you support library funding, please vote yes in this poll about funding for my local library. Yes, it’s a shameless plea to my readers: please show some support for the San Rafael Public Library, by voting in a poll about a possible parcel tax. Our local paper, the Marin Independent Journal, is asking if people would be willing to pay a $49 a year parcel tax to support the library — which could result in $700,000 in additional library funding. Every vote counts in showing local government and stakeholders that this is a viable option! If any other libraries are pursuing parcel taxes, and have found strategies that work, please comment below.
Check out a great new column by Aaron Schmidt in Library Journal about user experience design: The User Experience! Schmidt is the the digital initiatives librarian for the DC Public Library, and his experiences with public libraries and digital design shines through in what he writes.
The whole column is fabulous, but here’s my favorite bit:
Every time librarians create a bookmark, decide to house a collection in a new spot, or figure out how a new service might work, they’re making design decisions. This is what I like to call design by neglect or unintentional design. Whether library employees wear name tags is a design decision. The length of loan periods and whether or not you charge fines is a design decision. Anytime you choose how people will interact with your library, you’re making a design decision. All of these decisions add up to create an experience, good or bad, for your patrons.
Heck yes! I think we’ve all been guilty of design by neglect at some point in our careers. Now you can use this column as a way to never repeat that mistake again. Thanks Aaron & LJ!
Below is a list of my upcoming presentations, webinars, and conferences. If you’re at any of these events, be sure to say hello! And if you’re interested in having me speak to your group, give me a call/Tweet/message/email/etc.
I am now one of the contributors to ALA Learning, the blog of the Learning Round Table of the American Library Association. The ALA Learning blog covers topics of training and instruction in libraries (you can read more here). You can read about all of the blog’s authors, including Lori Reed, Maurice Coleman, Peter Bromberg, Stephanie Zimmerman, Jay Turner, Paul Signorelli, Bobbi Newman, Betha Gutsche, Lauren Pressley, Marianne Lenox, and Buffy Hamilton.
The organizer, Lori Reed, posted a nice welcome. I’ve been following this blog since its inception and have discovered a lot of really, really useful ideas and resources there. I’m excited to be contributing to the blog now, and to be writing more about technology training specifically. Now it’s my turn to start trying to post some useful training info!
If you do any kind of staff or customer training at the library, or are interested in learning in general, you have a lot of ways to keep up with this group of inspired trainers! You can subscribe to the main ALA Learning blog RSS feed, subscribe to news/posts/comments via email or RSS, or follow us on Facebook or on Twitter.
Read an interview with me on the findingEducation Digital Teachers’ Lounge blog in the Educators that Rock series. I had fun with some of the questions, and especially liked talking about why libraries are so great and what we can do to keep them great, even in tough economic times.
Other past interviewees include David Lee King, danah boyd, Blake Harrison, Joyce Valenza, and others who participate in the online world of education in many different ways. Lots of good tips, ideas, and thoughts about what it means to connect people with information.
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