Original Content

Tech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself – Vol. 1

Robot
Art from Cécile Graat

This post is for all the tech librarian caterpillars dreaming of one day becoming empowered tech butterflies. The internet is full to the brim with tools and resources for aiding in your transformation (and your job search). In each installment of Tech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself – TYBYWY, pronounced tie-buy-why – I’ll curate a small selection of free courses, webinars, and other tools you can use to learn and master technologies.  I’ll also spotlight a presentation opportunity so that you can consider putting yourself out there- it’s a big, beautiful community and we all learn through collaboration.

MOOC of the Week –

Allow me to suggest you enroll in The Emerging Future: Technology Issues and Trends, a MOOC offered by the School of Information at San Jose State University through Canvas. Taking a Futurist approach to technology assessment, Sue Alman, PhD offers participants an opportunity to learn “the planning skills that are needed, the issues that are involved, and the current trends as we explore the potential impact of technological innovations.”

Sounds good to this would-be Futurist!

Worthwhile Webinars –

I live in the great state of Texas, so it is with some pride that I recommend the recurring series, Tech Tools with Tine, from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.  If you’re like me, you like your tech talks in manageable bite-size pieces. This is just your style.

September 19th, 9-10 AM EST – Tech Tools with Tine: 1 Hour of Google Drive

September 26th, 9-10 AM EST – Tech Tools with Tine: 1 Hour of MailChimp

October 3rd, 9-10 AM EST – Tech Tools with Tine: 1 Hour of Curation with Pinterest and Tumblr

Show Off Your Stuff –

The deadline to submit a proposal to the 2015 Library Technology Conference at Macalester College in beautiful St. Paul is September 22nd. Maybe that tight timeline is just the motivation you’ve been looking for!

What’s up, Tiger Lily? –

Are you a tech caterpillar or a tech butterfly? Do you have any cool free webinars or opportunities you’d like to share? Write me all about it in the comments.