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Tips for Improving Onsite Workshops

The catchy all-encompassing title The title of the program is the catch. It serves as a brief description and hooks the interested party into reading the scope and objectives of the program. When a potential participant is browsing through a list of upcoming workshops from an e-mail, website or course catalog, certain terms/phrases will be the only reason for them to read the course description. “Building a Successful Website” is not as provocative as “Website Management with Google Analytics.” Usually the length of the ;8course name does not make a difference unless it requires two lines. Keep in mind your audience. Busy people are inundated with information. When you’re a member of multiple Listservs, you’ll receive an excessive amount of emails a day. I personally scan my list of new e-mails for subject lines that interest me, reading them and delete the rest. The title can function as a minor…

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Navigating Conferences Like a Pro… When You’re a Rookie

I’ve recently attended some of my first conferences/meetings post-MLIS and I thought I’d pass on the information I learned from my experience navigating them for the first time. Always be prepared to promote This is the most dreaded aspect of networking. It essentially implies schmoozing and self-aggrandizement, but if you consider it as a socializing you’ll realize it’s an essential part of getting to know others in the profession and the roles they play in their organization. If you’re new to the information profession, it can be a great opportunity to ask other professionals about the path they took to enter the industry. More often than not when they find that you’re new to the profession, they’ll offer you advice. They’ll be curious to know what your career goals are and why you’re attending. This is a great opportunity to ask for their business card or contact information. If you find that…

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Bend Your Mind…and the Laws of the Universe: Adult Summer Reading 2015

Summer is right around the corner and a long held tradition in the public library community is summer reading programs. Synonymous with youth and young adult services, summer reading is worth the revisit by adults.   Science fiction is a gateway I believe there is a positive correlation between reading science fiction novels and genuine interest in emerging technology. When I was younger, I loved science fiction and fantasy. My interests range from A Princess of Mars to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The Twilight Zone was a mark of my childhood. What I read and watched informed my psyche and furthered my interests in futuristic technology that modern humans could only dream of. The bottom line is that these books sparked an interest. Almost all tech heads I know love science fiction and fantasy. Not everyone is into books, but most science fiction films are based on alternate…

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Why Everyone Should be a STEMinist

This blog post is not solely for the attention of women. Everyone can benefit from challenging themselves in the STEM field. STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math. Though there is debate on whether there is a general shortage of Americans in STEM fields, women and minorities represent a large deficit in these areas of study. It goes without saying that all members of the public should invest in educating themselves in at least one of the STEM fields. STEM is versatile There is nothing wrong with participating in the humanities and liberal arts. In fact, we need those facets of our cultural identity. The addition of STEM skills can greatly enhance those areas of knowledge and make you a more diverse, dynamic and competitive employee. You can be a teacher, but you can also be an algebra or biology teacher for K-12 students. You can be a librarian,…

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Making Connections in the New Year

This new year, make a resolution to be more proactive, network and update your professional skills. Resolve to attend a professional conference, discussion or symposium! GameDevHacker Conference New York, January 28 The GameDevHacker conference is just around the corner. Combining the wits of three segments of the gaming industry, the gamers, developers and hackers, the conference aims at discussing future developments. The tagline for next year’s conference is “Past Trends and Future Bets.”   The Creativity Workshop New York, February 20 – 23 & April 17 – 20 Do you have writers block, want to create dynamic programming or transform the way you view digital arts? The creativity workshop is geared toward professionals in the sciences, business, arts and humanities. Two 4-day workshops will be held this spring 2015.   2015 National STEM Education Conference Cleveland, April 16-17 The typical STEMcon audience includes educators in the K-12 arena. However, if…

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E-Learning in the Library

Online education has extended its presence to public libraries. Online learning and career training, by services such as Ed2Go and Lynda, are usually offered complimentary to college and university students. Similar services such as Gale Courses, Universal Class and Treehouse are geared toward public library use. Gale Courses is a subscription service of Cengage Learning. It is a hybrid of Ed2Go, offering courses that range from GED preparation to PC Security. Courses are six weeks in length and are instructor led. Universal Class offers hundreds of courses on a variety of topics, including dog obedience training, to patrons of diverse interests. Courses are self-paced and users can begin a course at anytime. Treehouse is uniquely geared toward web design, development and programming for personal computers and mobile device applications. Users can select self-paced educational Tracks that are focused on a specific development area. An alternative to MOOCs A considerable population…

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Taking the Edge Off of Tech

E-readers and tablets have become an increasingly popular way for patrons to access digital media. Mobile technology has altered the landscape of the types of services offered to public library patrons. Digital media services and distributers (i.e. iBookstore, Audible, Overdrive and Hoopla) allow patrons to download and stream ebooks, audiobooks, video and music. After happening upon the article “Shape Up Your Skills and Shake Up Your Library,” by Marshall Breeding for Computers in Libraries, I’m reminded that information professionals in public libraries must sharpen their tech skills in order to be of advantage to their patrons. If you belong to a library that subscribes to a digital media distributor, such as Overdrive and Hoopla, you are most likely first tier technical support for issues concerning the application and the device itself. For patrons who are not familiar with tablets and e-readers, their expectation of your assistance goes beyond navigating the…