Online Conference; "Serving Families and Children through Partnerships"

News October 5, 2007 (mp3 file:4.15 MB, 4:32 min.)
Online conference; "Serving Families and Children through Partnerships"

On January 16, Southwest and Northwest LSAs will sponsor an online conference for small libraries. Knowing that librarians from smaller communities often find it difficult, if not impossible, to attend ILA, PLA, or ALA conferences we are planning to provide that opportunity virtually. (Many of you will be able to attend the ILA conference this year for the Libraries on the Prairie Reunion, which is a great opportunity; this is yet another opportunity, one that we hope to continue in future years .)

This first year the conference will be one day, from 8:30 am to 3:00 p.m., with a break for the after school rush and some dinner (and maybe on line demo or two), then there will be an evening session for trustees. Each hour time slot will feature 3 concurrent sessions, including one session each time with some demonstrations of software or services that have been discussed during other sessions, and that libraries might find useful.

Many of the topics are about technology and Library 2.0—how to communicate with your patrons online and RSS feeds, for example—but others will have less focus on technology: time management, for example. (Though I’m sure the presenter will give you some ideas for using technology to help you manage your time.)

We’re also planning a Virtual Exhibits Hall, and a lounge area where you can go and “network” with your fellow conference-goers. We have a dynamite keynote speaker lined up, but we don’t have his signature on a contract yet so we won’t announce it in print just yet.

All of this will be happening online, of course, in Wimba classrooms. For those who haven’t attended a class or session in the Wimba room yet there will be orientations of various sorts, so you’re ready to go, and hit the conference venue running!

Be looking for more details about the conference in the next few weeks. And, if you want to get your feet wet with online learning, take a look at our online classes, listed on our online CE webpage, and join us for a Computerside Chat, a RACE session, the e-rate series, or PowerPoint II. See you in the Wimba room! --Karen

Links from today's podcast:

SWILSA's Online CE webpage

Book reviewed by Marcia:

Serving families and children through partnerships, by Sandra Feinberg and Sari Feldman. Neal-Schuman, c1996.