Display Ideas; Board and Director Evaluations

News February 29, 2008 (2:47 min; mp3 file)



Links from Today's Podcast:
March Bookmarks
SWILSA Current Announcements

Books Reviewed by Marcia:
The Board Evaluation Kit and The Executive Evaluation Kit; Cain Consulting Group, 1998.

Video Booktalk Kiosks,

News February 22, 2008 (mp3 file: 5 MB, 5:05 min.)
Video Booktalk Kiosks; Display Ideas; "Turning Enemies into Allies"

At the top of the 'cast today: video booktalks.
A couple of weeks ago Michele Leininger sent a message out to the iread list with a link to an article in the October 2006 Library Media Connection. (If you subscribe to EBSCOhost you have access to the pdf full text of the article.) In "Creating a Video Booktalk Kiosk," Terence Cavanaugh describes how to set up a kiosk, using re-purposed computers, tot run video booktalks, enticing readers to check out and read the books in the booktalks. If you've done booktalks before, especially with children and teen audiences, you know that it's an effective way to interest those readers in the books you talk about. Cavanaugh writes specifically about using the kiosks in a school media center but it is certainly an idea for a public library, too--and not just for children and teens but adults as well. You set up a computer to run the booktalks in a loop (and you can set it up to do them in random order), and you can walk away and let the kiosk advertise books. Now, this doesn't mean that you don't still do all you usually to do promote books and help patrons in person, but it's another way to get that word out.

You don't need to purchase special software, and the article even includes websites that have existing video booktalks. It would be great to have you--or teens or kids--doing the video booktalks but if you don't have a video camera or want to give the kiosk a try first, check out some of the existing videos. And definitely read the article. (National Library Week and Teen Tech Week are coming up....hmmm.) We even have a couple of used computers languishing in our office, and we'd be happy to have them used in our member libraries for a good purpose such as these kiosks. Check out the article, give it some thought and then give it a try! --Karen

Links/Info from today's podcast:

• "Creating a video booktalk kiosk," by Terence W. Cavanaugh. Library Media Connection; October 2006, Vol. 25 Issue 2, p56-59.
• National Academy of American Poets
• SWILSA Current Announcements

Reviewed by Marcia today:
Turning enemies into allies (audiotape), by Pat Wagner. Pattern Research c1996

Summer Library Program

News February 15, 2008 (mp3 file; 3:02 min.)




Links From Today's Podcast:
SWILSA Youth Services webpage

Book Reviewed by Marcia on Today's Podcast:
More Ready-To-Tell Tales: From Around the World edited by David Hold and Bill Mooney, August House, 2000.

"A Day in the Life;" Copyright on the Web

News February 8, 2008 (mp3 file: 3 MB,3:15 min.)
Learning Online for Librarians; Copyright; "Avoid the Conflict Trap"

At the top of the 'cast today: "A Day in the Life." In an earlier podcast I hinted that we were planning a "Day in the Life" project for SW Iowa libraries. Following the example of a library in Indiana who sponsored a Day in the Life project for their county, I'd like to do "A Day in the Life of Libraries in SW Iowa." We invite librarians on that day--Wednesday of National Library Week--to take pictures of their libraries--the building, the stacks, but most of all, what's happening at the library--librarians at work, programs, displays. Then each library will upload the photos onto flickr, into a group for the project--and we'll have a "snapshot" of a day in the life of libraries. Of course, there are a couple other agendas here: you'll get to learn about flickr, see how a project like this works (so you might think about one for your own community), or give you ideas for other photo sharing projects--local history, maybe? We'll give you help with using flickr--a free resources on the web--and with participation in the project. It will be fun, and a good way to help show what libraries are all about.

Check out these two "Day in the Life" projects: one sponsored by a library in Indiana for their county ("A Day in Allen County, Indiana"), and one ("Ein Tag in Der Bib") by a library patron about a day in his life at the library. (If you attended Michael Stephens' session at the online conference you'll remember this one.)

Stay tuned for more details and help with learning flickr, and join us for the project. A picture is worth a thousand words, they say! --Karen

Learning Online for Librarians; Copyright; "Avoid the Conflict Trap"

News February 1, 2008 (mp3 file: 5.9 MB, 6:17 min.)
Learning Online for Librarians; Copyright; "Avoid the Conflict Trap"

Online learning is on my mind again--or still. I'm doing more wrap-up and follow-up to the online conference, and planning Computerside Chats and other online classes--along with in-person workshops. And I've been doing some online and self-paced learning myself, outside of strictly library-related subjects. Being more aware of other companies' and agencies' values around learning is helping me as we plan more online offerings

As I'm exploring lifelong learning opportunities, of all sorts, on topics directly related to librarians, those not directly related, I felt a need to gather and organize information--and my thoughts and ideas. And, being a *hopefully) good Librarian 2.0 I've started a blog for and about librarians learning online. I won't repeat the thoughts I've recorded there, but I invite you to visit the blog, and keep checking back. I will share sources and resources for continuing and lifelong learning, specifically online opportunities, as well as some of my thoughts about online learning. The blog is at learnonlibrarians.blogspot.com (That's for "Learning Online for Librarians"....) I hope you'll feel free to comment on the blog, too. Share your ideas and experiences and resources--or questions. (I've already had a comment on the first post, from a gentleman who isn't a librarian, but had a good link for me to check out...comments on blogs are a wonderful way to converse with others, and share ideas and thoughts. That's all part of lifelong learning, too...) See you at the LearnOn blog! --Karen

Links from Today's podcast:
"Learn On, Librarians" blog
Heartland AEA's guide to "Copyright for Students"
UC-Berkeley's webpage for students on illegal filesharing

Audiotape reviewed by Marcia:
Avoid the conflict trap, by Pat Wagner. Pattern Research, c1997.