Index
- OverDrive Support Course offered through March 10
- Member/Staff News
- WiLS seeks input for WiLSWorld 2017
- Scholarships offered for ‘Coding Together, Learning Together’ online course
- UW-Madison iSchool offers 2017 alumni webinar series
- State Library of Michigan opens training to Wisconsin librarians
- American Graphics Institute offers free courses to libraries
- Continuing Education Calendar
OverDrive Support Course offered through March 10
The next OverDrive Support Course will begin Feb. 6 and continue through March 10. Registration is now open and limited to 15 participants. All course materials are online and can be reviewed at your convenience.
There will be weekly readings, quizzes, and email questions. While the course is online, it is interactive. Participants will receive weekly email questions from ‘pretend’ patrons and have to respond to their support request as if it were a real request.
For more information about the OverDrive Support Course, contact Jean Anderson.
Cindy Fesemyer, Director of the Columbus Public Library, is one of 28 library professionals selected to participate in the 2017 PLA Leadership Academy. PLA writes of the training opportunity, "This career-changing event for public librarians is designed to empower participants with the knowledge necessary to be innovative and successful leaders of change. It offers a groundbreaking focus on developing the skills needed to work with municipal officials to enhance the position of the library within the community and improve the effectiveness of library activities and programs." Cindy heads to Portland, OR, in March to kick off the fellowship.
Lori Belongia, director of the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library was named one of Marshfield's 2016 People of the Year. Congratulations Lori!
WiLS seeks input for WiLSWorld 2017
WiLS heard what members wanted from WiLSWorld 2017 and now they need your expertise. There are a few topics that WiLS and the WiLSWorld 2017 Planning Team want to address during the conference, but they don’t know who in the community is working on them or is otherwise poised to teach attendees about them.
Read more about these topics or let us know by Friday, Feb. 10 if you can teach about:
- the future of collections;
- multi-type library collaborations;
- using data is service development, service development, or advocacy; or
- a high-tech tool or application you've been using or researching.
WiLS looks forward to hearing from you!
Scholarships offered for ‘Coding Together, Learning Together’ online course
As part of the Coding Initiative in Wisconsin Public Libraries, the Public Library Development Team at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is pleased to offer scholarships for 20 library staff to participate in the online professional development course, “Coding Together, Learning Together” offered by the UW-Madison iSchool Continuing Education Services.
The course runs from March 27 through April 21, 2017. There is no cost to scholarship recipients to take part in the course; the $125 course fee will be paid directly by DPI. Applicants must apply online by Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. Twenty applicants will be selected, preferably representing all 16 regional library systems. This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.
For more information, view the course description PDF. If interested, register online.
UW-Madison iSchool offers 2017 Alumni Webinar Series
The iSchool at UW-Madison (SLIS) recently announced a series of free webinars that are available to everyone. All speakers are SLIS alums who are sharing their expertise with the wider library and information community. Sign up today!
All webinars will take place on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. (CST). The webinar Schedule is:
- April 4 -- Cheap and Easy: An Introduction to Passive Programming, with Emily Wichman ('02), Manager, Williamsburg Branch, Clermont County (OH) Public Library
- April 25 -- More than Storytime: Outreach to Childcare Centers and Preschools, with Amy Commers ('08), Youth Services Librarian at the City of South St. Paul (MN) Public Library
- May 9 -- Find it Fast! Local History at Your Fingertips, with Sue Braden ('94) and Diana McDonald ('81), Reference Librarians, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI
You can read full descriptions of each webinar on the iSchool website. More information is available from Anna Palmer at [email protected].
State Library of Michigan opens training to Wisconsin librarians
Wisconsin librarians have been invited to attend the following two continuing education events being offered by the State Library of Michigan.
Michigan has a one-day PLA Outcome training scheduled at four sites in Michigan between April 17 and May 4, but they expect only the southeast site near Detroit to fill. As a result, registration for the other three sites is being opened to non-Michigan library staff.
You can find the information and registration about the PLA Outcome training at https://www.solutionwhere.com, or through Michigan’s main library website CE page www.michigan.gov/libraryce.
Michigan also has an Every Child Ready to Read workshop in Marquette in late March that includes Wisconsin library staff in the invitation. It is a two- to three-hour drive for many of the northern Wisconsin staff but Michigan is opening seats up to those outside the Michigan library community for that ECRR site. The ECRR event can be found at https://www.solutionwhere.com.
American Graphics Institute offers free courses to libraries
American Graphics Institute, located in Woburn, MA, has a wicked program for libraries. In this case, wicked is a good thing!
Libraries have become more relevant as community centers and many serve as the location for classes, from coding to robotics and 3D Printing. They also provide public WiFi and computer centers for those who would otherwise not have access to this technology. At many libraries, patrons can even check out laptops, iPads, and e-readers to use while they are at the library. Many patrons are using these tools for job search, and the classes offered to obtain training to assist them in finding better employment.
Enter American Graphics Institute and its Library Partner Program. The program’s purpose is to help companies address the skills gap that many employers experience by helping the workforce obtain new skills or upgrade existing skills in creative, design, and marketing applications and technologies.
Read more in Public Libraries Online.