Training in Your Library

If you're looking for professional development opportunities, you might want to consider trying a webinar in March. There are some great free online sessions available and you won't have to make a stop at the gas pump.

Start by checking the NEFLIN schedule. Many of you are already viewing the SLA and DuPage programs but Patty has added a whole new series of Solinet Live Online classes that are free to NEFLIN members (if you registered for the 20 Questions series through Solinet it would cost you $120 for each session). The easiest way to see everything on our schedule is to go to the Complete List of Workshops and then sort by Workshop Location = Desktop.

WebJunction does free one hour webinars on a variety of topics. They host regularly scheduled sessions for the rural library sustainablity and Spanish language outreach program and then add various other topics during the month. I'm a fan of their Calendar of Events - let's me look at what's offered each month and then follow the links to full descriptions if I'm interested. You don't have to register for these programs but sometimes if you do you're eligible for a prize ;-)

• Board Challenges & Successes: Rural In Focus program, Thursday, March 6th at 2pm
• Strategies for the Health Reference Interview: Spanish Outreach In Depth program, Tuesday, March 11th at 1pm

SirsiDynix Institute also offers free one hour webinars. The next program, Mastering the Business Case Document, will air Wednesday, March 12th from 11a-12noon. Bad title but the description makes it sound like an interesting program. ... Ulla de Stricker noticed how difficult it can be for information professionals to construct compelling business cases - largely due to the fact that proposals in the information and library arena often deal with "soft" benefits and impossible-to-prove returns on investment. So she wrote a book to help with the challenge....
Space in these programs is limited so you do need to register to receive log-in information.

I'm also a fan of the OfficeDepot WebCafe. I've only listened to the archives of their programs and can't actually find anything more current then October 2007 but the topics are interesting.

If you know of a source of webinars that we aren't tapping into, please let us know and we'll make every effort to share it with the membership.