NEFLIN's Summer Schedule is HOT!

The NEFLIN Summer Schedule is up! There are lots of virtual and face to face classes to keep you busy, including:

*20 Questions Live Online Series

*Koha Open Source ILS Live Online Series

*Valuing School Libraries: Live Online

*Library Tour: Flagler College

*All About Graduate School: Live Online

*Ebooks and the Impact on Library Processes

*Free Legal Resources

*Handheld Librarian Online Conference

*Bandwidth Management in the Library

*MORE!

See the NEFLIN CE schedule here

Free Library Webinars: June Update

On our sister blog, Library Webinars, we have just put up the monthly list of live webinars.

We have found numerous webinars in June that can assist with your professional development. Here are some randomly selected topics:

• Cataloging More Icky Things
• Christian Fiction Book Buzz
  
• Creating Inviting, Low Cost, Teen Spaces
• Effectively Planned Web-based Presentations
  
• Leaders: Avoid These Fatal Flaws
  
• Re-Tooling Front Line Staff with E-Government Resources
• Successful Event Promotion with Social Media
• YA Classics
  

Check it out!

NEFLIN Library Awards

NEFLIN has two library awards that will be presented at the NEFLIN Annual Meeting on Friday, September 17, 2010. Nominations are now being sought for:

1. Library Champion Award. This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional support for a NEFLIN library.

2. Innovation Award. This award recognizes an innovative program or service that has demonstrated impact on the community a NEFLIN library serves.

Nominations may be made by any staff member in a NEFLIN library.

The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2010.

Nomination Forms

Training Showcase at ALA Conference - Participate!

If you are attending the ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC and have a cool training program or staff development idea, volunteer to participate in the ALA Learning Round Table Training Showcase.

All it takes is 2 hours on Sunday, June 27, 1:30 – 3:30 to share your training and/or staff development ideas and programs with conference attendees. Participating affords you the opportunity to share information about your program as well as learn about the best practices of other libraries and organizations. There is NO COST to participate! All you do it stand by your table and talk about your cool program with people who stop by. It’s really fun and the Training Showcase is always a popular event at the ALA Conference.

Participant applications can be found here. The deadline is May 31!

The Learning Round Table is a great group - see more information at http://alalearning.org/ or http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/clenert/index.cfm

Quick Reference Guides

Quick Reference Guides for NEFLIN Members Quick Reference Guides are double-sided, full color tip sheets that can be given to staff learning new computer programs, displayed near your public workstations, or given as handouts in your computer classes. There are over 100 guides to choose from including Microsoft, Adobe and Mac programs such as: Excel 2007 Office 2007 Outlook 2007 Photoshop 7 Visio 2007 Windows Vista Appleworks 6 Mac OS X Tiger Word X for Mac Review the full list here, then contact register@neflin.org to request the Quick Reference Guides you want.

Winning the Budget Wars

Will Manley has some interesting observations on libraries and their budget battles.

I've always appreciated Will's wit and common sense approach.

Let a Smile be Your Secret Weapon

Leadership Institute Application Deadline Approaches

The deadline for applications is a postmark date of June 1.

Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute: Year 7

The Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute prepares individuals to lead libraries today and into the future. If you are a dynamic, creative, and achievement oriented individual who is interested in increasing and improving your library leadership knowledge and skills, apply today.

Beginning in 2010, the Institute will be a blended learning experience that includes:

• 3 online classes

• 7 face-to-face faculty-led classes (Ft. Lauderdale or Ocala)

• Online resources including a wiki and webinars

• Self-selected, goal-based mentoring partnerships

• Live and online performance and learning support

Schedule of online and faculty led classes

Applications online at http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/leadership

Applications accepted from March 15, 2010 – June 1, 2010

Notification of Acceptance – August 1, 2010

Introduction to WorldCat Resource Sharing

In this workshop we will introduce you to the basics of using OCLC’s interlibrary loan system (WCRS) to loan and borrow materials.

Topics that will covered during this workshop are:

• Borrower and Lender Basics
• Constant Data Records
• Request Manager
• Custom Holdings
• ILL Policies
• Pricing

You are welcome to bring samples of any forms you use or workflow/processing methods to share.

Trainer: Brad Ward, NEFLIN

Tuesday, June 8, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon at NEFLIN in Orange Park

Register today: http://bit.ly/aFAqCP

See all NEFLIN events at http://www.neflin.org/registration.php

New Vendors added to Discount Program

NEFLIN has just updated many of the vendor discounts it has negotiated on your behalf.

Plus, eight new vendors have been added, bringing the total to over 50.

Go to www.neflin.org/discounts to view the offers and let us know what other vendors we should contact.

New Vendors:

• eBrary
• Gale Cengage
• Gareth Stevens Publishing
• Optimal Resume
• Relais International ILL
• Rosen Publishing
• R.T. Barbee
• Wolper Subscription Services

Bilingual Storytimes - NEFLIN workshop in Gainesville

Bilingual Storytimes are the new library frontier. In a world where language barriers become smaller every day, they might also be the future. This full day workshop will expose participants to the tools they will need to develop bilingual storytimes, with a focus on Spanish-English storytimes. We will discuss whys and hows of bilingual storytime as well as themes, book and song/activity selection.

Who Should Attend: This program is for staff in libraries that want to start bilingual storytimes, but would like more help in the development phase. Whether you are bilingual or not, you can start a bilingual storytime at your library!

Pre-workshop assignment: Find and bring with you a simple concept book (colors, numbers, shapes, etc.) - IN ENGLISH!

Trainer: Kio Fuller, Storytime Trainer

Tuesday, June 15, Time: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Location: Alachua County Library District, Millhopper Library, 3145 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32606

Register now at: http://bit.ly/9EKI8n

See all NEFLIN training at http://www.neflin.org/registration.php

Mobile Link Love

I hadn't planned it, but the main links this week all regard mobile tech, thus the title of this post.

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OCLC is hosting a free online symposium later this month. The Future is Mobile, Is Your Library Ready? Thursday, May 20, 1:00pm-4:00pm.

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So I'm reading TV Guide this week (Yes, I know TV Guide. 15 million of us still read it weekly, thank you.) And there are a number of "mobile tags" in the issue (see above). I was intrigued.

I did some investigating and learned a little about how these tags work. The diagram below from the wikipedia is a good illustration.

Using your smart phone or Blackberry you can take a picture of a "tag" in a magazine or other print source and the tag is decoded by your phone and then takes you to a website with more information.

Some libraries have already adopted these tags (e.g., QR Codes) in the stacks or catalog. A few examples.

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Google is looking to compete with Amazon and Apple by opening their Google Editions (E-Bookstore) this summer. This would be a separate program from the scanned collection in Google Books.

"The e-books would exist in a 'cloud library', which could be accessed from potentially any device, including laptops, smart phones or e-readers."

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I love genealogists, but now they want my DNA? Just kidding, Arnold. I had no idea that genealogy folks were into this. Check out this program at the Clay County Public Library tomorrow if you are interested in learning more.

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Those who know of my TiVo addiction must realize that May is a wild month with most TV series winding down to their season, or series, finales.

I am going to miss both Lost (6 year run) and 24 (8 year run).

Oh well, I will just have to move on and just enjoy the other quality TV programs and movies that TiVo provides me with each week!

AAL Workshop at NEFLIN

Attention, NEFLIN members!

Space is still available in the full-day Ask a Librarian workshop at NEFLIN on Thursday, May 27th. Join us for a hands-on introduction to virtual reference and the software used on Ask a Librarian, Florida’s virtual reference service.

Following this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand how to use the Instant Service software.
• Develop a comfort level with providing virtual reference assistance to statewide users.
• Be able to identify the basics of a good virtual reference transaction and how to increase your success in helping your user.
• Understand the collaborative nature of the service and learn about the electronic resources that help you help users.

Previously-trained staff who wish to increase their skill and/or comfort levels on Ask a Librarian are always highly encouraged to attend!

If you have any questions, please email Traci Avet, Virtual Reference Coordinator, at avett@tblc.org.

Register

WebJunction Florida Now Available

The State Library and Archives of Florida is proud to announce WebJunction Florida. This Web site provides Florida library staff access to free, self-paced online courses.

Course topics include:

• Application Software
• Customer Service and Interpersonal Skills
• Library Management
• Library Services
• Networking and Security
• Organizational Management
• Personnel Management
• Technology
• · Web Design and Development

The complete list of courses and details on how to register for this new service can be found at WebJunction Florida. Please note that your registration must be approved before the list of courses becomes visible.

For more information, contact Stephanie Race at 850.245.6630.

Brad Ward elected to ASCLA

Brad Ward, NEFLIN’s Executive Director, has been elected to the Board of Directors of ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Brad has been active in ASCLA for many years. This is the division of ALA that includes library cooperatives such as NEFLIN. His two year term will begin with the Annual Conference this summer in Washington D.C.

Multimedia Library Updated

New Format makes using NEFLIN's Multimedia Lending Library Easier than Ever
We now have information about each MLL item in Excel. We have added "Topics" so that you can sort the spreadsheet by using a limited number of subject headings. You also have the ability to sort by: Format, Length, and Vendor. A Description of each item is also provided. The spreadsheet is located at http://www.neflin.org/mll
NEFLIN's Multimedia Lending Library (MLL) is a collection of high-quality DVDs, videos, audio CDs, books, and CD-ROMs that are available for two-week loan to NEFLIN members. Just a few of the 240 items available are listed at right. See all titles here then email register@neflin.org to request an item to borrow.	Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library- Early Literacy Training Kit 97 minute DVD Diversity Beyond the Obvious: College of DuPage 120 minute DVD Customer Service in the Library 17 minute DVD Wikis, Podcasts, and Blogs, Oh My! 30 minute DVD I Need a Book: Readers Advisory for Adults 25 minute DVD How to Present a Professional Image 2 VHS tapes