[CASL-L] March 2013 State Library Continuing Education Workshops

[Abery, Kris]

The following Continuing Education workshops have been scheduled for March 2013. To register access the Continuing Education Calendar of Events @ http://evanced.info/cslib/evanced/eventcalendar.asp

Your Library, Your Town: Data You Need To Know – Tues., Mar. 5th (MLSC)
This half-day workshop is an overview of census, and federal and state agency data available to librarians and media specialists interested in planning programs for their community, and answering reference questions about their communities. In this hands-on workshop we will learn how to access community data to better serve our library patrons. Looking at this data can help us learn the answers to these questions and others:

How many cars drive past your library each day?
How many students in your area are not fluent in English?
Is your town mill rate changing
Any black bear sitings in your area?
What were your towns election results for the last municipal elections?
Any hazardous waste sites in your town?

Our workshop leader will be Nancy Peluso, Federal Documents Librarian at the Connecticut State Library. She is an experienced reference librarian and conducts hands-on workshops on federal and state agency websites, as well as navigating census.gov, for librarians across the state.

Intermediate Excel 2010 – Mon., Mar. 11th (MLSC)
If you are already familiar with the basics of Microsoft Excel, such as entering text into cells, formatting font colors and sizes, and saving your document, it may be time to move onto the more advanced features of this powerful spreadsheet software.

In this workshop, we will elevate your documents to include features such as:
Creating simple formulas
Using functions
Using the fill handle
Formatting sheets for printing
Naming cells and ranges
Developing formulas using named cells and ranges
Using 3-D functions to calculate across worksheets
Defining absolute and relative references
Creating elapsed time/day formulas

Prerequisite: You must already be familiar with adding and editing data in Excel or have taken Introduction to Excel.

Assertiveness Training: Getting Your Point Across (Nicely) – Wed., Mar. 13th (S. Windsor PL)
Sponsored by the Connecticut State Library the CLA Customer Service Committee

The program is designed for all professionals who want to gain skills dealing more cooperatively and constructively with bosses, co-workers, friends and family members. Understand the differences between assertive, aggressive, passive, and passive aggressive behaviors. Learn how to communicate what's on your mind in a positive, proactive way; that gets results. Discover underlying messages you are unknowingly conveying with your body language, voice, and word chose choice. Learn strategies to increase your comfort level and gain more confidence in your day to day communications. There will be activities and role playing opportunities to reinforce and support your skills

Intermediate WordPress – Wed., Mar. 20th (MLSC)
In the basic "WordPress as a Content Management System" workshop you learned how to create Pages to display static content, use Posts to create a news page, select themes to make your site look great and use widgets to create a sidebar of content for your library site. In this session you'll learn much more about managing your own installation of WordPress and customizing your library's WordPress
based web site.

Topics will include:
Tips on keeping your site secure and well maintained.
Using the file editor to make minor edits to theme files.
Customizing CSS to make simple changes to site.
Great plugins that add great features to WordPress.
New WordPress features including the Custom Menus options.
Finding & installing themes and plugins
How to work with Child Themes

Tech Tools Update – Thurs., Mar. 21st (WLSC)
Need a chance to catch up with the ever-changing stream of new (and not so news) tech tools? There's always something new that sounds interesting, fun and maybe even useful! But sometimes it's hard to find time to test them out and figure out what to do with them. During this workshop we'll look at social media services that can help you connect with your community, as well as productivity tools that can help you during your workday. You'll have a chance to explore lots of tools (new and old!) and share ideas with your colleagues. You'll come away with some new tips and tricks in your tool-kit and and decide which tools are right for you, your library, your community. Topics covered will include: Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other electronic elements (QR codes, cloud computing, etc.) No question is too silly, bring them all!!

Tech Tools Update – Fri., Mar. 22nd (UCONN Torrington)
Need a chance to catch up with the ever-changing stream of new (and not so news) tech tools? There's always something new that sounds interesting, fun and maybe even useful! But sometimes it's hard to find time to test them out and figure out what to do with them. During this workshop we'll look at social media services that can help you connect with your community, as well as productivity tools that can help you during your workday. You'll have a chance to explore lots of tools (new and old!) and share ideas with your colleagues. You'll come away with some new tips and tricks in your tool-kit and and decide which tools are right for you, your library, your community. Topics covered will include: Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other electronic elements (QR codes, cloud computing, etc.) No question is too silly, bring them all!

USCIS 101: Your Library and U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – Wed., Mar. 27th (Faxon Branch, W. Htfd PL)
Join Allan Boggio, Connecticut’s Community Relations Officer for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in this session that provides an overview of USCIS and their role in providing citizenship information. USCIS is the immigrant benefit granting arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Librarians will learn how to best direct patrons to authoritative information without overstepping legal boundaries. Demystify the world of citizenship, immigration, green cards, visas, refugee status and come away with pathfinders, tip sheets, and other materials; there will be ample time for Q&A. Libraries are welcome to bring representatives from partner organizations and community to share the information and for networking. If there are immigrants in your community you won’t want to miss this session.


MARCH OCLC/WEBJUNCTION WORKSHOPS

OCLC: Worth a Thousand Words: Library Snapshot Day – Mar. 13th (Online)
A webinar exploring ways to use Library Snapshot Day to grow an image collection that can be used to build community awareness and to demonstrate the impact and reach of your library's services. By capturing photos of all that happens in a single day at your library, you can tell a powerful story about the importance of your library to the community. Libraries of all types and sizes have used Library Snapshot Day build community awareness and to demonstrate the impact and reach of library services. Panelists from Ohio Snapshot Day will share their templates and tips for successful planning and implementation, and will explore other ways images can be used to tell your library’s story. Learn how you can take a vivid snapshot of your library, whether it’s on your own, with others in your state or region, or in conjunction with National Library Week in April. For additional details and registration information visit: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Worth_a_Thousand_Words_Library_Snapshot_Day.html

OCLC: Signature Events for Small Libraries – Mar. 19th (Online)
 A webinar exploring signature fundraising events that help libraries raise funds and create friends. From "chocolate in the stacks" tastings to 5K runs to off-site literary dinner parties, small libraries are getting creative in offering signature events that raise funds and create friends. This webinar will be a "show and tell" of library fundraisers, with quick tips on how to get started in your community.
This webinar, hosted by WebJunction in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, is an encore presentation of one of the most highly-rated sessions at the ARSL conference. For additional details and registration information visit: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Signature_Events_for_Small_Libraries.html




ONLINE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES: WEBJUNCTION CONNECTICUT

If you are unable to attend a workshop visit  WebJunction Connecticut to find over 350 online courses http://www.webjunction.org/partners/connecticut.html

To Preview the Course Catalog:  https://oclc.plateau.com/plateau/user/site/browseCatalog.do  OR  Request Course Access visit: https://www.webjunction.org/find-training/request-access/





Free online courses for Connecticut library staff through the WebJunction Connecticut website. The course list includes, but is not limited to:

A+ Essentials 2009: Troubleshooting Computers and Printers

Accompanying the Young Reader: Helping the Reader Choose Appropriate Books (LibraryU)

Basic Presentation Skills: Delivering a Presentation

Customer Service Fundamentals: Building Rapport

Developing Motivating Messages (LibraryU)

Google(tm) Apps

JavaScript Language Basics

Keeping It Simple: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Library

Marketing Essentials

Merchandising That Works

OpenOffice

Readers Advisory Services

Web Development Fundamentals













Kris Abery
Continuing Education Coordinator
Connecticut State Library
231 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Tele: 860.704.2206
Fax: 704.2228
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CTStateLibrary
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LibraryofCT