http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012FebLibGuides

This PDE/Commonwealth Libraries Professional Development Workshop will apply traditional collection development methodologies to the “curation” – selection, organization, and professional presentation – of digital content, services, and tools.

Designed for school and public librarians who work with children and teens, this workshop will focus on the application of LibGuides, a media-rich, easy-to-use platform that can become your virtual library “parking lot” to present web resources, both content and tools.

Specifically, participants will learn to:

All trained workshop participants will receive free access to LibGuides through September 2012 (it is a commercial, licensed web product, currently paid by PDE.) Resources for this workshop—Powerpoint, handouts, and online resources—will be made available online via WebJunction. Workshop participants will be expected to download all materials and may need them in order to create a LibGuides electronic pathfinder.

Please join us at the Central Dauphin High School Library (437 Piketown Road, Harrisburg) on Friday, February 17 from 7:20 AM to 2:50 PM.

Trainers Carolyn Blatchley and Brenda Blackburn-Foster will teach you to use LibGuides, and you will obtain free access for your school or public library through September 2012. The workshop is designed for six hours of instruction and practice over two consecutive evenings.

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries, within the Pennsylvania Department of Education, will award 6 hours of Act 48 credit to those who complete the workshop, and it will count as Continuing Education for public librarians. Participants must complete a workshop evaluation to obtain credit.

Business owners, entrepreneurs, real estate agents, researchers, reporters, students, movers, and job seekers can use your public library’s subscription to ReferenceUSA to access data for many purposes.

Here are a few highlights from the training presented by Scott Lea on Thursday, Jan. 26 at East Shore:

• Is your library’s data correct in ReferenceUSA?  This is a sample file of all data about public libraries in our district that is collected in ReferenceUSA that was downloaded on January 27, 2011.  It looks like some of the data needs to be updated:  Detail2012012721514131 We learned how.   Use the Data Feedback button on the record to provide updates to the information you find.
• You can refer patrons or library staff directly to 800-808-1113 for advanced assistance in using the resource.  A live person will answer the phone from 8-6 Monday-Friday.
• The information in this resource comes from many official sources: directories, census, post office, power companies, trade journals, SEC filings, web mining of data, and more.
• The database is updated on the 3rd Thursday of each month.  There is a last updated on date on each record.  Company news is updated every 15 minutes!
• Job Seekers can use the data to create lists of businesses they may want to work for and to find contact names for human resources or specific departments.  The data can also answer an interview questions such as: “What do you know about our company?”  80% of all jobs are filled without being posted.  A proactive job seeker can find all the companies in a specific industry in a desired geographic area.
• Use ReferenceUSA to generate a marketing list to generate leads.
• Check out the Competitor’s Report: 10 closest geographic locations in your industry.
• TIP:  Don’t use too many categories to limit.  Just use Metro area or State, not both.
• To download or print, select the records.  Public library accounts limit how many records can be downloaded at a time.   Only libraries and government agencies can purchase this product.
• There are great training resources online.  There are some short video tutorials.
• You can also direct customers and staff who assist with advanced research to the online webinars hosted by ReferenceUSA.

Attendees should take this survey to evaluate the training they attended.

Each library director will receive a copy of the packet of materials and enough copies to distribute to each of their 2012 trustees. 

Each library location with a board of directors will receive a DVD copy of the supplementary videos.  You can also see them all online on this YouTube channel.

Take a look at this document for more information and some sample discussion questions that may be useful to start a great conversation to further the growth and development of the board of trustees for your library: GettingOnBoardDVDDiscussionQuestionsandNotes

Please contact your district consultant to chat about plans for using these materials and to schedule a visit by the consultant to a board meeting. 

Soon, there will also be copies available in the professional collection.

This post is a reminder that libraries in our district should have a completed annual report submitted to the consultant’s office on or before April 1, 2011.

As always, let me know if you would like a one-to-one consult on your annual report (which can reduce error checking times) or if for some reason you will not be able to meet that deadline date.

For many libraries, having the board review and sign the annual report at the March meeting is advisable. It’s good to get the final information from 2011 wrapped up so you can proceed with all of your success for 2012.

These deadlines are of the utmost importance because Commonwealth Libraries must report all data to the federal government by the first week in June. Because of these deadlines some libraries will not be able to refer to their audits when completing the annual report.  In such cases the end-of-the-year treasurer’s report/financial statement should be used.

Here are some useful documents for completing the Annual Report:

• Additions and Changes to 2011
• Documentation Checklist for libraries
• Consultant Review Guidelines (these are the things that will get double-checked on your reports!)
• Tips and Hints for Completing the PA Public Library Survey (this is an excellent document with detailed information for many of the questions)

The Annual Report Signature Sheet, Application for State Aid Signature Page, and the Certification of Estimated Costs (Green Sheet) are all available as links within the online survey.  These pages are to be printed, completed and submitted by mail with original signatures.

Audits: Please submit audit or financial review by October 1, 2012.  Failure to comply will result in either a delayed payment or loss of State Aid.

If you have questions about filling out the annual report online, please contact your district library consultant.  In a separate email, your district consultant will send a note to signatories and those who are responsible for submitting the online report and collecting documentation with more local detail, including how to count statistics for ebooks and other electronic resources.

Registration:  Register online here or just let your Library Director know you plan to attend so we can have an accurate count for the meal.

Who should attend:  Library trustees and directors from each of the four Perry County libraries are the primary audience.  Other interested staff are also invited.  Our goal is to have a minimum of 4 trustees from each library in attendance—but more would be even better!

When:  February 7, 2012.   The event begins at 6p.m. with dinner and will be completed at 8:30.   Drop in whenever you can make it!   (If the weather is inclement, check with your library director or view the PeCoInfo website for updates to our plans.  A tentative snow date is scheduled for Feb. 21.)

Where:  Espresso Yourself  (Dinner will be soup, wrap, drink, and dessert.)  8 South 2nd Street, Newport, PA 17074

What and Why: 

At this gathering of library leaders throughout Perry County, we will:

• Get to know each other, share ideas, and celebrate the success of cooperation between our libraries. 
• Watch parts of a newly released DVD from the Office of Commonwealth Libraries called “Getting on Board”
• Review orientation materials that help library trustees further understand the board’s responsibilities.
• Complete worksheets and activities that are custom designed to help your libraries plan for a great future.
• Ask and answer questions to further the development of our libraries.

All trustees will receive a binder of materials with the “Getting on Board!: Tools for Board Development and Assessment”.   The binders will be packed with detailed information, some of it customized for Perry County.

Cost: FREE for all trustees and staff to attend.   This event is supported with continuing education funds by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me or ask your library director.

Tentative Agenda to be confirmed by Perry County Library Directors.

When: January 17 from 2-4

Where: ESA (likely meeting room A, could be B or lab–waiting confirmation)

Note:  If you can’t attend in person, tell Carrie and then feel free to phone call in.  We can also set up a conference phone or skype connection if you’d prefer.

Why:  Our group is discussing online resources.   We have most of our discussion and interaction on a wiki, but this is a chance to meet in person. 

Who:  Our committee is composed of representatives from all libraries in our area.  Ask your manager if you can attend/contribute if you have strong opinions about online resources and databases.

Please see the attached registration brochure for more detail and to register.   They would like registrations ASAP, before Dec. 29, 2011 if possible.   2012 Summer Reading Workshop Registration Brochure

There is a $15 cost for attending this workshop.

Be prepared to serve your customers with these ideas:

• Encourage staff to visit OverDrive’s Online Learning Center for the latest training on your digital collection. Suggested courses for assisting patrons include Just the Basics, OverDrive Mobile and the Kindle Demo. Staff can view the recorded sessions anytime, anywhere.
• Take a look at the latest list of compatible devices and formats in the Device Resource Center.
• Print the eBook How-to Guide and Kindle Book How-to Guide to have on hand at the reference and circulation desks for staff to use as a resource when assisting patrons and/or distribute to interested patrons. 
• Online Marketing Kit: Take advantage of the many resources available in the Online Marketing Kit to get the word out to patrons that the library offers eBooks and digital audiobooks for their new devices.

Our district began this collection in November of 2008 with downloadable audiobooks only.  We added ebooks in November 2010.  Here are some Fast Facts about our service: 

• There are currently over 4,000 titles in the collection.
• Since inception through the end of Nov. 2011, the libraries have spent $114,675.03 on content. 
• Number of copies by general format:    Audiobook: 1,463;  eBook: 2,510; HarperCollins ebooks with limited license:  81  Maximum access Disney Collection:  780 
• Checkouts: 47,617 Since inception (Current: 1,460)  This breaks down into audiobook: 25,819 (Current: 381); eBook: 21,798 (Current: 1,079)
• Unique Library Patrons Checking Out Titles: 5,713 Overall (Current on Dec. 20: 873 Patrons)

What about Disney Digital Books?  For the twelve months, through Dec. 12, 2012, your library customers will have licensed access to an always available/simultaneous access collection of Disney Books.  Download, print, and share this flyer  (PSDisneyFlyer-Design) with parents, teachers, and child-caregivers who have a computer with internet.  Try Disney books with a magic pen that will read stories aloud or let kids have great interactive learning activities in Disney Online Books.

When:  Thursday, January 26 from 1:30-2:30, though the representative will be around before and after for additional Q & A.

Where:  ESA, likely Room A, pending final room confirmation

What:  Scott Lea will host a session to get your staff excited to use the resource so that our library customers can the most value from our subscription.   After attending the workshop you will:

• Know the answers to any questions you have about the resource
• Have completed 1 hour of Continuing Education 
• Understand many of the ways you can use ReferenceUSA to help job searchers
• Understand better how to use the resource to help customers interested in small business developmetn and market research. 
• Be able to share the tips and tricks to success with other staff in your library
• Know how to better promote the use of this resource with library clientele.

Before the session, check out the new ReferenceUSA Resource Center.  Here you can order marketing materials and bookmarks, view the webinar schedule, and link to a video tutorial library on YouTube to learn more about the resources. 

No Cost, District Workshop, 1 hour of Continuing Education Credit for attendees.

Register Today:  Walk-ins would be welcome, but to have an accurate count of how many to expect, please register:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ReferenceUSATraining

Here are just a few notes and observations from attendees at the district shared continuing education virtual workshop: Virtual Technology Summit, Power to the Patrons: From Systems to Services:

*QR Codes – let’s start incorporating them in all of our signage if there is an associated web site.

*Game-based learning, augmented reality and gesture-based computing are all things that we need to start considering (I’m guessing most of us couldn’t even define these terms)

*BookMyne – is there any reason DCLS and CCLS aren’t using these now? We need to get on the app bandwagon if it’s really as free and easy as they say!

There will be no delivery on either route on Thanksgiving.

There will be no delivery on either route on Labor Day.

There will be no delivery on either route on Independence Day.

There will be no delivery on either route on Memorial Day.

Most CCLS libraries are listed as open (except SIM).  There will be delivery on the Cumberland route.