The latest staff book club pick

...has been announced! Bob will be leading the next book club discussions on Inside Apple: how America's Most Admired--and Secretive--Company Really Works.

Past book club winners include Marcus Buckingham's Go Put Your Strengths to Work (led by Gail) and Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard (led by Amy).

If you are ever interested in reading a past book club book, check our library catalog then visit the friendly faces at the front desk. :)

OCLC WebJunction webinars

As if you couldn't get enough free learning opportunities in this week's blog, here's one more!

OCLC WebJunction is hosting a potpourri of webinars each week in February that may be of interest to you:

Feb. 7th:  Self-Directed Achievement:  if you give library staff an hour:  This webinar shares how staff at the Tooele City Library implemented a "Self-Directed Achievement" model for staff development.  "Set one training goal each week achievable in one hour." This simple directive was given to every staff member of one Utah library in September 2011. The result just one year later? A sustainable, positive culture transformation.

Feb. 13th:  How Libraries can meet the evolving needs of patrons in the digital age:
A webinar presenting research from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, providing insight on what types of services Americans value in their library and what types of services they would like to see their library start to offer.

Feb. 27th:  The future of online learning: a changing landscape:
Join us as we explore what education innovators are doing to increase engagement through learner-centered discovery, flipped classrooms, and enhanced online learning.

All presentations start at noon.  More information and registration is here.

(Oh, did I mention WebJunction also has a page of free CE opportunities from a host of organizations around the country?  Some past presentations may or may not be archived; it looks like it's really dependent on the hosting organization and if they choose to make the webinar available after its live date.  Still, it's a great resource to check to see when future webinars will air.)

“When you know better you do better.”
― Maya Angelou

Upcoming webinars regarding ALA's Library Support Staff Certification Program

 Thank you Lynn and Rachel V. for passing on this information!

The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association’s Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program has recently released its latest version of Breaking News,  which features all the latest happenings in the LSSC Program. The LSSC Program will also be offering a couple free webinars in February. Anyone interested in the programs are welcome to sign up by clicking the links below. 

February 6th, 2pm Central Time – An Introduction to the LSSC Program
On Wednesday, February 6th at 2:00 pm (Central), LSSC will offer an hour-long webinar on the program and how it works.  The presentation will explain the value of this certification to Library Support Staff, employers, and library users. You will also have the opportunity to have all of your questions answered by program staff members. This webinar is open to all interested candidates. Register to attend at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/368248688

February 11th, 2pm Central Time – Preparing a Portfolio
Many LSSC candidates want to prepare portfolios to meet LSSC requirements.  On Monday, February 11 at 2:00 pm (Central), LSSC will offer an hour-long webinar explaining what the LSSC Program requires in a portfolio. The presentation will also give you the chance to see examples of successful submissions and learn how your portfolio will be evaluated. This webinar is open to all interested candidates. Register to attend at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/319579233

Library Value Webcast Series

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is now offering a series of free webcasts highlighting results from the LibValue project, a three-year study funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to define and measure ways in which libraries create value through teaching and learning, research, and social, professional, and public engagement. 

The LibValue project is conducting research on value and return on investment (ROI)  in academic libraries and developing a set of tested methodologies and tools to help academic librarians measure which products and services provide the most value to the university community and best support the university’s mission and goals. These tools aid library leaders in demonstrating the library’s value to university administrators and funders.

The webcasts will be hosted by Martha Kyrillidou, senior director of ARL statistics and service quality programs, and will feature presentations from LibValue project researchers on undergraduate student success, the value of commons spaces, books and e-books, comprehensive approaches to defining library value, success in teaching and research, and digitized special collections.

LibValue is a collaboration among the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Libraries, and the Association of Research Libraries, with partners at Syracuse University and Bryant University.

Webcast information (note that all webinars start at noon and run until 1pm Central time):

  

• LibValue:  Undergraduate Student Success -  Thurs., Feb. 14th
• LibValue:  Commons Spaces Value - Thurs., Mar. 21st
• LibValue:  Books and E-Books - Thurs., Apr. 18th
• LibValue:  Comprehensive Approaches to Defining Library Value - Thurs., May 9th
• LibValue:  Success in Teaching and Research - Thurs., June 13th 
• LibValue:  Digitized Special Collections - Thurs., Aug. 15th

Register for any or all sessions here!
 

Advanced Power Searching with Google!

Brush up on your Google searching skills; check out Advance Power Searching with Google, a free, asynchronous online course. Register now to sharpen your research skills and strengthen your use of advanced Google search techniques to answer complex questions. Throughout this course you’ll also:

• Take your search strategies to a new level with sophisticated, independent search challenges.
• Join a community of Advanced Searchers working together to solve search challenges.
• Pose questions to Google search experts live in Hangouts and through a course forum.
• Receive an Advanced Power Searching certificate upon completion. 

 
Not sure if your skills are up to par enough to take the advanced class?  No worries -  go back to basics by checking out the Power Searching with Google course.
  
Don't hesitate to sign up today; the advanced course begins Jan. 23rd!

Spotify and Lean product development

Henrik Kniberg, has published an insightful case study, How Spotify Builds Products (2013). Spotify's approach to product development reflects many of the same ideas discussed in The Lean Startup. Spotify teams have boiled their process down to a memorable 4-stage model:

1. Think It
2. Build It
3. Tweak It
4. Ship It

Kniberg is a popular organizational consultant and a Lean, Kanban, and Agile evangelist. His helpful illustrations always make me think, "Yes, this is the way we need to be working!" If you're interested in program management, product development, improving our services, or you just love Spotify then the 10-page case study is worth your time.
More info-taining tools from Henrik Kniberg:

• 15-minute whiteboard animation, Agile Product Ownership in a Nutshell,
• Kanban board example.

Upcoming MCR RML sponsored webinars

BREEZING ALONG WITH THE RML -Open Access: We Are There - Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 - 10:00 MT, 11:00 CT 

Improving the Effectiveness of Your Print Media -  Jan 29, 2013 and Feb. 12, 2013 at 11:00 MT/ 12:00 CT.  Register no later than Jan. 22, 2013.

Institutional Politics - Earning Trust and Respect with Your Peers and Executives - Feb. 19, 2013  and March 12, 2013 at 11:00 MT/12:00 .  Register no later than Feb. 12, 2013.

Learn more (including how to register) here.

Thanks Rachel V. for passing along this information! 

OCLC Webinar on the future of WorldCat Resource Sharing and FirstSearch

Mark your calendar for next Wednesday, January 16 from 10-11:00 a.m. for OCLC's “Transforming Discovery and Resource Sharing with OCLC: FirstSearch, WorldCat Resource Sharing and More" webinar! Crystal has the conference room booked.

This session will provide updates on plans to expand and enhance the WorldCat Resource Sharing and FirstSearch services. It will also include information about what you can do to prepare for your library’s transition to the new services.  

Why attend this session?

New services from OCLC will provide opportunities to create and share at Webscale. OCLC WorldShare Interlibrary Loan will replace WorldCat Resource Sharing in 2013, helping library staff and users even more quickly and easily obtain the resources they need from libraries worldwide and take advantage of the WorldShare Platform. OCLC is also bringing the user-friendly features of WorldCat.org together with the precision searching of FirstSearch, valued by library staff and expert researchers, to provide new expert-level features. You will learn about plans for new functionality, timelines for migration and how to start thinking about the transition in your library.

Thanks for setting this up, Crystal!

Upcoming Webinar: NIH Public Access Policy Update

Join us Tuesday, January 15, for a live broadcast of NIH's webinar "Changes to NIH Public Access Policy and the Implications to Awards" at Dykes Library from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in room G025.

Starting in Spring 2013 changes in the NIH Public Access Policy can affect current and future funding. The NIH is offering this webinar to help grantee institutions better understand these changes. It will:

·         Describe the policy change

·         Provide an overview of My NCBI, a tool investigators use to track and report compliance

·         Describe the Public Access Compliance Monitor, a web based tool institutions can use to track public access compliance

·         Advise participants on where to find additional resources and training materials

  

Register today!