Teens and Tech: Virtual Hangouts

Teens and Tech: Virtual Hangouts (State Library of Florida)

Thursday, November 4, 9:30am EDT.

Join Paul Stonebridge, Teen Services Manager at the Land O' Lakes Branch Library of the Pasco County Library System, as he shares some of the hottest sites on the ‘Net for teens and tweens. He’ll cover websites ranging from general entertainment and pop culture to enlightening and creative sites that engage the young adult mind. He’ll offer advice on the safety and pitfalls of certain sites as well as the latest trends in what's hot and what's not in the world of 9-17 year-olds.

This program is a must for youth services staff and school media specialists who work with teen patrons.

E-Rate Update

E-Rate Update (State Library of Florida)

Thursday, October 28, 9:30am EDT.

Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC) conducts a series of training sessions each year for applicants and service providers who participate in the Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) Program. Come join Melinda Crowley, Maureen Givens, Mark Flynn and Dan Lhotka for a discussion about this year’s session, the changes in the program for 2010-11 and the relevance to Florida and Florida library E-Rate applications.

Bring your E-Rate questions, problems and difficulties and this expert panel will offer their suggestions for the 2010 filing year. This is your opportunity to be prepared for the 471 opening.

This program will be of interest to anyone involved in the E-Rate program and those considering applying for the first time.

Keep Your Computers Safe

Keep Your Computers Safe (WebJunction)

Thursday, October 28, 3:00pm EDT.

When you have computers connected to the Internet or to any external device, you need to take precautions. There are threats present that can not only cause harm to your computers, but could damage files on your network or potentially put sensitive data at risk. This free webinar will help you understand what the threats are and how your computers can get infected.

Kami Griffiths from TechSoup will interview Marian Merritt, an Internet Safety Advocate from Symantec Corporation who will explain what employees should know and what activities can be problematic. This webinar is ideal for anyone who seeks a basic understanding of security threats or needs a refresher course.

The Story of an Open Source Library

The Story of an Open Source Library (WebJunction)

Thursday, October 21, 2:00pm EDT.

This webinar will cover specific open source tools (some of which you may not have heard of before!) that work well for libraries and the benefits and challenges associated with their use. Meadville Public Library uses open source software on 90% of their public access computers.

Cindy Murdock Ames, IT Services Director and Kyle Hall, the library's on-staff developer, will share recommendations for libraries considering open source software and how to get started successfully. Cindy has been using open source software for over 10 years, which has allowed the library to save licensing costs and have more control over its computing environment. The library uses open source tools for their websites, e-mail, Internet firewall, wireless router, proxying, filtering, and productivity software. They use thin clients for Internet access and Koha for the circulation and public catalogs.

WebJunction Archived Webinars

As usual, archived webinars by WebJunction include the webinar recording, chat log, transcript, links galore, etc.  Great content, great archive.

• Gadget Checklist 2010: For library staff, users and our future
• Easy to be Free: Creating A Smart Wireless Network for your Library 

More Live October Webinars

WorldCat Resource Sharing Best Practices: Custom Holdings (OCLC) 

October 6, 2:00pm EDT.

Join us for a live session in which Mary Radnor, Resource Sharing Librarian at Florida International University will share her tips for successful use of the custom holdings feature of WorldCat Resource Sharing.

Conversations on Curricular Resource Strategy on the Road Ahead  (Blended Librarian) 

October 7, 3:00pm EDT. 

In this webcast we'll dive into conversations about the quickly-changing curricular resource landscape. Content abounds, created by innovative publishing houses, hard-driving open-content advocates, and truly transformative interactive digital resource creators; but there is more complexity and confusion in this learning resource rich world than ever before. What is the leadership role of librarians in helping strategically leverage these resources to drive high-quality, high-impact learning? How do we make these intriguing ideas work logistically, technologically, and practically?
 
Cloud Computing: Why You Should Care (TechSoup)

October 14, 2:00pm EDT.

The term cloud computing is being used more and more, but what is it and why should you understand it? In this free webinar we will explain what cloud computing means, define the different types, discuss how it is impacting nonprofits and libraries, and outline some criteria for use. The challenges of using the “cloud” will be discussed, as well as whether cloud computing will simplify your life and reduce software and IT staffing costs.

One Year Old

It is hard to believe the Library Webinars blog just turned one.  A "side project" that has taken on a life of its own.  

I'm pleased that the site has been helpful, not just to Florida library staff, but the blog is currently read by over 1,000 unique visitors each month from all over the globe.  

Thanks all!  You keep reading, I'll keep writing!