SLK News

WebJunction has offered a large catalog of desktop courses, and this has been the most heavily-used of the WebJunction services. The most popular courses have often been the 47 Library Education at Your Desktop (LE@D) courses created at the University of North Texas. These courses have the most specific library-related training content.

The University of North Texas has closed the LE@D Program and will not be producing new content. Enrollment in the LE@D courses in the WebJunction Course catalog will be available at the WebJunction Courses tab through February 29, 2012. Once you enroll, you will then have one year from that date to complete the course. There will be no disruption or changes in access during this period.

The five most popular LE@D courses at WebJunction are:

Managing Difficult Patrons with Confidence
Cataloging Basics 101
Online Research Strategies for Librarians
Genealogy: An Introduction for Library Staff
Social Media 101: Business & Career Tools

To view all the LE@D courses and to enroll, go to the catalog – http://ks.webjunction.org/catalog, and click on the LE@D link at the top of the Provider list.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Immediately after enrolling, launch the course from your My Courses page and follow the instructions to request a special University of North Texas login unique to your enrollment. When you receive the email with your login, please use it at least once before February 29 to ensure your access is verified.

 There are five new LE@D courses that you will want to take a look at in the WebJunction Kansas course catalog at:
http://ks.webjunction.org/catalog

If you enroll in one of these courses, you will need to complete the coursework within 30 days. All of the LE@D courses are assigned three contact hours and none is an extensive time commitment. The University of North Texas has announced that they are shutting down the LE@D program and will not be producing new LE@D courses. The availability of LE@D courses currently in the catalog will be determined later.

Babies Into Books
http://ks.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/132387070

Public Library Foundations and Fundraising
http://ks.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/132387218

Writing Well: Basic Skills for Library Staff
http://ks.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/132387495

School Library 101: From Good to Amazing!
http://ks.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/132387146

Information Literacy for Students
http://ks.webjunction.org/catalog/-/courses/details/132387744

WebJunction is working to complete a major system upgrade this winter. This upgrade will impact any WJ courses that are not completed by the end of January 2012. The upgrade will result in a loss of coursework for any incomplete course. Records of completed courses will be retained, and it will still be possible to print certificates for those.

To avoid losing any current course progress, please complete all the courses you are enrolled in by January 30, 2012. Any course still in your active My Courses list after that date will need to be re-added and restarted after the WebJunction upgrade.

If you have any questions, please send email to Shannon.Roy@library.ks.gov

Do you wish you could be more creative in work and life? If you envy those who come up with new and different ideas, but feel that just can’t be you, this course can help you break through that personal barrier. Creativity isn’t just an inherent talent, it involves specific skills and techniques that can be learned. You may not turn out to be Picasso, but you just might come up with a new way your library can meet its mission!

Generating Creative and Innovative Ideas: Enhancing Your Creativity

 The course description reads as follows:

What makes a person creative? Do you consider yourself creative? Certain personal characteristics have been linked with creativity – for example, a willingness to take risks, the ability to connect diverse ideas, and open-mindedness. And most important, perhaps, is believing that you are creative. Many people get stuck because they think ‘I’m not a creative person.’ But everyone has creative potential. Understanding the characteristics you possess that boost your creativity and those that inhibit it can help you enhance your creative output in the workplace. This course explores the essential attributes of a creative person. It also describes barriers to creativity and how to overcome these. In addition, it demonstrates how you can enhance your creativity in the workplace.

This course is intended for any individual who wants to be more creative and innovative at work. You will need to have a WebJunction affiliation before taking a course.

Two free webinars are available from WebJunction in September. They are live audiovisual programs that are conducted online via WebEx web conferencing. Anyone who has an Internet connection and access to a telephone or VoIP connection can participate. These free events allow you to meet and learn from library leaders and fellow library practitioners.

Innovations from America’s Best Small Libraries 2011  
Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, CDT 

Library Journal’s annual Best Small Library in America Award, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was created in 2005 to encourage and showcase the exemplary work of libraries serving populations under 25,000. In collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, we are hosting this webinar with 2011 finalists. This year’s winner, Naturita Community Library (CO), serves a population of only 2,100 with technology, distance education, and programming supporting all the community’s lifelong learning needs. The Ames Free Library (North Easton, MA) bridges the computing gap with a nimble thin-client network, wireless access, and laptops for patron use, along with Computer Tutors who help bring patrons to the next level. Page Public Library (AZ) offers almost daily programs for patrons across the age spectrum and addresses patron technology needs including equipment to access distance learning. Join Susan Rice, branch supervisor, Naturita Community Library; Paul Paladino, director, Montrose Regional Library District; Madeline Miele Holt, director, Ames Free Library; Debbie Winlock, director, Page Public Library; and Library Journal’s executive editor, Rebecca Miller for an hour of innovative and practical inspiration from three of America’s best small libraries.

Registration is available at:
http://ks.webjunction.org/events/webinars

Putting the Public Back in Public Libraries: Community-Led Libraries  
Monday, September 26, 2011, 12:00 – 1:00 PM, CDT

While public libraries are generally viewed as inclusive spaces, there are large segments of community that do not use them. Beginning in 2004, four large urban library systems from across Canada – Vancouver, Toronto, Regina and Halifax Public Libraries – spent four years working in socially excluded communities, to determine how to make public library services relevant to the needs of underserved communities. As a result, it was discovered that when communities are involved in the identification, development and delivery of library services, there can be an exhilarating effect. Since the conclusion of the highly successful Working Together Project (2004-2008), public libraries from across Canada have integrated community-led approaches and techniques. This webinar, brought to you in collaboration with Library Journal, will discuss the major outcomes of the project and provide examples of how the bringing this approach into library service planning makes libraries even more relevant to local needs.

Presenters: Tracey Jones-Grant, manager of ELL, Literacy and Diversity Services, Halifax Public Libraries; Ken Williment, community development manager for Halifax Public Libraries; and Randy Gatley, community librarian, Vancouver Public Library.

Registration is available at:
http://ks.webjunction.org/events/webinars

To see information on WebJunction webinars, webinar achives, and online conferences, click on the Webinars tab in WebJunction Kansas.