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Workshop - Best of the Best 2011

Date: Thursday, December 1, 2011
Time: 9:30 AM - noon
Place: MVLS

Join us for our annual look at favorite titles from 2011. Come as early as 8:30 AM to select children's and teen preview books. Register for Best of the Best using this online form.

Job Posting - Director, Johnstown Public Library (search reopened)

The Johnstown Public Library seeks an energetic Library Director with strong supervisory skills and the ability to oversee a dynamic community-minded operation. The position, vacated by the director retiring after 32 years, requires a candidate with strong communication skills and service ethic. The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to community outreach, long-range planning experience, fiscal management, and the ability to adapt as circumstances change. Exploration of alternate governance and funding may take place in 2012.

The Civil Service examination announcement and community and library profile, including a complete job description and minimum requirements, are available at the following link: http://www.fultoncountyny.gov/departments/pdf/LibraryDirectorI-11011.pdf

Applications, resumes, and a minimum of three references should be submitted to the Fulton County Personnel Department, 1 East Montgomery Street Johnstown, NY 12095. As a municipal public library, membership in the NYS Retirement System is required.

Workshop - Reading Up : Adult Books for Young Adults

Date: Friday, December 2, 2011
Time: Check in 12:30 PM, workshop 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Place: Crandall Public Library
Presenter: Beth Gallaway
Cost: $15 per attendee

Come discuss the appeal of adult books for youth, hear and share book talks for adult books to suggest to teens, and learn about YALSA's Alex Awards, a honor given annually to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18.

Complete information and the online registration form is here. The deadline to register is November 21.

Workshop - Legal Issues for Libraries

Date: Saturday, December 3, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Place: MidHudson Library System, 105 Market St, Poughkeepsie
Presenters: Robert Schofield and Ellen Bach, attorneys with Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna LLP
Cost: $25 per attendee

This workshop is appropriate for library directors and trustees who are interested in an overview of legal issues for public libraries in New York State.

Topics to be covered include:
• Property Tax Cap & Libraries
• What are the Issues, What Laws Govern?
Includes: authorities and governance, powers of trustees, Public Officers Law, funding, elections and more!
• Freedom of Information Law & Open Meetings Law
• What to Do if You’ve Been Sued

Presenters Robert Schofield and Ellen Bach, attorneys with Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna LLP, are the attrneys for many libraries in New York and were honored in 2010 by the New York Library Association with the Outstanding Advocate of Libraries Award.

Please register for this event online at http://calendar.midhudson.org

Workshop - Early Literacy Skills

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Place: Guilderland Public Library
Presenters: Mary Fellows, Sue Rokos, and local author/illustrator Matt McElligott
Cost: Free for MVLS and UHLS member library staff ; $25 all others

National emphasis on early literacy and the parent’s role in preparing children for reading success is increasing. As funders and government agencies focus more resources on early literacy, public libraries need to develop staff skills and early literacy-based services to position the library as a key player.

In this workshop, you will learn about research-based practices to help young children develop the skills they need before they learn to read. Included:

• An introduction to the second edition of Every Child Ready to Read® (ECRR) @ your library®, a program based on the five early literacy practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing
  
  
  
  
  
  • A preview of the ECRR workshop for parents and caregivers
  
  
  
  • Creating early literacy and learning spaces in your library

Please register by November 10 by following this link: http://bit.ly/rpdYj3

Send check, payable to UHLS, Upper Hudson Library System, 28 Essex Street, Albany, NY 12206. For further information, contact: Mary Fellows, UHLS, 518-437-9880 x228, mary@uhls.lib.ny.us

Webinar - Teaming up with Teens at your library

Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Place: Online
Cost: Free

What is the absolute best avenue to getting teens involved and engaged at your school or public library? How can you encourage them to be peer reader advisors and library advocates in the community? There is no better way to go than offering opportunities for active and involved teen library participation. In this webinar, you will explore ways teens can take part in your library, such as advisory groups, volunteering, short-term projects that use teen's special skills, and partnering with adults. You’ll also get tips on planning, organizing, conducting, and evaluating teen participation.

Preregistration is required for this webinar, and can be done through this link.

Webinar - Innovative Use of Skill-based Volunteers in Public Libraries

Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Place: Online
Cost: Free

There is a growing number of younger members of our communities who are highly skilled with technology and the internet but view local public libraries as nice community amenities with little relevance to their world. There is also a notable increase in semi-retired, computer literate, actively engaged Baby Boomers. These two groups can be tapped to become the new volunteer base for libraries. By engaging these "new volunteers," libraries are helping to build vibrant sustainable community support for their library. This webinar identifies the critical issues and plan of action necessary to engage skilled-based library community volunteers.

Preregistration is required for this webinarand can be done through this link.

Webinar - Using Smartphones as a Marketing and Programming Tool

Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Time: 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Place: Online at http://infopeople.org/training/using-smartphones
Cost: Free

Smartphones are quickly becoming the number one resource for American’s to access the information they need. With the proliferation of technology advances, it’s not always easy to keep up with the latest trends or understand how to master the technology to use it effectively and efficiently. This webinar will focus on the use of smartphones and its application to the library’s marketing and programming needs. This one-hour webinar will:

• Present an overview of smartphone basics



• Review specific marketing opportunities that you can incorporate in your work



• Identify how to make your programming smart through media and technology



• Demonstrate how one library blended marketing and programming through their teen center



• Receive online resources that can assist you with next steps

By the end of this webinar you’ll have the basic knowledge needed to move forward in utilizing smartphones in your marketing efforts and programming that will engage your community.

This webinar will be of interest to library staff involved with marketing, programming and teen projects who are looking for new ways to connect with their community.

Webinars are free of charge and registration is only done on the day of the event on the WebEx server. No passwords are required. Simply visit http://infopeople.org/training/using-smartphones on October 12 to join in.

New in the Professional Collection

Without a Net : Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide
by Jessamyn West