Free Online Education Opportunities for April 2012

Listed below are FREE programs American Management Association, Booklist, Colorado State Library, Common Knowledge, Education Week, Grantspace, Harvard Business Review, Infopeople, InSync Training, Library Journal, National Library of Medicine, O’Reilly, San Jose State University – SLIS, SirsiDynix , TechSoup, TL Virtual Café, and WebJunction, will be webcasting during April.

In the event that you aren’t available during those times, or you would like to check out past webinars, here are the links to archived events:

OPAL Webinar Archives
Infopeople
Common Knowledge
School Library Journal
Booklist
Tech Soup
Library Journal
eSchool News Webinars
WebJunction
EDUCAUSE Live! archives
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
TL Virtual Café

April 2 (8-9 pm)
Dynamic Duo: English Teacher & Teacher Librarian (TL Virtual Café)

Creating a Culture of Reading wherever they Go! Meenoo Rami, Nick Provenzano and Shannon M. Miller offer an important discussion around how classroom teachers and librarians should be working together to create a rich literacy environment in our schools.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 3 (1-2 pm)

The mobile web is a complex place. There are lots of ways to build a mobile website—how do you choose the right tool for the job? In this webcast presentation, we touch on a series of technologies and techniques including: Responsive Web Design (RWD), Mobile-first RWD, Server-side device detection, HTML5 and CSS3 on mobile, Device idiosyncrasies, Some of our favorite tools and tips for mobile development. If you already have web development chops but want to go mobile, this is the talk for you! Familiarity with HTML and CSS is a must; comfort with some JavaScript is helpful.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 3 (2-3 pm)

Join in for a fast, fun tour of quick tools and tricks that will support rapid instructional design, cut to the heart of needs analysis, and improve communication with subject matter experts and managers and others requesting training solutions.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

http://bit.ly/GZFMOG

April 3 (2-3 pm)

Capturing the attention of the often elusive male reader continues to be a goal of many youth publishers. What are some of the top titles and trends that that you should be aware of? Join us for a fascinating hour-long program moderated by Books for Youth senior editor Daniel Kraus and featuring a panel of representatives from Listening Library, Annick, and Lormier.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 3 (3-4 pm)
An Introduction to the LSSC Program (American Library Association/Library Support Staff Certification Program)

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. *Note the Wyoming State Library will offer 10 LSSC registration assistance grants ($175) beginning April 16*

For more information and to register for the program, visit:

April 4 (1-2 pm)

The usability and accessibility teams in MIT’s Department of Information Services and Technology have always worked closely together, but were formally merged during a department-wide reorganization in 2009. The goal in blending the teams was to provide a comprehensive service to clients without diluting individual practices. Over two years, we have strengthened our ability to advocate persuasively for both usability and accessibility with clients. We’ve also seen fewer projects slip through the cracks and observed standards applied more consistently. The merge has provided a greater understanding of why the two practices belong together, how this can happen, and the importance of commitment from administrative leadership.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 4 (2-3 pm)

Many of us regard a move into management as “going to the dark side,” but leadership is not only reserved for those with manager in their title. Learning effective supervisory skills can benefit many levels of work in the library, especially if you wear multiple hats in your organization serving as both staff peer and manager. Find out the top 10 actions to take and the top 10 mistakes to avoid as an everyday leader. By the end of this webinar, you’ll have some simple and effective tools to help you work more powerfully with your colleagues or become the supervisor you always wanted to work for.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 4 (2:30 – 3:30 pm)

Tweeting, Pinning, Posting, Skyping- what’s next?! Communicating in the ever-evolving technosphere requires a keen focus on adaptability and flexibility. In an increasingly media rich digital world, there’s a lot more to effective communication than the ability to read and write. Successful and meaningful communication now relies on our ability to fluidly transition through a wide range of media and communication tools and environments. Transliteracy is the ability to communicate and interact across multiple platforms and technologies. This session will introduce you to the principles of transliteracy and will provide practical ideas for integrating transliteracy skills into staff training, public training, and public programming. We’ll discuss ways in which your library can equip staff with the skills necessary to keep pace in a transliterate world. During the session, you’ll generate ideas for library programs and classes that your library can deliver to your communities to ensure transliteracy flourishes.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 9 (3-4 pm)

While conventional LIS youth services concentrates on collections, this presentation, part of a 3-year IMLS National Leadership grant, engages a critical youth studies approach examining “spatial equity” for young adults in libraries: what current U.S. practices tell us. Recently collected quantitative data from both professionals and youth library users further inform on-going qualitative research with video ethnography and experimental 3D mockups of real spaces.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 10 (12-1 pm)

Managers have long believed that building high-performance teams is an art and not a science. But new research reveals a scientific approach to building great teams. MIT’s Human Performance Dynamics Laboratory has identified the specific factors that characterize high-performing teams. These factors are observable, quantifiable, and measurable. On April 10, 2012, join Sandy Pentland, the Director of MIT’s Human Performance Dynamics Laboratory, as he describes why high-performing teams are different. He will explain why patterns of communication are the key to great teams and will identify the specific elements of communication that most affect team performance.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 10 (1-2 pm)

Jesse McDougall, author of #tweetsmart, discusses the approach of engaging in Twitter community-building projects in a way that is strategic, fun, and measurable. Jesse will share some of his favorite Twitter projects to demonstrate how to build community in 140 characters or less and will show how your business can benefit.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 10 (2-3 pm)

As readership of graphic novels continues to skyrocket, it’s clear that the format has firmly taken root for a wide range of readers. How can you stay on top of the hottest new graphic novels for children and teens? Join us for an exciting, hour-long program moderated Booklist Books for Youth senior editor Ian Chipman and featuring a panel of representatives from six leading graphic-novel publishers: ABDO, First Second Books, Kids Can Press, Papercutz, TOON Books, and Top Shelf.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 10 (3-4 pm)
Spring Adult Book Buzz (Library Journal)

Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford’s Canada, his first novel in six years. Chelsea Cain’s Kill You Twice, next in the New York Times best-selling Archie Sheridan series. And award-winning broadcast journalist Lynn Sherr’s Swim: Why We Love the Water. These are some of the spring/summer season’s hottest titles, and they’ll be featured with other big titles on LJ’s April 10 webcast, Spring Adult Book Buzz. Arm yourself with suggestions for vacation reading by joining us as sponsors Harper Collins, Macmillan Library Marketing, Perseus, and Random House share their top picks.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 10 (2-3 pm)

Get connected with your library patrons! Connecting with patrons in the online world is vital for libraries. Learn how to build and maintain virtual, internet-based connections with your patrons by utilizing the tools they are increasingly using themselves, including Google Plus, QR Codes, and Pinterest. We will focus on how to get started with these platforms and how to immediately put them to use for your library. You will also be provided with ideas to expand your use of these great connection-oriented tools. Learn how libraries are growing virtual community connections and engaging with their patrons.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 11 (11-12 am)
Mobilize your library with SirsiDynix BookMyne! (SirsiDynix)

This session will give libraries a preview of the BookMyne 3.0 mobile app. With BookMyne 3.0, all the great features of the BookMyne iPhone application are now extended to Android mobile users. Libraries can also take this a step further with BookMyne+, a unique customized app specific to your library. Project Gutenberg e-book integration, a refreshed user interface and native tablet support mark the BookMyne 3.0 release.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 11 (3-4 pm)

Learn the characteristics of effective nonprofits and assess whether yours is ready for foundation fundraising. This class is designed for new nonprofits or community groups with very little experience in grantseeking. We focus specifically on foundation fundraising. The course will address such questions as: What groundwork do I have to have in place before approaching foundations for funding? What are the steps to obtaining incorporation and nonprofit status and where can I get some help to do so?

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 11 (8:30-9:30 pm)

Librarians are breaking into a wide range of fields outside the traditional roles because our skills are extremely valuable across the board to many organizations and agencies. The Intelligence community is one of these. This presentation will highlight the transferable skills needed to make the transition from librarian to intelligence analyst, as well as provide tips on preparing a resume, and yourself, for a career supporting law enforcement and military agencies using your LIS background.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 13 (3-4 pm)

Learn how to enhance your organization’s competitiveness and strengthen its financial health. Sustainability is a popular but often misunderstood buzzword in our sector. Nonprofit sustainability means more than just generating enough money to keep our organization afloat. In this class we will begin with the definition of nonprofit sustainability, and then we will cover each of the four key elements that contribute to long-term sustainability for an organization. Learn what you can do to increase your organization’s competitiveness and strengthen its financial health in the current economic climate.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 17 (2-3 pm)

Time management” is an oxymoron. You can’t change it, or lengthen it, or shorten it, or ‘manage’ it. This course will help you identify ways to deal with the things you can manage: yourself, others, and the tasks with which you’re confronted.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 17 (3-4 pm)
Healing Reads: Bibliotherapy for the 21st Century (Infopeople)

The popularity of bibliotherapy has seen resurgence in the last few years with an emphasis on using both fiction and non-fiction reading in highly creative ways. Its aim now is to increase individual well-being rather than simply focus on self-help and psychological disorders. These changes offer a renewed role for bibliotherapy in your library! This one-hour webinar will review the benefits of bibliotherapy for all ages, provide examples of programming and services available, and share with you how to incorporate the use of bibliotherapy into your library. This webinar will be of interest to Adult, Teen and Children’s Librarians and Academic Librarians.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 18 (12-1 pm)
Breezing Along with the RML (National Library of Medicine)

Betsy Kelly, NN/LM MCR Assessment & Evaluation Coordinator will present on A&E software development challenge and the Kansas/Technology Coordinator will present at this session.

To log in, visit https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr. Enter as a guest. Sign in with your first and last names. Follow the instructions in the meeting room to have the Adobe Acrobat Connect system call you on your telephone.
April 18 (12-1 pm)
How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief (American Management Association)

Are Your Employees “All In?” Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton teamed up with Towers Watson to analyze an unprecedented 300,000-person study revealing that high-performance organizations possess a distinctive kind of culture. In these environments, employees believe in their leaders and the company’s mission, values, and goals. Join us as Gostick and Elton explore a simple 7-step roadmap for creating a high-achieving culture: defining a burning platform, creating rigorous customer focus, making sure team members root for one another, and establishing clear accountability

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 18 (2-3 pm)

Need an easy way to handle your organization’s accounting transactions? Join our free webinar, QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits and Libraries! on Wednesday, April 18 at 11 a.m. Pacific time to learn more about how you can streamline your day-to-day business with the new 2012 updates to Intuit’s QuickBooks. During this webinar, we will be hearing from QuickBooks Made Easy instructor Gregg Bossen about how this tool can aid your nonprofit or library, giving you an in-depth look at the new updates to the QuickBooks software.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 19 (1-2 pm)
Responsive Web Design Bootcamp (O’Reilly)

It is no longer safe to assume that visitors to your website are sitting in front of a large monitor equipped with a keyboard and mouse. As smartphones overtake the desktop as the primary portal to the Web – and as new device types and interaction models continue to emerge – designers need to adopt future-friendly strategies that support a full range of user contexts with a single codebase. This webcast is for web designers and developers who are interested in creating mobile web sites and web apps. A working familiarity with standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript would be very helpful but is not required.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 19 (12-1 pm)
What’s New in Children’s Reference (Booklist)
Explore how children’s reference has changed over the years, and how publishers are creating new publications and innovative delivery methods to help librarians meet new challenges. Representatives from World Book will present during this free, hour-long webinar moderated by Rebecca Vnuk, Booklist Reference and Collection Management editor.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
http://bit.ly/HlP6Nb


April 20 (1-2 pm)

Steve and Desta Krong of Krong Design Inc. will discuss some of the latest trends in library architecture and interior design such as: how libraries have transformed through the years, the importance of design, identity, and branding, how to prepare for the future of library design, budget and scope considerations, architect‘s and interior designer‘s working relationships, new library rooms & areas, finish materials, furniture, lighting trends, case study reviews, and sustainability in library design and operations.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 23 (2-3 pm)
My 3 Top Favorite Things (Accessible Technology Coalition)

Our iPad expert and AT Specialist, Jennifer McDonald-Peltier, will tell us about three apps that she uses all the time, with a variety of students. They are all very flexible and allow quick and easy personalization for the many individuals she sees.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 24 (2-3 pm)

Booklist Online editor Keir Graff will preview Mystery Month, from Booklist’s May 1 Mystery Showcase to a wealth of Booklist Online exclusive content. Publishers HarperCollins, Macmillan, Random House, and Severn House will share the best titles for libraries from their forthcoming lists.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 24 (3-4 pm)
Cook Book Spring Buzz (Library Journal)

As the nation’s diet—and its consequences—has become an increasingly common topic of conversation, commonsensical truths—from the social benefits of a shared family meal to the health boost that home cooked, unprocessed foods provide—have gained new advocates. What a better way to tap into these benefits than by cracking open some of these forthcoming spring cooking titles and preparing a delicious meal to share with friends or family.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 24 (3-4 pm)

Thinking of enhancing early literacy environments in your library? Wanting to learn more about technology for young children? Can’t decide what type of early literacy technology to add to your library? This webinar will review the benefits of technology for young children, the types of technology available, and how to incorporate the technology into your library. Find out how libraries can play a role in enhancing early literacy technology experiences and the importance of promoting technology for all ages.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:

April 25 (7-8 pm)
Mobilize your library with SirsiDynix BookMyne! (SirsiDynix)

This session will give libraries a preview of the BookMyne 3.0 mobile app. With BookMyne 3.0, all the great features of the BookMyne iPhone application are now extended to Android mobile users. Libraries can also take this a step further with BookMyne+, a unique customized app specific to your library. Project Gutenberg e-book integration, a refreshed user interface and native tablet support mark the BookMyne 3.0 release.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 25 (3-4 pm)
Spotlight! on National Library of Medicine Resources (National Library of Medicine)

This Spotlight! session will focus on PubMed Health and will be presented by Dana Abbey, NN/LM MCR Health Information Literacy/Colorado Coordinator.  This online training is FREE. Register online at http://tinyurl.com/mcrclasses (registration is not required but is appreciated).

URL: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr Equipment: connection to the Internet and a phone, Login: as a guest with your first and last name. Instructions to connect to the audio will show up once you’ve logged in. Captioning will be provided.

April 27 (3-4 pm)

The world of young adult literature is an inherently dynamic one and one that, in the last decade, has become among the most active in publishing. Each new publishing season brings a plethora of new titles, new forms, and new formats, many of which require new methods of evaluation. Keeping up with all of these changes and the new titles flooding the market can be a full-time job. This webinar will help students identify new trends and the best new titles and resources for collection development.

For more information and to register for this program, visit:
April 30 (1-2 pm)

Government accountability, fostered by ready availability of public records, is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Yet the government also holds increasingly large amounts of sensitive personal and business data that is legitimately entitled to confidential treatment. Needless retention of information that is truly no longer needed creates risks ranging from improper breach of confidentiality, to burdens of “searching the haystack,” to unmanageable opacity by simple result of sheer quantity. The accelerating increase in the volume and range of public information calls for forward-looking management of information as a highly important asset.
Trevor Lewis is a Records Analyst and the Local Records Program Coordinator at Vermont State Archives and Records Administration within the Vermont Secretary of State.

To attend this program, visit: