Tag Archive for 'technology'

BEST Conference Registration Open!

Published by Christine on June 9, 2011 in General, IT, Public Libraries and programs. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I am excited to announce that registration is now open for  the BEST Conference (Broadband, E-rate, Sustainability and Technology) to be held on August 25 & 26, 2011 in beautiful Breckenridge Colorado. The registration form and a draft of the agenda can be found on the BEST website. Check back often as we continue to add details about the sessions and speakers!

Thanks to a Gates grant, registration, lodging, food and travel will be covered for one staff member per library (2 staff members may attend if your library serves a population of 100,000 or more). We will make the hotel reservations for you based on the registrations received. Continue reading ‘BEST Conference Registration Open!’

We Need Your Patron-Centered Tech Training Materials!

Published by Shelly Drumm on November 4, 2010 in Innovation, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Special Libraries and advocacy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Hello Colorado Libraryland!

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the Next Generation Colorado Virtual Library will be in part a showcase and a repository of some of the amazing stuff you’re doing across Colorado. In order to highlight your greatness, we need to find out about and grab whatever it is you’re creating out there in libraryland. To that end, we’ll be asking you to send us your content periodically, so that we can tweak it, web-ify it, and present it to the world. The first module we’re tackling is technology training, and we want the best technology training material libraries in Colorado have to offer!

What We Want

We trust you know what your patrons need better than we do, so we plan to devise content areas once we take a look at what gets submitted. We have some ideas (see “More on ‘Content’” below!), Continue reading ‘We Need Your Patron-Centered Tech Training Materials!’

Not a User of the Colorado Virtual Library? You Will Be!

Published by Shelly Drumm on October 22, 2010 in Innovation, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Special Libraries and advocacy. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Or at least we hope you’ll give it a shot, once the dust settles.

When the Colorado Virtual Library (CVL) was launched over a decade ago, it was a new and exciting resource, unlike anything available in the Colorado library community at that time. But times have changed, and we regret to confess, the CVL hasn’t. The way that we use the internet and the kinds of tools available to us are changing at a breakneck pace, and the rate of change is only accelerating. It’s with all of this in mind that we’re approaching a complete redesign of the CVL.

Our Approach

While technical decisions are still in the works, we know we’ll be building an ever-changing collection of content modules (more on that in a minute!) around a central core of heavily-used library services such as AskColorado’s awesome 24/7 reference service, SWIFT interlibrary loan (soon with more patron-initiated functionality!), and access to valuable digital collections. Those content modules will be developed on an as-needed basis, allowing us to be more responsive to your needs and those of your patrons. Continue reading ‘Not a User of the Colorado Virtual Library? You Will Be!’

OITP Seeks Nominations for Best Library Practices Using Cutting-Edge Technology

Published by Michelle on October 21, 2010 in General, IT and Innovation. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) is once again soliciting nominations for best library practices using cutting-edge technology.

Last year, OITP’s America’s Libraries for the 21st Century Subcommittee launched the “cutting-edge” contest to showcase libraries that serve their communities with novel and innovative methods and to provide the library community with some successful models for delivering quality library services in new ways.

Christine Lind Hage, chair of the subcommittee, said the wide response to the 2009 call was so inspiring, the subcommittee knew another contest was in order. Last year, three libraries were cited for their outstanding work.

“These winners showed that libraries of all sizes can do innovative projects that are worthy of replication across library types,” Hage said.

“With all the creative technological work being done in libraries, I’m sure that this year we’ll see some exciting apps, projects or services that we’ll want to showcase.”

Nominations should be sent to the American Library Association, Office for Information Technology Policy, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, 1st Floor, Washington, D.C. 20009 or to ainouye@alawash.org by November 1, 2010.  Details for the nomination process are available on the OITP website.

2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey Launched

Published by Michelle on September 14, 2010 in General, IT, Public Libraries and funding. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Each year, the American Library Association and the Center for Library & Information Innovation, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, surveys a national sample of public libraries regarding their Internet connectivity and computing access resources. The 2010-2011 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study survey (PLFTAS) is now open and survey announcement postcards should be arriving at libraries this week.

The survey portal is www.plinternetsurvey.org – respondents can find FAQs and other support, and then head to “start survey.”  That is also where you will find the 4 issue briefs (Broadband, Community Access, E-government, and Employment), as well as state summaries for Employment and E-government. The survey closes November 5, 2010.

Why participate in this survey? Continue reading ‘2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey Launched’

Learn More about Library Technology and/or Video Creation

Published by Valerie Horton on April 20, 2010 in conferences. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Hotel registration for the CALC Summit 2010 – Collaborate Like You Mean it – has been extended until April 23.  Register for only $99 tax-free, hotel prices increase significantly April 24th!  http://www.calcweb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=140

Did you know that the CALC Summit 2010 pre-conference workshops. . .
- Are relevant to library staff from any type of library?
- Are open to people who don’t plan to attend the 2010 Summit?
- Only cost $40 each?
The workshops will be held May 19 at Red Rocks Community College. Interested? Read on for session descriptions and registration information!

Continue reading ‘Learn More about Library Technology and/or Video Creation’

WebJunction’s Online Help Desk

Published by Christine on December 7, 2009 in IT. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

I recently posted about WebJunction’s TechAtlas, a great technology planning tool for libraries, but did you know that inside TechAtlas is a tool that allows libraries to create an online help desk to stay on top of computer problems within the library? Check out the archived webinar  about Event Tracker at WebJunction!

Tech & Learning Top Stories For Schools

Published by Michelle on September 25, 2009 in Academic Libraries, Continuing Education, General, IT, Instruction, Reference Services and School Libraries. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Here are some school-related stories from Tech & Learning magazine. They may be useful for integrating technology into the classroom, providing guidelines with how to use the technology, and more.

For more information, visit the Tech & Learning home page, or find them on Facebook or Twitter.

2009-2010 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Survey

Published by Michelle on September 17, 2009 in General, Innovation, Public Libraries, advocacy and funding. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

The 2009-2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access survey conducted by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Center for Library & Information Innovation at the University of Maryland is now available for completion.

Your participation in the survey is extremely important, and directly impacts the ability of ALA and others to advocate on behalf of public libraries and the tremendous contribution public libraries make to  their communities through their public access Internet services and resources. Data from the study appeared most recently in USA Today in a discussion of how public libraries help job seekers.

The survey is open through November 6, 2009.  You will need an ID number, which you may look up on the website. Questions regarding the survey should be directed to support@plinternetsurvey.org or 301-405-9445. Continue reading ‘2009-2010 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Survey’

ALA OITP Office Looking For Best Practices Using Cutting-Edge Technology

Published by Michelle on August 3, 2009 in General, IT and Innovation. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) is soliciting nominations for best library practices using cutting-edge technology.

“We want to showcase libraries that are serving their communities with novel and innovative methods and provide the library community with some successful models for delivering quality library service in new ways,” said Vivian Pisano, Chair of OITP’s America’s Libraries for the 21st Century Subcommittee.

Nominations should be sent to the American Library Association, Office for Information Technology Policy, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, 1st Floor, Washington, D.C. 20009 by September 1, 2009.  Details about the nomination process and an online submission form are available on the OITP Web site.

The America’s Libraries for the 21st Century Subcommittee will review all nominations and conduct selected interviews or site visits to identify those libraries that are truly offering a best practice or most innovative service.  Libraries or library service areas selected will be publicized via the OITP Web site, highlighted through ALA publications, and featured in a program at the ALA Annual Conference in 2010.