Information Today’s excellent Computers in Libraries conference took place in Washington DC last week and featured top-notch presentations by librarian on the cutting-edge of technology.  If you didn’t get a chance to attend you’ll want to check out these great presentations by talented info pros!

1.) Rock Your Library’s Content With WordPress

Chad Haefele, Emerging Technologies Librarian, UNC Chapel Hill
Chad Boeninger, Head of Reference & Business Librarian, Ohio University

This session looks at the strengths, scalability, and flexibility of WordPress for library applications. Haefele describes how UNC Libraries selected and implemented WordPress as a content management system for their large university library website. Take a look at the power, ease of use, and customization offered by WordPress as well as tips on supporting a complex site.With years of experience using WordPress to power his business blog, a website designed to help business researchers at his institution, Boeninger demonstrates why he prefers WordPress as an alternative to commercial applications such as Libguides and showcases plugins, taxonomies, and techniques for organizing and promoting library research guide content.

2.) Re-Imagining the Library Website Experience

Kim Vassiliadis, Head, User Experience, UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries
Chad Haefele, Emerging Technologies Librarian, UNC Chapel Hill
Emily King, Coordinator of E-Learning Services, User Experience Department, University Library, UNC
Kelly Coulter, Vitual Services Manager, Richland Library

Think redesigning your website is a big task? Imagine tackling 30,000 hand coded web pages. The UNC team did just that, striking out to create a user-focused, visually stimulating website built using responsive design. They share insights into taking the UNC library’s web presence to the next level and describe how they analyzed their web presence, conducted usability testing, redesigned content, made design decisions, and developed a content management strategy. Coulter describes Richland Library’s quest to create the ideal library user experience. Transforming Richland’s library site from a portal that sends library users off to different vendor platforms, Coulter shares how it is improving fragmented experience by offering library patrons an integrated user experience via custom modules in Drupal. Learn about the pieces of the integration puzzle and lessons learned as a new library user experience is crafted.

3.) Tools & Idea Blitz: Steal for Your Website!

Chad Mairn, Information Services Librarian, St. Petersburg College (Presentation Link)
Jenny Brandon, Web Designer/Librarian, Michigan State University Libraries (Presentation Link)
Rick Bearden, Automation Librarian, Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education, Ferris State University (Presentation Link)
Emily R Mitchell, Librarian / Webmaster, SUNY Oswego
Amy Deschenes, Systems & Web Applications Librarian, Beatley Library, Simmons College (Additional Presentation Link)

This session looks at some new and sometimes overlooked ways of enhancing the library’s web presence and shares new tools, design themes, and applications. Mairn shows how you can revolutionize mobile phones with your floorplan. He describes how places like libraries or campuses can work with Google to get their physical space mapped for indoor guidance with Google Indoor Maps.When someone zooms in on your library building on Google Maps, floorplans automatically appear. In your library, users would have point-by-point navigation via their Android smartphone or tablet (soon on iOS devices too) to reference desks, study rooms, computer labs, etc. Brandon looks at theming in Drupal and illustrates the steps, from the selection of a base theme to those involved in setting up a subtheme, using HTML/CSS to design multiple layouts. MSU Libraries’ chose the Omega base theme, the second-most-installed theme for Drupal CMS. Working with this theme, MUS Libraries’ web team created a responsive design for their academic library website. Bearden and Mitchell describe some of the hurdles they faced to keep their library website accessible, including a battle with Google.With the pace of tech change and job mobility, the old paradigm of solving problems by knowing who to ask is shifting to knowing what to ask. Find out what to ask when you’re faced with ensuring accessibility of link resolvers, authentication systems, proxy services, and other systems essential to libraries. Sharpen up your skills (and your mind) to help keep your library site accessible. Deschenes looks at custom development of a new tool for sharing information about Simmons College library collections and services with patrons and stakeholders. Many libraries are focusing on measurement and assessment and Deschenes used Zoho Creator as a statistics management tool to share library data. She illustrates a lightweight, dynamic online dashboard built to visualize data stored in a Google spreadsheet using Sheetsee.js. Not only will you have a chance to see the dashboard, you’ll get the steps to create one for your library.

Read the full post 10 Awesome Presentations from Computers in Libraries 2014 on OEDB.org.

I’ve been to many conferences and events and I’ve seen a wide-range of presentation styles and formats, but the one that I’ve found to be most engaging is the PechaKucha.  The PechaKucha 20X20 style is a Japanese presentation style in which each speaker prepares a PowerPoint presentation consisting of 20 images (or slides), each of which is shown for 20 seconds. The slides advance automatically and so the speaker must talk to each slide as it changes.  They are highly visual and very fast-paced presentations – each lasting only 6 minutes and 40 seconds total!

This year I’ve volunteered to organize two such panels and while I’ve attended many of these events I really had no idea what was involved in planning one until now.  I’ve found that they take quite a bit of forethought and planning, so I thought I’d share my research and experience with organizing twoof these panel events.

PechaKucha Panel Planning

Choose a Theme: You’ll want to choose a theme which will tie all of your presenters’ talks together.  The theme that I chose was Law Librarianship in the Digital Age and I filled the panel with speakers who contributed a chapter to that book.  Each will be speaking on their respective topics that they wrote about.

Recruit Speakers: A PechaKucha panel or event can have any number of presenters.  The two that I’ve been organizing contain 8 and 10.  You’ll want to make it clear to prospective participants that preparing a PechaKucha presentation can be quite time consuming, and let them know the “rules” or guidelines involved ahead of time.

Find a Moderator: In order to keep a PechaKucha on track, you’ll want to have someone moderate who isn’t speaking. They can load up all the presentations, introduce the panel at the beginning of the session and explain the Pecha Kucha style to the audience, and introduce the speakers..

Read the full post How to Organize a PechaKucha Panel on OEDB.org.

‘Tis the season for online learning, especially in the library field!  December’s calendar is brimming with exciting and free learning opportunities for librarians looking for professional development.  Check out this list of 35 gratis webinars, just in time for the holidays!

1. Wednesday, Dec 4
   1:00 – 2:00 pm (Eastern)
   Serving the DIY Patron: Library Instruction at the Point of Need (Florida Library)
   What DIY patrons want most isn’t traditional person-to-person reference services, but rather web- and mobile device-based resources so they can serve themselves through the library. In this workshop, Farkas will explore the DIYmindset and ways to embed online instruction and live virtual reference help at patrons’ points of need, whether online, in the library, or out in the world.
2. Wednesday, Dec 4
   2:00 – 3:00 pm (Eastern)
   The Future is Now: Rural Library as Innovation Incubator (WebJunction)
   With the technology landscape constantly shape-shifting, libraries must respond as futurists to changing patron needs. Learn how to remain relevant, if not core, to your community’s needs by providing the means and support for patrons to create and innovate. Rural and small libraries with limited resources can become community innovation incubators, by providing patrons access to transformative technologies and by providing space for new ideas to be explored. Beyond makerspaces to editing suites and digital learning labs, libraries are empowering and impacting their communities, now and in the future. Bring your own story of library as innovation incubator and learn from others!
3. Wednesday, Dec 4
   2:00 – 3:30 pm (Eastern)
   Managing Changes to Reference Services: Keeping Reference Services (and Reference Librarians) Alive in a Turbulent Environment (Reference and User Services Association)
   Being a librarian isn’t what it used to be, but how do you deal with and manage this shift? Libraries and the services they provide are adapting to meet the ever-changing needs of their communities. How can reference librarians embrace and lead change to keep their services relevant, while staying sane and healthy? This webinar, featuring Gail Griffith, will discuss change and transition as it relates to reference librarians and departments. Using online discussion and activities, Griffith will not only ask participants to define current reference trends and models, she will discuss how reference librarians and professionals can manage change on a personal and professional level.
4. Wednesday, Dec 4
   3:00 – 4:00 pm (Eastern)
   Financial Education Webinar for Libraries (Institute of Museum and Library Services)
   The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are partnering to develop financial education tools and share best practices with the public library field. The goal of our partnership is to provide tools and materials to help libraries provide free, unbiased financial information and referrals in their communities, build local partnerships and promote libraries as community resources The webinar will feature representatives from the CFPB, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), American Library Association and two of our local public library partners.
5. Wednesday, Dec 4
   3:00 – 4:00 pm (Eastern)
   Life After Desk: Implementing the New Service Models (Infopeople)
   We’ve all heard how progressive libraries are experimenting with new ways to deliver service. Recent years have brought news of shrinking circ desks, roving reference, virtual branches, after-hours lockers, unattended kiosks, information neighborhoods, zone staffing, imbedded librarians, and other service innovations. In this timely webinar, library consultant and futurist Joan Frye Williams will bring us up to date on how new service models are performing in a variety of settings.
6. Wednesday, Dec 4
   3:00 – 4:00 pm (Eastern)
   What Is a Data-Driven Academic Library? [DDAL Pt.1] (Library Journal)
   This is the first in a series of three webcasts. This webcast will give an overview of how academic libraries are using data to drive decisions. The presentation will touch on the terminology, tools, services, and data available to libraries and provide real world examples of how academic libraries have used data to enhance services, improve online tools, and develop collections. Sarah Tudesco will also touch on how to communicate data to various stakeholders. Attendees will depart with a number of resources to learn more including the best books, blogs, journals, Twitter handles and more to continue learning as well as maintain a solid command of the progress and practices of the data-driven academic library.
7. Thursday Dec 5
   1:00 – 2:00 pm (Eastern)
   Achieving Thresholds for Discovery: Addressing Issues with EAD to Increase Discovery and Access Webinar (OCLC)
   The recent Code4Lib Journal article “Thresholds for Discovery” reported results from an OCLC Research analysis of 120,000 Encoded Archival Description (EAD) encoded finding aids; the article also highlighted issues with current encoding practices that would inhibit access and discovery. In 2012, Princeton University’s Archival Description Working Group undertook an ambitious project to upgrade their finding aids delivery system, addressing many of the issues identified in the “Thresholds” article. Join us for a joint presentation of the OCLC Research and Princeton work, and discussion on steps that institutions can take both individually and collaboratively to improve their own thresholds for discovery.
8. Thursday Dec 5
   2:00 – 3:00 pm (Eastern)
   Developing Communities of Learning (Florida Library)
   We often are inspired by what we learn, but far less often find ways to apply newly-gained skills and knowledge once we leave our physical and virtual learning spaces. Communities of learning—including those we create and nurture within libraries—can help assure that learning accompanies learners out of the classroom and back into those settings where it can produce positive results.
9. This one-hour interactive webinar includes reviews of and discussions about resources that help us establish and maintain effective communities of learning; helps us see how approaching learning as a process rather than as an event increases the impact of any learning opportunity; and encourages you to apply these discussions and resources to your own libraries to create communities of learning that produce positive, measurable results for all involved.
10. Thursday Dec 5
    2:00 – 3:00 pm (Eastern)
    Developing a Strategic Plan for Volunteer Engagement (VolunteerMatch)
    Are you engaging volunteers with an eye to the future? Do you know what your volunteer program should look like in 3 or 5 years? Join us as we talk about the fundamentals for creating a strategic plan for volunteer engagement for your organizations. This webinar will include components that should be included as well as ideas for working with organization leaders to include strategic goals for volunteer engagement in your organization’s overall strategic plan.

 

Check out the full post 35 Free Live Webinars for Librarians in December here on OEDB.org.