Four useful librarian webinars in August

We are sort of just over half way through our term break and some of you might have spare time to tune into some of the upcoming webinars listed below. The suggested topics for August cover collection development, library user engagement, library advocacy strategies, and oral history services.

Collection Development Tips and Tools
Thursday, 6th August, 19:00 – 20:00 IST
Join Library Journal, Ingram Content Group, and special guests for a lively discussion about Collection Development. We’ll have a dynamic discussion about the challenges Selectors face – from predicting popular titles in advance, to dealing with patron demands, to staying on top of titles in the media and much more. Our expert panelists will have some solutions for many of these challenges, and we hope you’ll join the discussion!

As an aside, JISC have just created a new email list to discuss collection management issues (shelving, stores, gifts, policies, relegation, CCM tools, etc.). See LIS-COLLECTION-MGMT for details.

Individual Programs: Anything but Passive
Tuesday, 11th August, 22:30 – 23.30 IST (no registration required)
Individual programs have been called many things (self-led, passive, proactive, and more), but one thing remains the same – these are a great way for any library to encourage interaction from people who may not normally attend programs while using less library resources and staff time. Join us for an interactive webinar where you will help lead the discussion. Bring your questions, your previous successes, and even your failures to share with others! Learn how to give your patrons a voice and participate on their own time, regardless of the size of your location or budget (provided by the Colorado State Library).

Because Advocacy Never Stops: New Tools for Taking Action
Thursday, 13th August, 19:00 – 20:00 IST
This webinar will highlight free, newly revised downloadable materials for public libraries distilled from landmark advocacy and awareness-building programs. Learn about two resources scheduled for release in summer 2015: updated curriculum from Turning the Page including tools, worksheets and training materials you can adapt locally to grow your team’s advocacy knowledge and abilities; and a new online guide that walks through each step of planning and carrying out a local library awareness campaign modelled after Geek the Library. Hear from library leaders who have put these ideas to work to build advocacy know-how, increase staff confidence, and engage more deeply with the community. Whether you are looking to get started, or seeking to maintain momentum following a recent advocacy effort, join us to discuss strategies to take your library to the next level.

Oral History @ Your Library: A Beginner’s Guide
Monday, 31st August, 18:00 – 19:00 IST
Are you interested in fitting oral history into your library’s repertoire, but don’t know where to start? This one-hour webinar will provide an introduction to the ways in which libraries can use oral history for everything from collection development and programming to community engagement. We will begin with the basics — what is oral history? What does it contribute? — and also offer programming ideas for all ages, information about related technology (what type of equipment to use in which circumstances), and a wide range of resources for those who would like to follow up on the topic. At the end of the webinar, participants should have a better idea of how they might be able to utilise oral history in their libraries, and they will have a basic sense of what steps they would need to take to implement that vision.