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Patience and care in pinning on the buttons created in a craft project. [Photo courtesy of library_mistress on Flickr.]
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Regaining Compassion in a Stressed World
Compassion is a quality found in abundance in libraries. Patrons turn and return to their local libraries for the empathetic help they receive from the dedicated people who work there. But those who work in support professions can struggle to maintain balance between helping others and taking care of their own emotional health. With more than 500 library staff in attendance at our recent webinar on the topic, we saw just how common this experience is.
Resources to explore:
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Group at work developing literacies for a Student Digital Media Activities workshop held in Paterno Library. [Photo courtesy of psutlt on Flickr.]
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Building Digital Communities The IMLS Framework for Building Digital Communities wisely observes that “digital inclusion is not a simple, one-time checkbox.” It will be an ongoing effort into the foreseeable future. The IMLS-funded project in which WebJunction is a partner is moving forward on its grant initiatives one step at a time. This month, there are three incremental steps to announce.
1. A Digital Inclusion Community of Practice is now live on WebJunction.org. It is a mere bud that promises to grow and blossom as the community nourishes it. Your content contributions are welcome to enrich the knowledge base, which includes: - A summary of the results of the Digital Inclusion Community Needs Assessment, conducted in February 2012
- Archived and upcoming webinars on the topic
- Live Twitter feed of the #digitalinclusion hashtag
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2. Grant partners WebJunction, ICMA (International City/County Management Association), and TechSoup Global will convene a Digital Community Leadership Summit in St. Paul (MN), June 12-13, with a small selection of communities for conversation and activities to explore how they can move forward with digital inclusion efforts. Nine communities from around the country will each send a public library director, a city/county administrator and a community-based organization director to the summit. 3. Join us at ALA for a highly interactive workshop to explore strategies to move your library and community forward in expanding digital inclusion efforts. Discussions and activities will be facilitated by representatives from IMLS, ICMA, TechSoup Global and WebJunction. Learn more and register »
Full Steam Ahead for Edge
The Edge initiative is a coalition of 13 organizations working together to create public access technology benchmarks for public libraries. The project is moving full-steam ahead: - A beta version of the benchmarks is now available.
- To make sure you stay connected to all the latest Edge news, there is a new project website, as well as a Facebook page; and you can follow the project on Twitter.
- If you will be at the ALA annual conference in Anaheim, there will be an informational session open to everyone.
Get the full details »
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Project Compass Opens Doors  With the IMLS grant-funded Project Compass coming to a close, we are now gathering data on the impact of the program over the last three years. After participating in the program:
- 82.9% of Project Compass participants have implemented new programs or services in their libraries to support workforce recovery;
- 62.2% have developed new partnerships to augment their workforce recovery programs and services.
Look for our final program evaluation report with more details about the impact of our work on our libraries and communities coming soon.
See Also: Workforce Services: collection of documents, webinars, news, and videos on the subject of library services to job seekers, entrepreneurs, and the unemployed.
#libs4jobs Twitter stream: links to articles, news, and other online resources about libraries supporting the workforce.
Project Compass: more information about the grant-funded project conducted by WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina.
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What's new on WebJunction?
- Watch your email in-box for our annual member survey to arrive. Per your request, this year's survey will be much shorter than we've done previously. We'll get your feedback about the new design as well as find out about your professional development experiences and needs. Thank you in advance for providing your input!
- Last month, our LinkedIn group surpassed 3,000 members. As we largely phased out general discussion forums on WebJunction, the community has dived right into the discussions on this professional networking website, and the conversation has been lively. We hope you will join us there!
- Reminder to course takers: You do not need to sign in to WebJunction.org in order to get to the course catalog. Simply click on the Go to Courses link on any page of the website (just below the Search box), and you will be taken to the learning management system. That's where you sign in to access your learning plan and courses.
WebJunction Picks for ALA 2012 If you're going to Anaheim for ALA, you are likely to find WebJunction staff and members at a variety of events. Friday, June 22: - Americas Regional Council Annual Member Meeting and Symposium: Platforms for Innovation (11 am - 3 pm)
Saturday, June 23: - Libraries Lead Community Digital Inclusion (10:30 am -12 pm)
- Advocacy and Fundraising for your Rural or Tribal Library (1:30 pm - 3 pm)
Sunday, June 24: - OCLC Update Breakfast (7:30 am - 8:30 am)
- Edge Informational Session (10:30 am - 12 pm)
- Learning Round Table Training Showcase (1:30 pm - 3:30 pm)
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Results of May Readers' Poll on Information Seeking
With access to information at our fingertips, it’s not a big surprise that the large majority of respondents to last month’s poll turn first to a search engine (83.7%) to find out more about something that has aroused their curiosity. The next most-sought source of information is a library database, with 39.7% of our library-centric readers naming it as a second choice. Asking coworkers takes third place. However, if you add the 2nd and 3rd rank choices, the results are neck-and-neck for library database (56%), friends and family (57%), and coworkers (59%). Twitter, Facebook and discussion groups are not major avenues for information search for our readers.
The open-ended responses to the poll were so varied and interesting that they were worth reprinting in full. Many people listed multiple items, sharing the sentiment “…too many things to name and not enough time to read more about it.” Two readers remarked on a conspicuously absent choice—books. “I won't even answer this - I START with a book on the topic. Where are BOOKS!!!?” There were also few items that sent us on our own search: Jewelled Squid, Alexander Calder's jewelry, Zentangle.
Accelerate Your Career with a Degree from Drexel University Online Continuing your education is an important step towards career advancement, and there's no better time than now to get started. Through a partnership between WebJunction and Drexel University Online, WebJunction members are entitled to receive a 20% tuition reduction on Drexel's over 100 top-rated online degree and certificate programs. Drexel Online offers the same quality education you would receive on campus, but in a convenient, online format perfect for the working professional. More information »
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 | |  | | |  | Grant Writing for Libraries Serving Children
July 11, 2012
Grant funding is one way to find resources to support innovative programming and services for children. In this webinar, learn about finding, writing, and submitting grant opportunities. Presenters Dr. Sue C. Kimmel, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Gail K. Dickinson, Associate Professor, at the School Libraries/Darden College of Education Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA), will share information about specific grants that focus on diversity, literacy and libraries, and are relevant for school and public libraries. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and share related experiences.
More information and registration » | |  | |  | | |
| | | | | | Bridging the Digital Divide with Mobile Services
July 25, 2012
The popularity of smartphones and other mobile devices is exploding. The demographics of those adopting these devices are quite diverse, offering libraries a unique opportunity to help bridge the digital divide. Andromeda Yelton, author of the January issue of Library Technology Reports on the topic of Bridging the Digital Divide with Mobile Services, will discuss the demographics of mobile internet users and why it matters to a library’s mission. She will share real-life examples of online library services aimed at diverse populations and mobile friendly steps you can take even with limited time, budget, or expertise. This webinar is brought to you in collaboration with ALA TechSource.
More information and registration » | | | | | | |
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New Webinar Archives If you missed these recent live programs, you can view and listen to the recording at any time on WebJunction. May 16: Libraries and the Era of the Learner: A Vision for the Future
May 31: Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Your Library
Thanks to our Partners
Through the generous support of the following state library agencies, WebJunction offers webinar programs for free to all who wish to attend:
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
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Spotlight on WebJunction-Virginia
WebJunction-Virginia is a community of library staff working in all libraries in Virginia. The Library of Virginia sponsors a variety of training opportunities each year to help those responsible for library service develop their skills and learn new approaches, including WebJunction Virginia, which is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Visit WJ-Virginia »
Spotlight on WebJunction-Maine Thanks to the generosity of the Maine State Library, WebJunction-Maine offers free online continuing education courses and webinars for Maine library staff who are registered WebJunction Maine members. Visit WJ-Maine »
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