ALA Recognizes Digital Amherst

The following press release is featured on the American Library Association "Libraries in the News" website:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) has recognized Contra Costa County Library in Pleasant Hill, Calif.; North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh, N.C.; and Jones Library in Amherst, Mass., for their use of cutting-edge technologies in library services.

In June 2009, OITP and the subcommittee for its Program on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century issued a call for nominations for best library practices using cutting-edge technology to showcase libraries that are serving their communities with novel and innovative methods.

“We were looking to find creative ways libraries are using technology, such as applying 21st century technologies to provide a new way of delivering a traditional service or using traditional technologies in a novel way for delivering a service. The three winners all fit our criteria,” said Vivian Pisano, Chief of Information Technology, San Francisco Public Library, and Chair of OITP’s Advisory Committee and Subcommittee on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century.

After selecting the winners, OITP produced descriptions of the programs to provide the library community with some successful models for delivering quality library service in new ways.

“The selection committee looked at many submissions, but these three projects stood out because they could be replicated by other libraries,” said Christine Lind Hage, Director, Rochester Hills Public Library, who chaired the selection committee.

“In particular we were looking for creative solutions to common problems using readily available and affordable technology.”

About the Winners:

Library-a-Go-Go, Contra Costa County Library, Pleasant Hill, Calif.
The Library-a-Go-Go service uses fully automated touchscreen materials-lending machines to provide stand-alone library services in non-library environments. For more information: http://ccclib.org/locations/libraryagogo.html

Course Views [Library Tools] Project, North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, Raleigh, N.C.
The NCSU Libraries implemented a cutting-edge service in response to the difficulty of creating and maintaining enough “course pages” – recommended resources for specific courses and assignments – to meet students’ needs. The Course Views system provides pages for all 6,000 courses offered by over 150 departments at NCSU. For more information: www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/projects/courseviews

Digital Amherst, a project of the Jones Library, Amherst, Mass.
Digital Amherst provides digital historical and cultural materials—photographs and other images, articles, lectures and multimedia presentations—to Amherst locals, scholars and tourists. For more information: www.digitalamherst.org/

Troubleshooting Computer Problems

WebJunction is now offering a free course titled "Troubleshooting Computer Problems". This 1.5 hour self-paced online course is free to all WebJunction members (and WebJunction membership is free).

• Course information
• Register to become a WebJunction member (free)

25 Technologies to Watch and How

This one hour teleconference, presented by SirsiDynix, is available free-of-charge in video and podcast formats. Posted below is the course description posted by SirsiDynix:

"Can our libraries be more open? Can we be more open to our users, our communities, to new technologies? Can we be more open to change? How? Are there technologies that we should be trying and piloting to see if they improve the library's mandate? Which ones are worth investigating? What are the emerging learning technologies? Are there different ways to build community or to attract new community segments? What about books, book clubs and recommending recreational reading? What about some of our other entertainment missions such as video and gaming? Stephen Abram is an inveterate library watcher and strategic technology reviewer. in this session he shares the top 25 technologies that we should think about 'playing' with and finding a way to make our libraries more open to our learning communities and neighborhoods. He'll end with five suggestions to have fun with change and technology adoption."

Library Technology and Management Competencies

Recommended Reading from the WebJunction website:

Managing the library's public computer programs, keeping the equipment operable, and satisfying the patrons using them involves a host of skills and knowledge by Betha Gutsche, Editor

From the WebJunction website:

"Defining competencies for sustaining public access computing programs is the first step toward providing a roadmap for library staff to identify skills gaps through assessments and to connect to learning opportunities to achieve each competency.

Download the pdf of the full Competencies for Sustaining Public Access Computing Programs, which includes the Management Competencies.

Download the pdf of the Technology Competencies only.

WebJunction’s competencies are divided into three sections—two of which address technical skills and knowledge and a third that addresses the management of public access computing programs. Technology Competencies for Patron Assistance defines skills that frontline library staff need in order to provide direct assistance to patrons on the public computers. The System Administration section defines skills necessary to set up, configure and maintain the public computers and networks. The Management Competencies are the umbrella over all, covering the master-planning, coordination and integration aspects of running a public access computing program. "