TBLC News

About a month ago, SOLINET announced that the boards of SOLINET and PALINET are investigating a possible merger of the two networks. 

Solinet is scheduling Town Hall meetings around the region and invite each of you to attend one or more meetings. At each meeting, they will overview the latest information and have an open forum for discussion. SOLINET Board members will attend many of the meetings and will share their vision and rationale for the merger.  

Important: Please email Laura Crook with your name and institution and the session you wish to attend if you are interested in any of the following dates.  Sessions in Florida are:

• April 24: Florida Library Association meeting, St. Petersburg, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., Compass Room, Tradewinds Beach Resort and Conference Center
• April 30: NEFLIN, Orange Park, FL, 10 a.m. - Noon, NEFLIN Headquarters
• May 2: SEFLIN Meeting, Singer Island, FL (For meeting attendees only. No additional registrations accepted.)

Solinet will also continue to share updates through the new SOLINET blog dedicated to merger-related discussion and will continue to post online the FAQs submitted by members. Please check the list and submit your own questions. 

Throughout the spring, Solinet will continue to discuss this proposal. The Board plans to vote in May on whether to recommend a vote by Governing members to approve the merger. With the Board’s approval, the proposal will go to a vote by Governing members by June 30, 2008.  Please use one or more of these effective tools to stay informed and participate in this process.

We’ve been talking about Library 2.0 for a while now, and there are so many great new technologies out there. But which ones will work for your library? How do you decide whether or not you should implement something? What is the benefit of these new technologies for your library?

Join us to discuss these issues with your library colleagues. The group will include librarians who have already implemented some of these technologies and can discuss the pros and cons, and also those who are still just considering what to do. Learn what worked for others and what may or may not work for you.

Date:   05/14/2008
Time:   9:30 a.m. to noon 
Cost:   FREE 
Location:   TBLC, 1202 Tech Blvd. Suite 202, Tampa, FL 33619

Click here for more information or to attend this discussion.

Communication Skills that Bring Real Results: 
A Toolkit for Library Managers

Program Description
The symposium will directly address two key skill sets that are indispensable for professional leaders: (1) The Art and Practice of Asking Effective Questions, and (2) The Nine Key Ground Rules to foster productive workplace conversations that lead to satisfying and rewarding interaction among library staff at all levels.  The Institute will be directed toward Library Middle Managers – library directors, branch managers, or department heads.

The combination of instruction and practice sessions will give each participant an introduction to the practical skills identified that will be of immediate use to them when working in any group situation.  Everyone will have the opportunity to learn about each skill or tool and to discuss its potential usefulness in small group settings.  Everyone will gain experience in actually using the skills by practicing together.  Tasks will focus on existing challenges in the library work environment.  The instructor will provide examples and descriptions of each tool or skill and will give suggestions for additional resources.
 
Presenter: Lou Wetherbee & Associates LLC
Lou Wetherbee is a library consultant based in Dallas, Texas, and has extensive experience in academic and public libraries, library networks, and the nonprofit sector.  She is an expert on the organizational implications of emerging technologies for libraries and specializes in the re-design of library services in the electronic environment.  Lou has assisted numerous client organizations to devise innovative strategies and practical solutions to address uncommon challenges.  She is a frequent seminar and conference speaker in the area of emerging technologies, library resource sharing, and library leadership development.
 
Dates and Locations
June 2, 2008  (9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Broward County Library/North Regional Library
Meeting Room 154
1100 Coconut Creek Blvd.
Coconut Creek, FL  33066 
 
June 3, 2008  (9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Winter Park Public Library
460 E. New England Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789 
 
June 5, 2008  (9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Tallahassee Community College
444 Appleyard Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32304  
 
Online Registration
State Library and Archives of Florida Middle Management Symposiums

Fee
There is no registration fee to attend the symposiums.

Congratulations to the FLA award winners for 2008. Award presentations will be at the closing session of the FLA conference, April 25, 2008, at the Tradewinds Resort Hotel in St. Pete Beach.

Libraries in bold are TBLC members. Congrats!!

Library of the Year Award – Pasco County Library System, Linda Allen, Director
Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award – Clearwater Public Library System, Barbara Pickell, Director
Leader of the Year Award – Bradley Ward, NEFLIN, Executive Director
Chavez-Herndandez Libraries Change People’s Lives Award – Kathleen Mayo, Lee County Library System (new this year)
Trustees and Friends Award – Bettye Stevens Coney, Leesburg Friends of the Library
Public Library Web Site Award, Osceola Library System, Edward Kilroy, Director

Friends, Foundations & Boards Member Group Awards:
Special Projects Award – Friends of the Elsie Quirk Library (Sarasota County)
Outstanding Program Award – Friends of the Bloomingdale Regional Library (Hillsborough County)
Newsletter of the Year, Friends of South County Regional Library (Lee County)

You’re Invited! This workshop is open to all information professionals and students.

SLA Florida and Caribbean Chapter
Getting Ready for the Job Search

Date: Thursday April 10, 2008
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Place: Time Customer Service Inc., 2nd Floor, One North Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL
Cost: FREE (Refreshments will be served)
RSVP by April 7 to Theresa Burress, 727-803-8747 (ext. 3108) or email tburress@usgs.gov.

Workshop Overview: This meeting offers a virtual presentation via Click U, SLA’s continuing education programming, with a break to enjoy free refreshments and to meet other SLA members and information professionals.

Presentation summary: Whether you are already embarking on a job search or thinking about it, you must be prepared to effectively market yourself. Are you feeling overwhelmed with where to start? If you know you have excellent skills, ideal experience and incredible passion for your work but don’t know how to package yourself to effectively communicate your professional message, then participate in this seminar. We will focus on how to maximize what you have to offer and how to present it to ensure you’re the candidate that rises to the top. You will also walk away with “10 Secrets to Manage Your Career for Enhanced Satisfaction.”

Speaker Bio: Marshall A Brown, CPCC, is a certified career and life coach with extensive experience in the association and nonprofit sectors. Marshall has been involved in the career management profession for over eight years.

The Association of College and Resource Libraries (ACRL) offers the first-ever “ACRL Springboard Event” on April 2 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT.  It’s a free 90-minute “interactive webcast” for ACRL members with Henry Jenkins (Peter de Florez Professor of Humanities and co-director of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program).

Click here for more information.

The Florida Association of Community College (FACC) Commission’s Joint Annual Spring Conference will be held at Indian River Community College (IRCC) in Fort Pierce, Florida, April 10 and 11, 2008.

The theme “Reflect on the Past-Focus on the Future” was selected to highlight the “reflection of the change” of our students, our institutions and our society and how we can “focus on the future” to achieve learning that opens doors for our students. The Executive Board members of the Commissions would like to extend an invitation to you to participate by submitting a workshop/program proposal.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to submit an idea or program that has been successful at your institution or business in the past or one that addresses how products and services have changed to prepare students for the “flat world” of the 21st Century. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase and share proven ideas being used at your institution or business that “Reflect on the Past” or “Focus on the Future” or creative or practical new ideas to embrace the future of learning and technology.

Following are the tracks of interest for the Learning Resource Commission’s conference workshops:

Communities and Collaborations: Communities – Showcase partnerships with other college departments, faculty, student organizations, or other business, government, and non-profit organizations

Gaming/Virtual Worlds: Share how you are using Web 2.0 to connect with students and foster learning

Learning: Share best practices in learning enrichment/tutoring, emerging technologies in learning, library instruction, or meeting ACRL Standards

Planning and Managing: Share Tips in training staff, tutors, student assistants, and volunteers, or Strategies for stretching budgets and balancing print and e-resources

Service: Virtually Everywhere: Showcase Service Endeavors from Mobile Reference to Supporting e-learners

The conference brings together eight FACC commissions at Indian River Community College.

Administration Commission
Equity Commission
Faculty Commission
Instructional Innovations Commission (Curriculum)
Institutional Advancement Commission
Learning Resources Commission
Rural Campus Commission
Technology Commission

Hosted by IRCC
 
We encourage novice as well as experienced presenters to submit a proposal application. March 17, 2008 is the deadline for proposals to be received. Proposals (application, abstract and description) may be submitted in .doc, .txt, .rtf, or .pdf format and sent as an e-mail attachment.

All presentations should be 45 minutes in length and will be presented either April 10 or 11, 2008 at IRCC. Each presenter (one per presentation session) will receive a 50% discounted registration fee of $37.50. To submit a proposal request, simply submit the application below and an abstract summary (not to exceed one page) of your presentation/program. The summary should address the program’s relevancy to the Commission’s area of interest.

Click here for more information.

Submit a star and tell us about your healthy workplace
for National Library Workers Day

CHICAGO – Start the celebration early for National Library Workers Day (NLWD) by telling the world what makes your favorite library employee special.

ALA-APA is accepting submissions for the NLWD Stars web site – www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwdstarsform.html. NLWD is celebrated on Tuesday, April 15, during the American Library Association (ALA)-sponsored National Library Week. This year, we also want to know how your library administration staff gets and stays healthy.

This year, in addition to honoring library staff for delivering stellar service, the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) also wants to hear about library programming, equipment and benefits that are helping staff improve their health. For example, if your colleague teaches a staff yoga class, or you provide low-fat food choices at meetings and events or in vending machines or the library gives staff discounts to local gyms or hosts support groups for staff, let us know. NLWD Stars and workplace wellness initiatives will be featured on the National Library Workers Day site for one year. Self-nominations are accepted. The deadline for submission is April 14.

Download the free NLWD poster (here) to decorate your library and let patrons, trustees and colleagues how to submit a star.

NLWD is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. Libraries are encouraged to use National Library Workers Day to focus on the value of their staff, includingindividuals or units responsible for the number of materials selected, acquired, cataloged, checked out and back in and shelved; for handling requests and sending them to other libraries; for answering reference questions; for planning, publicizing and presenting programs; for developing and maintaining the library’s Web site; for managing the library and for other elements of library service. Ideas for how to celebrate in your library are here and here.

For examples of workplace wellness initiatives, please click here to see the ALA-APA survey analysis.

Proud of the work you do? The ALA Online Store is selling buttons that proclaim “Libraries Work Because We Do.”

Customizable tools and materials in English and Spanish to help libraries promote National Library Workers Day in their local media are available here on the ALA-APA Web site.

The list of NLWD Stars will be updated weekly. Contact the ALA-APA Office to tell us how you will be celebrating – (800) 545-2433, ext. 2424 or jgrady@ala.org.

Equal Pay Day, April 22, is closely related to NLWD, because libraries are staffed predominately by women, and library workers tend to be underpaid. Equal Pay Day highlights the gap between the wages of men and women. For more information, see the NCPE website at www.pay-equity.org.

National Library Week (April 13-19) press materials, programming suggestions and display ideas can be found here on the ALA Web site in both English and Spanish. The theme for 2007 is “Come Together @ your library®.” The site includes a link to National Library Week products available from ALA Graphics, including posters, bookmarks and key chains.

NLWD is sponsored by ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees, which advocates for improving the salaries and status of librarians and support staff.

Very Important Paraprofessional Library Workshop
13th Annual
Friday, May 9th, 2008
 

Location: EpiCenter, 13805 58th St N, Largo, FL 33760
 
St Petersburg College once again presents a one-day workshop where you can experience exciting professional and personal training.  The 32 topics include delivery of services, staff development and a variety of hands-on computer sessions.  Paraprofessionals are essential to providing high-level library services!

Click here for more information or to register for this event.