By Kelli Bragg, MLIS student

I noticed this resource on the Training Links page at the WLA Web site and I’m very happy that I did – it’s an amazing resource with a bit of something for everyone.

Founded in 1995, Virtual University (VU), a pioneer in eLearning, is the oldest online learning community. While I usually only discuss free courses, these courses have a low-enough cost to merit discussion (fees range from $10-$20).

VU offers peer-to-peer multi-week courses and Certificate Programs beneficial not only for today’s information providers, but for their customers as well.  Courses offered are either instructor-led or self-paced and cover such in-demand topics as: Web design and HTML, writing courses in various genres, self-help/inspirational themes and academic subjects.

Webversity 2.0 drives the learning experience, meaning that in addition to a modern e-learning platform there are assorted social networking opportunities including blogs, profiles, photo sharing and widgets. More than 2,000,000 students from 128 countries have taken courses in UV’s e-learning community.

A must-read for those considering taking online courses through VU: Virtual University FAQ – a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions about Virtual University (they do ask that you read the FAQs before enrolling in a course).

Recent additions specific to the need of libraries include the following (the link includes information about the syllabus and instructor):

• Grant Writing 101
• Cybersecurity 101
• How to Brand Your Product or Company
• Writing a Press Release
• Principles of Strategic Management

Recent additions of interest to both library staff and library customers include*:  

• A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Photography
• Fantasy Writing Workshop
• How to Save and Invest Wisely
• How to be Organized (…In Spite of Yourself)

To enroll in a course, all you need to do is create a Web Desk. Once that’s done, simply subscribe to the calendar of upcoming classes and learn away! When you see the list of classes, just click on the green “[add]” link preceding the course name and an enrollment form appears. Students should expect to spend 3-4 hours per week for most offerings.

For professional who need CEUS:  UV offers e-Transcript services. Retained for 5 years, your transcripts will display all completed courses with brief descriptions, CEUs awarded, grades earned and cumulative GPA. VU also offers the option for you to enhance your resume/CV by writing or teaching a class as well. To learn more about how instructors are approved, click the following link: http://vu.ksurf.net/instructor-faq.html

 *Don’t forget to make a shortcut to Virtual University on your desktop and suggest this link to interested customers: a library’s main mission is to be a center for lifelong learning.  I imagine many customers would love to hear about this affordable learning opportunity.

Any learning resource you would like to see discussed? Any questions?Contact me at dipper@startouch.net

By Kelli Bragg, MLIS Student

Library Journal, now in its 133^rd year of publication, is the oldest and most respected publication covering the library field and is an incredible Continuing Education resource. But LJ’s rich bounty of information isn’t found only between the covers of its print edition. Their Web site provides a veritable cornucopia of freely available Web casts (plus news and newsletters).

You can register for upcoming Webcasts or view archived Webcasts for up to one year after the broadcast. To see the list of Webcasts at the LJ site, click here.

Or, if you’re visiting their site just to look around, click on the “Tools” tab, then click on “Webcasts.” And please do go look around, because LJ provides amazing newsletters: academic libraries, news for children and teen librarians, prepub alerts, etc. – truly something for everyone! Additionally, there are great blogs, books reviews for genres of all stripes, and, under the “Libraries & Librarians” tab, some usually-less-covered-but-still-important subjects like Buildings & Facilities discussions, Library Culture and ALA Conference News, etc…plus most have associated RSS feeds so that you’re always learning about the latest information!

To showcase the variety of Webcast topics recently offered, check the brief list below – it’s by no means comprehensive, but is meant to merely show thematic breadth. The titles are links that take you directly to an event registration page; all descriptions were taken directly from the LJ Web site.

Libraries are Essential: Building an Ongoing Connection : “We all know that in these tough economic times, libraries have a great value proposition for their communities… Join NoveList and Library Journal to hear just how libraries are building these ongoing connections …”

Mystery Fall Announcements : “…as mystery reviewer Teresa Jacobsen noted in a recent column, many librarians are facing budgetary issues and will be looking for titles that work for a variety of readers, especially those with crossover appeal… Our five featured publishers will be presenting their new and forthcoming mystery titles…”

World Bank Data and Research: Opening the Vault : “The World Bank was the first international, inter-governmental organization to make its databases free and open to the public… Please join Library Journal’s Cheryl LaGuardia and World Bank staff members as they discuss the wealth of resources and research tools available from the Bank….”

Life of A Book: From Idea to Distribution-Collect, Discover, Assess : “Have you ever wondered how a book becomes discoverable?”

21st Century Digital Knowledge Management: The Changing Role of the Media Specialist With Classroom Technology : “There are new expectations for media specialists doing collection development and management in the information age… How can libraries support the creation, access, storage and delivery of digital visual content for and by our students…”

Note about Webcasts:

• If the Webcast will be held in the future, register now.
• If the Webcast has already occurred and its archive is available (it will be noted underneath the title), you will still need to fill in your registration description unless you’ve already registered for the event. After you complete the form, you’ll be taken directly to a page for immediate viewing – just click “Launch Presentation.”

Whether you’re member of a public, academic, or special library, the Library Journal Web site has newsletters and Webcasts to keep you informed about trends, emerging technology, hot titles, databases, etc.

For the calendar of CE offered by the WA State Library for September and October, click these links:

• September Training Calendar
• October Training Calendar

Is there a specific CE training provider you would like to see discussed or do you have a comment? Please contact me at dipper@startouch.net.

The following FREE Continuing Education events are scheduled for August and September.

Part II of Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS): “Protecting Cultural Collections: Prevention, Preparedness, Response & Recovery”

 This free workshop is presented in two parts to help participants produce the following outcomes for institutional disaster preparedness:

• Complete a disaster plan by the end of Part 2 
•  Learn how to train staff to implement your plan effectively 
• Set pre- and post-disaster action priorities for your collections 
• Learn how to use practical decision-making skills during an emergency  
•  Experience salvage procedures for books, documents and non-print mediums

Location/Date/Time:         

  University Place, Washington

   University Place Library Room 1

   3609 Market Place W., University Place, WA 98466

   Part 1: Friday, September 16, 2011, 9am-4pm.

   Part 2: Friday, October 14, 2011, 9am-4pm.

This training is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is part of a coordinated regional approach to raising awareness about disaster planning for collecting institutions throughout the Western United States. This 2-part training is free to participants. More than one person per institution is welcome to attend. Pre-registration is required. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Seattle Heritage Emergency Response Network (SHERN).

Workshop Instructor: Gary Menges, Preservation Administrator, University of Washington Libraries

Course of Study:  The workshop’s two parts are scheduled several weeks apart. Participants will prepare short assignments prior to the first session. Between sessions, they will undertake additional assignments resulting in a completed disaster plan at the end of Part 2. Upon completion, the institution will be invited to join the informal network of WESTPAS trained personnel to receive 24/7 emergency assistance within the region.

Who Should Attend?: Administrators and staff responsible for decision-making in all types of libraries, archives, libraries, museums, historical societies, and city and county record offices. By registering for the workshop, institutions commit to supporting their attendee(s) in completing a disaster plan that focuses on collections. The institution is encouraged to send two attendees to be able to work together on the disaster preparedness activities.

 Cost: There is no charge to the institution. Funding has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 Registration: Pre-registration is required. Register online at:  http://tiny.cc/ZePOL. Advance the calendar to September and click on September 16 University Park and complete your registration. If you find you need further registration assistance, please contact Wendy Cao  at caow@plsinfo.org. 

More information about the workshop will be sent in a separate email message to registrants a couple of weeks before the first workshop. For questions related to the workshop, please contact Gary Menges menges@u.washington.edu (Thanks to Gary for letting us know about this opportunity!)

Protecting Library & Archive Collections: Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery 

The Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS) is offering a series of disaster planning workshops in the West. A two-part workshop has been scheduled in Spokane in September/October: 

• Part 1: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 9am-4pm
• Part 2: Wednesday October 29, 9am-4pm

Where:
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (Eastern Washington State Historical Society)
Gilkey Community Room
2316 W. First Avenue
Spokane, WA  99201

Workshop instructor Gary Menges is Preservation Administrator at the University of Washington Libraries, Seattle.

The “Protecting Library & Archive Collections” workshops are presented in a 2-part sequence to produce the following outcomes for disaster preparedness activities:

• Complete a disaster plan by the end of Part 2.
• Learn how to train staff to implement your plan effectively.
• Set pre- and post-disaster action priorities for your collections.
• Learn how to use practical decision-making skills during an emergency.
• Experience salvage procedures for books, documents, and non-print media.

The workshop days are scheduled several weeks apart. Participants will prepare short assignments prior to the first session; between sessions, they will undertake additional assignments resulting in a completed disaster plan at the end of Part 2. Upon completion, the institution will be invited to join an informal network of WESTPAS trained personnel to provide mutual aid in the event of emergencies involving collections in the region.

Who should attend:
Administrators and staff responsible for emergency preparedness, response and decision-making, in all types of libraries and archives.  By registering for the workshop, the institution commits to supporting the attendee(s) to achieve the workshop’s disaster preparedness goals. When possible, please send two attendees from a library or archive so they can work together on the disaster preparedness activities.

Cost:
No charge to the institution.  Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Washington workshops are co-sponsored by the Oregon State Library and the Washington workshops by the Washington State Library and Washington State Archives.

Registration:
Pre-registration is required. To register go to: http://evanced.califa.org/pls/lib/eventcalendar.asp?lib=4.Go to September and click on September 16. For registration assistance contact:Kathy Krause krause@plsinfo.org.Information about the individual workshops and registration information for each workshops will be sent in separate email messages.