More Training and Workshops

August 24th in the SLO Computer Lab, I am looking forward to additional training in using the California Library Catalog, which is a work in progress/collaboration with OCLC.

In late September, I plan to go to Cerritos Library to be trained in online ready reference resources: Free, Fast, and Factual: Online Ready Reference Sources for 2005 and Beyond.

In late October several of my colleagues and I plan to go on our days off to attend the Internet Librarian Conference... always the place to attempt to catch up the one-year falling behind we've experienced in reference and technology leaps. It's always exciting! It's always lots of work! And if you don't go... you lose! :-0

keep on paddling...
Gwen at OO-Ref

post script August 20th. I won't be going to Cerritos Library afterall. There is a possibility that this workshop may be brought to our region?

FYI Articles

Cheers to Kristen on her great article honoring Liz Krieger this week.

And that article by Diane Ludin describing the new CD-rom about the Morro Bay estuary prompted Judi Horner to suggest that the reference staff venture over to OY on a field trip to see what it is all about. Gwen/OO

technology races onward

I suppose others may already know about podcasting, but I only discovered it by looking at one of the other library blogs...
and I was led eventually to OPAL http://www.opal-online.org/

" OPAL allows library patrons and library staff members to participate in online library programs from anywhere. Everyone is welcome to participate in OPAL programs, and libraries of all types are encouraged to become OPAL members."

This is totally new to me; when do people have time to keep up with WHAT is happening, let alone PARTICIPATE in it? Gwen/OO

Other blogging librarians

For fun, I thought it would be interesting to look at some other blogging librarians:

(July 3, 2010, I am editing the list to indicate which sites are no longer active:)

http://www.libraryplanet.com/

http://lcld.library-blogs.net/ defunct

http://blogs.csmonitor.com/liblog/ defunct

http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/libblog/

http://blog.xrefer.com/ defunct

http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/

http://eprintblog.crimsonblog.com/ defunct

http://www.explodedlibrary.info/

http://www.chickeninthewoods.com/brary/index.php defunct

http://blisspix.net/index.php defunct

http://librariansonedge.blogspot.com/

http://librarianoutreach.blogspot.com/

http://wirelesslibraries.blogspot.com/
Moved to http://babyboomerlibrarian.blogspot.com

http://vip2.blogspot.com/ defunct

http://libraryinfo.blogspot.com/

http://librarystories.blogspot.com/

http://www.rcpl.info/services/liblog.html

Oh, well, there are tons more.... but you get the idea.

Gwen/OO-Ref
edited July 3, 2010 to indicate defunct sites.

Reference Vision Meeting

This week the reference staff at OO are meeting on Saturday to talk about our concerns and hopes for the big weeding project here this fall.

Personally, I also have some concerns about the future of reference librarians! Will our role transition more toward instructional librarians, as in academic libraries? Some library literature suggests this may be the trend.

My co-worker and I will have an opportunity to also venture into these questions perhaps at the Reference Focus Group (sponsored by the State Library) which we will attend here July 21st.

OO/Gwen

Convenience

After reading so many things about merchandising libraries, I was struck by how SLO's branch breaks the No.1 rule - it's inconvient to get to. Imagine what we could do with a large single-story building out by Home Depot and Costco where people actually go and there's parking to be had! Such a layout would offer a world of opportunities to arrange the collection in new ways - and probably make it much easier to staff too. Lynn

sample entry 2

By selecting "Settings" "Publishing" and "FTP" the blog can be moved to our own server.

sample entry 1

After attending the Internet Librarian Conference in 2002, I joined with Steve Robertson in offering a Blog for the library branches for staff to participate in library concerns in a forum-like environment. This "BLOG" idea was perhaps a little too new for most library staff, and did not catch on.