Monthly Archives: May 2015

The Impact of Summer Reading- Free Webinar

The Impact of Summer Reading
By Michele Farrell
Senior Library Program Officer, IMLS

Every year, public libraries around the country offer summer reading programs. We know from anecdotal information that participants love them, but what is the real impact of these programs? The Library of Virginia is conducting a 33-month study to understand how children and teens use reading programs.  The library will examine how the programs influence reading skills, how they may have different impacts on various participants, and the long-term impact on reading outcomes.

The study is being done to assist Virginia public libraries with understanding the impact of their programs. There will be three reports. The first report, Impact of Virginia Public Libraries’ Summer Reading Program: Library of Virginia Year 1 Report (Good, Ho, & Fryman, 2014), covered how children participated, how many books they read, the reading levels of the books read, and whether participants were reading at or above their age level. The second report will examine the effects on reading outcomes, how those outcomes compare to nonparticipants, to what extent participation shows a gain or loss in reading ability compared to nonparticipants, and how the effects differ for readers by grade, gender, economic status, and English proficiency. The Library of Virginia is hosting a webinar on the second report. See details below to listen in.

The final report is scheduled for release in December 2015 and will cover what reading skills improved, whether the impact lasts more than one year, how many children participate for more than a year and their characteristics, and lastly, how reading outcomes differ between nonparticipants and those who participated for only one summer. The reports will be available on the Library of Virginia website. Caution should be used regarding any generalization of these results holding true for all summer reading programs.

 

The findings will be shared via webinar on May 19 at 11:00 a.m. EST and again on May 20 at 2:00 p.m. You may register to attend one of the webinars. After you complete the registration, you will be given access information.

May 19 at 11:00 a.m. EST register at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/impact-of-the-summer-reading-program-year-two-report-webinar-may-19-tickets-16751024766

May 20 at 2:00 p.m. EST register at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/impact-of-the-summer-reading-program-year-two-report-webinar-may-20-tickets-16752166180

– See more at: http://blog.imls.gov/?p=5778#sthash.Ur5a0YSo.dpuf

Libraries and WordPress: NYLA Webinar

Libraries and WordPress

A Startup Guide to Building an Amazing Library Website Using the WordPress Content Management System 

June 17th, 2015
2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Presented by: Robert Drake

WordPress is currently the most popular Content Management System in the world, responsible for over 60% of all CMS managed websites and nearly 25% of the internet as a whole.  Libraries worldwide are using this same software to easily and cheaply improve their web presence.

For more information and to register, click here.

To help libraries just starting, in this one hour webinar we will cover:

  1. Difference between wordpress.com (blog software), and wordpress.org (a content management system)
  2. Where and how to acquire a domain name, and hosting
  3. How to install WordPress
  4. Where and how to install a theme
  5. How to download and install some key plugins
  6. Next steps to improving your website.

Register Now     Registration for each is $25 for NYLA members and $35 for non-members.

Looking to register for multiple viewing locations? Contact events@nyla.org for discounted pricing options.
Register Online via the NYLA Online Membership Center (You must log-in using your NYLA username and password to receive discounted member rates) * Note: Credit card is required for webinar registration.  Checks and purchase orders not accepted.

About the Speaker: Robert Drake is currently the Technology Operations Manager for the Mid-Hudson Library System.  In this role he has developed over 50 WordPress websites for both public libraries and the system.  He began working with WordPress originally in 2007 and has remained an active WordPress developer ever since.

Congress’ Failure to Protect Our Privacy in the Digital Age: Free NYLA Webinar

Freedom or the Status Quo: Congress’ Failure to Protect Our Privacy in the Digital Age

June 9th, 2015
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Presented by: Kade Crockford

Over the past fourteen years, congress has only acted to erode Fourth Amendment protections. The most important privacy laws on the books haven’t been updated in decades, leaving them woefully inadequate to protect our information in the digital 21st century. Technology moves much faster than the law, leaving all of us at risk of routine privacy and human rights violations. Learn about exactly what kinds of information government agencies are collecting without warrants, and the basic fixes to the law we need to ensure the possibility of privacy for the next generation.

For more information and to register, click here.