Category Archives: News from the Field

IMLS Broadband Free Webinar

Help Your Community Reap the Advantages of Broadband Adoption and Digital Literacy

IMLS announces public request for comment and webinar on broadband barriers

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is encouraging library, archives, and museums to share their thoughts on how the federal government can expand and promote broadband adoption and digital inclusion. IMLS is one of 25 federal agencies comprising the President’s new interagency Broadband Opportunity Council charged with developing a framework of recommendations to support broadband access and adoption.

The council has issued a request for comment in the Federal Register for public input to get a better understanding of the challenges facing communities that lack adequate access to broadband. It aims to identify unnecessary regulatory and policy barriers, incentivize investment, and align funding policies to support broadband access and adoption.

A free webinar to explain the request for comment’s purpose and objectives will be held on May 20, 2015, from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. EDT. Members of the public will be able to pose questions about the request for comment to the federal partners, including IMLS. Space for the webinar will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4277364480826458625 by May 13, 2015. Upon registration, webinar link and information will be distributed.

“Community anchor institutions, like libraries and museums, play a critical role in educating residents about the importance of being digitally literate so they can take advantage of the economic, educational, and social opportunities online. All public libraries in the United States offer free Internet access. The library is where people in underserved areas, in rural, tribal, or inner city communities, go to get online access and support and gest support and training from knowledgeable staff,” said Maura Marx, Acting IMLS Director. “IMLS is committed to advancing a national digital platform that delivers online content and services to all Americans over an essential broadband infrastructure.”

IMLS encourages libraries and museums to submit their comments by the submission deadline of June 10, 2015. Comments can be submitted by email to BOCrfc2015 @ ntia.doc.gov or by mail to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4626, Attn: Broadband Opportunity Council, Washington, DC 20230.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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.