Practical Technology for Children's Library Service

Instructor: Cathie Scalice

Practical Technology for Children's Library Service

Technology has increased and improved at an amazing rate in the last few years and it is clearly impossible to keep up with all the changes. But what is worth the effort to learn and what is not? Can new technology help children's and young adult librarians make reading clubs, class visits, brochures, reading lists, bookmarks, and bibliographic instruction easier? Is playing games on the computers at the library a good use of resources? Is online reference a useful tool for children's librarians? If you are ready to explore new technology but want to be selective and remain focused on quality services to children, this workshop is right for you.

Workshop Description: In this hands-on Infopeople workshop, you will learn how to use technology to provide excellent children's services. There will be an opportunity to learn to use the Web and Microsoft Word to enhance services as well as time to discuss some of the special challenges for children's librarians in helping kids use technology in the library.

Highlights: Using presentations, exploration, exercises, discussion, and a packet of practical handouts, the instructor will have you:

• Review technology that is useful for children's librarians
• Use Barnes and Noble or Amazon for Collection Development
• Use technology for outreach to schools
  • provide bibliographic and electronic resources instruction
• Create interactive bibliographies
• Advocate for technology for children and youth
• Engage in discussions with your peers on:
  • the special challenges in teaching kids and working with teachers
  • how to provide information and support for parents when their kids start using digital resources
  • the critical differences between offering technology-based children's versus adult services
• Use graphics in library materials for kids
  • create a brochure on using the online catalog
  • how to do screen prints
• Learn how to keep up with what's useful and screen out what's not

Who should attend: Children's Librarians, Young Adult Librarians and support staff who serve youth and are interested in technology but haven't worked with it very much.

Prerequisites: Those attending should be:

• comfortable using a mouse
• able to open a program and save a file

Please Note: There is a $75.00 fee for this workshop. Infopeople does not provide parking passes, lunch or refreshments.

Check-in: 8:30 to 9 AM Instruction: 9 AM to 4:30 PM