ASRT Roundtable Meeting -
Topic: Professional Development
Attendees:
Shannon, Hoover
Laura, Southern History
Debbie, Leeds
David, BPL Fiction
Russell, BPL ALS
Leslie, BPL ALS
Deidre, Bessemer
NaTasha, BPL Info/Circ
Rachel, BPL Info/Circ
Terri, Vestavia Hills
Brandon, Eastwood
Jiemin, BPL Info/Circ
Thanks to the big crowd for coming out! We had a rather short meeting but very informative. The discussion centered around individual responsibility in attaining professional development. There are tons of useful opportunities outside of library conventions and expensive online/in-person courses. Although necessary for personal growth and to show good faith in professional advancement, it is rarely an official requirement of a job to have CEUs on our record. It is up to the individual to take time either while off of a public desk or on personal time to learn new software, new reference tools, or new professional skills.
Besides online training, there are plenty of local groups that provide in-person opportunities for professional growth. For instance (just a short list!!!): Toastmasters, Rotary Club, Young Professionals of Birmingham, Birmingham Chapter of the National Association of Professional Women, etc.
Below are some of our suggestions and best-bets for online webinars and training:
ALA.org, eLearning (Most webinars do cost, if they are multiple days. Some free webinars are offered.)
ALA OnDemand Online Learning (PLA’s “On-Demand” Webinars with a variety of topics for a cost of anywhere from $28/webinar (individual) to $119/person for groups.)
Booklist Online (free webinar archives)
Choice (Association of College & Research Librarians)
"Find MOOCs by University/Entity" (resource for finding free online courses by university or topic)
Florida Libraries (Consortium offering webinars)
Individual companies products:
Examples: EBSCO training on NoveList & LibraryAware
Individual publishers:
Most give free webinars on their latest and greatest books – if you sign up, you can usually then get a link to the archived webinar allowing you to view it at your leisure.
Example: Penguin Random House
LibraryConnect (Elsevier - mostly academic topics but free archived webinars!)
Library Journal Webcasts (mostly free or low cost webcasts)
Lynda.com (LinkedIn product)
Software development, web development, using
apps, business courses, etc.
Free
trial available, subscription from $19.99 to $29.99/month
Open Education Database (Open Education Database – kind of a clearinghouse of ongoing webinars, both free and at cost)
Programming Librarian (webinar links)
SCORE (Birmingham resource dedicated to education entrepreneurs and encouraging the formation, growth and success of small business by providing free counseling and no-cost/low-cost workshops)
SWON Libraries Consortium (Southwest Ohio)
TLT Group (Teaching, Learning and Technology Group)
WebJunction (Extensive webinar archives)
Wednesdays with Ingram (using the Ipage database is just one facet)
