Do You Know What TechAtlas Is?
TechAtlas for Libraries is a set of free online planning and management tools that guide your library through the essential act of creating and maintaining a technology plan. Use TechAtlas resources to inventory your equipment, plan computer maintenance and upgrades, assess staff tech skills, set near- and long-term goals, and make a budget.
On April 16 during a free one-hour webinar, we'll show how to use the TechAtlas Event Tracker to track computer problems and solutions. You’ll see the software in action and have a chance to ask questions about using the tools.
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Technology Planning in Tough Times
Making a technology plan isn't fun, but it is essential: it shows where you're going and what you need to get there. And in today's economy, having a plan in place will help you effectively manage limited resources. To get you started, WebJunction has a whole section on technology planning, with articles such as this one on writing technology goals and objectives. There are also resources for libraries participating in the E-Rate program.
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Featured Course: Personal Computer Components
 You know that thingy with the doohickey—is it important? And which of these dozen cords do I plug into which of these dozen holes—and why? Our featured course for April gives you a tour of computers from the inside out, so that you will feel more comfortable with the basics of setup and maintenance. Plus, if you sign up before April 30, you can take advantage of the 50% course discount.
If you are affiliated with a WebJunction Partner, be sure to enroll in courses via your affiliation's course catalog to take full advantage of many free and reduced-priced courses. The User Guide has more information about affiliations. |
101 Technology Success Tips in 30 Days
Along with rapidly changing technologies, the public's use of library computers puts extra demands on the setup and maintenance of hardware, software, networks, and security. Part of technology planning is staying on top of those tasks. Help build a list of 101 tips for managing public access computers by posting your own tech success tip. In other words, 1 tip gets you 100 in return. Oh, and there will be prizes awarded for "best" and "most" tips posted. Note: You must be signed in as as a member to post.
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Technology Competencies Now Available
WebJunction has just released competencies for Core Technology and Systems & IT. The Core competencies address skills that all staff need for today's "wired" work environment. Systems & IT competencies address the various complex technology systems that drive your library operations. As with the Library Management competencies, these technology sets include dynamic links to related courses and resources on WebJunction that will build your knowledge and skills and increase on-the-job effectiveness. On the Courses page on WebJunction, click the Competencies tab to explore.
Join us on April 29 for a free webinar, where we'll hear from libraries that are at different stages of implementing competency programs, so that you can learn from their experiences and plan on the smoothest path for creating a program at your library.
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Assess Your Management Skills
Evaluate your skill level in three key areas of library management, and help us understand the effectiveness of the WebJunction competencies. We’re taking the pulse of where the field is now in terms of these competencies so we have a baseline for measuring progress later. This assessment will take 10-15 minutes out of your day, and you do not need to know anything about the competencies to participate.
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MaintainIT Cookbook Virtual Celebration
Come celebrate on April 22 the thousands of librarians who made TechSoup’s MaintainIT Project a reality—from the 400+ librarians and tech support personnel who spent their valuable time sharing stories, to the countless contributors and volunteers who used the content, contributed to the events, and created a community of librarians learning from each other. At this virtual event you'll get the top technology tips from library technology experts, hear what MaintainIT Project staff learned from their many conversations and library travels around the country, and learn how you can make the Cookbook content and community thrive on WebJunction.
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We update the Hot Topics page monthly to highlight new and popular courses, documents, discussions, groups and events. | | | | Try Out Wimba for Free
Take this virtual classroom and online meeting space for a free 30-day spin. Get details or sign up » | | | | | Upcoming Drexel Webinar
In honor of National Library Week, Drexel U. is hosting a webinar on April 15 at 12–1 pm EST, Archival Education: Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going? Join Dr. Susan Davis, associate teaching professor at the iSchool, who will discuss Drexel's new archival courses that were designed to meet the field's changing needs. Get all the information you need in one hour-long session right from the comfort of your own home or office.
Register for the webinar »
 | | | | | LoC Webinar in May
Join Library of Congress’ Chief of Conservation, Diane Vogt-O’Connor, for a special live web event on May 5. Diane will discuss a special project from the Library of Congress and Foundation Center that provides guidance for applying for your share of nearly 2,000 grants of $5,000 or more. More about the event » | | | | | Quick Link to Events
For information about all the live events happening this month, visit the WebJunction Events Calendar. By regis- tering for an event, you will receive a helpful email reminder. | | | | | Thank You for Your Input
We received about 1200 responses to our member survey last month. We will share the results with you in the May issue of Crossroads. | | | | | Have feedback on what you've read here? Post your comments on the online version of Crossroads.
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