Digital Footprint Webinar

I just watched an informative webinar and found a great resource for more library education. Win Win.  The webinar was Your Digital Footprint.  Brought to us by the Nebraska Library Commission.  The link takes you to their list of offerings, including their archive of recorded webinars. The Nebraska Library Commission sponsors NCompass broadcasts live every Wednesday at 10 AM Central Time with topics of interest to librarians.  I will be back.
Today's webinar discussed the digital footprint we all leave behind on the Internet and offered strategies we can use to minimize our footprint and keep our data secure.  The webinar also offered strategies for presenting this information to library patrons young and old.

Continuing Education for Librarians

I saw a conversation on LinkedIn ... someone was asking for info on MOOCs and other continuing ed opportunities for librarians.  Continuously  trying to rack up CEUs and stay relevant/on top of things while working and having a life can be exhausting. So here is a link to a library science list of free on-line course for librarians.  They cover everything from cataloging to Web 2.0.  I'm sure there's more stuff out there. I'll post them on my libraries & librarians page as I find them.

Book Review Friday: How to Think: The Liberal Arts and Their Enduring Value

Okay, I'm caught, it's Saturday.

I had every intention of getting this post done yesterday.  But I suddenly turned domestic and spent the day doing laundry, empty a few boxes out of the basement (they've been there since we moved in 12 years ago) and ... cooking and baking!!  I do love a day off when I can just relax and have fun in the kitchen.  So I made Challah bread, a really delish apple pie baked burrito, and for dinner a great recipe I found on Pinterest for Better than Panda Orange Chicken, and it was!


And now for the book review, which is in fact, NOT a book.  How to Think: The Liberal Arts and Their Enduring Value is a lecture course by Dr. Michael D. C. Drout.  It it part of the Modern Scholar series by Recorded Books.  In this course Professor Drout presents his arguments for why a liberal arts education is still worth the tuition dollars it costs, even if there are no jobs for Art History majors.  Drout's argument is that regardless of whether or not you get a job in that degree field, the underlying education, the overarching grounding in logic, rhetoric, and writing skills prepares a person to excel in any endeavor.  The liberal arts he posits teach students how to think, how to reason, how to persuade, how to lead.  This has been the raison d'etre for a liberal arts education since Greek and Roman times. Drout uses his background as a Medieval English specialist to back up his claims, with one lecture devoted to a case study on Beowulf (fascinating).  He also answers the critics of liberal arts, admitting to the faults that have crept into academia, while suggesting ways to remedy them.  While this lecture series might have a limited appeal, I highly recommend it to any student hoping to convince his/her parents that paying for that Art History degree isn't a waste of money and to anyone interested in or already in possession of a degree in one of the softer sciences.

Drout's lectures are presented in a breezy, conversational style.  While the occasional pause lets you know he is referring to notes for the most part his delivery is natural and flowing.  His presentations are humorous, informative, and well-researched. From the "About Your Professor" section of From Here to Infinity:

Michael D.C. Drout is the William and Elsie Prentice Professor of English at

Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, where he teaches courses in Old

and Middle English, medieval literature, Chaucer, fantasy, and science fiction.

Professor Drout received his Ph.D. in medieval literature from Loyola

University in 1997. He also holds M.A. degrees from Stanford (journalism)

and the University of Missouri-Columbia (English literature) and a B.A. from

Carnegie Mellon.

Full disclosure: I am an absolute Michael Drout fan.  I think I have listened to all of his lecture series.  He has done eleven.  For librarians especially, his surveys of Science Fiction (From Here to Infinity) and Fantasy (Rings, Swords, and Monsters) literature can be a great help to the perplexed reader's adviser.

Always something new to learn

I just found this article at Library Science List "Free Online Courses for Librarians" what's not to love about that?  The list includes webinars and online courses from various state libraries and other library loving organizations that cover librarianship from soup to nuts.  Something for everyone in the race to keep current and hone our skills.

Technology Skills

Here's an interesting article from The Journal.com 20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have.  A great list for teachers and librarians. I'm good with most of these, but there are a few I need to spend some time on.  Great food for thought.

What is a MOOC and Why Should We Care?

A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course. The first MOOCs were generally science and technology courses offered for free, with no college credit, taught by expert in the field. As the courses catch on more and more topics are being offered for study and for-profit organizations are trying to get into the game. Some colleges are now charging for access to MOOCs with prices varying depending on whether the student wants CEUs or college credit for the course.

Students taking a MOOC are on their own, even more so than a regular online class.  As such, the drop out rate is high.  But those who complete their course gain skills and  knowledge that can help them get a better job and improve their lives.

As public librarians, it is worth our time to learn a little about MOOCs, because sooner or later someone is going to ask.  Students can enroll in a MOOC without being affiliated with a particular college or university and may need the library for computer access, written materials, or other assistance.

The major MOOC providers are:
Coursera
EdX
Udacity
Also, some colleges offer their own MOOCs

Student Advisor.com is a site that "offers free access to trusted educational conversations, college reviews, college comparison and match tools, planning guides, a social network of verified advisors and more."  They also have an entire MOOC Advisor site devoted to all things MOOC including student reviews of courses.

 
For an in depth article about MOOCs check out Massive Open Opportunity by Meredith Schwartz in the May 15, 2013 Library Journal. 

For the sake of full disclosure, I am taking a MOOC through Syracuse University's School of Information Science on Professor David Lankes's book The Atlas of New Librarianship.  It is rigorous, informative, and fun.  I will definitely enroll in another MOOC.