Dear colleague,
Looking for relevant, affordable and convenient professional development opportunities to improve your library’s service delivery and further your personal professional development goals?Look no further than the
online courses offered by the
Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) and the
Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), divisions of ALA.
We have many courses scheduled for early 2013, covering topics that are relevant to a wide variety of job functions in all types of libraries. A list of current opportunities is below, but make sure to keep an eye on the
ASCLA online learning page and
RUSA online learning page for more course dates and webinars as they’re scheduled.
Are you part of a state library or a large public or university library network? We can arrange for a private offering of many of these courses for groups of 20 or more participants. Contact our web manager, Andrea Hill, at
ahill@ala.org for more information. Group discounts for two or more participants from the same library are also available; links to rates and registration forms are included below.
Registration rates increase on Jan. 1, 2013 so
register now!We hope you'll take advantage of these fantastic opportunities!Best Wishes,
Susan Hornung
Executive Director
Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies
Reference and User Services Association
Divisions of ALA
Upcoming Online Courses
Registration information for ASCLA, including groupsRegistration information for RUSA, including groupsQuestions about registration? Contact
registration@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, option 5.
Genealogy 101: Jan. 14-Feb. 17, 2013This course is designed for reference staff with little to no experience in genealogy. Using a case study to frame the coursework, participants will learn about tools and techniques they can use to confidently assist patrons with family history research. A review of archival material, print reference tools and online sources is included in the curriculum.
Get more information or
register now.
Readers’ Advisory 101: Jan. 27-Mar. 7Through practice sessions, participants will learn from instructor and RA expert Joyce Saricks how to use RA tools, craft annotations, read in genres, articulate appeal and experiment with methods to offer RA services. Readers' Advisory 101 is tailored for those at all types of libraries—support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians and those librarians who want to brush up on their skills. The topics covered are introductory in nature. This course has scheduled weekly meeting times on Thursdays; exact meeting times are TBD.
Get more information or
register now.
Business Reference 101: Feb. 4-March 1, 2013Appropriate for librarians and library staff of all types who wish to acquire business reference expertise, Business Reference 101 will demystify such topics as SIC, NAICS codes, ROI and 10ks. Students will also have access to proprietary business reference databases. This consistently sold-out course will be taught by Celia Ross, past chair of RUSA’s Brass section and an experienced facilitator and practitioner in the business reference field.
Get more information or
register now.
Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping: Feb. 11-Mar. 3, 2013Through podcasts and hands-on assignments, participants in “Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping” will explore uses for geographic information systems (GIS) technology within organizations and also its social uses beyond simple cartography. The course also covers the how-to of online mapping tools such as Google Earth, ArcExplorer, Scribble Maps and Google Maps. The course content is especially relevant for public or reference librarians who want to organize information in a visual or geographic way to benefit the work of the library, to make information available to the community or any number of needs.
Get more information or
register now.Improving Library Services to People with Disabilities: Feb. 18 - Mar. 17, 2013Two live course chat meetings: Thursday, February 28, 3-4 pm Central Time and Thursday, March 14, 3-4 pm Central Time
The information in this course is vital for all levels of staff--from the part-time aide checking out library materials, to the library director determining policies. Cultivating staff skills and positive attitudes surrounding library and resource accessibility are crucial for a satisfactory library experience. During this online course, participants will identify library users with disabilities at their library and the resources and assistive technologies available to assist them; examine changes in attitudes, laws and technologies that have impacted people with disabilities; and recommend changes in personal and organizational behaviors to improve services for people with disabilities at their library.
Get more information and
register now.
Spatial Literacy II: Incorporation of Maps and GIS: Mar. 25-Apr. 8, 2013This three week course incorporates the geospatial literacy and mapping skills developed in the course “Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping” and teaches how to apply it in library services. Librarians in any information resource position will be able to apply their newly developed Web 2.0 mapping skills in their reference work, library projects, library administration, collection delivery, instruction, outreach and promotion.
Get more information or
register now.Reference Interview: Apr. 8-May 19, 2013A comprehensive course focusing on the methods of evaluating reference service, behavioral aspects of reference service, and the different types of questions that can be used to help patrons identify what they need. Other topics include approachability, questioning and listening techniques and the reference interview environment. Chat sessions will model interviewing techniques using sample dialogues. Who should attend: support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians, and those librarians who want to brush up on their interview skills; topics are of interest to all types of librarie.
Get more information or
register now.Interlibrary Loan 101: April 22 - May 19, 2013Live Sessions on Mon and Wed, 1-2p.m. Central Time
Topics covered: ILL process, policies and procedures from both the borrowing and lending perspectives, copyright law and licensing impacts on ILL, and ILL resources and systems. Participants will learn standard practices, gain an overview of emerging trends, and practice writing policies for interlibrary borrowing and lending. Who should attend: New ILL managers and practitioners in all types of libraries, especially academic and public libraries.
Get more information or
register now.Health Information: Dates TBDIACET CEU’s offered for this course. This six-week course will demystify and decode medical terminology and also cover the basics of evidence-based biomedical literature searching. Participants will learn how to systematically evaluate a health website and then look at some the best of best sites for medical, pharmaceutical and drug information. The course covers the business of healthcare: PPACA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HealthIT and HITECH, Meaningful Use, Physician and Hospital Rankings & Ratings and the Personal Health Record. Students will also participate in a discussion of health literacy issues and how to create partnerships with hospital and academic medical librarians through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.
Get more information.
