SirsiDynix Institute Second Quarter Webinar Schedule for 2007

SirsiDynix Institute Announces Second Quarter Webinar Schedule for 2007
Topics include Second Life, podcasting and workforce transformation in the library industry
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 26, 2007 – The SirsiDynix Institute, a forum for professional development in the library community, announced today its webinar schedule for the second quarter of 2007. All webinars offered by the SirsiDynix Institute are free.
The first event for the second quarter will be April 3, and will feature Michael Sauers, technology innovation librarian with the Nebraska Library Commission. Sauers will discuss the Info Island Project on Second Life, introducing attendees to both the world of Second Life and to the Second Life Library 2.0 project and the services it offers. An online, 3D virtual world, Second Life, has more than 1.5 million residents, all potentially needing the services that a library can provide. Sauers will discuss taking the library to the user through Second Life.
Sauers has served as the Internet trainer for the Bibliographical Center for Research, as a public library trustee and as a bookstore manager for a library friends group. He is the author of eight books on technology for librarians and has written dozens of articles for various journals and magazines.
On May 1, Donna Scheeder, director of Law Library Services for the Law Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., will address the topic, “Succession Planning and Workforce Transformation: Keys to Future Success,” while asking the question: “Are you and your organization positioned for the future?” She will define succession planning and workforce transformation, important tools for guaranteeing that individuals and organizations have the skills and competencies to ensure their future success.
Scheeder has conducted many successful and informative SirsiDynix Institute events. In her current position, she is a leader in providing a wide range of information and collection services for the U.S. Congress, the courts, the executive branch agencies and the public. She serves on numerous boards and has received several awards related to her library work.
The May 22 presentation will feature Kelly Czarnecki, technology education librarian for teens and youth at ImaginOn, the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in Charlotte, N.C. She will lead a discussion of the Teen Grid on Second Life and how this immersive space can help keep library services relevant to teens. The presenter will describe and demonstrate some of the tools and techniques on Second Life, including flight, clothing design, moviemaking, house building, music streaming and more.
Czarnecki has worked in a public library as a young adult librarian and in an academic library. She is the coleader of Eye4You Alliance Island, a project to offer library services in the 3D environment of Second Life for teens. She works to engage teens at her library in gaining new knowledge that will give them competitive skills in school and, eventually, in the work environment. She has been invited to present at several library conferences, and her projects and writings have appeared in major library publications.
On June 5, David Free, public services librarian for the Decatur Campus Library of Georgia Perimeter College, will present “What’s New in Podcasting?” Free will examine developments in the library podcasting landscape over the past year, including a look at new podcasts created by and for the library community. The presentation will cover tips for considering, planning, creating, evaluating and sustaining a podcasting program at a library. Free produces the Georgia Perimeter College’s library podcasts and is the podcast editor of “The Chattanooga Review” literary quarterly.
Stephen Abram, chief strategist of the SirsiDynix Institute, said, “One of the most important missions of the SirsiDynix Institute is to advance the work of librarians around the world. We are excited to be able to offer such relevant, thought-provoking webinars through the Institute as part of our mission.”
Additional upcoming SirsiDynix Institute events for 2007 are posted on the SirsiDynix Institute Web site, www.sirsidynixinstitute.com. SirsiDynix Institute events are held on the first Tuesday of each month; in addition, special events, including international ones, will be announced throughout the year.
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About the SirsiDynix Institute
The SirsiDynix institute was founded in 2003 and is funded by SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions. The SirsiDynix Institute is a forum for professional development in the library community. Monthly webinars, the SirsiDynix Institute Executive Conference and other events provide librarians with access to industry leaders and a forum to keep up to date on relevant issues and trends impacting libraries. The mission of the SirsiDynix Institute is to
support librarianship and advance the work of librarians around the world. The focus of the SirsiDynix Institute is on library issues, not products. More information on the SirsiDynix Institute is available at www.sirsidynixinstitute.com.