CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TRAININGS listed by CE category

LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION

E-learning for Staff Training and Professional Development   This session will explore an abundance of online training opportunities available to librarians and staff.  Participants will practice using online meeting software to attend live, online trainings and will learn where to find asynchronous training resources, such as online courses and self-paced tutorials, on a variety of topics.  1.5 CE contact hours (Library Administration)

What Do They Need From Us? Community needs assessment for librarians
2 CE contact hours (Library Administration)

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

Cataloging and MARC   In this session for non-professional catalogers, participants will consider the importance of cataloging and learn how bibliographic information from the card catalog is translated into Machine Readable Cataloging for use in computer systems.  OCLC cataloging services and online catalogs will be examined, with an opportunity for hands-on experience exploring Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs) and cataloging tools.  1.5 CE contact hours (Collection Management and Technical Services)

Weeding the Library Collection   This session explores weeding as an element of collection development and maintenance, including questions and issues to be considered when creating an effective deselection policy.  The workshop introduces participants to the CREW (Continuous Review Evaluation and Weeding) guidelines for public library collections and other resources on the topic of weeding.  The presentation is followed by hands-on weeding in the host library collection.  1.5 CE contact hours (Collection Management and Technical Services)

Tech Services: It’s about access   Library technical services are all about making it easy to patrons for find what they are looking for at your library. Tech services include acquisitions, cataloging, classification, materials processing, and other procedures for providing access to library materials. In this session, you will learn how to organize the library collection for easy access and explore ways to make your library more patron-friendly. 2 CE contact hours (Collection Management & Technical Services)

LIBRARY SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC

Blogs and Wikis for Libraries   This introduction will explore the many ways that libraries of all types are using blogs and wikis to collaborate, communicate, and get the library message out.  Participants will brainstorm the possibilities for using these tools in their own libraries and learn how to contribute to already-existing Montana library blogs and wikis.  1 CE contact hour (Library Services to the Public)

Excellent Reference Service  In this session, participants have a chance to learn and practice reference skills, including reference interview techniques, developing search strategies, selecting the right sources, and other best practices for reference service.  3 CE contact hours (Library Services to the Public)

Helping Students use InfoTrac for Research   InfoTrac has many features to help young researchers organize and share information for research projects.  This hands-on session gives participants an opportunity to practice using these features so they can assist student researchers in their libraries.  1.5 CE contact hours (Library Services to the Public)

Helping Patrons use Netlibrary   Montana Shared Catalog member libraries have access to more than 9,000 online titles from Netlibrary.  In this workshop, participants will learn how to help patrons create an account, search and navigate the ebook collection, and use tools to save and share content.  1 CE contact hour (Library Services to the Public)

Intellectual Freedom in Montana Libraries: Are you up to the Challenges?   Challenges to library materials pop up frequently in Montana libraries.  In this session, participants contemplate the importance of Intellectual Freedom to our democracy and understand the library's important supporting role.  Participants will learn how to identify and interpret library policies of free and open access to library service, and how to recognize and manage attempts at censorship in the library.  1.5 CE contact hours (Library Services to the Public)

Using InfoTrac to Provide Reference Service   InfoTrac is a valuable component of the library reference collection, and different kinds of reference questions require different search strategies in the databases.  In this hands-on session using actual reference questions, participants will learn how to match the search strategy to the question in order to find the right answer.  1.5 CE contact hours (Library Services to the Public)

What Do I Read Next?   Thomson-Gale’s reader’s advisory database includes cross referenced entries for more than 120,000 recommended titles in fiction and popular nonfiction for adults and children.  In this session, participants will learn how to use the database to provide readers advisory service to library patrons.  1.5 CE contact hours (Library Services to the Public)

TECHNOLOGY

Create a Blog for your Library or Federation  A blog is an excellent way for federations and libraries to keep in touch.  News, meeting agendas, and links to resources can be posted on a blog, available for members to view and comment upon anytime.  Participants in this session will create a blog for the group, register users, and identify the purpose and policies for using the blog.  1.5 CE contact hours (Technology)

What You See is What You Get: Web development made simple  Google Sites is a free and easy-to-use tool for creating a basic Web presence.  A Google site can include photos, links to documents and other websites, and navigation between sub-pages.  In this session, participants will have an opportunity to create a library or federation Web page using the tool.  3.0 CE contact hours (Technology)

InfoTrac - The New Basics   This hands-on workshop highlights the new databases and changes in the user interface of the InfoTrac database suite made available to all Montana libraries. Participants will practice accessing, searching and PowerSearching the databases; understanding, navigating, and limiting the search results.  Designed with the beginning user in mind, this session will also provide a refresher and valuable hands-on practice for the more experienced InfoTrac user.  1.5 CE contact hours (Technology)

InfoTrac Testing and Education Reference Center (TERC)   Testing and Education Reference Center provides users with in-depth information on colleges and universities, graduate and professional programs, distance education programs, scholarships and test preparation, and more.  In this session, participants will learn how to do college and scholarship searches, and how to assist patrons with test preparation and online practice tests.  1.5 CE contact hours (Technology)

Natural Resources Information System (NRIS)   This workshop provides an overview of the three divisions of Montana information available on NRIS: Water Information, Geographical Information, and the Natural Heritage Program.  Participants will learn how to use interactive mapping tools and how to find local information using NRIS resources.  1.5 - 3.0 CE contact hours (Technology)