Facing Our Challenges in Positive Ways

Outline:

I. Dangers and Opportunities: Challenges for Libraries in the Digital Age

Many of our library “crises,” whether institutional or personal, can be tied directly to the information technology changes that have occurred in the past 20 years - changes that continue and are accelerating. Three factors that are creating a dangerous perfect storm of societal changes that will impact libraries. Only by actively addressing the challenges each of these dangers pose, will libraries survive and thrive. Seven opportunities libraries and librarians are taking advantage of to remain relevant in the digital age concludes the presentation.

II. All Aboard! Plan and Report to Build Library Support Program assessments generally cause far too much stress for school library media specialists. This workshop will help the participant develop and use effective program evaluations that are NOT long and tortuous and that truly help increase budgets, improve working conditions, and make the library media program essential to student learning. The second part of the workshop will help the participant learn how proactive, collaborative planning and reporting efforts based on needs assessments can have a tremendous impact on the support given to media program by teachers, administrators and the community.

III. When Your Job is on the Line

Given current funding realities facing schools, this short primer visits some strategies to help you save your job. (1.5 hours)