Kathryn Sturtz coordinator for the Alamo Area Library System, speaks with Devo Carpenter a youth specialist with the Austin Public Library.  Their discussion is childrens performers within libraries.

Pat Wagner from Pattern Research, Inc. is an educator, trainer, and consultant for libraries of all kinds.  She recently gave a workshop for NTRLS on how to design library services and programs to appeal to the Boomer generation.  Here she talks with Nell Callison about the different kinds of Boomers, how to design services targeting their needs, and how to market your programs in order to reach this audience.

Suzan Nyfeler sits down with Kam McEvoy to discuss Central Texas Library System's new grant program: Ready to Read. Suzan discusses the early literacy skills that Ready to Read promotes, and the importance of outreach to parents, teachers and caregivers so that every child will be ready to read.

Kathryn Sturtz, from the Alamo Area Library System, talks about weeding using the CREW method.

     In 2004 Eva Martin, now a librarian at Fort Worth Public Library, co-authored an article examining crimes committed in and around libraries in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.  In this interview she recounts cases where a library provided not just the location of the crime, but also the alibi, the source of information for planning the crime, or a community focal point  for services that were used in the crime. 
 
     She recommends that librarians be aware of patron behavior and document anything strange.  She also refers to the advice of Carolyn Davidson Brewer on how to handle potentially violent situations at the library (see the article at the NTRLS website). 

    For more on this topic, see the 2004 article by Eva Martin and  Susan K. Burke. "Libraries in Communities: Expected and Unexpected Portrayals in State Case Law." Libraries & Culture 39, no. 4: 405-428.   (In Texas, you can retrieve the text of the article through the TEXShare databases.) 

Just as our libraries have to respond to changes in technology, they also have to adapt to cultural changes as the demographics of our communities shift.  In this interview Val Armstrong, manager of the Bachman Lake and Grauwyler Park branches of the Dallas Public Library, discusses ways to identify and respond to the needs of patrons in a culturally diverse community.  

Today you'll hear an excerpt from Chris Jowaisis's presentation to CTLS members at our fall membership meeting Friday, Sept 26. Chris lets us know about the Texas State Library's Budget, proposed changes to the Library Systems Act to allow multitype membership, TSLAC renovations, and an upcoming Connectivity grant funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Kathryn Sturtz, coordinator of the Alamo Area Library System, discusses recent trends in library literature.  She speaks about a number of books that are available in the AALS professional collection.

Librarian Live is a weekly podcast produced by a partnership of regional library organizations.  The podcasts cover a wide range of topics of interest to the library community. 

Each partner in the project produces one five-to-ten-minute episode every four to six weeks.  During the FY 2009 season (September 2008 through August 2009) the partners are:

North Texas Regional Library System (NTRLS)
Northeast Texas Library System (NETLS)
Central Texas Library System (CTLS)
Alamo Area Library System (AALS)

The objectives of the project are: to provide continuing education to librarians through the medium of podcasting; to introduce librarians to podcasting; to discover previously unknown expertise in the library community; to introduce discovered expertise to the library community; and to introduce librarians to new concepts and ways of thinking.

Librarian Live is funded in part by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

For more information about the Librarian Live project, please contact the North Texas Regional Library System.

Kam McEvoy talks a bit about the MaintainIT Project, which collects and shares experiences about working with public access computing. This is a 3-year grant funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, under the supervision of TechSoup, a non-profit that matches software donations with non-profit organizations (like libraries!). MaintainIT's motto is - You don't have to reinvent the wheel -- you can learn from the experiences of other librarians that have faced the same challenges in providing robust public access to technology that you're going through.

Greg Anderson, President of Strategic Government Resources, Inc. was the keynote speaker at the recent Children and Youth Conference for Librarians (CYC2008.com).  In this interview he gives a brief description of the four generations that are represented in the workforce today and addresses the question of how to minimize conflict when people from different generations interact using differing value systems.

Rodney Greensage from the Alamo Area Library System talks about Windows Steady State.  This is a lock down tool for public access computers within libraries.  He speaks about some of the history, staff setup features, and the pros/cons of the product.

Mike Buras, IT Specialist with Central Texas Library System, Inc., joins us to discuss factors that can keep your public access computers running smoothly.

Linda Tyler Rollins offers valuable advice on how to represent your library while networking with community movers and shakers at social events. Specific topics include: where to place your name tag, being able to talk and shake hands while managing food and drink; and how to make social small talk that focuses on your library.  This interview was done in conjunction with Ms. Rollins' recent Leadership Etiquette workshop for NTRLS.

In this interview Leanna Cowan, director of the Alvarado Public Library and member of the board of directors for the Library Foundation of North Texas (LFNT), discusses the contributions of volunteers, both in library foundations and friends groups, and in libraries themselves.  Leanna also talks about upcoming events for LFNT.  Look for the LFNT table at the CYC2008 conference this August.

Rodney Greensage, an IT consultant for the Alamo Area Library System, talks about 2 common problems that may happen within a public library network. 

- Troubleshooting tips for when you think your internet/network goes down.

- The other is how to deal with Malware/Spyware on computers within the library.

We were thrilled to have Judith Black, professional storyteller, present the Stories Alive! workshop on June 20, 2008, at Austin Public Library. Judith emphasized that both the human details and the motivations behind characters' actions are critical in connecting an audience to the past. She also explained the role that storytelling plays in society. This podcast is an excerpt from her presentation.

Judith has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival and has served as Teller-in Residence at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesboro TN.  She’s used storytelling to train national park interpreters, social workers, hospital personnel, teachers, librarians and eldercare professionals.  Judith has recorded songs and stories for children and adults, published her own stories in books and magazines, performed commissioned works and one-woman shows.  Her stories are full of wit and grace, offering insight into our common human story. 

Maria Redburn, Library Manager of the Bedford Public Library, shares her experience using surveys, both online and printed, to gather input from library patrons.

Vivienne Beckett from The Alamo Area Library System talks with Pat Wagner of Pattern Research Inc. Pat talks about concepts and tips with handling behavior and conflict management within the workplace.

In a recent Reaching our Spanish-Speaking Audience (ROSA) workshop, Spanish-speaking community leaders in Austin were invited to participate in a panel discussion. Here is Nelson Salinas from AVANCE at that ROSA workshop, shedding light on this important population and talking about how libraries can better serve Spanish speakers.

AVANCE-Austin prepares primarily Hispanic low-income children, to enter preschool and elementary with skills necessary for success in school.  AVANCE children interact in a classroom environment that is rich in oral language opportunities, reading activities and
social relationships with adults and peers as well as age-appropriate cognitive stimulation.

Adam Wright interviews Carolyn Davidson and dona weisman of the North Texas Regional Library System about staff development. 

In this podcast, we hear from Jennifer Patterson, Continuing Education coordinator at CTLS, Inc., who explains the nuts and bolts of long range planning:
-- what it is 
-- why it's useful to libraries
-- who are the active participants
-- resources for long range plans

CTLS and AIA Austin held a Library Design symposium recently where we were honored to have Julie Todaro , Dean of Library Services at Austin Community College, share her wisdom on creating library environments. Julie Todaro is one of our most regarded librarians in the state. Her department has created award-winning information literacy tutorials, an award-winning literacy program that reaches 15,000 students every year, and has expanded organization access to and management of ACC library services through Library 2.0 opportunities.

Julie and her department are currently building a new Round Rock general campus library with health sciences programs. ACC Round Rock will be their biggest campus to date. Over the past 7 years, ACC Library Services has renovated 2 libraries and in the most recent 3 years, they've built 3 new library environments.

 
This podcast is an excerpt from Julie's March 6th talk: New Libraries: The Agony and Ecstasy.

Resources:
ACRL/LAMA Guide for Architects
Designing a Fine Library
Designing Libraries: the Gateway to Better Library Buildings
WBDG: Whole Building Design Guide

Martha Knott, from technical services at San Antonio Public Library, talks with Kathryn Sturtz from AALS about how and why San Antonio Public Library became involved with downloadable audiobooks.

Library Consultant Dr. Mary Bushing sees customer service as a key responsibility for every library staff member.  Dr. Bushing is interviewed here by Nell Callison from NTRLS.  See NTRLS.org for information about Dr. Bushing's upcoming workshops, Customer Service for Circulation Staff, May 15 and 16 at NTRLS libraries.

Steve Lott, an accountant for the Alamo Area Library System, discusses several aspects of inventory.

Adam Wright interviews Katherine Boyer, Director of the Roanoke Public Library.  Katherine tells how she became a librarian and what has changed in the years since she entered the profession.  She has advice for students or librarians hoping to become library directors:  always be ready to learn from your colleagues!

Kathryn Sturtz and Vivienne Beckett discuss a variety of online social networking sites.  These sites and services can appeal to libraries in many different ways.

Some of the topics discussed:

Amazon
Google groups
Authors message boards
Flickr
Facebook
Myspace
Youtube

And many others

When Georgetown Public Library began planning for a new library space, they decided to broaden their amenities to include community rooms and a coffee shop. Kam McEvoy interviews Eric Lashley, Director of Georgetown Public Library, to discuss how these new amenities have enhanced services to their patrons.

The Ann Arbor District Library has had great success staging videogame tournaments, which can appeal simultaneously to children, teens, families and seniors.  Eli Neiburger has tips for producing these events, including soliciting advice from local experts and borrowing equipment to reduce overhead costs.

The Ann Arbor library uses a website to help organize and manage their tournaments.  You can see it at http://www.aadl.org/aadlgt .  The framework and web tools will be made available at http://gtsystem.org.

Eli Neiburger is the author of Gamers ... in the Library?!: The Why, What, and How of Videogame Tournaments for All Ages.  In March he will be presenting workshops at two NTRLS libraries.  See the Continuing Education page at www.NTRLS.org for details.

Kathryn Sturtz and Vivienne Beckett from the Alamo Area Library System, discuss tips on how to use some advanced Google tools.

Kathryn discusses various ways to use advanced search options within Google to get a more defined result.  Vivienne discusses the following Google tools that librarys may find useful:

 - Google Book Search 
- Google Scholar 
- Google Sketchup 
- Google Earth

It's never too early to start thinking about Summer Reading Programs for your library! In this podcast, Suzan Nyfeler will talk about this year's themes for Texas public libraries and what's new for 2008. For more information, visit the Texas Reading Club website and the Texas Teens Read website.

Jesse Ephraim from the Southlake Public Library discusses strategies a librarian can use for deciding to adopt new technology, learning new technology, and keeping current with new developments.

George Keller, a volunteer at the Harper Public Library, talks about starting a new library in a community that previously did not have one.  Mr. Keller points out a number of steps, ideas, and challenges in getting their library started.

Happy New Year! Make 2008 the year you incorporate merchandising into your routine at the library for increased circulation and improved patron satisfaction. Kam McEvoy at CTLS discusses the merchandising techniques that Kathy Schalk-Greene and Joan Bernstein from the Mount Laurel Library in New Jersey used to transform their library. For more resources, visit the Trading Spaces Website.

In this Librarian Live episode, Adam Wright of the North Texas Regional Library System interviews Kerry McGeath about his revolutionary practices at his library in Southlake Texas.

 

Julie Ousley, a lay representative and volunteer at the New Braunfels Public Library, discusses a different and creative way of utilizing left over/weeded books when no longer used within the library.  Her method turns books into forms of art.

 

Today we speak with the wonderful Jennifer Patterson, Continuing Education Coordinator for CTLS, Inc., and former Branch Manager at Austin Public Library. In this podcast, we discuss:

- what kinds of nonfiction patrons want
- barriers to selecting nonfiction
- resources to help with nonfiction selection
- how to tailor your nonfiction collection to fit the needs of your patrons

What Jennifer has been reading lately:

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Ann Lamott
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich