Thing 17: Webinars

So what's a Webinar? Webinar, short for Web-based seminar or teleconference, is a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar transmitted over the Internet. So you can participate from the comfort of your work desk (or your bed and PJs!) You can find webinars about everything; from business to dog training. Some are live, while others are recorded and archived. If you choose to participate in a live webinar, when you register, you'll receive email instructions on how to link into it. In most email confirmations include a test so you can make sure your computer is compatible and your connection works. If your computer requires updates, this handy diagnostic tool will show you what you need. It's best if you log-in 15 minutes prior to the start time of the webinar to make sure that everything's working the way it should.

With so many budget cuts across the country, webinars are a great way to get some professional development without the crimp in your library's wallet as many of them are free. ALSC, for example, offers student sessions, which, while geared toward MLIS students, are a brilliant way to get some CE. I've attended a few myself which are archived here. They also offer some great online courses, that are simliar to webinars. Webjunction is another great place to find online trainings and webinars. Also, if you haven't found them yet, The CCBC (The Cooperative Children's Book Center out of the University of Wisconsin) offers some great webinars, CCBC Shorts which are quick and dirty 1/2 hour presentations on what's hot in children's and YA literature. And they're free!

Below is a youtube video showing some of the basic steps to join a webinar. Have fun!

While you might not have time to attend a whole webinar (though those CCBC shorts are short!) We'd definitely like you investigate the notion of webinars and think about how they might be useful to you professionally. Nebraska Public Libraries offers a plethora of archived webinars for free. TechSoup (technology website for non-profits) offers some great webinars. And the College of DuPage is very well-known for their thought-provoking webinars.

Some questions to ponder:

• Were you able to find a webinar you'd potentially attend?
• Do you think the staff at your library would be interested in attending a webinar or online course? Why or why not?
• Webinars are a great way to network with people all over the world - have you ever made a connection with someone far, far away that you met at a webinar?