North Carolina Library Association

The NCLA Technology & Trends Roundtable is pleased to announce TWO webinars to enhance your NCLA 2019 Conference experience.

Both webinars are free and open to all, but do require registration.

We’ll send out access links the evening before each webinar. Recordings will be available afterward.

Conference Prep, Part 1: Level Up Your NCLA Cred With Sched!

August 14th at 2 PM

For this conference, NCLA is using an online platform for the conference schedule called, SCHED. Julie Raynor, Readers’ Services Supervisor at High Point Public Library will provide tips and trips on how to navigate and use SCHED to connect with colleagues before and during Conference.

Register by 5 PM on August 13th.

Conference Prep, Part 2: Poster Presentations & Design

September 19th at 2 PM

Congratulations on getting a poster accepted for a conference! Designing a poster that pops can often be the difference between folks stopping to talk to you or not. Join Amanda Glenn-Bradley, User Engagement Librarian & CrAFT Studio Coordinator at UNC Asheville for a breakdown of the basics of poster designing and discover how to make the best poster ever!

Register by 5 PM on September 18th.

Questions?

Please contact Chad Haefele (chaefele@email.unc.edu) or Julie Raynor (julie.raynor@highpointnc.gov).

The 63^rd NCLA Biennial Conference is just around the corner, and TNT has a great line up of events! See the details below or visit the NCLA Conference schedule for all events.

Pre-Conference

Libraries: Spaces for Everyone – Web Accessibility Basics and Beyond

• Tuesday, October 15
• 1:30-4:30 PM
• Ardmore 2, Embassy Suites

This will be an interactive workshop that allows attendees to learn about digital accessibility guidelines, laws, and practices and gain hands-on experience putting these into practice with their own platforms. We will also work to build empathy and better understanding of how our work can impact our users with accessibility needs and concerns. We will walk through the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), review how to use various tools and methods to audit a website, and provide time to work with colleagues or other workshop attendees on your websites and online tools. In addition, we will look at how accessibility can affect subscribed electronic resources, focusing on steps you can take to be aware of accessibility before you purchase a resource and methods you can employ to work with vendors after a resource is purchased.

Concurrent Sessions

Libraries: Spaces to Teach and Troubleshoot Technology

• Wednesday, October 16
• 2:30-3:20 PM
• Winston 3A

This interactive session focuses on the idea that technology support and teaching could become an integral dimension of reference and adult services work. The session starts with mini-talks of 10 minutes in which the three panelists each discuss their work related to this topic: Lenstra discusses results from a year-long community informatics study of tech support at adult services desks at three public libraries. House discusses building collaborations with campus Information Technology Services (ITS) such that ITS becomes embedded in every library space across the community college. Williams discusses the Library “Senior Geek Squad,” which exists to help older adults become familiar and comfortable with various types of technology and to become active users of their digital devices, with sessions both held at the library and off-site in the community.

The session will then transition into an interactive discussion of the perils and possibilities associated with bringing technology support and teaching into reference and adult services work. This session will prepare you to embed tech support and instruction into your library’s reference and information services.

TNT’s Library Tech Resource Networking Meetup

• Thursday, October 17
• 11:00-11:50 AM
• Salem 1B

The purpose of this session is for attendees to connect with fellow librarians and leave with knowledge about TNT’s Library Tech Resource List. This list provides a tech support network that everyone can use for tech advice and guidance. The session is open to everyone, but specifically to Early Career librarians and Students who want to learn from librarians who have manage technology day-to-day in their libraries. This session is also an opportunity to learn more about TNT’s Library Tech Resource List and how to participate, both as a “tech expert” and as a “tech learner”.

The format for this session is new, so it will be setup in “conversation stations” where “tech experts” who are included in the Library Tech Resource List will be available (at tech issue tables) and attendees will be invited to rotate among them and meet face-to-face. This format is reminiscent of the “speed dating” concept and very similar to the “Speed Interviewing” sessions that have been offered at previous conferences, just more focused and less about “speed”. The hope is that both “tech experts” and “tech learners” will leave with new contacts to reach out to as the need arises.

Tech Tools Lightning Talks from TNT

• Thursday, October 17
• 1:30-2:20 PM
• Salem 3A

In this fast-paced lightning round, presenters from a variety of libraries will show off their tech tool or service of choice. Each panelist will have 5-10 minutes to demonstrate their pick in a practical, lively session.

Presenters will be recruited by the TNT board closer to the conference dates. Depending on response, we’ll accept 4-6 speakers.

TNT Business Meeting

• Thursday, October 17
• 4:30-5:50 PM
• Re-Charge Space, Winston 2

In this meeting we will:

• Hold the final election of the 2019-2021 Executive Committee Officers
• Hear from the Outgoing and Incoming Chairs about the TNT’s accomplishments and goals going forward
• Answer any questions from TNT members and potential members
• Solicit feedback about new events/programs, etc. for the next Biennium

This meeting is open to all current and past members and any potential members.

Re-Charge Space

Co-sponsored with New Members Roundtable

• Wednesday, October 16 to Friday, October 18
• All Day
• Winston 2

Are you looking for a quiet space to catch up on emails, re-connect with former co-workers and library school friends? Then the NCLA Re-Charge Space is for you! This space will be open to you for the majority of the conference and will be setup for informal conversations and time to “get away” from the conference hubbub. There will be plenty of round tables and chairs, extra outlets, and two charging towers to help you stay connected with the world outside the conference. Tech & Trends will be holding their “Library Tech Resource Networking Meetup” session and NMRT will setup a Career Center for resume review and interview help in the Re-Charge Space. This space is being sponsored by TNT and NMRT.

Technology has changed the face of libraries and is continuing to change how we work and how we deliver services to customers. This workshop introduces emerging technology trends, and how those trends are re-shaping library services. Examples of how to incorporate these emerging trends into libraries are provided.

Attendees will leave knowing what trends to look for, the difference between a technology trend and a fad, and will have new ideas on how their library can respond to emerging technology.

About the Presenter:

David Lee King is the Digital Services Director at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, where he plans, implements, and experiments with emerging technology trends. He speaks internationally about emerging trends, website management, digital experience, and social media, and has been published in many library-related journals. David is a Library Journal Mover and Shaker. His newest book is Face2Face: Using Facebook, Twitter, and Other Social Media Tools to Create Great Customer Connections. David blogs at davidleeking.com. 

Register on the State Library’s Train Station:

Registration opens on Monday, April 1, 2019.

May 21^st: Cumberland County PL, Fayetteville

The library is located at 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, NC 28301

Register for Fayetteville

May 22nd: High Point Museum (HP Library), High Point

The museum is located at 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point, NC

Register for High Point

May 23^rd: Pack Memorial Library, Asheville

The library is located at 67 Haywood St., Asheville, NC

Register for Asheville

The library is located at 67 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801  (https://goo.gl/maps/LxiVN4h3FAJ2)

These workshops will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with time included to eat lunch on your own. There is no charge to attend these events. (We are no longer allowed to provide lunches or snacks at workshops, so please bring any snacks or liquids you may need with you.)

TNT will be able to offer .6 CEUs for workshop attendees.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Julie Raynor at: julie.raynor@highpointnc.gov or 336.883.3093.

This project is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-00-18-0034-18). 

We’ve joined Facebook and Twitter to give you even more ways to stay in touch with NCLA Technology and Trends!

You can find out about our upcoming events by following us on Facebook. Or keep up-to-date on the latest tech news and events on Twitter.

We can’t wait for you to join us!

Today’s contributor is Julie Raynor, your 2017 Technology and Trends Chair-Elect.

When I attend conferences I usually struggle with two challenges: how to easily keep in touch with other committee members and co-workers during the conference and anything pertaining to networking.

As I was seeking out tools to use next week I came across two apps that I thought would be worth sharing: GroupMe and Namerick.

GroupMe is a free communication app that allows you to easily message other people who have the app and are in your group. You can also setup private chat rooms. This would be perfect for working with co-presenters and coordinating a lunch spot with your co-workers.

It’s powered by Skype, so it works on all devices, tablets, smartphones, even computers–if you’ve forgotten something “mission critical” you can send messages to your co-workers who are at the library and not attending that day. You can even send SMS messages! This would definitely have potential uses beyond the conference.

Once you download the app you can easily create a group and add group members by phone numbers or email addresses.

Namerick is the type of tool that really comes in handy when knowing someone’s name and connections is vitally important. I have a really bad habit of forgetting a new person’s name almost immediately after meeting them. So, this tool was very appealing to me. Some limitations are that it only works on iPhones and it does cost $.99, but that seemed like a great value.

Namerick uses proven mnemonic techniques of association to aid in memory, especially of people’s names. It also employs repetition to enhance your memory. If memory is one of your weaknesses, this might just be the right tool for you.

At a conference where networking can lead to future career and partnership opportunities, being a successful networker is truly important.

These tools and many more are reviewed in the Sept. 7, 2015 Practical ECommerce article, “16 Mobile Apps for Networking Events” by Sig Ueland.

This post is part of a short series here on the TNT blog: Tech to make the most of the NCLA 2017 Biennial Conference. You’ll hear from TNT Board Members as well as guest authors about tech you can use as a conference presenter and participant to maximize your experience at #NCLA17. If you have an idea you’d like to contribute, email Jenny Dale at jedale2[at]uncg[dot]edu!

Today’s guest author is Samantha Harlow, Online Learning Librarian at UNCG Libraries and Chair of NCLA’s newest section, the Distance Learning Section!

When presenting at conferences, engaging audience members through active learning and participation is key! At the 2017 NCLA conference, there are many presentations with co-presenters, as well as presenters using slide shows (PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc) to serve as visual aids. It can be challenging to engage audience members with two or more presenters, while also running a slide show. This is where Google Slides Q&A can help!

Google Slides Q&A is a way for “presenters to start a live Q&A session with an audience during a presentation with Google Slides. You can present questions at any time, and people can ask questions from any device.” Taken from “Accept and present audience questions.”

The way it works is that your presentation’s audience members can submit questions digitally to a speaker throughout a presentation. If you are co-presenting, one of you can speak while another monitors the questions coming in through Q&A. If you are solo presenting, be sure to look at the questions or comments at the end of your presentation.

Here’s how Google Slides Q&A works:
-Open up your Google Slides presentation and go to the Present button at the top. Click the arrow next to the Present button to go to Presenter View.
-You will be prompted to “start new” audience Q&A. Click that button.

-You will then see the URL that your audience members can go to ask questions. Note that if you work at a Google for Education (GAFE) library or business you will need to turn the “Accepting questions from ____” to “Anyone” in order for all conference audience members to participate:

Your audience members will then see the URL throughout your presentation, at the top of all of your Google Slides:

Once audience members go to the Q&A URL on your Google Slides presentation, they will be able to participate through asking a question on their device:

When you’re done or throughout your presentation, you can go to the Q&A screen at anytime, to monitor or present a question. You will find the Q&A icon at the bottom of your slides:

You can choose to “present” a question or comment, which means it will show up in your slideshow:

Presenter View:

Google Slide View:

Some notes about Google Slides Q&A:
-It’s always good to check your Q&A URL on a browser in which you are not logged into your Google Account to make sure it will work for all audience members.
-Like all presentation techniques at a conference, practicing helps work out kinks of Google Slides Q&A, as well as make you feel more prepared for how the process will run.
-Audience members can ask questions anonymously, so if you have fear of audience members being inappropriate, please keep this in mind.
-This does work on mobile devices, but if people in the audience do not have a device, it will also be good to accept questions verbally at the end of the presentation.
-The Q&A questions or comments will stay in your Google Account after you finish the slide show for a couple of days, but there is no export option of questions and comments. If you want to keep the questions or comments from your session, you will need to copy and paste them into another document or take a screenshot.

More tutorials:
Video: how to use the Q&A feature in Google Slides
Google Tutorials: Accept and present audience questions

This post is part of a short series here on the TNT blog: Tech to make the most of the NCLA 2017 Biennial Conference. You’ll hear from TNT Board Members as well as guest authors about tech you can use as a conference presenter and participant to maximize your experience at #NCLA17. If you have an idea you’d like to contribute, email Jenny Dale at jedale2[at]uncg[dot]edu!

Good morning, loyal readers! Today marks the beginning of a new short blog series here on the TNT Blog: Tech to make the most of the NCLA 2017 Biennial Conference. You’ll hear from TNT Board Members as well as guest authors about tech you can use as a conference presenter and participant to maximize your experience at #NCLA17. Speaking of #NCLA17, registration is open at https://t.co/Mgf3mxW8aC. We hope to see you there!

Lucidchart is a web-based diagramming software, compatible with most web browsers (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.) that allows users to collaborate in real-time to create flow charts, organizational charts, mind maps, floor plans, Venn diagrams and many other diagram types.

               

       

For all educational users (both K-12 and higher education), Lucidchart provides free premium accounts. Students and faculty can sign up individually for accounts with their .edu email address. 

Users are able to create documents from a template or create custom diagrams from scratch.  To begin, users just need to click on the “+ document” button:

In order to draw objects and lines; the user just needs to “select a shape” from the shape toolbox and drag it onto the page.  To draw a line, “click on the line connection of the shape” and drag the line to another shape.

To format a line, select a line and choose a line formatting option, such as line type, style and arrow type.

There is also an option to insert an image, if you would like.

LucidChart also lets you import (to Visio, Gliffy, OmniGraffley, adn AWS files) and export your diagrams easily as PDF, PNG, JPEG, VDX, or SVG files. Alternatively, you can also share files and folders for real-time collaboration.

Even if I came across this tool by accident, I’m so glad that I did – as it has come in handy for several projects.  I’ve used LucidChart to create flow charts when planning online tutorials with multiple modules.  As it allows you to lay out the module step-by-step with goals, objectives, and activities. Additionally, I imagine that the flow chart would be useful in describing the project to other team members, such as programmers should you need their assistance in building the online module.  Next, I plan to use LucidChart to create a Gnatt chart to visually diagram a project timeline.

If you find yourself needing to create a visually appealing presentation, social media graphic, or infographic; try using Canva.  It is a free online platform that offers a wide assortment of design tools and options, as well as premium options for paying customers.

To get started, you just need to create an account using your email account.  You also have the option to log-in with your Facebook or Google Plus account; if you don’t want to create a new account.

Once you are logged in – Canva offers many (free & fee-based) templates for you to get started with your project.  Just select your project type: presentation, infographic, social media, banner, resume, and more. Canva provides the layout, and you just use the drag & drop feature to add images, shapes, text, etc. or even upload your own images/photos to customize the graphic to fit your marketing needs.

Canva also includes photo editing features, as well as other cool tools:

• Photo straightener: Keep your photos in line with our photo straightener tool
• Image cropper: Crop your photos for great framing and masterful composition
• Add text to photos: Create a narrative for any photo
•  Speech bubble maker: Give your photos a voice with speech bubbles!
• Give your photos a delicate fade with our transparency tool
• Photo enhancer: Enhance your photos to save any “off” shots
• Photo blur: Add artistry to your images with the blur slider
• Photo vignette: Grant your pictures vintage flair with our photo vignette tool
• Design grids: Looking for layout inspiration? Try a design grid
• Free icons: Complement your designs with the crisp lines of our icons
• Photo frames: Add photo frames to adorn your memories
• Web wireframe: Begin with the basics and create a web wireframe
• Stickers: Amp up your images with some surprise stickers
• Badges: Build a better badge with Canva
• Add texture: Give your designs texture and feeling from our image library

To learn more about these features, visit their web site: https://www.canva.com/features/

I like this tool, as it allows you to create professional looking graphics, without any prior experience.  Once you have completed your design project, you will have the option to save, email, or upload your graphic to your web site.  Canva also has a shared option, which allows you to be able to collaboratively work projects with your team members.

If you find yourself in the position of needing god quality screen shots for library handouts and tutorials, this is a great tool.

Like most image editing tools, there are a wide array of functions available for the more advanced user, but I like this tool because it isn’t intimidating to the beginner—they even have a set of tutorials just for beginners on their website: https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

I also like this tool because it produces some very professional results. It also allows you to focus in on a specific detail on a screen so that you can focus your tutorial on individual steps more easily.

So, to give you a sense of how easy this is to use, I’ll review the steps I use to manipulate screen shots for use in tutorial-type handouts.

First, download the program from the Gimp.com website. Once the program is downloaded, open it up.

On your computer, go to the page you need and click Ctrl-Print Screen to get the screen shot (I’m using a Windows PC and I’ll use the Gimp program for my example).

Once there, open the Gimp program and choose File, Create, From Clipboard. A new window opens with the screen shot.

Next, if the Toolbox column is open click the Rectangle Select option, or choose from Tools, Selection Tools in the toolbar at the top of the page.

Click and drag the selection tool over the portion of the page that you want to use. Sometimes using the “zoom” function is useful in this step (From toolbar choose View, Zoom, 200%). If you aren’t happy with what you selected, click away from that part of the page and try again.

Once you’re happy choose Image from the top toolbar and click Crop to Selection.

      

Then you can choose to copy the image into your document (File, Copy, Paste) or you can save it for later use (File, Save As). If you save it, I suggest you save it as a .jpeg file (more compatible with websites and social media). At the bottom of the File, Save As box, click the “+” beside Select File Type (By Extension), choose JPEG image from the list, then click Save. It will ask you to confirm this file type, so just choose Yes.

Once it’s saved, go up to File, then Copy and follow the usual steps for copying an image into a document.

That’s all there is to it. If you want to try out the more advanced features, there are plenty of them. I believe you will find this to be a very useful tool for producing thorough, readable, and very professional handouts.

-Julie Raynor, Vice-Chair, TNT Roundtable

Come back Friday, September 16 for our next installment of Free Fridays!