FYI -----Original Message----- From: Stephanie from TechSoup for Libraries [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wed 7/29/2009 4:41 PM To: Kam McEvoy Subject: July News from TechSoup for Libraries ***What is TechSoup for Libraries? http://ga0.org/ct/w7MvAkp1vL3s/ You may have heard of the MaintainIT Project or TechSoup before, but TechSoup for Libraries might be new to you. TechSoup for Libraries is a project of TechSoup Global (http://ga0.org/ct/xpMvAkp1vL3r/), a nonprofit devoted to making technology and technology education available and affordable to nonprofits and libraries all over the world.
An important part of TechSoup for Libraries is the content developed as part of the MaintainIT Project, which was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Stories were gathered from public libraries to understand how they support public computers, and their tips and techniques were published in Cookbooks and articles, available for free on the website. TechSoup for Libraries includes the MaintainIT Project content and expands on it by continuing to share stories from the field so libraries can learn from each other. It also provides library technology focused webinars, library spotlights, and an informative blog. ***Read and Discuss Library Technology Cookbooks on WebJunction Learn from the experiences of others! Download our free library technology Cookbooks, packed with tips and techniques on maintaining public computers. Each Cookbook has valuable and practical information collected from hundreds of public libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada. From setting up and troubleshooting wireless networks to tips on securing public access computers, all these and other great technology solutions from the field are captured and published here. The MaintainIT Cookbooks may be updated or discussed in WebJunction's Cookbook Contributor group. If you have a suggestion, an update, or a question about content in any of the three Cookbooks, please join the WebJunction Cookbook Contributor Group and chime in! http://ga0.org/ct/3dMvAkp1vL3v/ ***Free TechSoup Technology Webinars Register for free library focused webinars provided by TechSoup and other providers at: http://ga0.org/ct/s7MvAkp1vL3d/. From there, you can subscribe to our RSS feed to be automatically notified of upcoming webinars. You can also register for additional online events aimed at nonprofits at http://ga0.org/ct/N1MvAkp1vL3a/. In case you missed a webinar, they are available in archived versions, linked from the registration pages. Introduction to Blogging for Nonprofits and Libraries Thursday, August 6, 11 a.m. Pacific time (Noon Mountain/1 PM Central/2 PM Eastern) Is your organization looking to expand your reach and communicate more directly with your supporters and community? Are you considering starting a blog to help you do this? Join Becky Wiegand from TechSoup during this free webinar as she interviews Allyson Kapin, blogger for Care2's nonprofit marketing blog Frogloop, and Jason Griffey, who literally wrote the book on blogging for libraries to discuss the ins and outs of starting a blog for your organization. From considerations like which tool to use, how much staff time to commit, whether volunteers and interns should help, best practices, and how to launch your blog into the blogosphere, we'll discuss all the basics of how to get started. ***TechSoup Product Spotlight In these tough economic times, TechSoup's donation program,(http://ga0.org/ct/3pMvAkp1vL3t/),can help stretch your library's budget. The products, including Microsoft donated software and refurbished computers, are available to all public libraries that are listed in the IMLS database and/or have a valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and to nonprofits with a 501(c)(3) designation. In the new TechSoup Limited program, donations can be limited in number, time, and location, so they may not last long. Right now, there is a great donation that includes a set of three GIPS telephone handsets that can each be attached to a computer's sound card for communication using a Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) service. The admin fee is only $15. This set would be great for online learning, such as webinars, or for telephone reference. Each handset has both a receiver and a transmitter and is similar in appearance to a traditional phone handset, although it does not include a dial pad. Each handset includes a cable with two plugs that attach to a computer sound card. The included switch allows the user to keep both traditional computer speakers and the phone handset connected to a computer at the same time and easily switch the audio output between them. For more information and handy illustrations that demonstrate how everything plugs in, visit the product web page: http://ga0.org/ct/wdMvAkp1vL3w/ ***Want to Give Back? Transcription Services Needed for TechSoup TechSoup offers free webinars, like the ones listed above, to nonprofits and libraries to help them understand how to better utilize technology to accomplish their mission. These training sessions have served thousands of people and discuss topics such as Creating Effective Online Surveys, Using Mobile for Activism & Advocacy, Tech Planning and more. Each webinar has been recorded and can be viewed here: http://ga0.org/ct/N7MvAkp1vL3S/. We are in the process of making the webinars accessible to those who are hearing impaired by adding closed captions. We are looking for virtual volunteers to transcribe webinars, most of which are 60 minutes long. The time commitment will depend on your typing speed and transcribing experience, but on average it takes 10 hours per webinar. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community. Please contact [email protected] for more information. ***Librarian Spotlight: Janet McKenney This month's spotlight is on Janet McKenney, who has been a strong contributor to TechSoup for Libraries and is currently the Coordinator of Learning and Technology Services of the Maine State Library. Read the spotlight to learn how Janet supports Maine libraries through technology training and find her invaluable tips on maintaining a website prescence, keeping library networks secure, updated and backed up, and how she keeps up-to-date on library technology issues. Thanks for sharing your in-depth knowledge on library technology, Janet! Read about and listen to Janet's story: http://ga0.org/ct/x7MvAkp1vL34/. Thanks to ALL of you for your continued participation and support. Please keep in touch; we savor your feedback and contributions! Email us to ask questions and offer feedback, and so we can learn from your experiences. We talk to hundreds of librarians, and we'd love to promote your library in our work. -Stephanie Gerding TechSoup for Libraries, [email protected] You received this email because you are registered with TechSoup, TechSoup for Libraries or The MaintainIT Project: 435 Brannan Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94107. -------------------------------------------------- Know someone who'd be interested in TechSoup for Libraries? http://ga0.org/join-forward.html?domain=techsoup&r=w1MvAkpq7qBE If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for TechSoup for Libraries at: http://ga0.org/techsoup/join.html?r=w1MvAkpq7qBEE -------------------------------------------------- This message was sent to [email protected]. 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