Professional Development Opportunities

Acquisitions/Collections

Fundamentals of Acquisitions 2022 - Session 3.0 (ALA Core)

This six-week online course is a basic primer for library acquisitions concepts common to all library material formats. It covers: goals and methods of acquiring monographs and serials in all formats; theoretical foundations and workflows of basic acquisitions functions; financial management of library collections budgets; relationships among acquisitions librarians, library booksellers, subscription agents, and publishers. This course provides a broad overview of the operations involved in acquiring materials after the selection decision is made. In FOA, we distinguish between collection development, which involves the selection of materials for the library; and acquisitions, which orders, receives, and pays for those materials. In many libraries, selecting and acquiring materials may be done in the same department—in the smallest libraries perhaps even by the same person. In larger libraries, selection may be done by a collection development department and/or designated subject specialists, while a separate department acquires the selected materials. In essence, acquisitions is the business operation, bringing materials into the library and licensing access to library collections and resources.

May 9 – June 7

$224.10 (ALA member)/$249 (Non-member)

Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management 2022 - Session 3.0 (ALA Core)

This four-week online course addresses the basic components of collection development and management (CDM) in libraries. Complete definition of collection development and collection management: collections policies and budgets as part of library planning; collection development (selecting for and building collections); collection management (evaluating and making decisions about existing collections, including decisions about withdrawal, transfer, preservation); collection analysis—why and how to do it; outreach, liaison, and marketing; trends and some suggestions about the future for collection development and management.

May 16 – June 10 $188.10 (ALA member)/$209 (Non-member)

Introduction to Collection Development (Library Juice Academy)

In this 4 week course, participants will learn how to identify user needs, to codify collection development policies and procedures, to select appropriate materials among the many possibilities, to acquire and make available these resources, to cooperate with other libraries, and to manage and evaluate their collections. The instructor will identify the broad differences in collection development according to the type and size of libraries and discuss important special topics such as copyright and intellectual freedom.

August 1 – August 28

$200

Cataloging/Metadata

Real World Objects: Linked Data in Library Metadata & Cataloging (Library Juice Academy)

This course focuses on learning how to enrich and expand library metadata and cataloging data, adding data from established authoritative sources and at-large, general web resources, following guidelines of the Programme for Cooperative Cataloging. This class will cover basic principles of RWOs (Real World Objects) and linked data through the lens of MARC and Dublin Core records. Students will become familiar with the fundamental principles of RWOs and linked data, understanding the types and formatting of data that have been identified as applicable to library data. Additionally, students will gain insights into the future of cataloging and metadata work - the intersection of library data with the larger web, interoperability, and cataloging/metadata work as preparation for the future. By the end of the course students will: Develop a firm understanding of the basic principles of Real World Objects (RWOs), as established by PCC; Understand the challenges and opportunities of expanding library metadata beyond traditional authoritative resources; Be able to properly format a RWO as linked data in both MARC and Dublin Core data; Understand the goals of RWOs and linked data in the larger landscape of library metadata, cataloging, and web work This is an asynchronous course with built-in course materials and a series of weekly assignments. Some course materials may be recorded. This course can be taken as one of eight courses needed to earn our Certificate in Cataloging and Technical Services, but can be taken as a stand-alone course as well.

May 2 – May 29

$200

Serials Cataloging (Library Juice Academy)

This course focuses on the basic principles of serials cataloging from understanding the nature and type of serials (including series and analytics), interpreting serial authority records, identifying a matching record/copy cataloging of serials, to original description of serials under RDA guidelines. This class will focus on practical description with a discussion of emerging trends in serials cataloging. Students will be immersed in serials cataloging, gaining a solid foundation in serials and serials cataloging. By the end of the course students will: Understand the terminology associated with serials and characteristics of serials and periodicals including how they differ from monographic records, with the ability to interpret series authority records and make decisions on treatment, as needed; Expand upon searching and bibliographic record analysis skills developing a critical eye towards a “good” serials record for copy cataloging with an understanding of RDA elements for serials, title changes, and when an original record is needed; Develop skills to create RDA description for serials through analyzing records and practice based exercises; Explore emerging trends in serials as impacted by the Library Reference Model (LRM) and larger trends in publication.

May 2 – May 29

$200

Introduction to Cataloging (Library Juice Academy)

Are you a librarian who has suddenly been given the responsibility of cataloging for your library, but you know little to nothing about how to do it? Or do you feel that a quick course on cataloging will simply make you a better librarian? Or perhaps it has been a long time since you did cataloging work and you need a refresher. This four-week course will introduce the tools and techniques of the trade, including descriptive cataloging (RDA), subject cataloging (classification and subject headings), and an introduction to Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC). The course promises to provide practical, hands-on training for non-catalogers, including sample workflows, an introduction to copy cataloging, and guides to make the job of cataloging easier.

May 2 - May 29

$200

Assigning Library of Congress Call Numbers: Intermediate (MCLS)

Learn how to use special LCC mechanisms like topical cuttering and tables to accomplish subarrangement of materials within a range or class number. Provides a lot of practice with literature classification, where these approaches are heavily used. (Starts from the point of an already established base class number. Does not cover classification for legal, musical, or cartographic works.)

May 10 – May 12 $100 (Member)/$200 (Non-member)

Original Descriptive Cataloging of Digital Resources Using RDA (MCLS)

Here is your chance to work with RDA (Resource Description and Access) as applied to the original cataloging of digital resources. This hands-on workshop teaches participants how to original catalog digital resources using such tools as the RDA toolkit, and the Library of Congress-Program for Cooperative Cataloging Policy Statements. The class will address original cataloging in the MARC format. Among the topics discussed will be the chief source of information, physical description, primary access point, and the choice of additional access points. Assignment of subject headings for digital resources will also be discussed.

May 17 – May 19 $100 (Member)/$200 (Non-member)

Understanding the BIBFRAME Model and Vocabulary (Library Juice Academy)

This course focuses on learning the basic principles of BIBFRAME 2.0, the bibliographic framework and vocabulary that is a likely replacement for MARC. Students will become familiar with the BIBFRAME model and principles that are applicable to practical application of cataloging and metadata and will create BIBFRAME records in the BIBFRAME Editor. A look at future developments will be included, including those that are part of the Linked Data for Production (LD4P) project.

June 6 – July 3

$200

Authority Control (Library Juice Academy)

Authority control is a process that ensures all access points in a record are consistent across a library’s database, but it is a process that many librarians find mysterious. In this course we will demystify authority control and explore the value it adds to library catalogs through a comprehensive overview of authority control work.

June 6 – July 3

$200

Assigning Library of Congress Subject Headings (MCLS)

This workshop provides practical experience in assigning Library of Congress Subject Headings as part of the cataloging process. Participants will learn how to perform a technical reading of an item and how to choose appropriate subject headings based on the principles of subject heading assignment put forth by the Library of Congress. Participants will also learn how to verify headings they have assigned against the Library of Congress subject headings. The structure and interpretation of online LC subject authority records in the OCLC subject authority file will be covered as well as the structure of bibliographic tools such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Library of Congress Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings. Participants will perform a number of exercises in assigning subject headings to bibliographic works.

June 14 – June 16 $100 (Member)/$200 (Non-member)

Fundamentals of Metadata 2022 - Session 4.0 (ALA Core)

This six-week course is an introduction to fundamental concepts of metadata, including: similarities and differences between cataloging and metadata; descriptive, technical, and administrative metadata schema; content standards and controlled vocabularies; approaches to metadata creation and transformation; metadata project design.

July 25 – September 2 $224.10 (ALA member)/$249 (Non-member)

Digital Collections

Grant Writing for Digital Collections in Libraries & Museums (Library Juice Academy)

This course discusses local, regional, and national grant planning and writing, for the purposes of digital collections creation. Emphasizing the granular detail needed for successful grant submissions, this course will include sections on digitization explanation, metadata description, digital preservation and maintenance, harvesting and interoperability requirements, and specialized, user-friendly research applications that will make your application stand out, in order to secure funding.

May 2 – May 29

$200

Digital Repository Fundamentals and Design (Library Juice Academy)

Digital repositories allow libraries, archives and museums to disseminate and create access to unique digital collections related to institutional academic output or digital special collections. Digital repository options vary widely, from proprietary to open source; and platforms specialized for specific use cases, such as institutional academic production, audiovisual materials, cultural heritage collections, and community and tribal collections. This course is designed to give the student the fundamentals of selecting, designing and implementing the digital repository solution that is right for their particular institutional, academic or personal project. This course can be taken as one of six courses needed to earn our Certificate in Digital Curation, but can be taken as a stand-alone course as well.

May 2 – May 29

$200

Getting Started with Digital Image Collections (Library Juice Academy)

This course is primarily aimed at librarians who are new to managing special image collections and who wish to learn more about beginning a digitization program. Through readings, individual exercises, and class discussions, students will develop an understanding of the following key components of digitization project planning: evaluation and preparation of resources, building sustainable workflows and storage environments, and usability assessment.

May 2 – May 29

$200

Electronic Resource Management

Introduction to Electronic Resource Management in Academic Libraries (Library Juice Academy)

This course is designed to serve as an introductory class to electronic resource management in an academic library setting. It is geared towards those are just starting out in electronic resource management roles and are new and active practitioners. Electronic resource management is a critical function of the academic library, especially given the predominance of electronic resources in contemporary collections as well as the growth in online courses offered by colleges and universities. In this six week course, students will learn the basic principles of electronic resource management, centered on the primary tasks of activation/deactivation of resources in discovery, their ongoing maintenance and management, and troubleshooting and resolving access issues with them. By the end of this course, students should be able to: Identify the basic components of electronic resource management; Use best principles to activate/deactivate and make discoverable/suppress electronic resources using an electronic resources management system; Use best principles to manage existing electronic resources using an electronic resource management system; Troubleshoot and resolve access issues with electronic resources.

July 4 – August 14

$300

Leadership/Management

Leadership Essentials (Library Juice Academy)

During this course you will explore who you want to be as a leader and leverage leadership models to help you apply this content to a broader institutional context. This will enable you to support others in growing as professionals through applications of inclusive leadership, intentional change, and building on your strengths.

May 2 – May 29

$200

Make That Decision: Strategies for Becoming a Better Decision Maker (Lyrasis)

One of the toughest tasks expected of library managers and leaders is to make good decisions. Whether the stakes are small or significant, getting the decision right will enable library workers to make the best possible use of library resources for great service delivery. Effective leaders decide within reasonable timeframes, avoid analysis paralysis and achieve fair, practical resolutions. This two-hour webinar introduces participants to the art of decision making through the exploration of time-tested approaches to making thoughtful, service-centric decisions.

May 19

$75 (Member)/$100 (Non-member)

Leadership Communication (Library Juice Academy)

Leadership communication is a difficult and complex art form to master. This course will give you the tools you need in order to successfully navigate communication at all different levels from interpersonal to groups, as well as help frame difficult conversations. In addition, you will explore how to manage effective teams and highlight processes for decision-making and discussion that foster a shared perspective and promote a space where good questions can be asked, intentions are clear, and assumptions are tested.

June 6 – July 3

$200

Eliminating Outdated Workflows; Developing The New (NISO)

One benefit of the pandemic is that traditional workflows were suddenly subject to examination. While some could readily move fully online, others had to be re-examined, leading us to question why we were still performing a particular task in a particular way. Was it inertia or simply outdated thinking? Could some tasks be handled differently, more effectively? Could changing a workflow free up time for information professionals — and the researchers we serve — to focus on other more valuable work? In the first of this two-part series, you’ll hear from some of the professionals responsible for tweaking some of our old workflows and processes and managing these changes.

August 10

Free (NISO member)/$135 (Non-member)/$49 (Student)

Technology/Coding

RDF, RDFa and Structured Data Vocabularies (Library Juice Academy)

This course will provide a deep dive into RDFa and applying vocabularies to resource description. Using RDFa we will explore how to mark up existing human-readable Web page content to express machine-readable data (RDF triples) that can be utilized by search engines, metadata systems, and content management systems.

May 2 – May 29

$200

Introduction to Linked Data (Library Juice Academy)

This course is an expansion of the “Introduction to RDF” course. Here we will build on the foundations established in the previous course (RDF, SKOS, OWL, URIs, etc.) and focus on Linked Data. This course is part of the Certificate in XML and RDF-Based Systems.

June 6 – July 3

$200

Regular Expressions (Amigos Library Services)

This course is an introduction to managing and editing data by learning the syntax and construction of a regular expression, which is a sequence of characters that define a search (and sometimes replace) pattern. The basic characters used to construct a pattern will be discussed and then the patterns will be used in hands-on examples. Regular expressions are used in integrated library system search/replace reports, some text editors (like Notepad++), and MarcEdit.

June 7 & 9

$165 (Member)/$220 (Non-member)