More About Lakeside Learning

Last week came news of NWILS premier fall education event. It’s Lakeside Learning, September 18-19 in Storm Lake. For a re-cap of Day 1:
Morning:
“Parents as Literacy Partners” with Mary Cameron
“Parents are critical to children's readiness for reading, learning, and school. Public librarians have a key role in helping parents learn how to help their children prepare. Mary Cameron will take participants through an overview of a parent-training model that librarians can use with teachers to train parents on early literacy strategies. A more detailed training will be scheduled for those making a commitment to participate in the project at a later date…”

Afternoon:
Online Safety for Kids & Parents (speaker pending)
Intergenerational Programming (large group discussion)
Wild Wednesdays @ Manson PL with Ann Schlapkohl (after school programming ideas)

Evening:
Paparazzi: Digital Photography @ The Library (Tena Hanson w/ ALA READ posters, Scott Zimmer w/ tips for teaching digital photos as a library-sponsored computer class, and Ann Schlapkohl w/ digital photo frames)

Now for the scoop about Day 2, the ever-popular Town Meeting presented by State Library staff. This year’s Town Meeting theme is “Extreme Makeover @ Your Library—You Can Do It! “…In the morning, a look at making over the library's physical space to make it more inviting. Then, we’ll consider the changing needs of our customers and what that means as far as "making over" our own attitudes and openness to change.

Afternoon sessions include:
Collection Development Makeover: Rethinking Buying and Weeding Patterns. The average library collection, regardless of size, follows the 80/20 pattern: 80% of circulation comes from 20% of the collection. This session will talk about how to rethink what we purchase and weed to break this barrier and circulate more of our collections on a regular basis.

Library Merchandising: Using ideas from both libraries and the retail industry, this session will address how to develop public libraries into more visually stimulating places. Discussion to include what we know about how customers decide what to check out, why library displays are important, ideas for displays, etc.

Making the Most of Your Library Web Site: This session is for all libraries with websites. Topics include publicizing your website; adding content that keeps drawing the public in; thinking about the website as a "branch" library that is open 24/7.

Online registration is ready, so don’t delay! Refer to the catalog for program fees and meal fees. And note: each part of LAKESIDE LEARNING requires a separate catalog registration; be sure to browse the c.e. catalog under Northwest LSA and under the State Library to find all programs http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/cgi-bin/cecat/