Training News Pass it on to your Colleagues! Vol. 6, Issue 3 Spring 2006

In this issue:• Local Holdings Maintenance Training Sessions Now Scheduled• The Internet Reference Series - Stretch Your Collection and Knowledge of Quality, Credible Tools• Amigos Free STOP & Learn Update Series: Be the First to Know!• Share your Opinions and you Could be a Winner!• Unique Training Opportunities

PERL for Librarians Library Website Design and Usability Workshop

• IPS Celebrates 15th Year in 2006• “Project Management for Digital Imaging” Live Online in June• Regional Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Workshops• The Network Education Exchange Program

from Amigos

Local Holdings Maintenance Training Sessions Now Scheduled

On February 19, OCLC completed the migration of the old Union List service to the new Local Holdings Maintenance component of the Connexion Browser interface. The Union List subsystem has been eliminated and all the local data records in that system have been converted to the new MARC Format for Holdings Data standard.

Face-to-face training sessions have been scheduled at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque on May 24 and at the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma City on June 20. Live online sessions are also scheduled during May and June. Visit the Continuing Education Services calendar at http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/ for details on cost, registration, and other information.

If you have questions, contact Kay Vincent or Tim Prather at the Amigos offices.

The Internet Reference Series - Stretch Your Collection and Knowledge of Quality, Credible Tools

Refresh your ready reference skills! Build new skills in legal, business, and other special collection sources on the internet. Stretch your reference collection and budget with credible, authoritative reference sources on the internet.

Quality, established reference sources are within your reach through the internet. Learn more about general and special collections through the Internet Reference series. Take a single course or several in the series to gain new skills in free or low-cost reference sources.

Courses in the series include:

General Reference • Ready Reference on the Internet• Kids Stuff on the Web• Science/Math Resources on the Internet

Special Subjects • Business Information on the Internet• Legal Information on the Internet

Selection and Assessment• Searching the Internet• Evaluating Internet Resources

For details on these courses as well as online registration, go to http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/.

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PERL for LibrariansMay 22 - 23 in San Antonio, TX

This two-day course will provide a thorough, hands-on introduction to PERL programming language and how it can be used in a library setting. Students will learn the syntax of PERL programs, how to incorporate existing PERL modules into their work, text processing, regular expressions, and how to develop interactive web applications using the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). Exercises and example programs will focus on using PERL for administrative tasks as well as in web development.

Topics to be covered include running and debugging PERL programs, basic PERL syntax, working with variables, lists, arrays, plus much more!

The intended audience for this workshop are librarians interested in learning to use PERL.

Date: May 22 – 23, 2006Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. each dayLocation: Northwest Vista College Library, San Antonio, TXRegistration Fee: $325 for Amigos members, $480 for nonmembers.Add $25 for registrations received after May 1, 2006.

For details and online registration, go to http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/.

Share your Opinions and you Could be a Winner!

Amigos is conducting a survey of staff in its member libraries on their instructional and learning needs. Access the survey on the Amigos website at http://www.amigos.org/survey/learning between May 1 and May 31. It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We ask each staff member to complete a separate survey form. By completing the survey and providing your e-mail address, you will be entered in a drawing for one of five $25 Amazon.com gift cards. Please encourage all staff to participate. Survey results and analysis will be available to members in August. Amigos will use the information to refine its continuing education services.

Library Website Design and Usability Workshop September 6 in Phoenix, AZ

This will be a practical and hands-on workshop de-signed to teach participants to apply key website design and usability testing principles to library website design. Participants will complete exercises in creating usability test plans and scripts, running a usability test, and performing website design reviews.

Outline: • Why usability is important • Understanding your users: the key to success • Planning your usability test • Running your usability test • Key principles of library website design

Date: September 6, 2006Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. each dayLocation: Phoenix Public Library, Phoenix, AZRegistration Fee: $275 for Amigos members, $415 for nonmembers.Add $25 for registrations received after August 15, 2006.

For details and online registration, go to http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/.

Amigos Free STOP & LEARN Update Series: Be the First to Know!

A FREE Amigos STOP (Short, Timely, Online, Pertinent) & Learn Update session is coming soon to a computer near you from Learning @ Amigos.Org. Take advantage of these sessions, offered FREE to Amigos members, to learn about the latest in OCLC enhancements and service updates.

STOP & Learn Updates are: SHORT: 60 to 90 information-packed minutes TIMELY: up-to-the-moment news from OCLC. Session content is updated as OCLC updates its services. For your convenience, STOP & Learn Updates are available ONLINE: in your choice of live or recorded sessions PERTINENT: news you can use to make the most of OCLC services

Special institution registration is available for the FREE Amigos STOP & Learn Updates series. One person or a group can view a live or recorded event. Topics include CONTENTdm, OCLC Cataloging Services, FirstSearch, QuestionPoint, and WorldCat Resource Sharing.

Visit http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/updates.php for a complete STOP & Learn schedule, session descriptions, technical requirements, and online registration form.

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IPS Celebrates 15th Year in 2006

The Amigos Imaging & Preservation Service (IPS) was established in 1991 with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2006, IPS marks its 15th year of providing preservation assistance to libraries and cultural institutions across the Southwest and the nation.

Offering Amigos members continuing education opportunities has been a major component of the IPS mission. Since its inception, IPS has provided training in the principles of preservation, emergency preparedness, and imaging to over 6,000 students in more than 700 workshops.

Manager Gina Minks is working to continue development of IPS services. She, Imaging Field Services Officer Bill Walker, and Adjunct Preservation Field Services Officer Rebecca Elder provide training and consulting, attend conferences, and conduct presentations throughout the year. IPS Program Coordinator Elizabeth Klein assists with scheduling and administrative duties. Under Gina’s guidance, IPS will continue to provide Amigos members continuing education opportunities and support for their preservation and imaging needs.

Regional Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Workshops

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita raised awareness of the need for every institution to have an up-to-date emergency plan. Libraries, archives, and museums must be prepared to protect staff, users, collections, and facilities in the event of emergencies ranging from minor crises to community-wide disasters.

Amigos’ IPS unit will be presenting Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery workshops in two Texas cities this summer. The first will be held in Lubbock at the Texas Tech Special Collections Library, June 1-2. Another will take place August 10-11 at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin. To register, see the Amigos online training calendar at http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/.

IPS staff is also available to present this workshop on request at your site. For more information, contact Elizabeth Klein, IPS Program Coordinator, 1-800-843-8482 (972-851-8000 in the Dallas area), ext. 2844, klein@amigos.org.

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The Network Education Exchange Program

Amigos participates with fellow networks NELINET, Nylink, PALINET, and SOLINET in the Network Education Exchange, a cooperative training program that makes selected online courses available to the members of the five networks at member pricing.

Current topics available through the program include Google searching, FRBR, Dreamweaver MX, OCLC ILLiad, copyright for web graphics, and Web Dewey.

NEE courses are included in the Amigos Live Online Training Schedule at http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/index.php?format=2.

“Project Management for Digital Imaging” Live Online in June

Do you need training to undertake a digital imaging project for your institution? Current and future project managers can join Bill Walker, IPS Imaging Field Services Officer, to plan your production-based project. Focus will be on selection of appropriate items and collections for imaging; documentation and workflow, writing and managing RFPs, involvement in cooperative projects, vendor selection, copyright and rights management issues, funding sources, and writing grant proposals. For more information about the course and its prerequisites and to register, see the Amigos online training calendar at http://www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/.

Live Online Schedule May - July 2006 Early Bird

Registration Deadline*

For details, technical requirements, a current live online training schedule, and registration information, visit our website, www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/index.php?format=2

* Early Bird Deadline - A $25 late fee applies to registrations received after the Early Bird registration deadline. At the time of this publication, registrations were still being accepted even though the Early Bird deadline may have passed. Check the Amigos website for up-to-date information.** Meets twice per week.

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Date Course Time Each Day (Central time)May 1 STOP & Learn: QuestionPoint 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. -May 1-4 Web Publishing: Introduction to Style Sheets I 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. -May 1-15 Beyond Boolean: Effective Web Reference Strategies 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 05/01/06May 2-3 MARC for Beginners 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. -May 9-11 Podcasting for Libraries Online 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 05/09/06May 12-26 Web Page Development Basics Using Dreamweaver MX 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 05/12/06May 15 Introducing OCLC ILLiad Software 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 05/15/06May 15 STOP & Learn: CONTENTdm Update 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - May 16-18 Government Resources on the Web 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 05/16/06May 17-18 Business Information on the Internet 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. -May 17-18 Ready Reference and More on the Internet 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. -May 22 FRBR: For Everyone 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 05/22/06May 23-24 Evaluating the Internet 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 05/01/06May 24 Tech Topics: RSS 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 05/02/06May 30-31 More MARC: MARC Format for Books 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 05/08/06Jun 1-2 Kid’s Stuff on the Web 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 05/24/06Jun 1-2 Legal Information on the Internet 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 05/24/06Jun 5 STOP & Learn: WorldCat Collection Analysis 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. -Jun 5 Tech Topics: Instant Messaging 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 05/15/06Jun 5-9 Copyright Awareness: Graphic & Multimedia Files on the Web 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 06/05/06Jun 5-8 Project Management for Digital Imaging 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. 05/15/06Jun 5-6 Science/Math Resources on the Internet 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 05/26/06Jun 5-6 Searching the Internet 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 05/26/06Jun 6-9 XML: An Overview 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 05/15/06Jun 7-9 OCLC Connexion: Local Holdings Maintenance 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. 05/16/06Jun 12 STOP & Learn: QuestionPoint 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. -Jun 13-14 Business Information on the Internet 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 06/06/06Jun 13-14 Ready Reference and More on the Internet 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. 06/06/06Jun 19 STOP & Learn: WorldCat Resource Sharing Update 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. -Jun 26 Using WebDewey 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 06/26/06Jul 11-13 OCLC Connexion - Using the Client Interface 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 06/19/06

Training ScheduleFace-to-Face SessionsMay - September 2006

Early Bird Registration

Deadline* May 22-23 PERL for Librarians San Antonio, TX 05/01/06 23 Basic Records Management Dallas, TX 05/01/06 23-24 Basic Book Repair Albuquerque, NM 05/01/06 24 OCLC Connexion: Local Holdings Maintenance Albuquerque, NM 05/02/06 25 OCLC Authority File Fundamentals Albuquerque, NM 05/03/06 31 Basics of WorldCat Resource Sharing Albuquerque, NM 05/09/06 June 1 WorldCat Resource Sharing Administrative Functionality Albuquerque, NM 05/10/06 1-2 Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Lubbock, TX 05/10/06 6 Basics of WorldCat Resource Sharing Little Rock, AR 05/15/06 7 WorldCat Resource Sharing Administrative Functionality Little Rock, AR 05/16/06 20 Introduction to Preservation Issues and Practices Oklahoma City, OK 05/30/06 20 OCLC Connexion: Local Holdings Maintenance Oklahoma City, OK 05/30/06 21 OCLC Authority File Fundamentals Oklahoma City, OK 05/31/06 21 Saving Your Family Treasures Oklahoma City, OK 05/30/06 27 Introduction to Preservation Issues and Practices Socorro, NM 06/05/06 27 Web Publishing: The Basics Midland, TX 06/05/06 28 Biological Agents of Deterioration: Mold & Pests Socorro, NM 06/06/06 28 We Publishing: Introduction to Style Sheets 1 Midland, TX 06/06/06 29 XML: An Overview Midland, TX 06/07/06 August 10-11 Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Seguin, TX 07/19/06September 6 Library Website Design and Usability Workshop Phoenix, AZ 8/15/2006

Visit www.amigos.org/learning/calendar/ for new and exciting training opportunities.