Over the last few months, SWON Libraries has been adding more online courses for its members. Since SWON Libraries covers such a large region, travel to courses is sometimes difficult and costly. In order to help out its entire membership, SWON Libraries is slowly adding a wide variety of online options using different media.

 

Every month, SWON Libraries hosts a Moderated Chat using a simple text chat tool. Subjects range from rewarding your employees to planning for National Library Week. Each month it is something different. SWON Libraries staff members moderate, but members are also invited to host chats on topics that may be of interest to them.

 

Also on a monthly basis, SWON Libraries presents “Tech News You Can Use” with Glen Horton, Technology Coordinator, as the presenter. This fast-paced session, conducted online through the Wimba classroom, presents the hot news in library and associated technology that Glen has gleaned from the web during the previous month. It’s a great way to keep up with many different aspects of library technology.

 

SWON Libraries also presents multi-part workshops online through the Wimba classroom. With the thought that nobody wants to sit in front of their computer for much longer than an hour, SWON Libraries breaks their sessions into manageable chunks and presents them over a series of weeks. This is also a great way for the participants to reflect on what they are learning and really be active participants in this process.

 

Although all of this programming is aimed at SWON Libraries members and is usually planned at their request, anyone is welcome to sign up and take advantage of these offerings. All of the online events are included in the SWON Libraries events list that is available at www.swonlibraries.org/events.