Mohawk Valley Library System

Category: Outreach

  • Free Webinar – Finding Census Data : The Essentials

    Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2020
    Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
    Place: Online at https://tinyurl.com/yygofegz
    Presenters: David Kraiker
    Cost: Free for ESLN (CDLC) members, registration required

    This presentation first explains the differences between the Decennial Census and the American Community Survey while also highlighting the idea of sample thresholds, questionnaire logic, and statistical geography. Following this, the presenter will go into the data.census.gov portal to show different ways to access and download the data. Datasets include variables on economic, social, housing and population. Additionally, we will look at the ACS website and get a short tour of topics, datasets and links available there. The presenter will stop a various times during the workshop to allow for questions. This webinar will be recorded and a recording will be shared with all registrants.

  • Free Webinar Series – Crisis Communications for Nonprofits

    Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2020 AND Tuesday, May 19, 2020
    Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM on May 12, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM on May 19
    Place: Online at https://tinyurl.com/y8p8wm4t
    Presenters: Michael Meath
    Cost: Free for ESLN (CDLC) members but registration REQUIRED and includes both parts

    Description:

    Crisis communications consultant and interim chair at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University Michael Meath will lead a two-part online workshop designed to provide participants with a simple formula to follow to help preerve their organization’s reputation during its most critical hours.

    The world of crisis communications has changed dramatically. People no longer wait for organizations to put together lengthy responses that explain and justify their actions. At the same time, without thoughtful, careful responses a crisis can grow worse with great velocity. “Crisis Communications for Nonprofits” will give organizations an actionable plan to properly and appropriately handle the unexpected.
    Learning Objectives:

    1. Discuss the circumstances and situations that can create a crisis or sensitive situation;

    2. Explain the techniques and processes that help mitigate crises situations, provide the proper level of engagement by the organization, and help its leadership communicate effectively at a critical time;

    3. Describe organization preparedness, approach, response during a crisis, and modified behavior following crisis situations;

    4. Explain the role and power of social media during a crisis; and

    5. Discuss the key approaches to effectively managing the news media during sensitive situations.

  • Free Online Mini-Conference : Libraries Stepping Up! Serving the Needs of Communities in Crisis

    Date: Thursday, March 26, 2020
    Time: 1:00 PM – 6:30 PM (4 1-hour sessions with 1/2-hour breaks)
    Place: Online at https://library20.com/page/crisis
    Presenters: Panel listed below
    Cost: Free (just need to join Library 2.0 – also free)

    This special pandemic mini-conference features 4 1-hour sessions… join one or join them all. Topics are:

    1. Self-Care During a Crisis : Breathe, Think and Grow
      1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
      As libraries deal with the global crisis of 2020, staff have many difficult choices to handle every day. From deciding whether to stay open to managing the constant flow of information, the work can be all-consuming. In this webinar, we will talk about how to take time out of your day to focus on yourself and to nourish your own growth.

      Participants will:

      • Learn methods and exercises for staying in the moment and remaining mindful while dealing with stress and uncertainty
      • Spend time discussing their challenges and how they are working to handle them, while planning mindfully for the future
      • Focus on healthy self-care activities

    2. Why and How to Promote your Online Services During the Quarantine
      2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
      We are certainly “living in interesting times” … and working in them too. Even if your building is closed, your library is still offering services—but are you telling people that?

      While it’s tempting to look at these pandemic-related closures as much-needed downtime, librarians don’t have that luxury. People still need you. In fact, people who haven’t used libraries in years need your boredom-breaking services and your long-trusted guidance, too. So it’s vital to keep marketing your libraries now, for three reasons: 1) telling people what’s available online and how to get it; 2) being the trusted source of info that people expect; and 3) proving your value to retain funding after the crisis.

      In this webinar, specially created to help your library be as useful as possible during the current Coronavirus pandemic, library marketing maven Kathy Dempsey will share her best advice on these topics:

      • Working at home (Dempsey has worked at home for 10 years)
      • Turning today’s chaos into a Crisis Communications Plan in the near future
      • Exactly what services and products to promote (some might surprise you)
      • How to get the word out, beyond your own social media followers
      • How to approach messaging in trying times
      • Why today’s promotion will help secure next year’s library funding
      • Why to scratch out mini marketing plans to make your work effective
      • Resources for self-care and for social sharing

        In a time where everyone is inundated with information, the world still needs their librarians and librarians. The “new normal” will likely have super-tight budgets, so proving how essential you are during this crisis may well determine whether your organization survives the virus.

    3. Serving Patrons in a Crisis
      4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
      Helping people make decisions based on facts and evidence is what libraries of all types do everyday. With libraries closing to the public and reducing services because of COVID-19, how can we continue to provide the facts in this fast-paced changing environment? And how can libraries provide the services that their communities will need to remain vital to the health and welfare of their communities?

      This interactive and informative webinar will help attendees find the latest resources and information available to help them serve their patrons and communities, as well as looking into how libraries are responding to community needs of today and will focus on the work ahead as we shape the future of library services after the pandemic passes.

    4. Preparing your Digital Branch for Increased Use
      5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
      As libraries engage in social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are placing new emphasis on our online services. Is your organization ready?

      In this interactive and Informative program, we will discuss how to prepare your digital branch for an influx of users, and examine best practices for virtual reference and digital collections as you work to meet your community’s needs.

  • Free Webinar – The Future is Fine Free : How Libraries are Increasing Equity, Engagement and Access for their Communities

    Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020
    Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
    Place: Online at https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?id=888&reset=1
    Presenters: Panel listed below
    Cost: Free

    Join us on Thursday, February 13th @Noon Pacific for a webinar with Pines and Plains Libraries (CO) Director Tim Miller, Perry County Library (TN) Director Gail Spragins, Chicago Public Library (IL) Commissioner Andrea Telli, and Santa Monica Public Library (CA) Director Patty Wong as they engage in a big-picture conversation about becoming and being fine-free libraries. During this conversation, they will identify their libraries’ “why” for being fine-free, discuss how they strategically addressed their communities’ needs and local government priorities by eliminating fines, and describe the impacts of going fine-free on their communities.

    While this webinar focuses on the “why” of going fine-free, we know that many people are also interested in the how-to’s. For those, we encourage you to check out the Infopeople webinar recording “Eliminating overdue fines: A win-win for your library and community” with Beth Crist, Colorado State Library and Meg DePriest, State Library Consultant at this link: https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?id=873&reset=1

    Webinars are free of charge, you can pre-register by clicking on the Register Now button on the InfoPeople page. If registering with less than 30 MINUTES from the start of the webinar you can join directly from the thank you page by clicking the Join Now button. If you pre-registered you will receive an email with login link and a reminder email the day before the event. All webinars are archived for later viewing at http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived.

  • Free Webinar – Library Promotion in the Digital Age : How to Engage Your Patrons in the Library and at Home

    Date: Thursday, July 25, 2019
    Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
    Place: Online at https://tinyurl.com/y4gtkj6r
    Presenters: Angela Hursh, Public Library of Concinnati and Hamilton County, Nicole Markisohn, Recorded Books
    Cost: Free

    The digital age has changed the way the public interacts with libraries. Patrons can now access a wide variety of content and services without physically visiting a library location. This means that if you’re only focusing on in-library promotion, you’re missing a key opportunity to grow and engage your patron base. According to Pew Research Center, 93% of library patrons are internet users, and 75% are smartphone users—and as the digital-native Millennial and Gen Z generations continue to represent a larger segment of the overall population, digital promotion will become increasingly important.

    This webinar will cover how digital promotion can help you engage your patron base both in-library and elsewhere, reach more prospective patrons who aren’t yet using the library, and drive adoption and usage of digital content services.

    In this free 60-minute webinar you will:

    • Learn about digital promotion best practices
    • See real-world examples of effective campaigns
    • Hear from Angela Hursh, library marketing expert at The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
    • Get actionable tips that you can immediately implement in your library

    Can’t make the date? No problem! Register now and you will receive an email post-event with the URL to access the on demand recording at your convenience.