TechSoup for Libraries blogs

TechSoup Registration and Eligibility Tutorials

Kyla Hunt — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:35:43 +0000

Are you working at a public library or a nonprofit interested in receiving TechSoup product donations and discounts, and are wondering how to get started? We're happy to announce that we now have three short videos designed to guide you through TechSoup's process of registration and eligibility.

The three videos, available on the TechSoup YouTube page:

In the TechSoup Eligibility Tutorial, you will find out where to go to check eligibility, what the best practices are for checking eligibility, and what you need to know before taking the TechSoup eligibility quiz.

In the TechSoup Registration Process video, you will learn how to create an individual member account on TechSoup.org, and how to register an organization.

Finally, in the TechSoup Registration for Non-501(c)(3) Public Libraries video, you will learn about the registration processes in relation to non-501(c)(3) public libraries.

Like what you see? Do you want to see more short, multimedia content? Share your ideas in the comments below or in our TechSoup community forum thread.

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Upcoming Webinar on February 9: Digital Storytelling - Capturing Your Story on Camera

Michael DeLong — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:07:52 +0000

In conjunction with the third annual TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge, we are offering three free webinars to ensure you know the nuts and bolts of all the stages of production — and get your questions answered by the experts.

The second part of this three-part webinar series on Thursday, February 9, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time will focus on everything you need to know to shoot quality video. In addition to getting nonprofit technology recommendations, you will come away understanding the basics of cinematography, lighting, and sound. The objective of this webinar is to get you comfortable behind a camera with your director's hat on. Register now!

The second webinar of the series will provide you with great tips for shooting your video. You'll learn:

What equipment is right for your organization
How to set up a good shot
Considerations for capturing indoor, outdoor, and event footage

David J. Neff is the co-founder and CEO of Lights. Camera. Help. He is a author, teacher, speaker, blogger, network weaver, and social media scientist.

For more than ten years he has been helping people and nonprofits focus on doing good all across the world. He did this through nine years at the American Cancer Society as the director of web, film, and interactive strategy. While there he started their film and documentary department. David also shot a full-length documentary and owned and operated a film production company in Austin, Texas.

Find David on Twitter at @daveiam.

Michael DeLong

Online Community Manager, TechSoup Global

mdelong@techsoupglobal.org

@MichaelDeLongSF

Your Library Story: create, submit, and win!

Stephanie Gerding — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:07:28 +0000

The 2012 Digital Storytelling Challenge is here! Learn how to share your library’s story digitally, through five photos or a one-minute video, during TechSoup’s Digital Storytelling Challenge (also known as #TSDigs). Throughout February, join us for webinars, tweet chats and discussions to find out how to create a compelling digital story, and then submit it by Feb. 29^th for the chance to win prizes that help you create your next digital story.

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

All learning events are 11:00 a.m. Pacific time

Find full descriptions on our events page.

February 7: Live Tweet Chat on Creating Impact and What Makes a Story Effective
February 9: Webinar - Capturing Your Story on Camera
February 14: Live Tweet Chat on Social Amplification and Distribution
February 16: Webinar - You Have the Footage, Now What?

We have a new survey this month to learn how you are currently using videos to advocate for your library. We'll compile your examples and share them on our blog. Please take a moment to answer our two question survey.

Technorati Tags: #TSDigs digital storytelling

Is there a kit for that? Flip video cams make programming a breeze

Lori Easterwood — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:11:10 +0000

In the last fiscal year, Sacramento Public Library increased its public program offerings by 32% over the previous year: 133,725 people attended some 5,213 programs throughout our 28 branch library system. At least part of the reason we’ve been able to increase our programming, despite all the "tough economic times" (this is Sacramento, California, remember) has been through the development of boxed programs for our staff.

These boxes (58 and counting) are bookable by staff through the library’s intranet and are sent to branches using regularly scheduled delivery routes. Boxed programs range from the elaborate—a two-box Fancy Nancy party, all pink, purple, sparkle and glitter—to the simple, like a box of yarn. While some of the boxed programs come with scripts and a set program plan, others, like the yarn, can be adapted to any library program. The most popular boxes by far are those relating to technology. We have 3 Wii systems, a set of 8 Nintendo DSi, an Xbox 360 with Kinect, projector/DVD combo machines, karaoke machines, and about 30 Flip video cameras (purchased for a song through TechSoup.org). These kits are in almost constant use; they return to their home at our Central Library for batteries and then are immediately sent out again for more programs.

With Teen Tech Week approaching, creativity is flourishing! After being inspired by the film Hugo, one of our excellent Youth Services librarians, Thomas Gruneisen, created this video using a Flip camera, a Cricut machine (also a boxed program), and Microsoft Windows Movie Maker. He plans to use this video as a model for a teen group project during Teen Tech Week. Several other Teen Advisory Groups have library PSAs in the works and school-age children last year made one minute (unedited) monster movies after learning about storyboarding—all using the Flip box. The kit also has a photo release form included, as well as tips for filming. Whenever a librarian has a particularly successful program, they are asked to write up a brief program plan to be included in the box. As a result, our library staff creates a continually evolving and circulating guide for best practices in programming.

We created the Flip box in particular because we wanted to provide library programs that go beyond simple, passive, entertainment. By providing our patrons with a basic tool—the Flip camera—and some simple guidance in its use, the library can allow children and teens to explore their ability to tell stories in a way many of them never have before. Whether they storyboard to create a monster movie or spend hours creating a library PSA, young people using these devices are getting a chance to see their creations validated, and valued by the library. The most important thing we’ve learned from providing programs such as this, is that our staff and the people (of all ages) who use our libraries are marvelously inventive and limited only by their access to the tools which allow them to express that creativity.

Taking a central, yet shared approach to programming allows our library to feel a little more like a unit and less like 28 branches flung over 964 square miles. The programming potential is boundless.

Lori Easterwood, Programming Supervisor

Sacramento Public Library

Sacramento, CA

----------------------------------------------------

Do you create videos or use photos to tell your library's story? Enter the TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge and win a prize to help you tell your next story.

Technorati Tags: #TSDigs camera Flip flip video guest series microsoft programming video

Kick it. Benchmarks get more input.

Sarah Washburn — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:05:51 +0000

At a recent ALA MidWinter session on the Edge Initiative, Larra Clark from ALA OITP ended her remarks with, "the benchmarks are meant to be kicked. So kick it." Thus launched a focus group exercise where approximately 50 attendees were asked to provide feedback to a draft set of public access technology benchmarks.

What we learned

Along with Mary Hirsch from PLA, we invited our group to think hard about a set of three benchmarks (selected from 14 total), covering topics related to engaging the community and decision makers. What did we learn? We learned that "the benchmarks are definitely aspirational" and "mid-sized libraries can whack out most of them." We also heard that even for the smallest of libraries with little or no support, the benchmarks are useful, and serve the purpose of an aspirational tool.

We also learned that the benchmarks are "roughly right," meaning we're headed in the right direction. For some, that distinction might sound less than appealing, as if perhaps we should be hanging our heads or wondering if we're doing the right thing. For me and for my team--as folks working hard to be sure we're creating a useful and meaningful tool--showing our first draft and hearing that we're on the right track is crucial feedback. We're very early in the process, and we're eager to learn what libraries think. If they veer off track or aren't useful, we need to hear it.

Listening is our charter

This isn't our first exercise in getting feedback, although it was the first time we showed an entire draft to the public. A major part of this project is listening. I consider our group (officially called the Edge Coalition) to be a steering committee of sorts. It is our responsibility to listen to the field, to articulate what we're hearing and observing in libraries across the nation, and to distill these best practices into measurable and useful benchmarks that libraries of all size can use. Have we finished listening? Not yet. We're still in the early stages, and we have a lot to learn from you and your colleagues. If you haven't yet had a chance to weigh in on a sample benchmark, please spend a few minutes responding to one in a 2-question survey. We appreciate and rely on your thoughts!

The next step

While the benchmarks are the part of the Edge Initative you've heard me talk about the most, they are only one piece of the pie. We're working hard to understand what libraries will need after they've dug in and measured their library against the benchmarks. We envision tools that will help libraries both acheive a benchmark and also start a conversation with elected officials and other stakeholders. This conversation is key to influence investment in libraries, and we're thrilled that the Association of City/County Managers (ICMA) is a partner in making this happen.

During the ALA MidWinter session, Ron Carlee, Chief Operating Officer of ICMA, said it best when he offered a challenge of sorts to the audience:

This is not the end. Go back and have the conversation with the leaders in your community. Find out what would make the benchmarks meaningful to them."

Ron knows what he's talking about. Listen to him, and be sure to tell us what you learned.

Technorati Tags: ALA benchmark city managers computers edge Edge Initiative ICMA Larra Clark Mary Hirsch measure OITP patbenchmark PLA public access public access benchmarks Ron Carlee standard

App it Up! Webinar Recap

Kyla Hunt — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:01:57 +0000

On January 19, I had the pleasure of assisting in our app-inspired webinar, App It Up! You can now view a recording of the webinar on YouTube.

The App It Up! webinar featured two great speakers, Ariel Gilbert-Knight from TechSoup, and Shawn Michael of NPower. This webinar was inspired by the power and popularity of TechSoup's App It Up project, which was developed thanks to a grant from Microsoft.

If you visit the App It Up page, you'll find all kinds of app resources, including resources and a round up of cool apps.

So what is an app, anyway?

As defined by the project, "An 'app' (short for 'application') is a small piece of software with limited functionality. Apps can be used online (a web app), on mobile devices (a mobile app), or as an add-on to other tools (widgets, plug-ins, templates, and so on)."

Some great apps mentioned in the webinar are as follows. Most are free, but we urge you to do research into any and all apps included.

Library apps:

Orange County Library System Shake It! for Android

NYPL Biblion

Library Anywhere (LibraryThing)

Nonprofit and other cause-related apps:

J!ResQ (response to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan)

Humane Society of Whitley County

Public Art Omaha

To check out other and future webinars and online events, check out our Tech Events page!

Technorati Tags: app it up apps webinar

Today and Tomorrow: Grantstation Offer

Stephanie Gerding — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:27:27 +0000

Boost your fundraising efforts with valuable grant-finding tools! On January 24 and 25, 2012, get GrantStation for only $99 — a $160 savings. Identify private and government grantmakers with GrantStation's online database, and use the tutorials to secure funding. Already have a GrantStation membership? Add another year during this two-day offer.

TechSoup and GrantStation are pleased to present this special offer to eligible U.S. nonprofit organizations and public libraries to help you become a successful grant seeker. A GrantStation membership provides access via the Internet to a comprehensive set of grant research tools. You can find current sources of grant money and learn how to secure available funding. You do not need to download or install special software to use these tools.

Each GrantStation membership lasts one year and gives you access to global, national, regional, and local grantmakers — a weekly e-newsletter with the latest information on new grant programs, upcoming deadlines, online trainings, and more. Members also gain access to the new Grants2020, a web-based tool designed to teach organizations how to diversify and grow their grant-seeking programs.

To help determine if a GrantStation membership is the right fit for your organization, check out an automated tour of the GrantStation website. More information on this special promotion is listed on the TechSoup website.

Technorati Tags: grants grantstation techsoup product donation program

Coming Soon: Boost Fundraising with GrantStation

Stephanie Gerding — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:21:35 +0000

Mark your calendars! On January 24 and 25, 2012, get a one-year membership to GrantStation for only $99 — a $160 discount off the regular admin fee. Identify thousands of private and government grantmakers with GrantStation's online database and use the step-by-step tutorials to secure funding. Already have a GrantStation membership? Add another year during this two-day offer.

TechSoup and GrantStation are pleased to present a special offer for eligible U.S. nonprofit organizations and public libraries to help you become a successful grant seeker. Connect to thousands of federal and state grants and other funding opportunities with a specially discounted membership to GrantStation.

Make sure to come back to TechSoup starting January 24 at 8 a.m. Pacific time (11 a.m. Eastern time) to place your request. This special offer will end January 25 at 5 p.m. Pacific time (8 p.m. Eastern time).

If you're new to TechSoup, we encourage you to register your organization ahead of time.

Technorati Tags: grantstation techsoup product donation program

Digital Learning Day: Share Your Activities

Stephanie Gerding — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:08:15 +0000

The American Library Association's (ALA) Digital Literacy Taskforce is calling on all libraries to put a social media megaphone to their activities planned for Digital Learning Day, February 1. Raise awareness of your library's work in this arena by tweeting (hashtag #DLDay), blogging, and sharing Flickr photos and YouTube videos of digital literacy activities and testimonials throughout the day. You can also share examples on the showcase page of the Digital Learning Day website.

“Libraries are essential partners in digital learning and digital literacy,” said taskforce Chair Michael Borges. “Digital Learning Day is a great opportunity to gather examples to illustrate our work so that we may more effectively advocate and highlight current practices to stakeholders.”

AASL and YALSA are serving as core partners. A toolkit is available from the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Technorati Tags: ALA digital learning day

Thursday Webinar: App It Up!

Stephanie Gerding — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:09:35 +0000

In this free, one-hour webinar, we will share valuable information regarding creating and using apps in libraries and nonprofits. Thanks to a grant from Microsoft, TechSoup’s App it Up project has enabled us to learn about the kinds of apps nonprofits and libraries are using to engage constituents, tell stories, and accomplish their goals. Discover popular apps you can put to use right now. Listen in when Shawn Michael of NPower explains how her organization effectively uses apps. Find out how to develop and deploy an “app-propriate” strategy when we share tips and lessons learned on the entire process of developing apps.

Technorati Tags: app it up apps Shawn Michael webinar