Registration will remain open until October 15th....

LEARNING FROM YOUR DESKTOP: OCTOBER 12 to NOVEMBER 19
6 week ONLINE course – work at your own pace from your desktop

Getting Started on Weblogs and RSS
Instructor: Amanda Etches-Johnson, McMaster University

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Weblogs (or blogs) are well on their way to becoming a staple on the Internet, and libraries have begun to take advantage of blog technology to keep their Web content fresh and easy to update. Additionally, RSS (Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) is fast becoming the standard for online content delivery. This course explores both of these emerging technologies within the library context and provides course participants with the information and hands-on experience necessary to make use of blogs and RSS to serve their users.

KEY TOPICS EXPLORED IN THIS WORKSHOP
You will:
*    learn what a basic weblog is and be introduced to weblog features and terminology
*    explore some of the ways blogs can be used in your library
*    learn how to create and maintain a blog
*    have the opportunity to create a blog as part of the course
*    be introduced to RSS
*    examine RSS content using aggregators
*    explore some of the ways in which RSS can make your library website more dynamic

HOW YOU WILL BENEFIT
You will get a guided, hands-on introduction to blogging which will include the opportunity to create your own blog. You will explore the vast variety of library-related blogs on the Internet, and understand how blogs can be put to use in a library setting. Additionally, you will learn about the ways in which RSS feeds can be used in a library setting, and learn how to set-up and receive RSS content using aggregators.

FEES: Members: $149.00 + GST / Non-members: $194.00 + GST

Instructor Biography
Amanda Etches-Johnson is a reference librarian at Mills Memorial Library, McMaster University. She has been an active blogger for two and a half years and has published and spoken on the use of weblogs and RSS to serve library patrons. She enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for the use of blogs in libraries with her fellow librarians and can be found online at http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net.

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The Education Institute
The learning programs of the BCLA-LAA-OLA-SLA Partnership
http://www.thepartnership.ca

If you have questions please contact the appropriate Association
or Education Institute Director, Maria Ripley <[log in to unmask]>

Professional development of librarians and information professionals
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