February offerings from the Education Institute:
All webinars are 1 hour.
Member: $45.00
Non-Member: $55.00
Tuesday February 11, 2014 @ 2pm ET
As a special librarian in an academic English as a Second Language (ESL) centre I serve students learning ESL, many of whom have just arrived in Canada and have little or no English skills. In this webinar I will share what has worked for
me in terms of collection development in response to some of the questions asked following my Fall webinar on information services for ESL library users. I will share the publishers, series and titles that are valued and heavily used by my patrons. I will
discuss both readers and reference materials for ESL users including series with audio CDs, materials desired for standardized testing and employment research as well as some unconventional materials catalogued in our collection.
Thursday February 13, 2014 @ 12pm ET
How do I research my investments? Where can I find information on this company? How do I know what are the recommended stock picks by major analysts? Business questions, particularly those related to the financial markets can be intimidating.
This webinar will cover the basics of understanding the financial pages and free or low cost resources libraries can use to answer these questions and more.
This webinar is geared at librarians with little to no experience in business and is intended as an introduction to basic financial research.
Wednesday February 19, 2014 @ 2pm ET
Description:
With budgets for programming being cut in libraries, creating quality teen programming can be challenging, but not impossible. This program will detail twenty programs that cost twenty dollars or less, and can be easily executed at any
library. Participants will leave the webinar with twenty programming ideas that can be easily executed at any library.
Outlines for programs will be available for participants after the presentation. Participants will leave with tips about keeping programming costs low.
Thursday February 20, 2014 @ 2pm ET
Description:
Around the world, countries are increasingly opening up their data in an effort to make government more transparent, accountable, and responsive to citizens. Not only are citizens using information like this to keep up-to-date with what
their governments are doing, they are re-using the data in new and innovative ways to build services, analyze social phenomena, and create mashups of data for mobile applications. Taking open data from municipal governments, for example, citizens have created
apps that link public health reports on eating establishments to maps of their city. You may want to check one out before going for lunch.
In this webinar, I will introduce the concept of open data, with specific reference to Canada and it’s connection to Open Government. I will then present an overview of data portals for federal, provincial and municipal data sets, the types
of information found (spatial, statistical, imagery), and the basic skills needed to provide information services - applicable to both academic and public libraries. Key benefits: Participants will learn about the open data movement in Canada, the types of
resources and data available, and the opportunities and challenges these resources present for researchers and the general public. Attendees will also learn about the technical aspects of providing access to users, including licensing, software, and statistical
literacy.
Friday February 21, 2014 @ 12:00pm ET
In December 2013, the Toronto Public Library released “So Much More: The Economic Impact of Toronto Public Library on the City of Toronto”. The first of its kind in Canada, the study may have influenced the City of Toronto’s decision to
increase Toronto Public Library’s budget in early 2014 .
You are invited to join the study’s co-authors, Dr. Kevin Stolarick and Kimberly Silk of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, to discuss how library systems of any size can develop
economic impact studies to demonstrate value to their stakeholders. Topics will include designing a methodology, data planning, collection and management, and developing measures that align with your strategic plan. Kevin and Kim will also suggest a variety
of approaches to developing such a study, from outsourcing to DIY.
Bios:
Kevin Stolarick, PhD
Dubbed the “Official Statistician of the Creative Class”, Kevin combines a depth of knowledge with an appreciation of the importance of finding and sharing the knowledge or “pearls of wisdom” gained from his comprehensive understanding
of the Creative Class and the Creative Economy. He is the Research Director at The Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and the Inaugural Walton Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Sustainability at the School
of Sustainability, Arizona State University. Kevin provided quantitative research and analytical support for several of Richard Florida’s books including The Rise of the Creative Class and Rise Revisited (the 10th Anniversary Edition). He continues in collaboration
with Richard and other researchers to develop measures, indicators, and benchmarking approaches with significant impact on the growth and development of the Creative Class and Creative Economy theory.
Kimberly Silk, MLS
As Data Librarian at the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Kim is responsible for the management and continuous improvement of our leading edge data library, social knowledge network
and physical collection. She has a passion for digital collections and online communities and loves to explore how technology can facilitate collaboration and improve access to and distribution of information. Since joining the MPI in 2008, Kim has developed
and appreciation for and subject matter expertise in the role of public assets, such as libraries, parks, schools and museums, on the prosperity of cities and regions.