Online Learning Opportunities
Want to keep up to date on the latest developments in the library field? Hoping to gain new skills? Interested in participating in e-learning and webinars? Need to earn Continuing Education credits? Here are some organizations that offer online learning and information sessions that can answer all these questions.
- Formats include: e-forums, webinars, courses, and recorded webcasts
- Topics include: Collection Management, Issues and Advocacy, Management Issues, and Service Delivery
- Offerings by ALA units: ALSC for children’s services, YALSA for teen services, and PLA for public libraries
- Fees vary upon your ALA membership and the individual activity
- CEUs are available
- Training arm of the California State University
- Offers more than 150 training topics
- Online synchronous 4 to 8 week courses, self-paced modules, one hour free webinars
- Fees for online training; webinars are free
- CEUs are available
- Public outreach division of the Faculty of Information at University of Toronto
- Instructor led web-based courses run approximately 6 weeks
- Students spend an average of 3 to 8 additional hours a week on assignments
- Costs per course is about $450.00
- Professional Learning Certificates available upon request for $50.00
- Part of Distance Learning at University of North Texas
- Offers over 60 courses for public librarians, administrators, support staff, medical librarians, school librarians, etc.
- Self-paced web-based classes run 1.5 to 3 hours, include pre- and post-tests
- Course cost is under $30.00
- Group (institutional) accounts and rates require 30 seat purchase
- CEUs to be determined by home institution
- Membership is on an institutional or group basis
- Over 300 classes offered with varying costs
- Look at “The Hot 20” for a selection of courses currently available
- Can request that a course be offered
- CEUs determined by home institution
- International collaborative effort by libraries and other organizations offering web conference software
- Provides delivery platform for live, online web-based programs including VIOP conversations, text chatting, co-browsing, document sharing, podcasts
- Nearly all programs are free, few require advance registration
- Maryland libraries are members through DLDS (Division of Library Development and Services, MD State Department of Education)
- Commercial company
- Offers training in over 30 computer software programs including Adobe, Lotus, and Microsoft products
- DLDS provides funds for Maryland public libraries’ membership
- CEUs determined by DLDS
Southern Ontario Library Service/Clearinghouse of Professional Information
- Directory of links to online learning available from academic and public libraries and non-profits
- Lists of training topics and documents about classification schemes and shelving.
- Primarily covers tech issues for small and rural libraries
- Hosts webinars and Tweet chats on a variety of topics
- Membership is on an institutional basis
- Staff of member institutions can register for monthly webinars on a wide variety of subjects of interest to urban librarians
- Free membership
- Offers no-fee webinars and self-paced tutorials running 2 - 3 hours that cost $40.00
- Most courses developed by LE@D, SkillSoft, and LibraryU (now transitioned to WebJunction)
- Provides an integrated course portal, additional support and administration
Library Automation Services and Vendors
- Provide online training and webinars in the use of their products
- Training to be arranged by appropriate individuals in each library system
- CEUs determined by home institution
- Examples include: