Happy New Year!

I was just inspired by Nancy Wilson's blog to create an avatar. Maybe it's my new look for '08? Who knows? Silly perhaps, but it was fun.

Here's hoping that 2008 brings good things for all of us, personally and professionally. I'm curious--aren't you?

Congrats, grads!

A flurry of emails went 'round this afternoon, as we sent our wishes to the many new MLIS recipients from the University of South Carolina.

They are, in alpha order:
Paul Bryan, Otranto
Kevin Corcoran, Readers Advisory/Young Adult
Katie Gray, Special Collections
Kim Odom, St. Paul's
Theresa Smyly, Main Circuation.

We're proud of you!

CE or Lifelong Learning, or...

We work in an organization that values learning. Our resources support it, our public wants it, and we need it. We recently had a collective push, thanks to Tech Trek 2.0, to learn new skills and many of us took advantage of that. Mostly, we learn as individuals, when the subject and time come toghether. I recently came across a couple of items of interest in the learning line and wanted to share them.

Web Junction is hosting a webinar on Jan. 16, 2008, from 2--3 PM. Here's the description.
10 Ways to Make Your Library Great in 2008—via Web 2.0
As you think about your resolutions for the New Year, why not resolve to make your library a great educational asset within your community? This webinar will show you how to leverage social networking tools such as del.icio.us and Librarything to enable knowledge sharing and create collections of information around professional development. Ten key themes are presented to empower library staff as well as to increase a library's value within the community. Presented by guest speaker Ed Rossman, adult services librarian at Shaker Heights Public Library and author of Castles Against Ignorance: How to Make Libraries Great Educational Environments.

I know that being online at a certain time is hard. It's good to know that Web Junction does archive these sessions. To either sign up for this session or to view the archives, visit Web Junction.

There's more, in the archives of the SirsiDynix Institute. And, of course, the Casual conversations, hosted in the OPAL Auditorium. I think it would be useful to build of list of events like this--do you? Where should we post this? The Intranet?

They're here

Well, I got my MP3 player today. I haven't even taken it out the box yet, but I'm thrilled. Now Tech Trek 2.0 will be extended for me, as I learn how to use it. Haven't decide whether it should be music or podcasts, or what.

And here's a big shout-out to the Cooper River staff. I just read this in their monthly narrative:

· All CRM staff members completed the Tech Treks 2.0 program. I believe we were the only library location where all of the staff enrolled and completed the program.

How cool is that!

Party notes

Well, the Holiday Gala is tomorrow and I'm hoping to see you there. Paul Medves will be taking photographs again and if you're looking for a good way to get some current and nicely done shots, this is it. Paul does a great job.

Wednesday afternoon we gathered together to acknowledge the upcoming retirement of our Director, Jan Buvinger. Jan began working for CCPL in 1970 and worked in Technical Services, in Children's and in Reference, along the way to becoming director. She weathered Hugo and the aftermath, oversaw the expansion of the system, with the addition of the first four of our regional branches (Mt. Pleasant, Dorchester, Otranto and St. Andrews)in 1992, Main in 1998 and John's Island in 2004. I hope that she enjoys her retirement. Thanks, Jan!