Getting the Word Out Using technology to publish your library news and views

Marketing “The school library media centers of this country need a marketing plan. It is not enough to have excellent products if few patrons know what you have and what you can do for them. We need to tell them over and over again in as many different ways as we can imagine.” Catherine M. Beyers, “Marketing is Part of the Job” School Library Media Activities Monthly, Dec. 2005, p. 48

Why publish? You have something your school community needs All too often, the teachers, students, and parents will not come to you Your library program deserves more visibility You have something worthwhile to say

Content: What do you have to say? Policies Procedures Calendar Booklists Invitations News Lessons Instructions Handouts

Publishing technologies Presentation (in person) Print (on paper) Online (over the internet)

Presentation Library orientations Teaching or co-teaching a class Faculty meetings Library committee meetings PTA meetings Community Council meetings

Presentation Hardware Blackboard Overhead projector White board VCR/DVD and Television Computer and Television VCR/DVD and Data Projector Computer and Data Projector Computer and Interactive Whiteboard and Data Projector with VCR/DVD

Print Publishing School or PTA Newsletter Student newspaper Library newsletter Flyers Handouts Posters

Print Publishing Software MS Word MS Publisher Adobe InDesign

Online Publishing newsletter Web site PowerPoint Ebook Blog Podcast

Newsletter Plain text HTML text HTML text with images HTML text with images and links

Library Web site You need a library web site!

Why a Library Web site? The web is no longer a novelty, it is a basic form of communication Many of the resources you provide your patrons are web based already More information resources, software tools, and ways of communicating are moving to the web every day YOU are the information literacy expert in your school It’s time to get in the game!

What’s on a web page? Text Graphics Links A layout (design) linking the above

Web site design tools MS Word MS PowerPoint MS Publisher Nvu (free download) Macromedia DreamWeaver

Power Point Publishing Options PowerPoint presentation PowerPoint print out PowerPoint packaged for CD PowerPoint show on the web (.mht format) Microsoft Producer for PowerPoint (free download)

What is an Ebook? Text and graphics (and possibly links) formatted to be easily read (like a book) using some type of “reader” software The two most common “readers” are Microsoft Reader and Adobe Reader

Ebook publishing

Ebook Publishing

Ebook publishing tools Any page layout tool from Word to MS Publisher to Adobe InDesign Any image editing software such as IrfanView (free) Adobe Acrobat (or other program that will create.pdf files)

What is a blog? A weblog or blog is a web-based publication of periodic articles (posts), usually presented in reverse chronological order. It is an online journal with one or many contributors.

Teacher Blog

Class Blog

Blog publishing tools Blogspot (free online site) TypePad (inexpensive online site) Word Press (free install your own) Blog subscription tools Bloglines (free online site)

What is a Podcast? An audio blog A personal, online, “radio show” An “IPod Broadcast”

Podcast Blog

Podcasting tools Hardware Computer with a sound card Microphone Speakers or headphones Software to create a podcast Audacity (free) Software to listen to a podcast Any MP3 player software (usually free) Software to “Subscribe” to podcasts Juice (free)

MacroMedia Flash Files

Where to begin? Send a few s to your teachers about the resources in your library Submit an article to your school or PTA newsletter Consider starting a library newsletter Start reading blogs and subscribe to a few of your favorites Listen to a few podcasts Take a web page design class Create a web site for your library! Consider starting your own blog

But Mostly! Play Dabble Experiment Tryout Share Dream Create Grow HAVE FUN!