I’ve created a Google Reader Bundle that helps me keep up with the offerings from individual providers that have RSS feeds. I also subscribe to Brad Ward’s Library Webinars blog and Stephanie Zimmerman’s Library-Related Training Opportunities Google Calendar for the ones that don’t catch in my feed reader.  I register, and add them to the Intranet calendar, complete with signups and reminders for staff to attend. I show them in my conference room / office, but also remind them that they may be viewable remotely or in an archive.

With each major update to the training calender I’ll blog the listings and send a mass email to staff. Whether they come into my office or view remotely, they’ve now got access to some of the brightest minds and the latest trends in Librarianship and beyond. I’m often asked to replay sessions when a topic becomes locally important, that’s Just-in-Time learning…when training is needed the most.

I’ve pasted below the upcoming webinars I’ll be showing in my office or encouraging staff to view at their offices or branches. Huge thanks to the sponsors, producers and presenters for providing topical and relevant content for library staff every where!

9/21/10 The Scoop on Series Nonfiction: What’s New for Fall 1:00pm – 2:00pm CST Booklist Webinar: Series nonfiction publishers are offering more titles than ever this fall, and as they continue to expand into digital formats and approach the curriculum in new ways, it’s more challenging than ever to keep up. In this hourlong webinar moderated by Booklist Books for Youth associate editor Dan Kraus, we’ll hear from five of the top publishers in this booming field: Heinemann-Raintree; Gale/Cengage Learning; Weigl Publishers, Inc.; Black Rabbit Books; and Lerner Publishing Group. Besides presenting their biggest fall titles and initiatives, they’ll also give attendees up-to-date information on the latest trends.

9/21/10 Scholarly Research and Source Validation in the Age of Google 2:00pm – 3:00pm CST Library Journal Webcast: Librarians, scholars, and publishers alike are asking questions about how to manage the increasing amount of unverified content (both good and bad) that is now easily available through our computers. We are all drowning in it. The situation poses a particularly challenging problem in the educational arena, where students and scholars need reliable sources of information. Whether today’s researchers are doing initial research for a book, working on a doctoral dissertation, or an undergraduate term paper, it’s harder and harder to know what sources to consult. Register now to hear our esteemed panel, moderated by Library Journal’s Cheryl LaGuardia discuss this crisis of validation in the Google age, and the new roles that Libraries, Publishers and Scholars play in the culture of information overload.

9/22/10 Strategies for Implementing and Optimizing Self-Service: Librarians Share Their Success 1:00pm – 2:00pm CST Library Journal Webinar: Join representatives from three leading libraries who have cost-effectively and successfully implemented self-service in this information-rich roundtable webinar. In today’s tough economy, many libraries rely on self-service to offset significant increases in circulation, severe budget cuts, and staff reductions. Are you prepared to effectively implement self-service in your library? Are you confident that you are realizing maximum value from your self-service investment?

9/22/10 Shine a Light on your Digital Collections 1:00pm – 2:00pm CST OCLC Webinar: Learn how you can spotlight your digital collections and make them visible to users across the web. Join Michael Scott, Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Coordinator, for a live webinar as she discusses how she uses everything from social media to WorldCat.org to highlight the availability of their online collections. Also hear from Suzanne Butte, OCLC Digital Services Consultant, on the wide variety of ways that other libraries, museums, archives and historical societies promote their digital collections.

9/23/10 The Manager’s Tool Kit, Part One: Listening and Feedback 11:00am – 12:00pm CST Ken Blanchard Companies Webinar: Proactive listening and the ability to deliver feedback effectively are two of the most important skills managers can develop for building trust and creating a supportive environment for direct reports. Yet in both cases, managers often overestimate their ability to listen attentively and deliver feedback objectively. In this webinar, Blanchard Senior Consulting Partner and author Dr. Vicki Halsey will show managers how to improve their skills in both areas in a way that leaves direct reports feeling heard and that helps them to focus on improving performance.

9/23/10 SLJ Nonfiction Book Buzz 2010 12:00pm – 1:00pm, CST A School Library Journal Webinar: Our panel of nonfiction publishers will tell you how they strive to produce the most accurate and well-research core-related materials for grades K-12 while also keeping these titles attractive, easy to use, and accessible to a range of reading levels. We’ll hear about series in science, social studies, biography, art, math, health, and more, most correlated to each state’s standards. Tune in for the buzz on new and forthcoming series nonfiction and get those gaps in your collection filled.

9/28/10 Defending the Right to Read: Celebrating Banned Books Week with Judy Blume 1:00pm – 2:00pm CST Booklist Online Webinar: Librarians and teachers face more challenges than ever when it comes to defending children’s right to read. In celebration of Banned Books Week, this webinar features a stellar panel of experts, including renowned author and longtime advocate of intellectual freedom Judy Blume, who will discuss book rating systems, the impact of the Internet on challenges, the effect of censorship on children’s publishing, and how to best prepare for book challenges. Additional speakers include Beverly Horowitz, Vice President and Publisher of Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers; Pat Scales, former school librarian and a member of the National Coalition against Censorship Council of Advisors; Kristin Pekoll, a young-adult librarian at the West Bend (WI) Community Memorial Library; and Nanette Perez, program officer at ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

10/06/10 Gadget Checklist 2010: For library staff, users and our future 1:00pm -2:00pm CST WebJunction Webinar. Description: Do you need a gadgets orientation covering types, brands, features, functionality and answers to why gadgets are so popular with your patrons? Join us for this webinar with Michael Porter when he presents a checklist-filled session also covering how users are consuming and accessing content on gadgets and how libraries are purchasing and lending gadgets to host this content. It’s time for you to complete your checklist and to explore the implications gadgets have on the future of library services.

10/19 /10 Dealing with the Difficult Patrons 1:00pm -2:00pm CST WebJunction Webinar: Library staff can handle difficult patrons, resolve issues or problems quickly and efficiently and retain customer loyalty throughout. Join presenters Paul Signorelli, writer, trainer, and consultant with a strong focus on workplace learning and performance, and Maurice Coleman, Technical Trainer at Harford County Public Library, for this one hour webinar providing expert resources for working with a patron using common sense practices and techniques for bringing that customer back into the fold.

Comment to let me know if I missed any upcoming events. I’d also love to hear how you use invaluable webinars like these in your own training programs!