[Web4lib] Announcement: OPAL online programs this week

[Tom Peters]

Greetings!  This week there are 3 exciting OPAL online programs scheduled, on teens and the Internet, summer reads, and civic engagement.  Details are below.  OPAL is an online collaborative of approx. 50 libraries of all types offering online events for library users worldwide.
 
If you've never attended an OPAL online program, it's very easy.  Simply click on the room link listed for each scheduled event (http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm).  The first time you enter an OPAL room, the operating system you use on your computer may ask for your permission to automatically install a small, safe software plug-in.  If you have any qualms or experience difficulties, please feel free to contact me.
 
Also, if you are interested in an OPAL online event but cannot attend live, please note that we record, archive (http://www.opal-online.org/archive.htm), and podcast most OPAL events.
 
 
 
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 10:00 Central, 9:00 Mountain, 8:00 Pacific, and 3:00 p.m. GMT:
The Internet and Teens: Social Networking Safety 
How many times have you heard a young person talk about "blogging" or "myspace" and wondered what language they were speaking? If you've ever been concerned about the amount of time that your child spends on the Internet, or wondered what they were doing, this program will help you to understand more about blogging, what role it plays in the lives of teens especially, and how you can help them to use this communication tool in a safe and positive environment. 

The presenter is Bill Erbes, the Assistant Director of the Bensenville (Illinois) Community Public Library District. Bill has presented workshops on using the Internet throughout the United States for such groups as the Public Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, the Library and Information Technology Association, and the Illinois Library Association. In addition to his work at Bensenville, Bill has made a number of Soaring to Excellence presentations, and occasionally teaches at College of DuPage and the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences at Dominican University. 

PLEASE NOTE: This program is free, but you must register by going to www.LibraryU.org. Whether you are a parent, teacher, librarian, or interested in the trends in teen Internet usage, this event will be engaging and informative. 

Sponsored by: LibraryU 
Location: LibraryU OPAL room. 


Wednesday, July 26, 2006 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 5:30 Central, 4:30 Mountain, 3:30 Pacific, and 10:30 p.m. GMT:
Books at Twilight: Favorite Authors and Suggested Read-Alikes 
Join the Readers Services Librarians from the St. Charles (Illinois) Public Library as they discuss some of their favorite authors and read-alikes. This online program is offered in conjunction with their Adult Summer Reading Program. 
Sponsored by: St. Charles Public Library 
Location: OPAL Auditorium. 


Friday, July 28, 2006 beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT: 

The September Project: Let's Bring People Together This September 
The September Project encourages libraries to host free civic events about freedom, democracy, and citizenship in remembrance of September 11th. The National Issues Forums discussion guide, Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role is particularly well-suited for this year's September Project events. Participants in this online panel presentation will learn about the history and innovative programs offered by 1,100 libraries in 34 countries as part of the September Project over the past two years. In particular, participants will learn about a unique opportunity to: 
Obtain free materials you can use to host community discussions on the National Issues Forums (NIF) discussion guide, Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role, 
Make the results of their forums a part of a report on hundreds of other forums on this issue that will be presented to Congress in the fall of 2006, 
Use their forums to connect with their local public television stations and the documentary Public Voice 2006, People and Politics: Facing Democracy's Challenge f eaturing excerpts of NIF forums and commentary by nationally known political leaders and commentators, who reflect on what this "public voice" may mean in setting a new direction for America. 
Join with hundred of others in the NIF network who are hosting forums on Democracy's Challenge. 
PANELISTS: 
David Silver, Co-Director, The September Project. David leads The September Project's outreach efforts. As a citizen, David believes libraries represent the heart, soul, and collective memory of our communities. As a reader, David looks to libraries, and librarians, for new ideas, new perspectives, and new solutions. His local library is the Ballard Branch of the Seattle Public Library. His work library is the University of Washington's Suzzallo Library. 
Sarah Washburn, Co-Director, The September Project. Sarah leads the online and offline community efforts of The September Project. She is inspired and influenced by the endlessly creative and driven community of librarians around the world. A lifelong supporter and user of libraries, she likes to check out libraries on vacation and business trips, and has been known to visit numerous hometown libraries on a given Saturday. Her first memory of libraries impacting her life was as a member of the summer reading club at the W. Clarke Swanson Branch of the Omaha Public Library. She will never forget the excitement of watching her name appear in construction paper stars each time she finished a book. 
Michael Baldwin, Director, Benbrook (Texas) Public Library. Mike holds a masters degree in public administration as well as library science and has taught American government. Mike believes that libraries are essential to the maintenance of American democracy and that proactive stimulation of responsible citizenship should be a primary component of the public library mission. To that end he wrote the article Can Libraries Save Democracy? in Library Journal (10/15/2002) and Librarians As Knowledge Provocateurs (Public Libraries, March/April, 2006). Mike has also proposed that the American Library Association initiate a One Book/One Nation project that will ask all Americans to read and discuss the same book on an issue of importance to American democracy. Mike is on the board of The September Project. The Benbrook Public Library's September Project program this year will be a public forum using the NIF materials, Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role. 
MODERATOR: Taylor Willingham, Director,Texas Forums, an initiative of the LBJ Library and Museum that engages people in dialogue about issues that affect their lives; Co-founder of the ALA Membership Initiative Group, Libraries Fostering Civic Engagement 

CONVENOR: Nancy Kranich, Past President of American Library Association and Co-Founder of the ALA Membership Initiative Group, Libraries Fostering Civic Engagement 

SPONSORED BY: Texas Forums, an initiative of the LBJ Library and Museum, on behalf of the National Issues Forums Institute 

LOCATION: OPAL Auditorium 

For more information about The September Project, including a list of the participating libraries, please visit The September Project's website or The September Project Blog. 

This presentation is co-sponsored by members of the Libraries Fostering Civic Engagement Membership Initiative Group of the American Library Association Membership. The Civic Engagement MIG was formed to provide an ALA "organizational home" for members interested in facilitating public forums, fostering civic engagement, and framing issues for deliberation in their communities. For more information about this MIG and other community engagement resources, please visit the Libraries Foster Civic Engagement Blog. 
 
Tom Peters, OPAL Coordinator

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