I am thrilled to be keynoting at Library 2.014 this year (October 8-9).  I’ll be talking about the importance of building social capital in our profession.

I am doubly thrilled to be organizing our second Connected Librarians Day, as a pre-conference on Tuesday, October 7th.

Sponsored by Follett and The Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) at Rutgers University, the open, online, free and international event will present a rich array of leaders in our field talking about topics of immediate interest. The conference will be archived to compensate for time zone (and schedule) issues.

Here’s the schedule.  On October 7th, you can click on the hyperlinked title to join each session.

12:30pm PDT / 3:30pm EDT - Welcome and About the Landscape with Britten Follett, Joyce Valenza, Ross Todd & Shannon Miller

1pm PDT / 4pm EDT – Stuart Crouch on “eBook and Library Rehab: How Digital Tools Can Remodel a Library Landscape”

In 2012 we asked our teachers & students what they thought of our school library. Mostly positive, their answers showed concern about how the library would serve them in the digital age and would it invigorate learning in our schools. A change was due. eBooks and eLearning tools now make this International Baccalaureate School’s library fundamental for curriculum and instruction. Join us as we explore how unique digital tools from the creative writing classroom to the science lab are being used to impact learning; learn how to put eBooks at the center of your classroom instruction.

2pm PDT / 5pm EDT - Judy O’Connell on “Leadership in a connected age: change, challenge and productive chaos”

The 21st century school library leader recognizes that without keeping an eye on the future we may be doomed to remaining a prisoner of the past. With this eye on the future, the agile leader welcomes innovation, embraces change and thrives on chaos. But what skills are necessary to survive in the future? What do you need to do today? How will this affect you and your school community? Trends in knowledge construction, participatory cultures and social networks can give us the blueprint to successful leadership in our connected age. The good news is that by preparing today we can successfully meet the challenges of our global connected future of tomorrow.

3pm PDT / 6pm EDT - Michelle Luhtala on “Flipped Learning and the Essential Tools to Get you There”

What does it take to flip your program? Not much! This session will work through ten tools that will help school librarians flip instruction and help promote self-directed learning. Tools discussed will include course management systems, library management systems, eContent Cloud collaboration tools, online voicemail services, text-based instruction, student response applications, playlist creators, screencasting, and blogs.

4pm PDT / 7pm EDT - Patrice Bryan & Darcy Coffta on “Schools’ Vortex: Innovative Library Makerspaces”

The shift from consumption-based learning to creation-based learning means many schools are transforming the library into a makerspace. Award-winning, innovative programs attest to the success of this movement. We’ll look at what’s being done and how educators teach & students learn in this model. The ways we support and advocate for the change from a quiet environment to a bustling activity center will be explored by the panel, as well as ways to highlight & share successes with other schools. The two panelists will showcase recent success in their schools where the library is now the center of action. Here, learning is student-driven & project-based, & kids are producers and sharers of information. Collaboration is key and kids learn from each other. The panelists will share before, during, & after stories of their transition, including best practices.