The following has been cross-posted from the TechSoup for Libraries Blog:

Hello I am Bobbi Newman, I am a librarian in a public library. I’m responsible for our website, online services, new and emerging technology and training and development for staff and the public. I am also speak and provide training for libraries nationally and internationally. 

I am dedicated to helping libraries find their place in the digital age. I’m passionate about 21st century literacies and the role of all libraries in equal access and opportunity for all. My professional interests include digital and technology based services, the digital divide, and improving existing services through expanding traditional methods, while creating innovative new practices. I write about these and other issues at Librarian by Day.

I am the Digital Branch & Services Manager at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. That really means this - I'm in charge of technology and all our web and social media services.

My professional/personal priorities? They sorta blend - I love connecting people to the content they want, and to each other. I do that by building web experiences that rock, and by teaching others to do it, too.

In our neck of the woods, we bring project planning and creativity to our collaborations, as well as a knack for goal setting. Our main needs from collaborators? That really depends on the project - we are very purposeful in selecting collaborators or partners for a project.

This webinar will cover specific open source tools (some of which you may not have heard of before!) that work well for libraries and the benefits and challenges associated with their use. Meadville Public Library uses open source software on 90% of their public access computers.

Are you interested in taking online donations, but not sure where to start? This can be a very confusing process, with many options and it’s not easy to determine what the best solution is for your nonprofit or library. Attend this free webinar and learn about the different ways that you can raise money online and the tools to make it safe for your donors.

We will talk about ways to take donations, learn about related products that TechSoup offers, specifically Comodo, and hear about organizations using those tools.

This webinar is ideal for decision makers, development directors, website managers, or anyone interested in learning more about taking online donations.

Many nonprofits and libraries are using Facebook to interact with their constituencies and reach out to new audiences – but what’s the best way to get your organization started on this hugely popular social networking site?

In this webinar Kami Griffiths will interview social media consultant John Haydon, who will walk through the essential steps to establishing and managing a successful Facebook presence for a nonprofit or library. We will also hear from Gabe O’Neill of Kids Are Heroes, who will share lessons learned from developing their own Facebook page. Get practical how-to information, learn best practices, ask questions, and leave with action items that will help you create an engaging Facebook presence for your organization.

“Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers;
Powers that would astonish him,
That he never dreamed of possessing;
forces that would revolutionize his life if aroused
and put into action.”
- ORISON SWETT MARDEN

Every achiever and in fact every man that ever mattered on this earth had a crave for knowledge. They were ardent readers of books, which rightly explains why “readers are said to be leaders!”

Location

We had a small but lively group last night at the San Francisco Net Tuesday. Raphe Patmore, CEO, and Jinnan Cai, Technical Director, from Buzka were there all the way from Perth, Australia. Buzka is "a simple way to share all your favorite web stuff" in what they call "spots." For example, Jinnan showed me the Refugee Detention spot he created (screenshot above) to share links about refugee issues in Australia. The interface is easy to navigate, and you can view the links by title, description or thumbnails (they have a server creating screenshots of the pages).

Dan Bernstein of Business and Marketing from Meebo, "the web messenger that lets you access IM from absolutely anywhere," showed us how a fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Uppman, put the Meebome widget on her classroom web site so that students and their parents can IM her about homework and other stuff. Cute!!

Dan also told us about a couple cool librarian sites: the Library and Information Technology blog and I Am a Librarian, which promotes instant messaging in libraries.

Finally, Craig Rosa told us about a discussion happening this week on the ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) forum about social technologies. He said that one thread of the discussion was about how Flickr has become a money-saving tool for museums looking for images.

 From the New World Notes blog, take a look at how libraries are now using Secondlife:

Friday, April 21,  8:00AM - 9:00AM: Getting Along with IT staff for Librarians and Educators.  Rain Noonan hosts this unique event, featuring an appearance by the ITS Director of the Kansas City Public Library.  "This session covers the basics of how to jump communication hurdles between techies and non-technical staff," Noonan posts.  "For VOIP, go to http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0
type your name and click enter. Minimize window. If you do not have a microphone, you can ask questions via text chat."  Part of the Librarian's Continuing Education Seminar Series, from the Johnson County Library.