The Librarian to Librarian Networking Summit is designed to encourage K-12 school media coordinators to communicate with each other and the educational community at large in order to promote the essential role they play in student academic success. The sessions, covering a wide variety of topics, will be primarily comprised of roundtable discussions facilitated by experts in the profession. Summit attendees will be given an opportunity to attend sessions of their choice.  This year’s summit will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012.

If you would like to serve as a facilitator for the 2012 summit, complete the online form found at http://www.ecu.edu/lib/trc/survey.cfm.  Proposals will be received through Friday, October 21, 2011.  Since the summit committee can only accept a limited number of sessions, please submit your proposal prior to the final deadline.  Acceptance emails will be sent no later than Wednesday, October 26, 2011.  If you have not been contacted by this date, please contact Alan R. Bailey at baileya@ecu.edu or 252-328-2579.

We are requesting that individuals "facilitate" and not "present" since the primary purpose of the summit is for attending media coordinators to network with colleagues and discuss current professional topics in a roundtable setting.  Responsibilities of the facilitator include guiding session discussion and learning, providing interactive activities when possible, answering questions, recommending resources and providing handouts if appropriate.  Sessions are one hour in length, beginning at 9:30am and ending at 3:30pm.   A limited number of instructional sessions will also be accepted.

To view agendas and facilitator biographies from previous summits, visit http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/trc/netsummit.cfm.

Teaching Resources Center
J.Y. Joyner Library
Mail Stop 516
1000 E. 5th St.
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC  27858-4353
252-328-2579 (Office); 252-328-6076 (Service Desk); 252-328-0918 (Fax)
TRC Web Page:  http://www.ecu.edu/lib/trc

With staff development funding cut in many districts, there may be fewer opportunities to attend workshops and conferences. There may be fewer chances that your district or school can cover the costs of registration, travel and lodging, or substitutes.

But even if your district cannot cover the costs associated with participating in workshops and conferences, it is more important than ever that you take control of your professional growth so that you can be aware of the trends, best practices, and educational policy affecting school libraries.

Attend Our Fall Conference

With the theme of this year's conference -- 2020 Vision: Connect, Lead, Learn -- you as a cutting edge school library professional have the chance to network with some of the national and state leaders in our field: Doug Johnson, Diane Chen, Cassandra Barnett, Deb Logan, Neill Kimrey, Kelly Brannock, Sandra Hughes-Hassell. You have the opportunity to attend over 100 concurrent sessions focused on literacy and reading, technology, advocacy and leadership, and information skills. You have the chance to gather information about purchasing the latest eBooks, equipment, and software from over 50 vendors.

Attend an Online Conference or Webinar

Online conferences and webinar offer a virtual opportunity for you to attend some great professional development without leaving your home or school. Sometimes these opportunities are free, like Learn NC 's fall interactive conference. You can participate in the online version from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 14th. Just be sure to register before October 7th.

If you haven't tried the Teacher Librarian Virtual Cafe, well, this Monday, October 4th is your chance! Doug Johnson will lead the discussion, Changed But Still Critical, about the role of brick and mortar libraries in the digital age. Just visit the TL Virtual Cafe for details about logging on to this webinar.

Read Professional Journals and Blogs

Another free opportunity -- it only costs you a little of your time -- is reading online professional articles and blogs. By following some of the leaders in our profession, you can keep up with the latest trends, best practices, and educational policies affecting school libraries. See our blog roll at the right for some of our favorites!

We hope to see you in Winston-Salem in November, as you take control of your professional growth!

Posted by Ms. Dee at 4:37 AM