Library Institute Begins April 2 in Pueblo
March 14, 2003
Librarians and library staff members from 223 different libraries across southeast Colorado will come together April 2-4, in Pueblo for the 17th annual "Institute" hosted by the Arkansas Valley Regional Library Service System (AVRLSS). Attending from Kiowa County Public Library District will be Sharon Johnson and Phyllis Koch.
"CAPitalize Your Library Resources" is the overall theme of the 2002 Institute. The theme is appropriate as many libraries in southeastern Colorado are experiencing decreases in funding from the state and local agencies and need to maximize the resources they do have.
"Libraries provide not just the cold facts, but the expertise and services that add meaning to those facts," according to Donna Jones Morris, AVRLSS Executive Director. Expected to be in particular demand are 20 different "hands on" computer-lab training sessions scheduled throughout the Institute’s two and one-half days. One of the computer labs is being provided this year by MathStar, a Star Schools Project of the US Department of Education, and the Colorado Department of Education - Supporting the Use of Technology in Teaching. In addition 36 concurrent sessions will be presented by librarians from throughout Colorado.
"Because the information industry is changing so rapidly, it is a real challenge for library staff members to keep their professional skills current. Our mission is to help each library in this part of the state provide the best possible library service to their patrons," explains Ann Kuebbeler, AVRLSS Consultant.
"The product of any library is the service it provides. If the publicly-funded libraries in southeast Colorado are to satisfy increasingly complex information needs of their patrons, it is absolutely essential for the Regional System to provide cost effective continuing education for the staff members called on to provide this service," Morris adds.
Speakers for the Thursday luncheon session include Colorado author, Jane Westwood; Nancy Bolt, Colorado State Librarian; Jamie LaRue, Director, Douglas Library District; and Richard Lee, Director, Pueblo City and County Library District.
Partnering with the AVRLSS in bringing the Institute to Pueblo are Pueblo City-County Library District, Penrose Community Library District, South Central BOCES, Colorado Department of Education - Southeastern Regional Assistance Center and the Math Star Program.