Innovations from a Distance: SLA's Top Notch Educational Program

On June 30, SLA's Professional Development department launched its newest distance learning program. The debut of the Real-Time Desktop Courses, sponsored by the West Group, was well received. These exciting new instructor-led, real-time courses closely mimic in-person programs, but allow the student to participate from their desktop. The instructor teaches through audioconferencing along with handouts and web-based visuals as learning aides.
The first Real-Time Desktop Course, titled Hot Trends to Energize Library Service Delivery, was designed to address new technological innovations. Steve Arnold, president, Arnold IT provided an overview of this hot topic. Arnold then provided a "helicopter" view of five hot technologies: XML, Linux, portals, new interfaces, and new searching systems to retrieve information (text and non-text). This insightful session demonstrated to participants where these innovations may lead. The presentation illustrated that, in the last six to nine months, new computing architecture has enabled a range of new user friendly applications and tools. These promise to revolutionize the delivery of library services in the next millennium.

Upcoming Real-Time Desktop Courses
It's not too late to register for upcoming Real-Time Desktop Courses. The Impact of Recent Changes to U.S. Copyright Law, will be presented by Laura N. Gasaway, director of the law library and professor of law, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. This program will focus on significant amendments to the U.S. copyright law that affect libraries in a number of important ways. This course will also focus on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Copyright Term Extension Act and examine the changes in library practices mandated by these amendments. Participants will review pending legislation relative to databases as well. This program will be presented on September 21, 1999, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. EDT and will be repeated on September 23, 1999, from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Do you find yourself becoming a Sherlock Holmes, ferreting out information on people, places, and companies? If you do, then Sherlocking the Net, is the course for you! The Internet is a plethora of information, but many information professionals are unsure what is valid and what is out-of-date. Determining when to subscribe to an Internet service or when to pay-per-visit, has also become confusing for many information professionals. Moreover, it is increasingly difficult to ascertain if free sites offer authentic information and also to verify their sources. This course, presented by Linda Will, research center director, Greenbery Traurig Law Firm, will address these issues and assist information professionals to efficiently and effectively use the Internet to find valuable information. This program will be presented on December 7, 1999, from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST. It will be presented again on December 9, 1999, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. EST.

Self-Paced Online Courses
In addition to our new Real-Time Desktop Courses, SLA continues to offer twelve Self-Paced Online Courses. These courses can be completed independently and are intended for those students interested in learning at their own pace. Currently, the Self-Paced Online Courses cover a variety of subject areas, including marketing library services, cataloging, time management, library budgeting, legal research, and subject indexing.
Don't miss your chance to participate in our Real-Time Desktop or Self-Paced Online Courses. Detailed information on the courses and registration forms are available on the SLA web site http://www.sla.org/professional/disindx.html.

For more information, contact profdev@sla.org