TechSoup for Libraries August 2013 Newsletter

VIEW IN BROWSER | CONTACT US TechSoup for Libraries August 2013 Newsletter melt. by brittany herbert Sweltering summer days got you down? TechSoup for Libraries is here with a refreshing dose of inspiration to get you through those long summer days. Learn how two organizations are doing great work in serving disabled members of their community. If you're still wondering what the Edge Initiative is all about, learn from librarians who've already taken the plunge, and check out our webinar archives to learn more about each Library Edge benchmark. Finally, pick up the latest tech trends and news that may be impacting libraries and your community.   Spotlight on Services for the Disabled This month we have a new spotlight on Gretchen Pruett, from New Braunfels Public Library. Learn how her library used their Edge results to transform the services the library provides and to improve public access technology for all library users and especially those with disabilities. Get more ideas and tips on meeting community needs and excelling at the Library Edge Benchmarks. The Bridge School in San Francisco helps children with severe physical impairments and complex communication needs. Bridge School director, Vicki Casella, shared the Bridge School's amazing story of the enormous impact of technology on their students.   TechSoup Product Spotlight: Horizon DataSys Save time and staff resources by automating maintenance and recovery of your public access computers, kiosks, and computer labs. The new Horizon DataSys donation and discount program at TechSoup includes products that recover computers to a previous state or a desired configuration. Plus, in the event of a crash, the tools from Horizon DataSys let you turn back the clock on a PC to a point in time before that catastrophe struck — without losing any critical data. Horizon DataSys software is comparable to the popular Faronics Deep Freeze for maintaining public access computers. Get more tips and resources for troubleshooting and maintaining your library's PCs in our Basic PC Troubleshooting webinar recap. Or listen to the archived webinar recording.   Tech Trends as Hot as Summer Time A new Pew Research report on Younger Americans' Library Habits and Expectations came out this summer. Pew found that younger library visitors are more likely to access library technology and to use the library as a "hang out" space. What does that mean for your library? Brenda Hough weighs in on how to ground national research like this in your local library experience. According to the 2013 Digital Literacy, Libraries, and Public Policy report, 90% of libraries offer some sort of digital skills training. That's why TechSoup for Libraries is thrilled to share a new digital literacy resource called DigitalLearn.org. DigitalLearn.org is a hub for digital literacy, with training resources for those who teach and support digital learners. See why we're excited about DigitalLearn.org. If that's not enough tech news to get you through the last days of summer, check out TechSoup's August tech trends. From Gmail's new inbox to (hopefully) greater transparency in the wake of the NSA PRISM surveillance scandal, TechSoup recaps all the latest news.   Stay Connected with TechSoup for Libraries We love hearing from you! Tell us about your library and what you are doing to provide technology and training so we can share your story. Stay up-to-date with library technology by following us on Twitter (TechSoup4Libs) as we share sweet tech tweets! And check out the TechSoup for Libraries blog to read valuable library technology tips and techniques from libraries providing all types of public technology services. --Ariel Gilbert-Knight, TechSoup for Libraries techsoupforlibraries@techsoupglobal.org DID YOU KNOW? You can register more than one branch of the same library system — one for each site — to maximize your donations! How can we help you? Browse Products by Solution   Browse Products by Donor Partner   Take Our Eligibility Quiz   ONLINE EVENTS Our webinars are free of charge and are archived online. Add these to your August calendar: Tour TechSoup Aug. 8, 11 a.m. PT New to TechSoup or want the inside scoop on how to get the most out of it? This 45-minute tour of TechSoup will show you how to join, register your organization, and request donated software, hardware, and services. The Wisdom of the Crowd(funding) Aug. 15, 11 a.m. PT In the past few years, short, targeted online campaigns have become a popular way to fund causes. In this free webinar, you and your Library Friends organization can hear from nonprofit Little Big Fund and crowdfunding platform CauseVox to learn what works and what doesn't. Going First: Learn from the Edge Pilot Libraries If you've heard about the Edge Initiative, you've probably wondered what it will look like when your library starts using the online assessment next year. Come join us to look into your future as we talk with participants from two pilot libraries. What did they do? What did they learn? What are they planning to do next?   TechSoup Global is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working toward the day when every nonprofit, library, and social benefit organization on the planet has the technology, knowledge, and resources it needs to operate at its full potential. TechSoup Global, 435 Brannan Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Copyright © 2013 TechSoup Global. All rights reserved.