Social Networking For Parents

For our Staff Training Day on October 10, a group of us were invited to produce a presentation that could be used by branch staff as a program for parents. The topic: Social Networking Safety – things parents should know. Six of us individually prepared a few slides on portions of the topic identified by the group, and the chair’s daughter unified them with the background and colors.

The presentation was successful by all measures. We were up against a couple of high-interest guest speakers, yet the room was filled with staff who were interested in the topic. The Library Director requested a copy to present to the library board, and this morning we will be repeating the presentation at the Youth Services meeting. Go Team!

I’d like to work on tightening it up some more, and creating a framework like that used by the Hibbing Public Library for its computer classes. That way, branch staff would have a complete package, including setup requirements, handouts, and an evaluation form.

Online Safety for Kids – What Parents Need 2 Know

Training Day is coming up again in a couple of months. Suddenly our admin is jumping on the library 2.0 bandwagon, and this year the event will have a markedly “tech” feel.

I’ve been involved with a small group that is charged with creating a presentation for parents about social networking sites teens and kids use, and what to be aware of regarding online safety and preservation of privacy. My particular part is the “now you know what some of the dangers are, and what some of the good things are about social networks, here’s what you should do to keep your kids safe online” piece. I’ve begun a set of powerpoint slides that will be appended to the sets being prepared by the others, and I’ll be working with a teen services librarian to make the advice strong, relevant and compelling. I’m also preparing a bibliography to go along with it that we can hand out.

I know other libraries have done similar programs, – in fact, I think I’ll take a look at the Hibbing Public Library’s (MN) computer classes page to see if there’s something I can adapt. How clever I am!