August 1, 2024

A Message from Amigos President & CEO Miguel Figueroa

It's the start of our new 2024-25 membership year - and with this new start brings several exciting new opportunities at Amigos. In just a few days, the Amigos Board of Directors will meet for our first meeting of the year, hosted by Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma and joined by four new board members committed to supporting and leading our work. We are also looking ahead to our first online conference of the new membership year, Examining the Library User Experience (October 16, 2024). Our online conferences are valuable member benefits that promote learning and growth across libraries. We are also at the introductory stages of a new digital repository service, Hyku, which provides a robust and flexible platform for institutions to manage, preserve, and provide access to digital content. As we embark on this new membership year, we look forward to your continued engagement – please reach out at membership@ amigos.org or email me directly at figueroa@amigos.org to talk about how Amigos can partner with your library.

Join NISO for August Collaborative Collections Webinars!

After a brief hiatus, NISO's monthly webinar series returns with roundtable discussions on building and managing collaborative collections. View the article for information and register today for these events.

Amigos members receive free membership to the NISO Library Standards Alliance which includes access to NISO's educational webinar program, unlimited participation in NISO Working Groups/Standing Committees, and discounted registration for all non-webinar events.

Why Hyku? Why a Repository Solution?
Over the past year, Amigos has been diligently working on a new service for libraries, a repository solution that uses Hyku. The goal of this service is to fulfill some of our member libraries’ stated needs - including easier ways to host digital files, assets, and objects in ways that are open and available to their users. Read more about our new work with Hyku and opportunities to learn about this service.

Submit Your "Examining the Library User Experience" Proposal by August 21st!
In a service-minded profession like libraries, it is easy to fall into the habit of meeting a user's immediate need without thinking twice. But how often do librarians and library staff consider the entire experience of the user from start to finish? Is there a way to meet or improve the experience of users from the moment their interaction with the library begins?

From usability studies to accessibility improvements, to what works and what doesn't, we want to hear your stories! Submit your proposal by August 21 for, Examining the Library User Experience, the Amigos Online Conference that will explore ways libraries can improve the overall experience of their virtual or physical space.

Continuing Education News

Learn core "Grant Writing Essentials" in August 22 course
Get started on the right path with guidance for designing the grant writing plan with successful management built in from the start. The best practices shared in the August 22nd Grant Writing Essentials course reflect experience administering grant programs, serving as a grant reviewer, and winning competitive grants. 

     
It's time to get hands on with "Creating a Library Marketing Plan" in September workshop
Register today for the September 3-5 Creating a Library Marketing Plan course and walk away with the beginnings of a winning marketing plan for any size or type of library you support.

Amigos Online Learning - Discounted for Members

Review the Continuing Education Schedule for the latest additions and updates:

• Metadata Management Tools: Introduction to MarcEdit

• Metadata Management Tools: Introduction to OpenRefine

• Customer Service Essentials

• Metadata Management Tools: Programming with Python and PyMARC

• Metadata Management Tools: Micro-Credentialing & Capstone Project

• Grant Writing Essentials

• Creating a Library Marketing Plan

• Excellence in Library Services to Older Adults

PrivCo Announces New Data and Features in the 2024 Pipeline
The leading provider of financial data on major privately-held companies, Amigos vendor partner PrivCo has several exciting changes coming this year. In 2024, PrivCo subscribers can look forward to more private company profiles, self-serve upoad and mapping, personalized notifications, and more.

Need Help Finding Qualified Candidates for Library Job Openings? 
Amigos member libraries can post their openings for FREE! Postings remain in our job bank for thirty days and are shared to Amigos social media. Current Job Listings

Current Webinar and Demo Listings