GO Tech-Talk Calls for Subscriber Admins
Every other month on the 3rd Tuesday at 2 pm (Eastern). [January, March, May, July, September, November].
July 2026
What North Florida College is Doing to Achieve Success
Getting Staff, Faculty and Students to Enjoy Tech-Talk
Checklist of Engaging Activities
Ensuring Tech-Talk Success
July 2025
Here are 17 ways libraries can use Tech-Talk to generate revenue.
#1. PowerPoint Presentation
#2. 17 Detailed Ideas + Legal Issues
(7 pages)
November 2024
These six (6) ideas will help your users get easy access to Tech-Talk. Which will be handy for your world?
Individual Logins
(1.5 min)
“Did You Know” USERS
(2 min)
“Did You Know” ADMIN
(1 min)
Calendar Events? Add Tech-Talk
(1 min)
Use QR Codes to Connect
(1 min)
Create Keyword Formulas
(10 min)
Change in Monthly Theme
We took the month’s name OFF the monthly theme.
We’ll still produce and announce a collection each month, but without the month name, you can use it at any time.
Tech-Talk Courses
- The courses are going to be more heavily weighted on the communications side.
- 1st: Dealing with Conflict. 5 lessons in the module
- How to Get Shy and Quiet People to Open Up in Meetings
- How to Get Angry and Frustrated People to Open Up
- How to Dispel Contentious Situations
- Being Persuasive
- 12 Power Words
- 2nd: Cybersecurity – How to Stay Safe
- 3rd: Simple Graphics Tricks that Work
- 4th: 7 Habits of Egalitarian Managers
Tech-Talk and WCAG 2.1
- Our VPAT document can be found on every page in the footer.
- We have made a concerted effort to ensure proper color contrasts and labeling as required.
- We will continue to adjust as needed within the 2,000+ content items.
Record-Setting Engagement
- Success: 1st Quarter 2022: 488/4147 = 12% of all logins
- East Greenbush Community Library, NY is one of two organizations that have cracked the code in terms of getting significant numbers of patrons using Tech-Talk.
- See the video of Karrie McLellan sharing some of what they do to get the word out.
- Download the list below of the ideas and approaches they use.
Record-Setting Engagement
- Success: 1st Quarter 2022: 412/4147 = 10% of all logins
- Greenburgh Public Library, NY is another of two organizations that have achieved a huge number of logins.
- See the list of ideas and approaches they use (with links to view) in the Download button below.
May 2022
Courses With Individual Sign-In Coming
Plus gathering feedback on several new features to see if working well.
Monthly Posters, Customized With Your UserName
Once a month, we are now creating a massive merge of a colorful poster with each subscriber’s username, password and organization name so that you have something fresh to remind people about Tech-Talk. Here are some ways that the folks on the call were distributing the posters.
These flyers are put in…
- Our public bathrooms
- School hallway bulletin boards
- Library bulletin boards and displays
- Staff lounges
Additional ideas for you…
- Send the PDF to staff and others in email
- Use the poster as a small image in your own newsletter
- Post on your website
- Use in social media
Theme of the Month
We want to give you new material each month that you can use to remind your users about Tech-Talk so that they can get the greatest value. The Theme of the Month is one way to do that.
Feedback on the call showed…
- Theme pages in the Admin account were being used.
- Theme of Month in the Newsletter was a good method to announce it.
- There is a desire to also receive a Theme Announcement sent to Admins.
And YES, to the question of “Would you accept suggestions for the monthly theme?” We’d love it!
Tech-Talk Courses
- These are actively under development because of a new tool that has recently become available that works in our existing content platform.
- Topics the group endorsed: all three areas of communications, technology and leadership communications.
- Yes, this will allow individuals to sign up, log in and be tracked individually vs. using the organization’s group login.
- The admins liked having the individuals share their ideas in the comments section as part of their exercises.
- They also liked having the comments on the side (instead of below) so that people could see them while reading the content.
When ready to be launched, Tech-Talk Courses will be an optional add-on with a separate cost. While we won’t know the pricing model until the product is ready, we do know that the approach will be to make it easily affordable.
And YES, we are looking for subscribers who would like to be in the Pilot Program …. which will mean they will get the courses at no cost.
Tech-Talk Keyword Formulas
You may want to create a web page or a libguide that tells your staff or users about Tech-Talk.
And you may want to give them an easy link to a group of articles on hot topics in your area.
That’s why we created Keyword Formulas … so that, in addition to going directly to the specified content, your users won’t have to put in a username or password.
Every subscriber should have a Keyword Formula sheet. If you need another, let us know.
March 2022
What High-Performing Subscribers are Doing
How they get large numbers of newsletter signups, database logins, and webinar registrations.
Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN)
Rather than to have their members sign up specifically for Tech-Talk, they send the Newsletter to their entire list.
- Sent each week to entire membership of ~2100.
- About one or two unsubscribes a week … less than 1/10th of a percent.
- Tech-Talk is one of the things we offer that gets the most use.
Western NY Library Resources Council (WNYLRC)
“I share it to our listserv. We do have information about it on our website, but it gets directly shared to our listserv.
We have over 500 subscribers and some of the members I’m sure share to their own organizations. I know a few people who have personally told me how much they love Tech-Talk and find it helpful.
People get on the listserv as part of their membership with our organization. It’s where we circulate important news, workshop information and Tech-Talk.”
South Central Regional Library Council (SCRLC)
- Uses Constant Contact to send email to membership so that they can see detailed tracking by individual and in summary.
- We put each newsletter in their account which makes it “one-click” easy to send.
Central NY Library Resources Council (CLRC)
“Each week the newsletter is sent to our general listserv, which members have to opt-in to.
I couldn’t tell you how often people unsubscribe because I’m not the one responsible for maintaining it, but I do believe it’s rare.”
Palm Beach County Library System
Our system has a group of computer trainers as well as a staff development librarian. Both encourage staff to use the Tech-Talk site and the computer trainers provide classes to the public. The branches choose what computer classes to offer so I am unsure as to how often a class is offered for Tech-Talk. I also send out the weekly Tech-Talk email to a list of people. This list includes mostly staff members but a few patrons whose email addresses have been gathered at the computer classes.
What’s New?
Using the new Google Form – Mail Merge feature (see webinar list), we’ll be sending out a fresh poster each month that you can use in a variety of ways to remind people of their Tech-Talk resource. Here are some ideas:
- Post in the break rooms
- Put as flyers on the Reference
- Add to a virtual or physical bulletin board
- Use as a graphic in your monthly mailing
- Post up on social media
- You can think of more ideas, right?
Did You Know Series
Now that the 30 part series that is set up to go out each week has been operating for a while, we asked about the frequency.
You said, you’d like them to come every other week. We will do that for new subscribers as we can not make changes to the current automated set.
January 2022
November 2021
Open Each For Detail Links
3 Ways to Get the Monthly Theme
1. Users – each week in the newsletter; see in our Tech-Talk social media
2. Admin – can download the teasers we’ve created for you (subscriber-tools)
3. Admin – can share our social media posts in FB, Twitter and Instagram
Social Media for Tech-Talk found on FB, T, IG: search for TechTalkForYou
3 Ways to Get Folks to Sign Up
- ASK – Instead of just posting and telling something is available, you may want to do what St. Johns County School District does … ask them to sign up.
- FEATURE – Maybe do what Saratoga Springs Public Library has started to do: feature a database in their monthly newsletter. The first one was Tech-Talk.
- KNOWLEGABLE STAFF – Kirkland Public Library created a one page “Staff Challenge” with simple questions that require them to go into the Tech-Talk database. This makes the staff familiar with this learning resource. Find the Kirkland Challenge in Subscriber Tools. (Admin account)
Three Ways to Fuel Tech-Talk
Length: 6:22
“Did You Know” Series
Length: 2:17
Monthly Theme & Social Media Posts
Length: 10:40
July 2021
Group Discussion
Highlights of Call
NEW Monthly Marketing Theme
NEW Beginners Page (for Seniors, …)
NEW “Did You Know” Series for Admins
January 2020
We’ve done a lot of work on the “50 Article Challenge”.
[We’ll resume this program in 2022.]www.tech-talk.com/raising-leaders
We’ll show you where we’ve made progress and discuss the ideas, concerns and solutions you have.
November 6, 2019
Presenting the Communication Tips in a webinar offers unique opportunitites for engagement (simulating an onsite session). This way they absorb the information and skills better.
Ideas suggested include:
- Having people attend in pairs so they can buddy-up for the 60 second exercises.
- Use the chat area to record answers to questions from the presenter.
- Some attendees will not be in a private area and would have trouble talking with a partner.
Piggy-Backing off the “50 Yard Challenge” (www.weareraisingmen.com) global effort, we’re creating a “50 Article Challenge”. We discussed how we can utilize the Tech-Talk content and who the helping audiences will be.
Suggested places to help:
- Nursing homes, longterm care establishments
- Children’s Hospitals and Pediatric units
- Veteran centers
Suggested audiences to teach:
- Veterans wanting back into the workforce
- Elderly who’d like to get online, communicate with grandkids
- Students who want to excel and know tech skills are important
Everyone on the call loved the idea! They thought students could use the service credits and would learn more technology themselves. Having the T-Shirts with the logo, in different colors to show higher levels of achievement, were highly endorsed. Alternative ideas were the colored rubber bracelets / wristbands.
We’ve created a couple of Education Tool Kits specifically for students in High School applying for colleges. They need to write a Personal Statement. This Tool Kit gives them everything they need to raise theirs to the top. We also created a Tool Kit on “How to Not Accidentally Plagiarize” because too often people don’t know how to use other people’s information.
Tech-Talk will be offering a free webinar each month in 2020, presenting a single, in-depth topic. Suggestions include:
- Canva
- Excel
- Google docs
- Power point
September 2019
Business, Education and Communication tool kits are small courses using Tech-Talk articles.
- Handling Phone Calls Effectively and With Grace
- Creating a Communications Plan
- Developing a Social Media Strategy
- How to Use Forms To Gather Data
- How to Develop a Sharp Presentation
- How to Conduct Research for a Paper
- Leading a Team Project
- How to Communicate to Gain Agreement
- Best Practices for Mobile Etiquette
In the “User Activities” and the “Special Collections” area you will find a new section SPECIFICALLY FOR PARENTS.
We’ll be adding new articles as we develop them and get great ideas from you.
August 2019
The Tech-Talk website for members has been re-organized to make it clearer which items are for the Subscriber (purchasing organizations) to use to explain and promote this training tool and which are for the User to build their skills.
Guest presenter, Christi Sommerfeldt (NNYLN) shows how she uses eBeamer in Mail Chimp to monitor how many open the Tech-Talk newsletter. She also demonstrates how she set up a Zap in Zapier to automate part of the process.
Deb Davis points out the kind of information you can gain from using Constant Contact and how subscribers can easily distribute Tech-Talk with this tool.
The group reviewed the newly implemented features, suggesting ideas for improving.
- One-Minute Videos
- Weekly Teaser Process
- Three-Step Plan for Getting People Hooked on Tech-Talk (Announce, Engage, Remind)
- Learning Credit Form
- Business and Education Tool Kits
Using MailChimp
July 2019
A Learning Credit form for professional development, continuing education or extra credit is now available.
It has been put online so that when folks invest time with activities in Tech-Talk, they can submit their work for credit if their organization has a process for this type of activity. This may also be used by teachers to encourage students to do extra credit learning.
Basic items are required, with optional fields to more describe what the individual has learned and can apply.
Subscriber’s Strategic Engagement Planning session has been improved and become more focused to make it easier to implement. Guided through a 3-part process (1. announce Tech-Talk, 2. engage folks in the database, and 3. remind them periodically to keep Tech-Talk “top-of-mind”), we then customize and provide the materials requested.
The idea of pulling together articles to create training that combines technology and communication into a “tool kit” that people need at work and school was suggested. A few topics were suggested to “prime the pump” such as “Create a Communications Strategy” and “Develop a Social Media Plan”.
June 2019
“Tips, Tricks and Techniques You Can Use to Become a Tech Hero. Getting to Know the New Tech-Talk Database.”
# of Webinars: A series of three.
- Shortcuts in Office (Novice & Intermediate) e.g. Little-known shortcuts and formatting tricks
- Excel and PowerPoint (Advance Non-Techie) e.g. Pivot Tables, Infographics.
- Communications Skills e.g. Persuasion, Leading, Power Words
Platform
- Use Tech-Talk’s Zoom account.
- Recording of the live webinar will be provided to the sponsoring organization to share freely: Facebook, website, email, etc.
- Attendance with organization name and council/MLC provided after webinar.
Professional Development Credit
- Attendees can use the new Tech-Talk “professional development for staff” or “extra credit for students” online form to document their learning, if appropriate.
Promotion
- Tech-Talk to provide: webinar description/summary, bio and images of presenters and learning outcomes.
- Each library network or individual organization to promote it.
- Tech-Talk’s One-Minute Tip Videos can also be used to get folks to attend the webinar. (Posted in Facebook, Online, anywhere.)
Webinar Content Includes…
- Introducing the Tech-Talk Database while showing actual tips, tricks and tools they can use … customized by session through a poll during the webinar.
- Showing how you can use the info in your work (for teaching classes, coordinating with educators, staff development, personal development.
- Explaining how to share Tech-Talk within your organization. (License limits)
Dates and Times
- Fall: September, October, November
- Mid-week: Tues. Wed. or Thur.
- Times: Morning and Afternoon on the same day (a live repeat)
- Lost Cursor, https://www.screencast.com/t/QcOutjqhhF
- Freeze Panes in Excel, https://www.screencast.com/t/NU2ir1ORucig
- Crop Images Automatically in PPT, https://www.screencast.com/t/sFysm87cC3s
- Format Painter, https://www.screencast.com/t/K8NNV4Sz80D
May 2019
Discover new clusters of articles for assorted topics of interest such as…
- Formatting Tips for each area: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- FIRST STEPS: Graphics, Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Researching: Techniques, Data, Charts, Presenting
- Interpersonal Communication Sub-Topics
A special collection of articles and videos which teachers will find interesting and helpful. You’ll see a variety of tools, techniques, and inspirational items.
Shared in draft form for input: Bookmarks, Mouse Pads, and TriFold Brochure. NOTE: These are now final resources available in the Engagement Promotional Materials area.
Discussion on if it would be helpful for Tech-Talk to offer free webinars to subscribers to use with their constituents to increase database usage. The response was most positive.
April 2019
We’re building a library of Tweets and Facebook Images you can use to remind your members and patrons about Tech-Talk. Find these at https://www.tech-talk.com/social-media-teasers
When library staff gets asked, “Will you help me with this?” … and it’s a tech question, take the opportunity to introduce the patron to Tech-Talk. Use this simple talk track and handouts so they will become “Hooked on Tech-Talk”.
March 2019
- POSTER
- INFOGRAM
- PIVOT TABLE
Each one has a Trivia quiz with it, along with a link back to the Tech-Talk article on every question. This way, if they didn’t get that item right, they can easily find the correct answer.
A complimentary conference call, using a checklist we’ve created, to determine which promotional items you’d like us to provide to you. It’s all about helping your members, students, patrons get “Hooked on Tech-Talk”. Contact Linda@tech-talk.com to schedule yours.
February 2019
- Teachers Lounge
- Computer lab
- Next to public/shared computers
- Secretaries cubicles / office
- Library displays
- Bulletin boards
- Tech classrooms
- Business office
- Staff lounge
- Staff rooms or secretaries office
- The signs put up in the bathroom stalls always get a view!
- Especially staff bathrooms!
- Student gathering area on campus/ bulletin boards
- English as a Second Language classes / learners
- Foreign language students; help with fluency
- Teaching English to Non-Native speaking students
January 2019
- Continuing Education page. In the “Quick Access” section.
- In the “I Want to…” section, with contact email close by.
- Home page … under Activities, Services.
- Wherever Lynda.com is, add Tech-Talk.
When I visit Regional Meetings, I share different Tech-Talk articles, tailored to relate to problems of that particular audience, e.g. Library Directors, School Media Specialists
We spotlight our different services with listings on a regular basis. Previously our tech section was about Lynda.com. Now it will feature Tech-Talk.
How to Get the Tech-Talk
Mobile App
3 min:38 sec
New Features to Find
Content Faster
11 min:50 sec
How Constant Contact
Helps Usage Numbers
0 min:23 sec