The Library Connection
The Monthly Newsletter of the Eastern
Shores Library System
www.esls.lib.wi.us
Volume 28 Number 8 August 2008
Click here
for the Summer 2008 Bookmobile Schedule
Click here for the Fall 2008
Bookmobile Schedule
|
In This Issue: |
|
| Easicat powered by Polaris is coming | Library Card Sign-up Month |
| Teen Reading | Bookmobile Advisory Referendum Update |
| Teen Read Week is October 12 - 18! | Interesting Items |
powered by Polaris is coming!
Staff training for Polaris is scheduled for the September 9 - 18 at Eastern Shores Library System offices. Staff from each of the participating libraries will then train additional staff at their libraries.
The implementation schedule has ESLS member libraries and Lakeland College discontinuing the use of Horizon on October 10 and going live with Polaris on October 16, 2008. During this time Easicat will be available for browsing only as it will not be a updated. Customers and staff will need some patience during this "make over" time period. Starting September 12 loan periods may be changed to reflect this down time.
Easicat will still be the catalog but it will be operated by different software and will have a different look and search capabilities.
Library Card Sign-up Month
ALA
The American Library Association (ALA) and libraries throughout the country will celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month during September.
For more information, visit http://ilovelibraries.org/librarycard/. Librarians can obtain tools to promote Library Card Sign-up Month by going to www.ala.org/librarycardsignup.
The Campaign for America's Libraries is the ALA's public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. For more information on the Campaign visit www.ala.org/@yourlibrary.
Children's
Librarians Corner
Teen Reading
Jen Gerber, Patron Services Manager Frank
L.Weyenberg Library
When I accepted the position of Patron
Services Manager at the Weyenberg Library I was asked if I would like to
implement a new teen reading program for the library.
I enthusiastically said “yes!” without having any idea where to
start. I thought over
ideas, read through books and manuals, attended workshops, and searched
online. All were helpful, but none told me exactly what I needed to
know: how could I get this
age group not only into our building, but excited to be here? I decided I needed to ask teens exactly that.
I called on the middle school media
specialist for the Mequon/Thiensville School District.
I asked her if it would be possible for her to assemble a team of
kids whom she knew had an interest in books and reading. Immediately she had 15 names for me. She sent out letters to each of these students asking them to
stop in to the school library during their free period to meet with me to
discuss the possibility of a reading program at the Weyenberg Library.
They had two weeks to prepare.
We called our group The Weyenberg Library Teen Advisory Board.
When we met, we discussed their ideas for
events, promotions, and a reading club.
I asked them: “tell me what would get you excited to come to the
public library”. They
flooded me with ideas and I took pages of notes.
Book parties (themed book discussion groups), Agatha Christie
nights (who-done-it mystery novel parties), Gallery Nights (they wanted
some way they could display their own cover art for graphic novels), “A
Month of Movies” series (a month of horror, a month of mystery, a month
of comedy), a Teen Newsletter, events on animation and design, posted teen
book reviews, and of course a Teen Reading Club.
Some of these ideas, our library has since
implemented. Some are on the
calendar for the fall and for 2009. The
Teen Reading Club was made part of the 2008 Summer Reading Program.
At the suggestion of the Teen Advisory Board, we set a collective
goal for minutes read over the summer.
As a group they had to read a total of 25,000 minutes and the
Weyenberg Library would purchase $1,000 in books specifically for the teen
area. The money was already
allocated for the year; but if they met that goal, they could choose their
own new titles. We had a goal
chart in the library; each participant had to periodically “drop off”
their minute total throughout the summer to add their minutes to the
chart. They reached their
goal of 25,000 minutes, then they doubled it, then they tripled it.
Our library’s goal was to have 25 teens participate in the
reading club; we ended with 126 participants (ages 12-17) and over 82,000
minutes read. Now, I just
have to keep up with their requests for new books.
Bookmobile Advisory Referendum Update
A proposal for an advisory referendum that would ask residents of non-libraried municipalities if the County should continue to provide bookmobile service to non-libraried residents who pay for the service through the county library tax has passed the Executive Committee in Ozaukee County. The full Board now needs to vote on the resolution to approve the referendum. In Sheboygan County a similar resolution has passed the Finance and Executive Committees and will also be voted on by the full County Board at the September meeting.
Only residents in the non-libraried areas of each county will be voting on this issue. Ozaukee and Sheboygan County officials would like to gather information on bookmobile service for their review of the county library services plans. This would affect the County Library Service Plan(s) for 2011-2015.
Teen
Read Week is October 12- 18!
Teen Read Week’s objectives are to give teens an
opportunity to read for the fun of it, to allow teens to select their own
reading material and to help teens get into the habit of reading regularly
and often. This
year’s theme for Teen Read Week is “Books with Bite @ your library®.”
Libraries will offer a variety of programs, events and books that
focus on topics ranging from vampires and monsters to cooking and
technology (byte). For lists
of recommended reading go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists.
If you need help publicizing the event the YALSA can help. Visibility @ your library has a podcast on free Teen Read Week publicity resources at: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2008/activities/index.cfm
Interesting Items
* Complimentary copies of the new Wisconsin Women's Health Guide in Spanish will soon be delivered to your library. If more copies are needed please contact the system staff: Connie Meyer at clmeyer@esls.lib.wi.us or Sue Potter at slpotter@esls.lib.wi.us .
The guide provides general information on a variety of women’s health topics and a list of health services for each of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Among the 44 categories of services and resources listed, readers will find contact information for transportation providers, long term care assistance, child care assistance, job centers, public libraries and community action agencies - all in Spanish!
Link here to view an electronic copy of the new guide online. The guide has been provided by the Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health.
* We'll have to ask John Hanson, Director of Grafton's U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Public Library if Brendan Behan (Irish author & dramatist (1923 - 1964)) is right that "There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary." The story even made MSNBC, except they have Grafton in Minnesota. If you haven't heard about this story go to: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=786200 .
* The Winnefox Library System is taking care of registration for
the 4th Judicial District workshop on September 17(Mead Public Library) or
29 (Fond du Lac Public Library). This is a full day workshop. Lunch will be
available for $7.00.
The registration form for the workshops sponsored by the 4th Judicial
District has been posted at http://extranet.winnefox.org/legal.html
.
*Channel Weekly
A new "Library Accessibility" toolkit is available through the American Library Association. This kit contains 15 concise documents outlining the challenges faced by disabled patrons and offers methods for delivering services. The kit can be downloaded free through the ASCLA web site at: http://www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/accessibilitytipsheets/ .
*Library Journal
Library
Journal's annual award for the Best Small Library in
