The Library Connection
The Monthly Newsletter of the Eastern
Shores Library System
www.esls.lib.wi.us
Volume 27 Number 2 February 2007
Click here for the Winter 2007 Bookmobile Schedule
ESLS Board Update
The Eastern Shores Library System Board has two new Board members. Patricia Premo from Cedar Grove is serving as a participating library board member completing a one year term. She is currently serving on the Cedar Grove Public Library Board and is a K-12 Library Media Specialist.
Sharon Nieman-Kobert, a self-employed attorney from the Town of Cedarburg, has been appointed to three year term as a member-at-large. Part of Sharon's previous work experience includes employment at the U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Public Library as a library assistant.
Ms. Nieman-Kobert replaces Jackie Burmesch of the Village of Fredonia. Jackie had been appointed to the System Board in November of 1998. The System would like to thank Jackie for her service, support and commitment to library service.
Rob Nuernberg from Mequon has been reappointed as a member-at-large for a three year term. At the January meeting a new slate of officers was elected: Marilyn Toepel, President; Sue Karlman, Vice President and Bill Jens, Treasurer. Nancy Lewis had served as Board Vice President in 1995 and as President from 1996-2000 and 2003-2006. Nancy's term on the Board will continue until December 2008. Thank you Nancy for your leadership and dedication.
National Library Week
National Library Week will soon be here. April 15 - 21, 2007 has been slated as the time to Come together @ your library. Digital downloads and press releases are available from the ALA web site: http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.htm . Items available include key chains, posters, bookmarks and banners.
Any shipped materials should be ordered by April 1st to insure delivery by the 15th.
Children's
Librarians Corner
Online Storytelling Resources
Connie Acker, Cedar Grove Public Library
January 19 was National Penguin Day, so having a story hour that day I of course chose penguins as my theme. Going online to some of my favorite story time help sites, I found some cute songs and finger plays. I know all of you have favorite sites. (It would be great to share any sites that any of us use quite often.) Some of mine are:
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/storytime/index.html
http://www.preschooleducation.com/szoo.shtml
http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/
This year, in particular, I have a very young group and many of the books and crafts I have previously used, don’t work. I have been looking for simpler crafts, shorter stories and more active (but simple) finger plays and activities between stories. While searching around for some new and different ideas for my penguin story time, I found an online book that would make a perfect one-person puppet show or flannel board story. The website is: http://www.nickjr.com/home/rumble_grumble_gurgle_roar.jhtml. The story is called Rumble, Grumble, Gurgle, Roar. It requires only a few puppets or flannel board figures, the lines are repetitive so it’s easy to learn, and it is short for the 2 and 3 year olds that come to the story time. After the story, you could put on some music and invite the children to “swim” and “dive” around the room looking for little fish crackers (which were handed out to the little penguins). If you have children with food allergies, they can simply swim and dive to the music.
Oprah Picks The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier
Oprah Winfrey’s newest book club selection is an autobiography by Sidney Poitier. The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography. The Measure of a Man spent several weeks on The New York Times' list of best sellers. In this book, Poitier takes a look at his life and his career.
In 1963 Sidney Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor, for Lilies of the Field. He was the first African-American to win the coveted award. He has received three Golden Globe Awards; an American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award; the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award; and the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award. The audio edition of The Measure of a Man, narrated by Poitier, won a Grammy Award for best spoken word album.
Poitier, one of eight children, was born in Miami and raised in the Bahamas. This is his second memoir.
Reviews:
"If there was ever an actor whose life and work influenced his time, it was Sidney Poitier." Screen Actors Guild President Richard Masur
"Reading The Measure of a Man is somewhat akin to having a worthwhile conversation with a revered older relative; he doesn't always tell you what you want to hear, but you appreciate it just the same." The Washington Post
"In this powerful book, [Poitier] shares his touchstones with us and makes us question what foundations guide our own lives." Ebony
ALA organizational and library members will receive, through an arrangement with Oprah’s Book Club® free copies of the memoir, courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins.
"Greener Pastures Rural Library Sustainability Workshop"
Communiqué Winter 2006
Through the generosity of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning has joined forces with OCLC’s WebJunction to offer a full-day workshop for public library directors. The workshop will be offered at ten sites throughout Wisconsin between February and May, 2007.
In his invitation Assistant State Superintendent Richard Grobchmidt, states, “the goal of the workshop is to focus on issues and challenges that have been identified by Library staff at small and rural libraries as obstacles in sustaining public access computing. The program will encourage library staff to take practical action on sustainability issues within their communities. Participants will return to their libraries with ideas, information, resources and action plans.”
The “Greener Pastures” Workshops are geared to directors of libraries throughout Wisconsin, but especially to directors of libraries serving rural areas or with service populations under 25,000. The workshops will be tailored to the specific needs of the participating libraries. Participants are eligible for six continuing education credits. Grant funds are available for travel, meals, lodging, and substitute wages.
DLTCL consultants, John DeBacher and Bob Bocher, will facilitate the workshops. These workshops for library directors are conducted by DPI and WebJunction.
For more information about “Greener Pastures” and a list of workshop sites check http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/rural.html, or,
John DeBacher, john.debacher@dpi.state.wi.us, (608) 266-7270,
Bob Bocher, robert.bocher@dpi.state.wi.us, (608) 266-2127.
Get a Clue @Your Library 
The annual idea sharing meeting for the Summer Reading Program will be Friday afternoon, March 9 at the Manitowoc Public Library. Patti Sinclair, the Summer Reading Program Manual Editor, will be the presenter. For more details contact Paula Siefert, at 920-208-490 x 10 or psiefert@esls.lib.wi.us.
A number of Eastern Shores libraries purchased three new dies for the Ellison machine to be used specifically for the Summer Reading Program. The dies are a foot print, a sheriff badge and a magnifying glass. To use the Ellison machine dies please contact Paula Siefert at 920-208-4900 x 10 or Susie Rahn at 920-208-4900 x 16.
Book Club Information
Looking for more help with your local book clubs? A new reference book Read 'Em Their Writes: a Handbook for Mystery and Crime Fiction Book Discussions by Gary Warren Niebuhr ( Libraries Unlimited, ISBN: 1-5915-8303-9, c2006) could fill the void. Besides providing background information, suggested readings and organizational matters, the discussion questions can easily serve as models for countless other mysteries. Gary Warren Niebuhr is the library director of Greendale Public Library, Wisconsin.
Booklist has also started a Book Club with the assistance of Downers Grove Public Library. Downers Grove has been a leader in the Reader's Assistant area. To access their web site go to http://www.downersgrovelibrary.org/pages/readplace.html.
The Booklist site http://www.downersgrovelibrary.org/pages/readplace.html includes various forums moderated by Booklist editors. The March by E. L. Doctorow will be the fiction choice for March. If you want to become a Groupee join the discussion.
ALA Suggests Professional Literature
New on the Job: A School Library Media
Specialist’s Guide to Success by Ruth Toor and Hilda K. Weisburg
ISBN: 0-8380-0924-8 $38
($34.20 for ALA members).
Toor and Weisburg cover the essentials for new library media specialists
in the areas of job search strategies; understanding your work philosophy;
getting settled; working well with students, teachers, and principals; and
advocating for support of the library media center.
Managing Student Employees in College Libraries
complied by Michael D. Kathman and Jane M. Kathman ISBN: 0-8389-8373-1 $28 ($25.20 for ACRU member
) 3rd Edition.
Compiled by the authors to aid the college librarian, this volume contains
work performance evaluations, employment policies and procedures, sample
job descriptions, employment agreements and training documents.
Order from ALA Order Fulfillment, P.O.B. 932501, Atlanta, GA 31193-2501.
Legislative Forum Update
David Weinhold, Director, Eastern Shores Library System
The Eastern Shores Library System hosted a legislative forum with the ESLS legislators at the Cedar Grove Public Library on January 23. This is an annual event where ESLS hosts the area legislators and invites librarians, library board members, library users, and the general public to share their stories and concerns about libraries with state legislators.
The following legislators or their staff were in
attendance:
Senator Glenn Grothman, Senator Alberta Darling (staff), Representative
Terry Van Akkeren, Representative Mark Gottlieb, Representative Dan
LeMahieu, and Representative Jim Ott. Representative Steve Kestell
and Senator Joe Liebham were unable to attend due to prior committments.
There were approximately 22 people in attendance, a mixture of patrons,
board members, and librarians. Some of the people spoke about the
value of the library for their children, some spoke about the value of the
library system which allows access to materials from other libraries, some
spoke about the need for additional funding for the library system so that
more cooperative activities can be implemented, and others spoke about the
collaboration of the schools and the public libraries. A former
school district library media specialist spoke about the value of the
Common School Fund and noted that in many districts the grant from the
Common School Fund is the only money for school library materials. A
library board member asked about changing the law to allow libraries to
charge for the use of some of the materials in the library. A
discussion about the value of the free use of public library materials
took place between the legislators and the audience. A legislator
asked about the value of combining school libraries and public libraries
in one facility in the school. This also produced a spirited
discussion about differences of school libraries and public libraries as
well as the efficiencies and disadvantages that might come about if such a
merger took place.
The meeting ended with statements by the legislators about the upcoming
budget session, the political landscape in Madison, and thanks for the
audience's participation.
Star
Wars 30th Anniversary Promotion
Random House has a kit to help libraries and bookstores celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars.
Some of the items included in the kit are:
Star Wars 2007 Publication Schedule
List of the Top 10 Must-Read Star Wars titles
A complete Del Rey/Lucas Books Star Wars backlist by series
Yoda “Read you will” pins
Star Wars 30th Anniversary poster
AAP’s “Get Caught Reading” posters featuring Yoda
A list of activities to help you celebrate the event
To check out Random House's offer and register for your free kit go to the web site below and sign up before March 1, 2007.
http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/starwars/starwars_eventkit/
