Library Connection September 2004

Three libraries in the Eastern Shores Library System recently received grants to enhance and/or expand their collections and services.

The Plymouth Public Library was the recipient of two grants from Wal-Mart. A $1,000 family literacy grant was received that the library plans to use for a new literacy collection in the adult area (adults learning how to read), and high-low reading books for young adults in the juvenile collection.

Another grant in the amount of $500 was for Grandparent's Day. The library will be purchasing multiple copies of large print books and will begin facilitating a book discussion group at the local senior center.

The F.L. Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville received a $500 gift from Office Depot, which recently opened a new store in that community.

The Lakeview Community Library in Random Lake received $1,000 from the United Airlines Foundation through the efforts of a local flight attendant. She was one of the recipients of the 2004 United We Care Grant Awards for her volunteer efforts with the Friends of Lakeview Community Library. She applied for a grant and was selected a winner in a random drawing. The Lakeview Friends are currently raising money to replace the microfilm reader/printer. The funds will be designated toward this purchase.

ESLS on the Radio

Eastern Shores staff recently met with a marketing consultant from a local company that owns and operates three radio stations, each with a different format. She put together a radio campaign to promote library card sign-up month. Member libraries were contacted to see who was interested. Six libraries--Cedar Grove, Oostburg, Random Lake, Saukville, Sheboygan Falls, and Sheboygan--and the library system committed funds to this endeavor.

Personnel at the station wrote and recorded the radio spots, which were aired a total of 16 times during the week of September 20-26. Libraries will report on whether or not customers (particularly new customers) indicated that they had heard about the library on the radio.

Consumer Health Resources Workshop

The librarians from Columbia St. Mary's in Milwaukee and the Kacmarcik Education Resource Center at Columbia St. Mary's Ozaukee recently presented a workshop for ESLS librarians on the topic of consumer health resources. During the session, attendees learned about the types of books and journals owned by CSM, how to locate information in these materials, and how to request them. They received lists of the Medical Library Association's Top 10 Most Useful Web Sites, as well as helpful web sites on aging, breast cancer, children's health, men's health, nutrition, teenager's health, and women's health.

Earlier this year, ESLS and Columbia St. Mary's concluded an agreement that allows ESLS libraries to phone, fax or e-mail medical reference questions to CSM. If necessary, customers may be referred directly to St. Mary's Ozaukee for additional information. ESLS will also distribute CSM consumer health information to member libraries.

ESLS Applies for 2005 LSTA Grants

Eastern Shores Library System has applied for 3 competitive LSTA grants for 2005. In the Literacy category we have joined with Nicolet, Outagamie-Waupaca, Winnefox, and Manitowoc-Calumet to submit a collaborative marketing grant. The grant will be administered by Nicolet. This grant will fund the production and airing of radio and television ads in Hmong, Spanish, and English to present library services and resources to a population that is not aware of libraries and everything they have to offer.

We have submitted a Library Card Sign-Up grant on behalf of the Lakeview Community Library in Random Lake and the Oscar Grady Library in Saukville. We propose to take out newspaper ads, produce and air spots on a local radio station, purchase banners to be hung in the downtown areas of the communities, contract with entertainers for family programs, run contests, and offer door prizes in an effort to increase the number of registered borrowers and the circulation of library materials in these communities.

The third grant is in the Seniors/Disabilities category. We would use the funds to develop a more extensive collection of materials for those who work with and care for family members and patients who have dementia or Alzheimer's. The grant would allow for the purchase and development of additional Bi-Folkal kits and other kits of materials to assist with programming in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Children's Librarians Corner

Teens and Poetry

Joseph Koeppen
Cedar Grove Public Library

Poetry is a part of every day life, from the music we listen to; to the commercials we watch and hear. There is poetry in art, dance and even sports, but most teenagers are not very interested in poetry. Einstein once stated, “Knowledge is limited, but the imagination encircles the world”. Nowhere is the imagination more active then in a child or a teenager. From early on in childhood children want to be a part of what is going on and there is no better way to get them involved then poetry.

For teen week in 2004 we are going to try to get teenagers involved with a poetry discussion and then an open mic. At the beginning of the week we will hold two open discussions on what poetry means to the teenagers. To most teenagers the traditional forms of poetry is an academic burden that is uninteresting, silly and something they just want to get through in English class. All teenagers listen to music and if you can convince the teenager that there is poetry in the music they listen to, you have your foot in the door and a spark of interest. Talk about untraditional forms of poetry such as art, dance, sports, and life. Over time the interest in poetry will led to the study of traditional forms of poetry to create the future forms of poetry.

At the end of the week on a Friday night we will try an open mic session that is set up by the teenagers. We will try to achieve a café type setting and let the teenagers perform their reads and all different types of artistic forms, solo, in pairs, or in groups. The possibility of forming a poetry society through the library is a possible take off on what is started during teen week. Poetry is the spirit and soul of literature and the teenager is the spirit and soul of the imagination.

In poetry they say the words are dead
Until the poet dies
In man they say the soul is dead
When the spirit starts to cry
As one sets forth to change the world
With only inhibition
The ones who seek with blinded eyes
Will fail in their mission
With all the knowledge of the universe
Ignorance does rein
Infinite boundaries within the mind
We only feel the pain
Open the sights of the imagination
To see in the darken night
When wisdom does come to fill the heart
It brings along the light

Upcoming SLP Themes

The theme for Summer 2005 will be "Dragons, Dreams & Daring Deeds." "Joust Read" is the Teen Theme.

2006's theme will be "Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales," with "Creature Features" as the Teen Theme.

The 2007 theme will be selected in April 2005--the general topic will involve Puzzles and Mysteries.

Smokey Bear Birthday Card Contest

Smokey Bear turned 60 this year. Hundreds of children from around the state designed birthday cards and submitted them to their public libraries. Each participating library selected a winner and sent them to the system. The system winner received a Smokey backpack. These winners moved on for a chance to complete stateside.

Kristina from the Kohler Public Library was the winner from the Eastern Shores Library System.

ILL Needs Assessment

Approximately 500 library directors from all sizes and types of libraries will be receiving an online survey in early October. The survey is part of a needs assessment from the DLTCL to determine the adequacy of the ILL and resource sharing activities currently in place.

Division staff would appreciate it if those who receive the survey would take the time to complete it as promptly as possible. Following completion of the survey, library focus groups will be held with staff from various types of libraries. Results will be used to guide the Division as they plan for the next stages of resource sharing guidelines and technology implementation.

Another New Format

from the BWI eNewsletter

Music companies have announced the launch of a new format for music called the DualDisc. This format is a two-sided disc that contains a traditional CD recorded on one side and a DVD recorded on the reverse side. The DVD side can include such content as video (specifically music videos or live performances), photographs, and extra audio tracks including some tracks that may be presented in surround sound (similar to a DVD Audio).

DualDiscs are slightly thicker than traditional compact discs. This may cause playback problems in about 1% of CD players. So while the vast majority of players should not experience any difficulty with playback, it is important for librarians to be aware of the possibility of a problem with this format. Another issue presented with this format is that theft detection devices can’t be used since both sides of the disc hold information. As with other double-sided optical media, this may pose a problem for public libraries.

The first DualDisc titles are expected to be released in October.

Oprah's Book Club

If you follow the Oprah book club -

Oprah has chosen the Washington Square Press edition of The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck as her next book club pick. Simon & Schuster has printed more than 800,000 copies of the book, which was first published in 1931 and won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. (The title was also made into an MGM movie in 1937) Read more here: http://www.oprah.com/books/books_landing.jhtml

WLA 2004

Registration for WLA

The conference will be held at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva from November 2-5.

WLA Award Winners

The 2004 recipients of the WLA Awards and Honors have been announced. The library of the year is the Hedberg Library at Carthage College. The WLA/Demco Librarian of the Year is both Rob Reid of Indianhead Library System and Peter G.Hamon of South Central Library System.

Sandralee Thiele, president of the Darien Public Library Board is the Trustee of the Year and Laura Gottlieb, Reference Librarian, Hedberg Public Library in Janesville will receive the Muriel Fuller Award. The WLA/Highsmith Award will be presented to Marathon County Public Library. Donald Bulley, Trustee, South Milwaukee Public Library will received the Special Services Award. No Citation of Merit was awarded for 2004.

Members of the Awards and Honors Committee are Christine Jameson (Chair), Mary Knapp, Pat Laughlin, Shirley Lemke, and Mary Struckmeyer.

Librarians in the Movies

The following links will lead you to lists of movies that have a librarian as a character. Libraries could create a display around the VHS tapes and DVDs mentioned in these lists.

Judy Blume to Receive National Book Award

Judy Blume, whose children's and young adult books have fans worldwide, has been named the winner of this year's honorary National Book Award for contributions to American letters marking the first time the award has been given to a children’s author. The 55th annual National Book Awards ceremony will be held in New York on November 17th.

The 66-year-old Blume's books include such bestsellers as Deenie, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and Forever.

Past winners of the National Book Award include Arthur Miller, Philip Roth, Eudora Welty, Ray Bradbury, and last year’s winner, Stephen King.

Coming in October

October 10-16 is National School Lunch Week. See http://www.asfsa.org/ and get some ideas for a display related to family nutrition.

October 23 is Make a Difference Day--a day to care for someone else and help your community. See http://www.asfsa.org/

In This Issue:
Libraries Receive Grants	ESLS on the Radio
Consumer Health Services Workshop	ESLS Applies for 2005 LSTA Grants
Teens and Poetry	Upcoming SLP Themes
Smokey Bear Birthday Card Contest	ILL Needs Assessment
Another New Format	Oprah's Book Club
Registration for WLA	WLA Award Winners
Librarians in the Movies	Judy Blume to Receive National Book Award
Coming in October

Children's Librarians Corner

Joseph Koeppen Cedar Grove Public Library

from the BWI eNewsletter

WLA 2004

Joseph Koeppen
Cedar Grove Public Library