Thursday, January 31, 2008

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Dealing with Difficult People in the Library
Author: Mark R. Willis

Summary:
Libraries deal with a wide range of patron personalities, no matter what type of library you work in. It’s the nature of a public service. What to do when the person you’re helping is of an unstable bent or is just having a really bad day? Willis approaches the situations and personalities encountered in the library in a frank, compassionate and practical manner. Emphasizing communication skills, Willis works through case studies of problems as they happen as well as what library staff can do to prevent problem situations before they arise. This resource is full of timely and useful advice.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Graphic Novel Rotation Reminder

Just a reminder that if your library is interested in participating in a graphic novel rotation to start this year, e-mail Katie Dunneback at kdunneback@sls.lib.ia.us by Thursday, January 31st. We need 7 committed libraries to make this happen and so far only one library has contacted her. Here are the details again:

Cost of rotation: $225/year
Number of commitments required for rotation viability: 7
Age range of material: Focus will be the ages of 11-16 with some materials rated at <10 and 16-18. Stand-alone graphic novels and series rated 18+ will not be purchased at this time. However, individual volumes of series rated 16-18 may stray in to the 18+ age range. We will do our best to minimize this occurrence. The factor of age ranges when making selections will be based on the suggested age quoted in reviews and company catalogs.
Format composition of collection: We will strive for a mix of hardcover and paperback volumes, with additional processing of the paperback volumes to give added shelf life to them. As paperback books are cheaper than their hardcover equivalents, the collection will probably skew a little more towards them.
Series books: We will not be attempting to purchase whole series, but will be purchasing individual volumes within a series in order to give a variety of choices. We encourage you to pass along suggestions from your patrons as to which series are favored over others.

Please contact
kdunneback@sls.lib.ia.us with any questions.

Friday, January 25, 2008


PLA Registration Deadline Extended

The registration deadline for the Wednesday through Saturday bus trip to PLA has been extended! You now have until Friday, February 29th to register. Please pass this on to any one you may know who is considering going to PLA, including your Trustees and Friends!

What: Bus trip to PLA in Minneapolis
Why: Leave the stress of driving (in March, in Minnesota) to the professionals.
When: Wednesday, March 26th to Saturday, March 29th
How: Register on the State Library CE catalog at http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/cgi-bin/cecat/index.cgi for the Burlington bus (we will switch around bus assignments if needed and determine pick up locations once everyone is registered)
Cost: $76/person round-trip (Probably about what you’d spend on gas driving yourself, if not less!)

We currently have 31 seats available on the Burlington bus. If we do not fill those seats by February 29th, we will need to cancel the bus. We will do our best to make other arrangements for those registered if that happens, but spread the word and encourage your friends to travel with you so we don’t have to! February 29th is also the last day to cancel your registration (we really, really, really hope you won’t) without having to pay the $76. Billing will not occur until after PLA. Contact me, Katie Dunneback, by e-mail at kdunneback@sls.lib.ia.us or at (800)397-0029 if you have any questions.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Salem's CREW LIBRARY Sets Up Building Web Site

Take a look at Crew Library's great building project web site! The site features a great deal of infomation and has the capability to reach a wider audience than the traditional library counter brochure. See it here.
PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK


Title: 101+ Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends*: *Marketing, Fundraising, Friends Development, and More!
Authors: Sally Gardner Reed, Beth Nawalinski, Alexander Peterson

Summary:
The staff of Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA) has compiled not only great, but wonderful ideas on how to energize and invigorate the activities of your library’s Friends organization. Six broad chapters cover the topics of: “Raising Money for Your Library: The Book Sale and Beyond”, “On the Radar Screen: Creating Programs and High Profile for Your Library”, “Making a Real Difference: Effective Library Advocacy”, “Creating, Growing, and Re-Energizing Friends Groups”, “Organizational Effectiveness for Friends Groups”, and “Love Those Logos”. If you’re looking to start a Friends group at your library, breathe new life into an existing one, or take a great one to the next level, flip through this book for some creative solutions.

Thursday, January 17, 2008


Library of Congress on Flickr!

Looking for historical photos for school reports and other projects? The Library of Congress has made over 3,000 photographs available via Flickr. Explore this wonderful resource today!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
Katie Dunneback writes:

Greetings!

Space is still available for the Wednesday through Saturday PLA bus traveling up through eastern Iowa. Again, the cost is $76 per seat and we will not be billing until after the conference. Reservations must be made by Thursday, January 31st (two weeks!). If you need to cancel (and we sincerely hope you won’t), you must do so by the 31st to avoid being charged for the spot. Please contact me if you have any questions, otherwise, reserve your space today via the state CE catalog!

http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/cgi-bin/cecat/

As a reminder, the Wednesday through Saturday trip is event number PLABUS-E, and the Wednesday through Thursday trip is event number EC-2008.

Get Library Journal delivered to your Inbox!

Library Journal offers a number of e-mail newsletters, including their weekly library news snapshot, LJXpress. All of their e-mail subscriptions are free, so even if you don’t get the print magazine, you can keep up with what Library Journal is reporting on.

https://www.libraryjournal.com/subscribe.asp?screen=pi9

More Iowa Librarians Make National Library News

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to announce Jean Donham and Carol L. Tilley have been named co-editors for the online journal School Library Media Research (SLMR). For more information on the appointment, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/january2008/editors08.htm.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK


Title: Using the Internet as a Reference Tool
Author: Michael P. Sauers

Summary:
This entry in Neal-Schuman’s series of “How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians” is an excellent resource for those new to doing research on the internet as a library worker. If you’ve got new members to your reference staff, the topics in this book will help in orienting them to internet searching. Another use for the information provided here is helping those who may be developing classes for patrons on how to use the internet more effectively.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Llewann Bryant, director of Keck Memorial Library in Wapello, was kind enough to share her pictures from a recent game night at the local nursing home. "The residents had a ball!" she said. With the Wii system, even the wheelchair-bound residents were able to "go bowling" again, some even throwing the same as they did in league! Many grandparents were just anxious to tell their techno-grandkids that they had experienced the "Wii" phenomenon. Llewann mentioned that even those that didn't play enjoyed watching the others experience the games. She was very pleased by the success of the outing and plans to have more game nights such as this in the future.

For more information on holding a "game night" or renting game kits, please visit our website at http://www.sls.lib.is.us/ or contact Ann Miller, Office Manager, for Southeastern Library Services, at 1-800-397-0029.






Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Professional Book of the Week

Title: Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan: a Guide to Help You Survive and Thrive
Authors: Patricia H. Fisher and Marseille M. Pride

Summary:
Don’t have a formalized marketing strategy? Feel like your marketing efforts are hit-or-miss? Applying for funding for a brand new project? This book will help you to evaluate your current marketing efforts and refine or revamp them into a more effective endeavor using techniques based on current research on marketing.
Stephanie Oppenheim, Publisher at Oppenheim Toy Portfolio writes:

Announcing the arrival of our newest baby!


¡A leer! ¡A jugar! con bebés y niños pequeños (ISBN 0 9721050-5-0). Designed for Spanish speaking parents and caregivers, this version of our best-selling book, Read It! Play It! for Infants and Toddlers includes nursery songs, lullabies, games, and books familiar to Latino families. This is not just a translation of the original book, but rather a specially selected collection to encourage an early love of books and reading. We know that you’ll find ¡A leer! ¡A jugar! con bebés y niños pequeños of interest to training leaders as well as to parents. The book is currently being used by RIF leaders all over the country. We’d be happy to send you a copy to consider as a resource for your leaders. Please let me know to whom and where we can send a review copy. The book is available at bulk rates for programs/centers. The original Read It! Play It! With Infants and Toddlers (ISBN 0972105042) and Read It! Play It! for ages 3-7 (ISBN 0-9721050-1-8) is also available at bulk rates. For more information on ordering please contact Stephanie Oppenheim at stephanie@toyportfolio.com.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008


West Liberty Public Library staff attends the annual Guadalajara International Book Fair! To see some photos from their exciting trip, download their power point presentation at http://www.wlpl.org/Mexico%202007.ppt.
Iowa Small Library Association looking for area representatives!

ISLA is looking for two representatives from each LSA for their 2008 Strategic Planning Meeting. The meeting will be Friday, February 15th near Ames. If you are interested in volunteering for this great opportunity to have the voice of small libraries in southeastern Iowa heard, contact ISLA President, Sarah Willeford at swilleford@cilsa.lib.ia.us or 800-542-7273. Representatives *do not* have to be ISLA members.

Monday, January 07, 2008


The Iowa Library Association (ILA) is now accepting applications for the 2008 Leadership Institute. The institute will be held at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, July 22-25, 2008. The registration fee is $200 and it includes most meals and lodging. This is a wonderful opportunity to hone your leadership skills. Participants will assess their personal leadership style and develop the skills to use them for effective decision making, learn how to lead from any position in their organization, participate in dialog about possible obstacles and brainstorm practical alternatives.

Twenty-five Iowa library employees will be selected to work with Maureen Sullivan, who has more than twenty years of experience as a consultant on organizational development and work redesign, strategic planning, leadership, managing change and establishing learning programs. Information regarding the application process is available at:


Friday, January 04, 2008

SLS Librarian First in the Nation to Complete the CPLA Program

Lois Blythe, head of adult services at the Burlington (Iowa) Public Library, is the first candidate to complete the Certified Public Library Administrator Program. Blythe completed the requisite seven courses in record time, becoming the first public librarian to earn the designation of CPLA.

The CPLA program, administered by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, is a voluntary credential for public librarians who want to learn managerial competencies in areas like personnel, facilities, marketing and technology. To hear more about Lois’ accomplishment and the program, visit:

http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/january2008/candidate08.htm
PLA 2008 Virtual Conference

This year, librarians who can't make the trip to Minneapolis will be able to participate virtually in the PLA National Conference. The PLA 2008 Virtual Conference will feature panel discussions, poster sessions, interactive workshops, and chats with colleagues, all from the comfort of your computer.

The PLA 2008 Virtual Conference will be held on Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28, during the PLA 12th National Conference. Each day will consist of five live programs. Individuals who register to attend PLA 2008 in Minneapolis will automatically receive access to the Virtual Conference as part of their registration. Registration for the PLA 2008 Virtual Conference will open in January. Check the PLA 2008 Web site regularly for updated information about speakers, programming, and registration.

The ALA Public Programs Office is pleased to partner with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for the fifth We the People Bookshelf project. This year's theme is Created Equal. Public and school (K-12) libraries are invited to apply online through January 25, 2008. A single application may be submitted on behalf of multiple libraries within a library system, school district or community. Individual branch and school libraries are also encouraged to apply. In spring 2008, 3,000 successful applicants will receive the We the People Bookshelf, a collection of 17 classic hardcover books for young readers on the Created Equal theme. Several titles focus on the life and writings of Abraham Lincoln, whose 200th birthday will be celebrated during the 2008 - 2009 programming period. In addition, winning libraries will receive four titles in Spanish translation, a History in a Box resource kit on Lincoln, and accompanying materials for programming including bookplates, bookmarks and posters. For book titles, programming ideas and tips, access to the guidelines and application, and further details, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.ala.org/wethepeople. With questions, contact publicprograms@ala.org.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

A Message from Faye Clow of Bettendorf Public Library

January 4th is my last day as Director of the Bettendorf Public Library. I have enjoyed working with each of you and hope you will continue to support the library.
The 2008 Dates to Remember schedule has been posted on the State Library website. Get your calendars ready:

http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/08cal/2008cal/view
A New Technology Trend

FYI and/or FYD (For Your Information and/or For Your Dismay)

The next digital wave is coming – and it’s younger than you think! Read it at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/business/31virtual.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.
From The ISLOC Team

Registration for the January 16 online conference is now open in the CE catalog!

Our morning keynote speaker is Michael Stephens, and Pat Wagner will do the afternoon keynote. Concurrent sessions in the morning and afternoon offer information about blogs, wikis, podcasting, widgets and gadgets, WebJunction, and more. An evening session helps trustees to understand Library 2.0 and what it means for the library and for them. There will be a Virtual Exhibit Hall, as well as a Games session and Networking Lounge over the lunch hour. We hope you will join us for all or part of the day; there is no charge for the conference. You register for the entire day, but you may "come and go" as you please; each session will have an evaluation and CE certificate.

The conference is online, in various Wimba classrooms. Those of you who have participated in Wimba sessions or been to an orientation are all set; if you haven't yet had a chance to visit a Wimba Live Classroom we have scheduled some orientation sessions during the first half of January, to give you a chance to run the setup Wizard (details will come in your confirmation e-mail from the catalog registration) and then drop into a classroom and get a feel for how it all works before the day of the conference. See the "Wimba" page of the conference website for dates and times of the orientations.

More details about the conference and presenters can be found on the conference website: http://www.swilsa.lib.ia.us/isloc
We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Professional Book of the Week

Title: A Year of Programs for Teens
Editor: Amy J. Alessio and Kimberly A. Patton

Summary:
Are you looking for programming ideas for your pre-teen and teen patrons? Alessio and Patton offer up 35 program outlines, monthly resources, and advice on all aspects of teen programming. Perfect for those who need a little guidance in doing programming or are looking for some fresh ideas!