Bettendorf Public Library Foundation Love & Logic Seminars

Thanks to a generous grant from the Bettendorf Public Library Foundation Betsy Geddes of the Love and Logic Institute will present two free seminars in Bettendorf on Monday, March 27th. "Discipline that Builds Self Discipline" is geared toward educators and will be held from 4:00-6:00 p.m. "Responsible Parents Raise Responsible Kids" will focus on the needs of parents and will take place from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Although the programs are geared toward specific audiences, they are both open to all patrons. Both programs will be held at the Bettendorf High School Auditorium, thanks to the cooperation of Bettendorf Community Schools.

Jim Fay, the founder of the Institute, is an internationally recognized expert on the issues of parenting and school discipline. No registration is required to attend the programs. For more information call Rita Rosauer at 344-4191.

All Iowa Reads ICN Session Reminder!

Don't Miss Out! Thursday, January 26, 2006. At 6:30 pm, First Lady Christie Vilsack and Dale Ross from ISU will discuss Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. The session will not only feature discussion about the 2006 All Iowa Reads book, but information about where to get support for your own discussion groups as well.

For a look at all ICN sites statewide—and to register online—go to this website: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/cgi-bin/cecat/
If you’re not already a registered user, you’ll first have to establish a user account before you can register for this and other upcoming classes.

Award Winners Announced

The novel Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins has won the 2005 John Newbery Medal and Chris Raschka won the 2005 Randolph Caldecott Medal for The Hello, Goodbye Window, written by Norton Juster.

The awards were announced this morning at the ALA’s midwinter conference in San Antonio.

For a list of the honor books named for both medals, as well as winners of the Printz award for Young Adult Literature and the first annual Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for beginning reader books, see this Publisher's Weekly news release.

Tummy Time in the Quad Cities

The Bettendorf Public Library has expanded their popular "Tummy Time" program, designed for children (and their parents!) aged birth to three. The program is held in cooperations with the Bettendorf Community Schools' Birth to Five Program. Programs are 45 minutes long and included a variety of activities. [Source: "Pages" --BPL newsletter]

ILA Legislative Update

Take a moment to read the first 2006 legislative update from the Iowa Library Association.

In it, you'll find updates on what our legislators are talking about in Des Moines.

Davenport Public Library--Fairmount Branch = WOW!

I had the pleasure of attending the new Fairmount Branch grand opening on Saturday, January 14th. I've never seen a library so busy and packed with curious people--what a wonderful sight! When I arrived sometime after 9:00 am the parking lot (100+ spaces!) was FULL! Director LaWanda Roudebush reports that more than 15,000 people saw the library that day. Congratulations to the staff, board, friends, and the City of Davenport for this remarkable achievement.

Below are a few snapshots from the Grand Opening Ceremony.

Director LaWanda Roudebush welcomes the audience to the new branch.

Mayor Ed Winborn speaks of the success of the project.

Former Mayor Charlie Brooke (now 6th Ward Alderman) congratulates Davenport.

State Librarian Mary Wegner speaks of the importance of libraries to Iowans.

DPL Board President Greg Lundgren thanks everyone for their hard work.

Architect Tim Downing speaks of his role and thanks Davenport.

Mike Lonergran of Priester Construction speaks of Priester's long history with DPL.

Quad Cities' 1st Poet Laureate Dick Stahl reads a poem in dedication to the new library.

The Quad Cities' area Book Cart Drill Team performs to the theme song for television's "Rawhide."

Public Library Statistics Now Available

Gerry Rowland from the State Library reports that the most current library statistics for Iowa have been loaded into the online reporting tool, WebConnect. To login to the system, librarians may use their WebCollect logins and passwords, or use one of several generic passwords (available on the State Library's Statistics Website.

Please remember that WebConnect is only compatible with Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater. Feel free to call Southeastern Library Services if you'd like a "walk-through" of WebConnect's great functionality.

Youth Services Roundtable a Success!

Thirteen librarians representing Youth Services departments from 12 different libraries in Iowa gathered at the Fairfield Public Library on Wednesday, January 11th to discuss issues related to providing quality service to Iowa's children. Communities represented included Donnellson, Ft. Madison, Keokuk, Centerville, Bettendorf, Richland, Fairfield, Keosauqua, LeClaire, Mt. Pleasant, and Oskaloosa.

The librarians discussed a variety of important topics, including providing outreach services to local daycares, getting teenagers involved in library programming, and the pros and cons of offering awards for Summer Reading Programs. Mary Camerson, Youth Services consultant from the State Library was present and offered great advice, as well as free books for librarians to take back to their libraries.

The group overwhelmingly reported that they'd like to meet again. Plans are in the works for a late summer/early fall meeting.

Congratulations Davenport Public Library--Fairmount Branch set to Open!

Emily Navarre and I, (Emily Weaver) had an "exclusive" tour of the brand new Davenport Public Library--Fairmount Street branch on Friday, January 6. LaWanda Roudebush, director, was our tour guide and the Emilies had plenty of questions to ask and many compliments to pay. As library consultants, it is our job to be proud of library developments. As Davenport residents, however, we can't wait to start checking out books!

A grand opening celebration will be held this Saturday, January 14th, with an official kick-off at 10 am. (the doors open at 9:00 am) Guest speakers, local dignitaries, clowns, the local Book Cart Drill Team, and a performance by the local opera company--it will be an entire day of celebrating.

Until then, enjoy some photos of the new library!

UPDATE: 40% discount available on Award books this year. Perfection Learning is offering this discount. To cash in, be sure to place your order by February 24, 2006. More details and pricing are available here.


IASL Iowa Children's Choice and Teen Choice Nominees Announced

View the nominees for the IASL (Iowa Association of School Libraries) Iowa Children's Choice online. The nominees for the Teen Award have not been posted online. If you'd like to see a full list, feel free to email us at SLS!

If your library is interested in purchasing the titles, there is a way to get the books for less money! To do so, please wait on your ordering until the AEA receives all the bids and releases the winner (mid-December on the IEC website; we'll try to remind you!). Vendors compete to give us a low price on a set of the books. This past year those who ordered saved almost $90 off the list price for a complete set and received a free poster. Using this discount, libraries in the state of Iowa saved a total of $47,113.44 last year. Please help the group continue to get these great prices by supporting the winning vendor.
[Source: Mary Cameron, State Library of Iowa]

PSAs for SLPs

What does that mean? The Collaborative Summer Library Program has released a series of six audio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for use by member libraries in the promotion of libraries' implantations of the 2006 summer library program (SLP), "Paws, Claws, Scales & Tales" at your library.


You can get them by visiting:
http://www.cslpreads.org/psa.htm
[Source: Mary Cameron, State Library of Iowa]

Exporting MARC Records

Need assistance? Visit this webpage for instructions for various automated systems. Included in the list are some of Iowa's most commonly-used systems. These instructions were provided from the software vendors themselves!

Are You Registered?

Beginning in 2006, the State Library will be advertising Continuing Education events on a GREAT new online calendar. You can preview the calendar now, and even sign up for events. Just visit this link: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/cgi-bin/cecat/

Here's the important note: In order to register for any of these classes, you'll need to create a user account. It's easy--just follow the directions onscreen. Click on "Not a Registered User?" and you can get started right way. Be sure to write down the login and password you create--you'll need it for next time!

One great thing about the new CE catalog is that you can always log in to see if you've registered for something already. You can also search the catalog for workshops in certain locations, on certain dates, or by topic. Watch for updates and additions to the catalog.

Soon, Southeastern's CE events will be posted in the new CE catalog as well. All registrations will eventually be handled through this new system--so don't delay! You'll want to get signed up, and make sure your entire staff signs up as well. If you need assistance, let us know!

Upcoming Event: 2006 Summer Library Program
Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales!






Where and When: (convenient locations for SE librarians)

North Liberty Community Library
Tuesday, February 14th. 9:00 am to 12:00 noon

Southern Prairie AEA, Ottumwa
Wednesday, February 15th. 9:00 am to 12:00 noon

Get registered ASAP, because you won't want to miss out on this great annual event. To do so, librarians must sign up in the State Library's new Continuing Education catalog. If you haven't yet created a login/password--what are you waiting for?

For more information and to begin the registration process, visit:
http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/cgi-bin/cecat/

Upcoming Workshop: New Children's and Young Adult Literature





Where: Various ICN locations (click here to view)
When: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006. 8:30 am to 12:00 Noon
Speakers: Paula Brandt, Victorian Walton, Barbara Stein, Joel Shoemaker, Maria Levetzow
Credit offered: 3 CEs
Cost: $10 workshop fee
Registration deadline: Friday, February 3rd.

For more information, and to register online, please visit:
http://www.sls.lib.ia.us/ceframes.htm

Upcoming Workshop: Trustee Roundtables

**Special note: The registration deadline for this workshop was incorrectly listed on the flyer we mailed. Please register by February 2nd, 2006.

We also noticed that some of the flyers had the times cut off by our photocopier. Correct times are shown below. We apologize for any inconvenience and credit our mistakes to a preoccupation with the visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads. Please call us with questions/concerns.

****************
Where and When: (select the time and place that works best for your needs!)

Sigourney Public Library
Thursday, February 9th. 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Scott County Library System (Eldridge)
Monday, February 20th. 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Mt. Pleasant Public Library
Tuesday, February 28th. 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Cost: free!
Registration Deadline: Thursday, February 2nd

For more information, and to register online, please visit:
http://www.sls.lib.ia.us/ceframes.htm

Upcoming Workshop: Regional Roundtables for Public Librarians




Where and When: (select the time and place that works best for your needs!)

Sigourney Public Library (new location!)
Tuesday, January 24th. 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Snowdate: January 31st--same time and place

West Point Public Library
Thursday, January 26th. 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Snowdate: February 2nd--same time and place

West Liberty Public Library
Friday, January 27th. 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Snowdate: February 3rd--same time and place

Credit offered: 3 CEs
Cost: free!
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, January 17th

For more information, and to register online, please visit:
http://www.sls.lib.ia.us/ceframes.htm

Upcoming Workshop: Youth Services Roundtable



Where: Fairfield Public Library
When: Wednesday, January 11, 2006. 1 to 3 pm (snowdate: January 12th)
Featured Guest: Mary Cameron, State Library of Iowa
Credit offered: 1 CE
Cost: free!
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, January 4th.

For more information, and to register online, please visit:
http://www.sls.lib.ia.us/ceframes.htm

EBSCOhost for Kids event scheduled

Michele Leininger, Continuing Education Consultant at the State Library of Iowa, will deliver a 2-hour professional development opportunity for librarians, educators, and media specialists interested in learning more about EBSCOhost's new interfaces for kids.

During the first hour, Michele will give you a tour of EBSCOhost's two new interfaces for kids: the Kid's Search for grades K-5 and the Student Research Center for grades 6-12. The second hour will focus on how to show both kids and parents how to use this resourceful homework tool.

There are 2 times to attend this workshop:
Tuesday, January 31, 2006. 9:30 am to 11:30 am -or-
Tuesday, January 31, 2006. 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Registration for this workshop is being handled by co-sponsor IPTV. Visit this link to get signed up:
http://www3.iptv.org/iowa_database/event-detail.cfm?ID=6478

Handouts will be available on the State Library website and on the IPTV website one week prior to the workshop.
[Source: Mary Cameron, State Library of Iowa]

Calendar Ready
When are Annual Surveys due?
Which week is National Library Week?
When is my Direct State Aid final report due?

Print off the State Library's handy online calendar (.pdf format!) and you'll always be ahead of the game.

WebJunction Blogs!

Take a look: http://webjunction.lishost.org/

Nod to Mt. Pleasant

The newly-completed Mt. Pleasant Public Library is pictured in the latest edition of Library Journal. This edition includes a wrap-up of library building projects around the country. You can view the article in EBSCOhost, by searching for the title "A Storm Rains on our Parade" in the December 15, 2005 Library Journal. The online article includes the color picture shown on page 51 of the magazine.

Fun Forbes List

Forbes has updated it's "Fictional Fifteen" list, which ranks the richest fictional characters (wouldn't you have loved to be part of that editorial meeting?!) They even have a slide show of the fifteen - click on the website
http://www.forbes.com/2002/09/13/400fictional.html to get to the list and the slide show link!
[Source: Michele Leininger, State Library of Iowa]

Got Money?

Judy Jones from the State Library reports that there are new additions to the Funding Opportunities website

Sigourney Open House Photos

On Sunday, October 9th, 2005, representatives from the Sigourney Public Library welcomed nearly 200 visitors to their new public library. Among the distinguished guests was Iowa's First Lady, Christie Vilsack. You might also recognize SLS's own Emily Navarre, standing in the lobby of the new library with director Roslin Thompson. If you haven't made a trip to Sigourney to see the new library, you should!

Holiday Hours

The Southeastern Library Services office will be closed on the following days:



Friday, December 23rd, 2005
Monday, December 26th, 2005

Friday, December 30th, 2005
Monday, January 2nd, 2006

Free Book Review Magazine Available

Here's a free gift for your library, staff, and readers. The Bloomsbury Review is again offering free copies of its November/ December gift issue. The issue includes the favorite books of the editors from the past 25 years, as, indeed, they have been publishing that long. It also includes wonderful gift books--from the arts to crafts to fiction to poetry to children's and young adult books. Bloomsbury Review pays shipping (UPS) and can send from 25 to 200 copies. No strings! (This offer only applies to the current issue, and not to subscriptions or past issues).

The Bloomsbury Review (TBR) is an award-winning national book magazine that focuses on the best of the regional, university, and small presses, with a special emphasis on writers from diverse cultures. The magazine feature reviews and author interviews with a cross-section of both seminal and up-and-coming writers, many of whom received their first major exposure in TBR.

Just send your name, physical mailing address (no PO Boxes, please), and the number of copies you want (between 25 and 200) to Marilyn Auer at BloomsB@aol.com.

SILO transactions top One Million!

Recently, the Larchwood (pop.788) Public Library filled an Interlibrary Loan request from the Fonda (pop. 648) Public Library, completing the One-Millionth transaction on SILO. Congratulations is due, not only to these two libraries, but to all of Iowa's libraries participating in the SILO Interlibrary Loan and Access Plus programs. Such participation marks a true spirit of collaboration and cooperation across the state. Keep up the great service, Iowa!
[Source: Liz Forney, SILO team]

Remember: State Library Reference Service

Do you need help finding facts for a customer about Iowa's government, economy, or statistics or a quick fact about Iowa's history? Are you having trouble locating a web site or government department for someone who will answer a question about a service of the state of Iowa? Does a customer need to do a patent's search or to find census data about Iowa? Are you finding it hard to locate state documents online?

The information experts at the State Library's general reference desk can help make your job easier. The desk is staffed from 8-4:30 Monday through Friday. Call them for assistance at 515-281-4102 or toll free at 1-800-248-4483 or e-mail: is@lib.state.ia.us

The staff at the General Reference desk is available to provide you with assistance. Give them a try!
[Source: Annette Wetteland, State Library of Iowa]

Pathfinders Online

Be sure to visit The Pathfinder Project online to see the wide range of pathfinders available to you for *free*! Particularly helpful this time of year are pathfinders on Christmas Customs and Hanukkah. In a "giving" mood? Consider contributing one of your own pathfinders to the project. Templates are available on the site as well!

Toddle On Over Workshop

Twelve librarians participated in a workshop on November 10th, designed to encourage them to use music in their Toddler programming. As you can see in the photos, we all had a great time singing and using props like scarves, sticks and bean bags. While I'm sure folks were slightly intimidated at the thought of singing in a workshop, presenter Jerri Heid made everyone feel comfortable performing in front of one another. Five CE's were awarded for this workshop, which was held at the newly renovated Mt. Pleasant Public Library. Librarians went home with a list of music cd's that Jerri recommends from her own extensive experience.

Library Issues go to the Voters

Two library issues were voted upon in Southeastern's service area on November 8th. The first, in Richland, altered the composition of the library board of trustees to represent a broader subset of the community. This vote passed 62 to 10. Congratulations to them.

Unfortunately a second vote in SE Iowa did not pass. Voters in Letts were asked to pass what we refer to as the "27 cent levy." If passed, citizens would agree to tax themselves a little higher for library service. This would have generated approximately $1300 in additional funds for the library. This vote was a tie--37 to 37. Karen Koppe, director, reports that they may attempt to pass it again in two years. You can visit the Letts Library website here.

Wine, Wenches and Song

On Friday, October 28th, the West Liberty Public Library hosted an "adult only event" that was titled "Wine, Wenches and Song." Dinner and drinks were served to attendees, who were invited to experience Medieval tavern life in the library conference room. A guest speaker from the University of Iowa spoke about Medieval times. Participants were encouraged to come dressed in costume to win prizes. Director Janette McMahon reports that the event was a great success. Initially, the library had set a maximum number of participants, but they ended up having to increase the number of tickets they sold. Congratulations to the Library for pulling off such a creative event!

Southeastern LSA needs your Help

With the recent resignation of LSA board member Nancy Simpson, our office is looking for one new board member. The current board would like to encourage applications for this vacancy from the Western section of our LSA--particularly the counties of Appanoose, Monroe, Mahaska, Keokuk, Wapello, and Davis. Currently, the SLS board is political party and gender balanced, so the applicant can be of any party and of either gender. Nomination forms for candidates are available by clicking here.

Please feel free to contact Sandy Dixon at the State Library, or our office for more assistance.

Meet Southeastern's New Library Director....

Name: Beth Sullivan, director of the Bloomfield Public Library

Family: Husband, Keith; 3 grown children, Lori Galindo (32) lives in Boonville, MS with her 2 children, Bronson (10) and Keera (5); Son, Frank (30) lives on our farm in rural Bloomfield with parents, works in Centerville; Son, Sam (27) lives and works in Pella.

Schooling: Graduated from Davis County High School, 1972, Graduated from Physical Therapist Assistant program in Ottumwa IHCC in 1995, started at the Bloomfield Public Library in 1999 and took PLM I and II. Have been recertified, Jan. 2005.

My Favorite Author Is: Depending on mood with so many different authors to pick from.

A Recent Book I Read: The Regime by Tim LaHaye.

My Friendship With Libraries Began: When my brother Jerry Greene was the director in 1992, and he helped me with my math in college. Then fell into my job as clerk in 1999.

I'd Really Like to Be Good At: Ordering books, being better organized, and getting my Board of Trustees to work on a project like a Building project.

I'd Give Anything to Meet: Tom Arnold again and have him sign his book How I Lost Five Pounds in Six Years. This would be for my husband and maybe help us out with our building project.

My Idea of Paradise: Have a Board and our patrons working together to make our building project a reality!

Meet Southeastern's New Library Director...

Name: Larry White, director of the Keosauqua Public Library

Family: Widower, one son

Schooling: High School Diploma

My Favorite Author is: God

A Recent Book I Read: Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Douglas Wilson

My Friendship with Libraries Began: With the bookmobile in Montgomery County, Maryland, about 1953.

I'd Really Like to Be Good At: Praying, praising, preaching, loving, reading the Bible with understanding, keeping His commandments

I'd Give Anything to Meet: Jesus. The Apostle John once said that the world itself could not containg the books that could be written about this man.

My Idea of Paradise: His Kingdom

Anything Else?: Sweet Harmony of the Saints

Wilton Library Fundraising Success!

Congratulations to the community of Wilton, which recently received a $300,000 pledge for its Wilton Library and Community Center fundraising campaign. The gift, which came from the Wilton Savings Bank, brings the total funds raised to nearly $1 million.