Wine and Wii Fundraiser from Lincoln City, NE
A new way to raise money, with fun for everyone! Read about the event, as well as find contact information for the Foundation for Lincoln City Libraries at http://bit.ly/1te3A.

Making Web 2.0 Work - from the October 2009 issue of Computers in Libraries
This is a great article on how 2.0 technologies work (or don't) for libraries, with some suggestions on making them work or work better for your library. If you don't subscribe, you can be added to our circulation list for the periodical, or contact us for a copy of the article.

New OCLC Prototype Can Help You Choose Classification Numbers

Classify is a prototype service designed to support the assignment of classification numbers for books, DVDs, CDs, and many other types of materials.

The prototype provides access to more than 36 million WorldCat records that contain Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) numbers, Library of Congress Classification (LCC) numbers, or National Library of Medicine (NLM) Classification numbers.

The records are grouped using the OCLC FRBR Work-Set algorithm resulting in a work-level summary of the class numbers assigned a title. You can retrieve a classification summary by ISBN, ISSN, UPC, OCLC number, or author/title. Some examples are:

The EPA Offers Consumer Education on E-cycling: Could Your Library Play a Role?
EPA is working to educate consumers and others on why it is important to reuse and recycle electronics and what the options are for safe reuse and recycling of these products. State and local governments, manufacturers, and retailers, who are already aware of the pressing need to better manage these materials, are providing more opportunities to recycle and reuse this equipment.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK

Banned Books Week is starts September 26. For resources and ideas on how to participate, visit http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/index.html and follow the links at the bottom.

In down economy, libraries are on frontline of connecting Americans with online government, job resources from ALA Direct 9/11/2009

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Managing Money: A Guide for Librarians

Author: Anne M. Turner

Summary:

Do you feel like finances are often another language? Turner clearly lays out a number of concepts and situations which directly impact library budgets. Major topics include budgets, purchasing, requesting bids for projects, audits and finance departments.

Books for Babies Grant Opportunity

The Associationof Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF) has partnered with Nordstrom to offer 10 grants of $500 each to put towards the purchase of Books for Babies kits to "selected Friends of the Library groups, women's groups, libraries and other nonprofit organizations" who raise $1,000 for the project.

The application deadline is October 1, 2009, and more information can be found here.

EAST CENTRAL LIBRARY SERVICES TO SPONSOR WORKSHOP

TODDLE OVER WITH MUSIC

You can't sing or you are afraid to? After this workshop, you will put music in your storytimes! Jerri Heid, Youth Services Librarian at the Ames Public Library, will teach librarians why music is important for your programs and for children's emergent literacy skills. You will learn how you can use other people's music to your advantage, where to purchase music, a bibliography of songs to use and most importantly, gain the confidence and comfort to add music to your programs. Come dressed in casual clothes, ready to have fun!

When: Friday, October 9

Where: North Liberty Community Library

520 Cherry Street

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

CE: 5

Cost: $20, lunch, refreshments & handouts provided

Registration Deadline: October 5

You may register on-line in the CE catalog or contact East Central. Please mail your check to the address below.

East Central Library Services
222 3rd St. SE, Suite 402
Cedar Rapids IA 52401

Contact: Linda Lumsden
Phone: 319-365-0521
llumsde@ecls.lib.ia.us

Congratulations to Letts Public Library!

As part of this year's I-JOBS grants, the city of Letts will receive $400,000 for the creation of a new community center and library.

I-JOBS Libraries announcement

Author visits on the cheap!

Looking for a way to have children's authors visit your library? Is your budget so tight you wish you could lose those few extra pounds? Why not bring the authors in to visit over the Internet?

A list of authors willing to do 20-minute visits using the online conferencing software, Skype, is available on author Kate Messner's blog: http://kmessner.livejournal.com/106020.html. She also wrote up an article on how to do online author visits for School Library Journal, "Met Any Good Authors Lately?", in the August 2009 issue.

Hugo winner in the region!

Congratulations to John Klima, Instructor with Palmer College of Chiropractic Libraries in Davenport and Substitute Librarian at Bettendorf Public Library, for his win at last night's Hugo Awards. He won the Best Fanzine Award for his 'zine, Electric Velocipede. John is also a three-time nominee, including this year, for the World Fantasy Award for the Special Award - Non-Professional, again for his work with Electric Velocipede. This year's World Fantasy Awards will be given out in October.

Last night's Hugo winners also included:

# Best Novel: The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)
# Best Novella: “The Erdmann Nexus”, Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)
# Best Novelette: “Shoggoths in Bloom”, Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)
# Best Short Story: “Exhalation”, Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
# Best Related Book: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008, John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)
# Best Graphic Story: Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
# Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)
# Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon, & Maurissa Tancharoen, writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)

Davenport Public Library Uses Facebook to Document the Library's Programs

The Davenport Public Library's Facebook page serves to keep "fans" up to date on what the library is doing, including programs, building projects, and more. Now they've added photos to their page to document programs and projects as well. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

To see how their photo page looks, visit http://bit.ly/1D5WB. To see their home page on Facebook, visit http://bit.ly/lAR3m.

Anyone else using Facebook to promote the library and "talk" to patrons? Use the comment feature on this page to tell us about it!

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Something Musical Happened at the Library: Adding Song and Dance to Children’s Story Programs

Author: Rob Reid

Summary: Are you looking to freshen up your storytimes by adding songs? Maybe you want to freshen up the songs you already are using. Reid has compiled a comprehensive listing of books, songs and dances which can be combined to create an interactive and fun storytime program.

Twin Cities Film Festival - About Libraries!

Videos should be available after the festival on YouTube and and member library web sites. When they become available we'll let you know - watch some for inspiration on how to market your library using video. The article on the festival is at http://bit.ly/4kEeJq.

Stimulus/Broadband deadline is August 14!

ALA’s Washington Office has created and compiled a host of stimulus resources for libraries including webinars, instructional guidance, key links and a list of frequently asked questions page. These materials can be found at www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus.

Top Ten Computer Hardware Fixes from LifeHacker

Lifehacker editors have rounded up some of the most helpful tutorials for fixing your computer hardware. A couple are Mac based, but there are tutorials on adding RAM, replacing a hard drive, and more. See the tutorial list at http://bit.ly/13KQGa.

Library Card Sign Up Month Resources - September is almost here!

Print and audio PSAs featuring Candace Parker, WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, are available for download, as are other materials for libraries looking to promote Library Card Sign-up Month locally. Sample press materials, including a press release, letter to the editor, proclamation, PSA scripts and smartest card logos, can be found at www.ala.org/librarycardsignup

Davenport Public Library's Eastern Avenue Branch Tree Planting

Katie attended the Tree Planting ceremony to commemorate the construction of the Davenport Public Library's newest branch. Here are some of the pictures she captured:

Samantha Wikstrom, Youth Services Supervisor, with children from a local day camp



Director LaWanda Roudebush welcoming the crowd



Representative Cindy Winkler reading a letter from the governor



Area children helping to plant the tree

How can you resist Summer Reading Program challenges? The children's librarians at the Musser Public Library were challenged to row across the pond at their Nature Center if the kids in the community read 15,000 books. Videographic evidence is available at YouTube :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/MusserPublicLibrary

How Not to Tweet

David Lee King offers up some advice to libraries looking to increase their presence with Twitter. http://bit.ly/g5zmu

Redbox at Libraries

Have you seen the bright red box, aptly named Redbox, at local retailers? Libraries are getting into the scene, earning 3 cents of every dollar earned by the company. Information on libraries using the boxes at http://bit.ly/5UAzr.

WrestleMania Reading Challenge Closes July 31

Teens and tweens at your library could win a trip to WrestleMania XXVI in Phoenix, and you could win $2,000 for your library! Just complete Teen Read Week™ registration at www.ala.org/teenread and say “yes” to the WrestleMania Reading Challenge by July 31.

Best Thrillers of 2009

Awards were determined by the International Thriller Writers. View the winners at http://bit.ly/Jlrn0.

Choosing the Best Web Browser

PC Magazine’s takes and links to reviews of the top recent entries to help you make your choice. http://bit.ly/K84EQ

3D Moon Landing Adventure from Google Earth

This great site includes moon tours of the landing sites narrated by the astronauts, view models of the spacecraft, and more! Interest is high right now with the anniversary of the Apollo mission, bookmark for your patrons! http://earth.google.com/moon/

YALSA Announces 3 Online Courses This Fall

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will offer three online courses this fall: AIMing at Tweens Advising, Involving, Motivating, taught by Teri Lesesne; Graphic Novels and Teen Readers: The Basics and Beyond, taught by Francisca Goldsmith; and Reaching Teens with Gaming, taught by Beth Gallaway. Register at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/onlinecourses/info.cfm#current. They are expensive but an easy way to get a conference session experience.

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Library Services to Latinos

Editor: Salvador Guerena

Summary:
A compilation of essays and research articles, this anthology provides valuable insight into working with Latino populations. Topics include working with immigrant populations, outreach strategies, Hispanic student in community colleges, and developing Spanish language collections.

FRIENDS OF THE BURLINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HOST SALE Bargain lovers, get ready. The Friends of the Burlington Public Library will have hundreds of books for your low-priced reading pleasure at its spring sale Friday June 26th and Saturday June 27th. Most hardbacks will be only $1 and most paperbacks only 50 cents! Members of the Friends organization will be admitted to the preview sale from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, and everyone is welcome to browse Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you would like to clear space on your shelves for those bargains, donate your good quality books at the Footnotes shop.

Another library abandons DDC

As part of its customers-first philosophy, the Rangeview Library District in Northglenn, Colorado, is replacing the Dewey Decimal Classification with its own WordThink system. The new method was generated from a book-industry standard for organizing materials. Materials are arranged by simple categories like history and science instead of a numeric system. The district’s new Bennett branch opened May 30 with the new organization in place, and by the end of the year all Rangeview branches will use WordThink....
Business Wire, June 2

10 ways to tell if you are a solo librarian
John Clark of the Hartland (Maine) Public Library wrote this for the initial issue of MLA to Z: The News-to-use-letter of the Maine Library Association, April 2007, pp. 3–4 (PDF file). You can identify with it even if you don’t work in a public library. “10. You have done story hour while simultaneously checking out books and answering a reference question over the phone.”...
OPL Plus, June 2

Arts programming in a public library

Jude Schanzer writes: “We all know that libraries are no longer confined to brick and mortar. No longer can the library be looked at as only an informational and educational center. Some call us ‘community centers’ now. I say we are ‘cultural centers,’ with all that those words conjure up in our minds. Performance, visual arts, literature, history, discussion, innovative thought, and more are part and parcel of what can be found in a cultural center. Sounds like a library to me.”...
Programming Librarian, May 19, 26, June

New Virtual Conference sessions
Attend Annual Conference from your desktop this year with ALA’s new Virtual Conference. ALA will offer 10 interactive, hour-long web sessions on July 13 and 14. These interactive programs—from ALA’s Washington Office, the Office for Intellectual Freedom, and several other divisions and offices—will be the next best thing to being at the conference itself. Topics include accessing stimulus money for broadband deployment, greening your library, and best customer service....

19 new Great Web Sites for Kids

ALSC has placed 19 new websites on its Great Web Sites for Kids list. Great Web Sites for Kids are those considered the best for ages birth to 14, outstanding in both content and conception. As applied to websites for young people, “great” should be thought to include sites of especially commendable quality that reflect and encourage young people’s interests in exemplary ways....
ALSC Blog, June 3

Top 10 pet peeves about patrons
Brian Herzog writes: “Usually I’m a pretty happy-go-lucky guy, and I really do enjoy my job. But I thought I’d share a list of the top 10 things that patrons do that can really irk me. Not that I expect every patron interaction to be perfect and wonderful, of course; these are a just few things that make bad days worse. I tried to limit this list to things unique to library patrons, and this list (which ended up being longer than I expected) is in no particular order.”...
Swiss Army Librarian, June 2

Congratulations to the Wilton Public Library!

Wilton broke ground on June 12 for a facility to house a branch of the Muscatine Community College, a community center and the library. Ideally situated near senior housing and across the street from a school, this facility has been the center of amazing fundraising and community support.

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: The Thriving Library: Successful Strategies for Challenging Times

Author: Marylaine Block

Summary:

Block, author of the website Neat New Stuff I Found on the Net, explores strategies and programs which help libraries thrive in trying economic times. Chapters are broken into service areas and tasks such as children, teens, marketing, outreach and community involvement. Case studies are used to highlight points about each topic. A useful guide for any library serving the public today.

2009 ALA Annual Conference Friends Sessions

This year the Annual Conference is in Chicago. There is a two part session on “Nuts and Bolts for Friends” on Saturday, July 11. You do not have to attend both, but the second session will not be a repeat of the first.

Nuts and Bolts for Friends

Saturday, July 11, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Come hear experts talk about ways to improve your Friends of the Library group and maximize the Friends' ability to raise money, increase membership and work effectively with their library. Be prepared to share your best practices and your stumbling blocks with other Friends from across the country. This program is part one of a two part series (the second to be held in the afternoon). It is not required that you attend both but the second session will be a continuation of discussions and not a repeat. Speakers: Susan Schmidt, Past President, Friends of Libraries U.S.A.; Robin Hoklotubbe, Secretary, Friends of Libraries U.S.A

For more information on the session and costs, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/annual/2009/registration.cfm.

Prepub Alert from Library Journal’s May 15 issue: Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, Nicholas Sparks’ The Last Song, Joyce Carol Oates’ Little Bird of Heaven, Craig Furguson’s American on Purpose, Jane Goodall’s Hope for Animals and Their World, Sue Monk Kidd’s Traveling with Pomegranates, Lebron James’ Shooting Stars, James Patterson’s The Murder of King Tut and Elizabeth Thomas’ The Hidden Life of Deer (from the author of The Hidden Life of Dogs).

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Teaching Web Search Skills: Techniques and Strategies of Top Trainers

Author: Greg R. Notess

Summary: For those of you looking to create a class for the public on how to search the web, or even do a staff training session on the topic, Notess’ book provides you with a great deal of information from understanding who your audience is, what topics to focus on, terminology to use, concepts to cover and tons more. Appendices including sample handouts, the list of URLs referenced in the book and contact information for the trainers interviewed are sheer gold. This book is essential reading for computer trainers.

Cedar Rapids Public Library Continues to Fight FEMA Decision

Library Journal reports on CRPL’s fight with FEMA at http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6657403.html.

Start a Library Foundation

http://www.folusa.org/resources/pdf-versions/fact-sheet-16.pdf has great tips on how to start a library foundation. Don’t forget that your local or regional community foundation will, for a very small fee, act as your library’s foundation as well. For more information on the opportunities afforded by community foundations, contact Kim Kietzman at kkietzman@sls.lib.ia.us.

OCLC Makes Plans to Create an Online ILS for FirstSearch WorldCat Members

Current FirstSearch WorldCat members would have the option, at no extra cost, to have OCLC serve as their ILS system, complete with a locally branded catalog interface and a search function. For an in-depth look at the components of what they do, and will, offer go to www.bit.ly/OCLCsystem.

Library as Movie Studio

Sewickley (PA) Public Library Young Adult Librarian Kelly Rottmund has created “Movie Stars @ the Library,” a program where teens can use the library’s camera to make their own films after school, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported March 5. The young filmmakers have thus far created a murder mystery, a dance video and a comedy involving Pokemon and communists.

From American Libraries, April 2009

More Affordable Public Workstations – Using Open Source

Open source public workstations are an excellent option for libraries looking for cost-effective alternatives to proprietary software. Read about it in this May 2009 American Libraries article at http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ala/docDetail.action?docID=10290396&page=35.

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: The Library Manager’s Deskbook: 102 Expert Solutions to 101 Common Dilemmas

Authors: Paula Phillips Carson, Kerry David Carson, Joyce Schouest Phillips

Summary:

Sometimes you just need to know where to start. This book covers many issues facing library managers in all types and sizes of libraries and is a brief overview of where to begin to address these concerns. The broad themes include communication issues, professional issues, employment issues, personnel issues and liability issues.

Green Libraries

Wanda Urbanska from Simple Living Network explores how librarians can make a difference every day in many ways, as we all move toward environmental friendliness. The April 2009 American Libraries article can be read through Ebsco at http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&db=lxh&bquery=(AU+(+urbanska+))+and+(greener)&type=1&site=ehost-live.

Library as Movie Studio

Sewickley (PA) Public Library Young Adult Librarian Kelly Rottmund has created “Movie Stars @ the Library,” a program where teens can use the library’s camera to make their own films after school, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported March 5. The young filmmakers have thus far created a murder mystery, a dance video and a comedy involving Pokemon and communists.

From American Libraries, April 2009

Mentally Ill in the Public Library

A snapshot of issues around the mentally ill patron in the library. From the March/April 2009 issue of Public Libraries. The research is available at http://pla.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plapublications/publiclibraries/PL_48n2_Torrey_etal.pdf

Family Storytime – Planning and Tips from American Libraries, May 2009

Read about family storytimes at http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ala/document/display.jsp?docID=10290396&page=46

Procrastination and Wikipedia

From American Libraries, April 2009, comes a column on how students use Wikipedia and other resources for last minute work. projectinfolit.org/pdfs/internet_librarian_al_april_2009.pdf

Book Groups for Boys!

Michael Sullivan gives you the how-to in the May 2009 American Libraries. Read all about it at http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ala/docDetail.action?docID=10290396&page=46

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Used Book Sales: Less Work & Better Profits

Author: D. Keith Crotz

Summary: With times getting tight, we’re all looking to make our dollars stretch as far as we can. That includes finding new sources of income where possible. For many libraries, book sales are a steady stream of income. This is especially true when people are looking to purchase items new-to-them, but at a discounted price. If you already have an annual book sale, or are looking to start one, Crotz offers some tips on maximizing your profits

LAST CHANCE FOR BLACK BELT LIBRARIAN

For any of you who are on the fence about attending our upcoming workshop with Warren Davis Graham, the Black Belt Librarian, don’t forget that the last day to register is this Monday, April 27^th. As we are ordering food for this event, this is also the last day to cancel without being charged even if you are unable to make it. Please let Katie Dunneback (kdunneback@sls.lib.ia.us) know if you have any questions!

Black Belt Librarian
CE Units: 3.5
Speaker: Warren Davis Graham
Cost: $10

Warren Davis Graham, the Black Belt Librarian, will talk about what makes a security program effective in the real world, then show how to approach patrons to best inform them of rules to get them to comply. He will also talk about how to recognize the different levels of emotion a patron may be in and how best to handle the situation.

Burlington Public Library (Co-Sponsor)
Monday, May 4^th
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

State Library CE catalog: http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/cgi-bin/cecat/.

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Preschool Favorites: 35 Storytimes Kids Love

Author: Diane Briggs

Summary:

For anyone looking for fresh storytime ideas, this fabulous book will give you a kick-start. Separated into themes, each chapter includes suggested titles, sing-a-along songs, craft ideas, flannelboard ideas and more. A great addition to any storytime presenter’s repertoire.

Thanks to all who attended ILA Legislative Day 2009!

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Book Repair
Authors: Kenneth Lavender & Scott Stockton

Summary:
When budgets are tight as they are now, it feels even more imperative to make our materials last as long as possible. This volume in publisher Neal-Schuman’s popular “How-To-Do-It Manual” series provides step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and detailed graphics illustrating common and not-so-common book repair processes.

DON'T FORGET: ILA LEGISLATIVE DAY IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25TH!

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: The Complete Guide to Performance Standards for Library Personnel
Author: Carol F. Goodson

Summary:
Evaluating employees is much easier when we have clear guidelines on how to do so. Implementing performance standards gives us those guidelines. If you are looking to overhaul current standards or newly introduce them, this book will provide you with accepted standards for all levels of staff.

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM KICK-OFF

It’s getting to be that time of year again, and the summer will be here before you know it. The Summer Library Program Kick-Off is for all those who’ve started their SLP planning or need that extra kick in the pants to do so. We will be demonstrating a database Katie has created to help you keep track of participants and programs to make reporting of statistics to the State Library easier. Also on tap is helping you work up a plan for a program for you to use or keep in reserve. There will be roundtable discussion as well as some crafts on hand for you to try out. You can register for this at the State Library CE Catalog: http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/cgi-bin/cecat/index.cgi. As this is an in-person program, it is subject to our requirement of at least 8 registered attendees.

CE Credit: 2

Tuesday, March 24th
Ottumwa Public Library
9 am to 12 pm

Thursday, March 26th
Musser Public Library
1 pm to 4 pm

Tuesday, March 31st
West Point Public Library
9 am to 12 pm

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Successful Staff Development
Author: Marcia Trotta

Summary:
Neal-Schuman is well known for their informative and excellent “A How-To-Do-It Manual” series. This addition to the series is another fabulous resource for the sometimes sticky issue of staff development. By focusing on positive results, you can effect change. Trotta’s book provides a number of great tools to help you create an effective and satisfied staff.

SLS OFFERS GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Southeastern Library Services is happy to be offering one $300 grant to a librarian or library staff member working directly with children/teens at a library in the Southeast region to attend the 2009 Kids First Conference at the Gateway Center in Ames, IA, April 27-29, 2009. This year, we are doing a random drawing from all who register for the grant. The registration period is open until next Monday, March 9th. The link for the registration is below. Please contact Katie at kdunneback@sls.lib.ia.us if you have any questions!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XPF7N5A0uG33qVxG8RB1XA_3d_3d

MORE VIDEO IDEAS FROM EAST COAST LIBRARYLAND

The Weigle Information Commons music video. Students are singing about the wonders of the David B. Weigle Information Commons, located in the University of Pennsylvania’s Van Pelt Library, in this video (3:03) directed by Ryan A. Leonard. Sung to the tune of Petula Clark’s “Downtown”: “We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares, and go Weigle.”...University of Pennsylvania

LIBRARIES AID IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES

New Jersey’s new library commercial. This is a 30-second commercial the New Jersey State Library produced for the state Public Television Network that highlights how libraries are helping patrons get jobs in tough economic times. YouTube, Feb. 12

REGISTER NOW FOR DIRECTOR'S ROUNDTABLE!!

We are in danger of canceling the Director’s Roundtable scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd from 1 to 3 pm in Mt. Pleasant due to low registration. This is a great opportunity to learn about the updates to the Open Meetings/Open Records Act from Kim and find out what new and exciting things your neighboring libraries are doing. Registration is available through today (Friday, February 27th) at the State Library CE catalog: http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/cgi-bin/cecat/. Please take advantage of this valuable learning opportunity -- sign up today!

PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE WEEK

Title: Even More Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends
Authors: Sally Gardner Reed and Beth Nawalinski

Summary:
As Executive Director of Friends of Libraries USA (FOLUSA), Reed is in the unique position to see what fundraising and advocacy ideas not only work in libraries, but really work well. With Nawalinski, the Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator of FOLUSA, she has compiled 75 fabulous ideas and events with information on how you can adapt them for your library.

MARKETING VIDEO FROM MARKHAM

Here is a good library marketing tool found on YouTube:

How Markham built its new libraryYouTube, Mar. 9, 2008

Government Printing Office in Transition

Information Today reports that the Government Printing Office is in the middle of a transition to make 300,000 government documents available through a new system called FDsys. The new system is an information management system that enables GPO to gather, process, preserve, archive, and make U.S. government information available to the public. For more information on the transition, visit http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=52660.

A LIBRARY MORSEL FROM PADUCAH, KY

Tasty choices @ your library The McCracken County Public Library in Paducah, Kentucky, produced this PSA (0:32) in 2006 to highlight the “scrumptious selection of choices to feed your mind at a price everyone can afford.” YouTube, Aug. 9, 2006

MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH


In honor of March being Women's History Month here are some free resources, including downloadable bookmarks from Gale at http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/whm/.

OUTFOXING THE FOXES

Here is some good information from PC World Online about outfoxing online scammers: http://www.pcworld.com/article/159708/top_9_dirty_tricks_scammers_use.html

Coupon Cutting Club

From the 2/18/09 issue of American Libraries Direct comes a great idea for providing a service during difficult economic times. The Mint Hill branch of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina uses staff to run the program, but smaller libraries could surely use volunteers, and then make sure to advertise, market and promote the service as yet another way libraries offer essential and efficient services. For the news clip, visit http://news14.com/content/local_news/coastal/605032/library-features-coupon-cutting-club/Default.aspx.

A New Internet?

From American Libraries Direct’s 2/18/09 edition, this article looks at the possibility of “starting over” with the Internet to reclaim security and privacy. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/weekinreview/15markoff.html