Everyone connected to your library (staff, board of trustees, friends members, teachers, principals) is welcome to receive our newsletter electronically. Sign up at http://www.semls.org/survey_003.htm.
As of January 1, 2007, each member library will only receive 1 paper copy of the newsletter!
The SEMLS Web site has a new look. We launched our newly-redesigned Web site today with new features to make it a useful resource for members. Some new things you'll find on our site include:
A SEMLS Community section, where members can interact with each other to share ideas and challenges.
A Resource Shelf, where members can find professional support materials, grants and awards, and other resources to assist them in their libraries.
More photos of members participating in SEMLS programs.
If you haven't seen the thirty(30) second Catch the Beat at Your Library 2007 Summer Reading promotional ad airing on your town's local cable network, you can view the ad from Youtube. Both ads, however can be shared with family, friends and of course downloaded onto your library's webpages. So celebrate the ReadsinMa & SRP 2007 campaigns using Web 2.0 tools this year!
This is a reminder to join your fellow trustees for a light buffet dinner and a discussion of state and regional programs, Tuesday, September 25 at the Lakeville Public Library. Learn how the MBLC and SEMLS can assist you in providing service to your community. Please RSVP to SEMLS at 877-923-3531 or cletendre@semls.org.
Save the Date - November 15, 2007 - SEMLS Annual Meeting
Please join us in celebrating ten years of service at the SEMLS Annual Meeting on November 15, 2007 from 10-12. This year the annual meeting will be held at the Lakeville Public Library.
Refreshments will be available at 9:30 a.m.
If you plan on attending, please call the SEMLS office at 508-923-3531 or e-mail us at semls@semls.org.
RFP for 2009 LLMA Leadership Institute Facilitator Issued
Proposals are being sought for a Facilitator for the 3rd Library Leadership Institute to be held in July 2009. Participants in the Institute will include up to forty (40) professional or paraprofessional library staff, and possibly trustees and/or friends of libraries. Deadline for proposals is April 1, 2008
Please join us in welcoming our newest SEMLS member: Freetown Elementary School Library, 43 Bullock Road, East Freetown, MA 02717, Maria Sylvain, Library Teacher.
Joint SEMLS and Metrowest Annual Council of Members Meeting and Breakfast
Please join us for the first joint annual council of members meeting being held on Thursday, November 13, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Warren Conference Center & Inn, Hayden Lodge, Main Dining Room, 529 Chestnut Street, Ashland, MA.
Our featured speaker is R. David Lankes, Director of the Information Institute of Syracuse and an associate professor in Syracuse University's School of Information Studies.
Delivery Survey Deadline - Saturday October 11, 2008
If you are on delivery service, please take a few moments to answer our survey on delivery service. Both Commonwealth Carrier and SEMLS want to know how the service is working for you. We know that some of you had transition issues, and we believe that those issues have been resolved.
When answering the survey, if you would consider the last few months, it will give us a picture of how it is working. It will tell us if there are issues that still need to be addressed. Thank you for your time and input. The survey can be found at http://tinyurl.com/3k3236.
At least 3,000 applications (each with a $40 check made payable to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) must be collected in order for the Registry of Motor Vehicles to begin production of the plate.
If you submit an application before November 30, 2008, your name will be entered into a drawing for the opportunity to communicate with prominent Massachusetts authors Lois Lowry or Gregory Maguire and to be named as a character in a work-in-progress by one of them or help invent a name that suits the story. Two names will be selected.
Advance applications for a new specialty license plate celebrating libraries in Massachusetts are now being accepted.
Blast off to Space with your 2009 Summer Reading Program Orders
Seasons Greetings Youth Services Librarians! You may now place your 2009 Summer Reading Program orders from now until Friday, January 30th 2009. To review the Starship Adventure at Your Library & Find What's Out There program offerings, please visit the Janway site. To place your order of free bookmarks, reading certificates, posters, reading logs and YA cards, you may click here.
Our space-themed Accu-cut dies are in circulation and could be heading to a library near you--if you reserve them. To see what new dies have been added to our Accu-cut Collection, please visit our new online album.
SEMLS will be making changes to its electronic discussion list Friday, April 17 as we move to a new mailing list manager.
The new list manager will provide you, as subscribers, with more options:
formatted e-mail, not just plain-text
attachments
a Web-based interface for managing your access • more delivery options, including daily and weekly digests.
stopping and re-starting mail, and going on “vacation.”
mail archive and mail search integrated into manager • manage multiple list subscriptions with one login.
All current members of the SEMLS list will be transitioned over automatically; you need not do anything to continue to receive e-mail.
CHANGES:
When you send a new message to the SEMSL list (starting Friday), please send it to: semls@mblc.state.ma.us.
When you receive messages they will usually be in the form: semls-owner@mblc.state.ma.us ; on behalf of; Sender [Sender’s e-mail.] The subject of each message will contain the string: [semls] so that you can set up automatic mail handling rules if you desire in your e-mail program.
If you want to, you will be able to establish a Web login at: http://mblc.state.ma.us/sympa by selecting the “First login?” link. This step is NOT necessary to continue to send and receive e-mail from the list.
The current SEMLS list will temporarily stop taking new subscribers on Thursday. SEMLS members can start subscribing to the list again when we cut over to the new list on Friday.
ALL REGIONS LIST
The other regions in the state have not all moved to the new system yet. In the meantime, please continue to send your statewide messages to allregions@mlin.lib.ma.us. We will let you know when this address will change. At the same time, please do not send attachments to the All Regions list until we notify you that they are able to accept attachments.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kathy Lussier at klussier@semls.org
The 2009 SEMLS Continuing Education Survey is now available. We greatly appreciate your comments and insights as we begin planning workshops for FY 2010. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. The survey deadline is Friday, May 29, 2009.
Now that all six regions have switched over to a new electronic mailing list manager, there is a new e-mail address for the All Regions mailing list.
To post a message to all regions, send the message to allregions@mblc.state.ma.us.
Before sending, please consider whether the message is truly of interest to a statewide audience. You can post messages with HTML and with attachments.
The SEMLS News and Information Survey is now available. We greatly appreciate your comments and insights. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. The survey deadline is Wednesday, July 15, 2009.
Unfortunately, the link sent out via the newsletter, the listserv and printed copy of the survey last Friday, June 12, 2009 is not working properly. Although it allowed participants to take the survey, it did not collect the responses!
If you had already taken the news and information survey on Friday or over the weekend, could you please take the survey again at the above-mentioned link.
Thank you for your time, and we apologize for the confusion. We will keep you posted on the results.
SEMLS is now sharing news and updates on Facebook and Twitter. To keep up with our postings, become a fan of the SEMLS Facebook Page or follow us on Twitter.
Reposted from a message MBLC Director Rob Maier sent to the Allregions Listserv:
Last week at a regular meeting with regional administrators I began a conversation about reductions in the state budget that are being proposed for fiscal year FY2011 (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011). The Board of Library Commissioners has been given a budget cap by the administration of a 16% reduction compared to this year. Most other state agencies are facing a similar budget-making scenario. This is the result of declining state revenues and the fact that the FY2010 state budget benefits substantially from the use of one-time federal stimulus funds.
Even if a 16% reduction was to be imposed equally on all library programs the impact on regional library systems would be significant. However, given the recent erosion of funding for State Aid to Public Libraries, it is unlikely that that account would be cut further. The reduction in regional and library of last recourse funding may be as great as 28%.
With this information in hand I have asked the regional administrators to work with me and with regional member libraries and regional staff to prioritize regional services for FY2011 and beyond. This planning will include options for the consolidation of regional library systems with the likelihood of 1 or 2 restructured regions going forward and changes in required services including support for regional reference centers.
I fully recognize that changes of this magnitude are challenging. I know that if we work together we can continue to provide the regional services that the libraries and residents of Massachusetts value and rely on every day to improve their lives.
Maureen Sullivan, prominent national consultant, will be our speaker and facilitator. SEMLS is pleased that Maureen is available to work with us as we all envision regional services in the restructured regions. What services are priorities for you? Your voice is critical now as this planning goes forward.
Rob Maier, Director of the MA Board of Library Commissioners, will update us on the state budget process and on the planning for the restructuring of the regions. Maureen will then facilitate a session that will identify and prioritize essential statewide services today and will lead us on a discussion on future trends for libraries and how statewide services should assist libraries in meeting these trends.
Many of you have worked with Maureen in the past. For those who haven’t, a brief bio on Maureen’s career and accomplishments follows:
Maureen is an organization development consultant whose practice focuses on the delivery of consulting and training services to libraries and other information organizations. She has more than 25 years of experience as a consultant on organization development, strategic planning, leadership development, introducing and managing organizational change, organization and work redesign, establishment of staff development and learning programs for today's workplace, creating a work environment that supports diversity, revision of position classification and compensation systems, and the identification and development of competencies. Her experience includes 12 years as the human resources administrator in the libraries at the University of Maryland (1977-1980) and at Yale University (1983-1991.) She has had a long association with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and was instrumental in the design and delivery of several of ARL's management training programs.
There is still time to attend a Supplemental Reference Service Focus Group. Tell us what types of supplemental reference services are important to you. Help the SEMLS Reference Task Force as it makes recommendations for the future look of reference services. With the potential restructuring of regional services, the Task Force can develop a model that can be used in the planning of this restructuring. There is still one more opportunity to participate. The focus group will be held on Tuesday, October 13 at 1:00 p.m. at the Norwell Public Library.
This will be a two-hour focus group. To register use the following link:
Thank you! We always appreciate the time you are willing to give us to help us understand and respond to the needs of your communities and organizations.
On October 16, the Massachusetts Municipal Association is holding two legislative breakfasts in the area. One is at the Pembroke Public Library from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. At the same time, the Acushnet Council of Aging building will host representatives from that area. More information and registration information can be found at:
Last week at a regular meeting with regional administrators I began a conversation about reductions in the state budget that are being proposed for fiscal year FY2011 (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011.) The Board of Library Commissioners has been given a budget cap by the administration of a 16 percent reduction compared to this year. Most other state agencies are facing a similar budget-making scenario. This is the result of declining state revenues and the fact that the FY2010 state budget benefits substantially from the use of one-time federal stimulus funds.
Even if a 16 percent reduction was to be imposed equally on all library programs the impact on regional library systems would be significant. However, given the recent erosion of funding for State Aid to Public Libraries, it is unlikely that account would be cut further. The reduction in regional and library of last recourse funding may be as great as 28 percent.
With this information in hand I have asked the regional administrators to work with me and with regional member libraries and regional staff to prioritize regional services for FY2011 and beyond. This planning will include options for the consolidation of regional library systems with the likelihood of one or two restructured regions going forward and changes in required services including support for regional reference centers.
I fully recognize that changes of this magnitude are challenging. I know that if we work together we can continue to provide the regional services that the libraries and residents of Massachusetts value and rely on every day to improve their lives.
The Circulator: A Fun Look at Workflow, Customer Service
and Safety in the Library
Don't miss the hit of the season: a two hour, multi-media workshop on examining your library’s workflow and safety issues in the circulation and delivery areas. The Statewide Delivery Task Force Committee on Ergonomics has prepared a two hour training featuring our own super hero, “The Circulator.” The Circulator is full of ideas to make working at public service desks and handling the ever-increasing volume of books in delivery easier for staff members.
Included are some funny animations, serious recommendations, and resource lists. There’s plenty of time for discussion and idea sharing. The program is sponsored and led by the Ergonomic and Workflow Task Force of the Statewide Delivery Committee. Upcoming events are October 28 at CLAMS; December 15 at OCLN and February 4 at SEMLS.
Time to Gear Up for National Gaming Day @ your library
As hundreds of libraries across the country join the American Library Association (ALA) to celebrate the second annual National Gaming Day @ your library on November 14, 2009, we’d like to remind you that SEMLS has equipment to help you and your community celebrate together.
Last year, more than 14,000 people participated in gaming activities in more than 600 libraries across the country on National Gaming Day. Many libraries reported the benefits of younger kids playing with older kids; families playing together; grandparents playing with grandkids; and kids making friends with the library’s staff. This year’s event promises to be even bigger, with more libraries participating and more games in the mix.
If you need more information on the benefits on gaming on communities we have copies of Beth Gallaway’s Game On! Gaming in the Library and Jenny Levine’s Gaming & Libraries: Learning Lessons from the Intersections.
For more information on National Gaming Day @ your library, and gaming in libraries, please visit http://ilovelibraries.org/gaming. For information on equipment available from SEMLS contact Cheryl Letendre, cletendre@semls.org.
As library use continues to rise and budgets are being reduced, it is important to use library statistics to justify the need for maintaining positions. On October 27, from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at SEMLS, Barbara Andrews will teach a workshop on how to present your data quickly and effectively using Excel. Many internal and external sources of data are available, and it is critical to be able to identify which data is relevant for a specific situation. Statistics, such as computer use, circulation, ILL’s, Web site usage, patron visits, database usage and program attendance are available to allow you to compare your library with peers and identify trends. Using Office 2007 we will look at importing text files and data from other sources, creating effective graphical displays of data and linking excel data and charts to PowerPoint presentations. You can register for this workshop on the SEMLS Web site, http://www.semls.org.
Following up on the reduce use article last month, now we’ll look at the many ways libraries can save natural resources and money by recycling. Our local recycling can have a global impact on natural resources. The more we recycle, the fewer natural resources will be used to make new products.
Libraries are still very paper-based information agencies so purchasing recycled paper, and offering recycling bins for paper, with separate bins for newspapers, are obvious places to begin a recycling campaign in your library and, in fact, respondents to a survey on green practices in academic libraries over 91 percent showed this to be their biggest success. The second highest area of recycling success with well over 90 percent reporting successful programs was printer cartridges. While your recycling team is setting up the paper recycling bins, why not incorporate glass, plastic and aluminum bins into the area, particularly if your library has a café area. All plastic now rated with number 2 plastic containers are the easiest to recycle, so when offered a choice, check the bottom of the container for the plastic rating number and choose 2.
While you are working at recycling, encourage your borrowers to recycle by selling water bottles, travel mugs, and cloth book bags and reusable lunch bags with your library logo. The Orange County Library in Florida has adopted the tagline “Go Green with Orange” and includes that on their library products.
Books weeded from your collection can also be recycled through organizations like Better World Books www.betterworldbooks.com. DVD’s and CD’s can be recycled through B-logistics www.blogistics.com that will help the library resell materials online and donate materials that don’t sell to their nonprofit literacy partners. Cardboard from materials and book packaging is also easily recycled at most landfills in Massachusetts.
For more information on recycling see:
Carlson, Kim Green Your Work: Boost Your Bottom Line While Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
McKay, Kim and Jenny Bonnin with Tim Wallace True Green @ Work: 100 Ways You Can Make the Environment Your Business
Senge, Peter The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World
How SEMLS Libraries Are Managing Public Access Computers
How SEMLS Libraries
Are Managing
Public Access Computers
Back in July, I received an e-mail from a SEMLS director asking how other public libraries in the region are managing their public access computers. Do they all keep separate computers for children and adults, or do all patrons access the Internet from a central location? Are libraries filtering access to the Internet? These questions are ones I would have felt comfortable answering a few years ago when CIPAwas passed and I was frequently talking to libraries about filtering and age restrictions for Internet access. However, I no longer had a good handle on how our libraries are handling public access to the Internet. My response was to put out a survey to hear directly from members. Here are some key points from the survey results:
·55 public libraries responded to the survey. Only 11 of those libraries (20 percent) provide one central location for adults and children to access the Internet. The remaining libraries have separate spaces for children and adults to access the Internet.
·The majority of responding libraries (nearly 62 percent) do not filter content on any Internet access workstations. Ten libraries (18.2 percent) filter content on all public access workstations and nine libraries (16.4 percent) only filter content on the children's workstations.
·Of the 44 libraries that provide separate workstations based on age, 24 libraries (52.2 percent) allow children to use the adult workstations without any preconditions. Another 11 libraries say that children can use an adult workstation only if they are with a parent or guardian, four libraries allow children to use those workstations if they have written permission from a parent, and seven libraries do not allow children to use adult workstations.
·When looking just at the results of the nine libraries that filter children's workstations, only three allowed children to use the adult workstations without preconditions. The rest allowed children to use those workstations in the presence of a parent or with written permission from a parent.
·When looking at the libraries that provide a central location for users of all ages to access the Internet, only one library filters content on those workstations.
·Of the 55 libraries responding to the survey, 11 said they are also providing laptops for use by their patrons.
If your library is at a point where you are revisiting issues related to filters, acceptable use policies, or Internet access workstations, SEMLS will be holding a Virtual Roundtableat 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 2 to discuss this issue.
Job Seekers Find Help at the Falmouth Public Library
Job Seekers Find Help at the Falmouth Public Library
When SEMLS offered the workshop Meeting the Challenge of Helping Job Seekers this past April, I jumped at the chance to attend. Katherine L. May of the Newton & Winchester libraries was the presenter. She outlined several methods of helping jobseekers cope with the online hiring environment. She provided each attendee with a useful handout with annotated listings of Web sites and traditional print resources. The workshop was also valuable for promoting an impromptu roundtable type exchange among the reference librarians.
In the course of discussing resume preparation for online distribution, the proprietary program WinWay came up. Back home in Falmouth, I investigated further and found that it is not very expensive, and it has many more features than a simple resume template. When I described what the program can do, our director Leslie Morrissey approved the purchase of WinWay with a site license. Our IT Librarian Gary Ingraham installed it on all 11 public computers, our six in-house laptops, and the staff computers (so we could learn how to use and teach the program, too!)
By the time we got everything set up, it was around Memorial Day. The summer job scene had warmed up for the locals, and the crush of summer library visitors was underway. We directed a few job seekers to the program, but really did not have time to become proficient with the program ourselves or to coach job seekers. By the end of August I was itching to get started on something useful and specific to help folks coming off their summer jobs. Cape Cod enjoys a seasonal increase in available jobs, but the off-season can be cold and bitter when the wider job market crashes. Falmouth has a state-run Career Opportunities office in Falmouth, but they are frequently overwhelmed, and we see their client overflow at the library.
Evenings are less hectic than days. Since I work Wednesday evenings, I offer individualized workshops on Wednesdays, from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. I posted signs “REV-UP YOUR RESUME” in the library and sent one to the Falmouth Career Center. Because we must serve all who come to the library, we limit enrollment to four jobseekers each week, who sign up in advance. The sessions are scheduled to run from September through October 30. If there is still demand thereafter, we probably will continue.
We offer resume and cover letter help via the WinWay program, setting up e-mail accounts one-on-one, providing handouts with online local and national job listing sites in addition to WinWay. There is a sample interview video, which even includes graceful answers to illegal questions that some employers ask! The program also has a video outlining the job search process: the whys and wherefores of resumes, the interview process and even salary negotiation. The program offers several formats for saving resumes and cover letters: .rsm (their program) .doc (Windows) and even .pdf! Participants may save their work to a thumb drive or as attachments to their e-mail. By the end of the summer, we had several orphaned thumb drives on hand. Our IT Librarian cleaned them up and reformatted them. We offer them to workshop participants who do not have one, so they can continue to work on their resumes and letters on any of our computers. Each recipient has literally beamed with pleasure and the glow of empowerment. (It’s not my imagination!)
During our first week one person signed up. He was computer savvy and was grateful to have a method of reconstructing his resume and distributing it online. He also spent some time scanning the online job site links in WinWay. The second week we had three participants. One was a young person, new to the workforce, just graduated with a dental hygiene certification. She is employed by a temp agency but is eager for a full-time job. She was interested in creating a strong cover letter and watching the interview video. Another woman was a client at the state Career Center but felt her resume is too old-fashioned and stodgy. She was thrilled with the prompts offered by the customized “Sample Resume” template. The third person was a middle-aged man with so-so computer skills. He also found the “Sample Resume” template helpful in giving a stronger voice to his experience and skills. We are encouraged that the participants have planned to come back to continue to work on their resumes and job searching here at the library.
If you have any questions, please call us toll-free at 888-439-8850.
"Rev-Up" Your Resume at the Falmouth Public Library
“Rev-Up” Your Resume at the Falmouth Public Library
FREE workshops for job seekers—Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.—September & October beginning September 9.
The Reference Staff will help with: preparing or updating resumes using the WinWay resume program; writing cover letters; creating e-mail accounts; searching online job listings in the Cape Cod Times & Boston Globe.
In order to provide participants with individual attention, you must sign up in advance, and there is a limit of four participants each week.
Participants must have basic computer skills, such as using a mouse, using pull-down menus, and familiarity with basic word processing.
Sign Up at the Falmouth Public Library Reference/Info Desk, or call 508-457-2555, Ext. 6
The Cape Cod & Islands Library Association Annual Fall Meeting
The Cape Cod & Islands Library Association Annual Fall Meeting
On Friday, October 23, 2009, the Annual Fall Meeting of the Cape Cod & Islands Library Association will be held at the Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street, Falmouth from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The theme this year is “The Challenging Patron.” Dr. Richard Sommers, Clinical Psychologist, Cape Cod Community College and Lt. George Bausch, Brewster Police Department, will discuss techniques that can work for you! The morning presentation will be followed by an afternoon discussion to include actual instances and scenarios. Bring your experiences and "what if" situations to the experts for their opinions on how to defuse and deal with some of our most uncomfortable situations. This meeting is a must for anyone in any library who may come in contact with difficult patrons.
Program
9:15–10:15 Coffee, Registration, and Library Tours with Director Leslie Morrissey
10:15–10:30 Business Meeting
10:30–12 Speakers - Dr. Richard Sommers and Lt. George Bausch
12–1 Lunch and Raffle
1–2 Open Discussion
2–2:30 Tours of Library
Take Time for Shopping!
Special promotion with Ellabella of Falmouth – A percentage of all items purchased will be donated to the Christine Rose Scholarship. Do some early holiday shopping. Visit http://www.ellabellas.comto view some fabulous treasures!
There is no fee for this meeting. However please fill out the registration form on our Web site: http://www.ccila.com.
Boxed lunch is available from Pie in the Sky for $15. Be sure to indicate on the registration form if you’d like to order one. (If you attended last fall’s meeting at Woods Hole you may remember that delicious and huge boxed lunch!)
Attendees are invited to bring an item for the raffle, proceeds from which go the Christine Rose Scholarship Fund.
Deadline to register – October 19 but don’t delay; REGISTER TODAY! http://www.ccila.com.
Questions? Contact Donna Burgess at Falmouth Public Library 508-457-2555 ext. 2935.
Please join us for our SEMLS annual meeting on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Refreshments will be available at 9:30 a.m. This year's meeting will be held at the Martin Institute Auditorium, Stonehill College, Easton, MA. Maureen Sullivan, prominent national consultant, will be our speaker and facilitator. SEMLS is pleased that Maureen is available to work with us as we all envision regional services in the restructured regions. What services are priorities for you? Your voice is critical now as this planning goes forward. To register, call 877-923-3531, e-mail us at semls@semls.org or register online at http://tinyurl.com/yhjpmy3. Meeting information and materials are available at http://www.semls.org/annualmeeting/annualmeeting.htm.
Can you believe that this year's fall feels like winter? I have to tell you that I feel robbed, short-changed, and bamboozled by Mother Nature. I expect to have at least one whole month of bright blue skies before the rust and gold-colored leaves changed. "Sigh" Oh well, I guess change is a part of nature. But here's one event that hasn't gone under transformation--our Performer's Showcase! This year, our 9th annual celebration will take place at the Elizabeth Pole Elementary School in Taunton on Tuesday, November 17. Come view next year's performers this year as we prepare the celebration of our Summer 2010 Go Green theme. To register, lease visit http://www.semls.org.
Summer Reading Program 2010 by Vickie Beene-Beavers, Assistant Administrator for Youth Services
The order forms for the 2010 summer reading program will be available on our statewide summer wiki starting on December 9, http://masummreading.pbworks.com/. If you have not signed up to be a member of the wiki yet, please visit the site. You'll need to enter your e-mail address and then create a password of your choosing. Note: You'll need to remember your e-mail address, username and password in order to return to the site throughout the month leading up to this summer's festivities. Once your request to join the wiki has been authorized, you will be able to download clip art and even add links of your own, i.e. craft and program ideas and booklists to create our manual within the months to come. After entering the site, locate your regional library system order form to place your orders for the free posters, bookmarks, reading logs and certificates. Please complete your paper orders by Friday, January 29. Later this month you'll have an opportunity to order the incentives if your library budget allows. Thanks for your attention!
It's All About Teens!, by Vickie Beene-Beavers, Assistant Administrator for Youth Services
MLA and MSLA are gearing up to launch Massachusetts’ very own Teen Book Choice Award for summer 2010. First, we have to decide on the logo. We are asking all youth serving librarians to share the news of the logo contest with their respective community members…teachers, after-school programs, glee clubs and, of course, their teens. More information on the logo size, copyright permission, submission and deadline can be found at the links provided below. So hurry, print the downloadable flier announcement and spread the news for the contest ends on January 31, 2010.
Change by Joan-Marie Proulx, Southworth Library, Dartmouth
Change, it’s around all of us, both in our lives at home and here at work. Most people don’t like change, but whether we like it or not, change is going to happen. It is necessary because without change we stagnate, do not grow or adapt to a changing world, and without that growth and adaptation, we do not improve our system and service to our patrons. So what do we do? Do we fight the inevitable and make things difficult for ourselves, our coworkers, and equally important our patrons?
Change isn’t necessarily our choice or idea and often causes an interruption or inconvenience to our lives. The fact of the matter is that we have to cope with the changes that are happening. The question is how we, as a staff, implement the changes and make our library stronger and better for the circumstances we face.
We have to keep in mind that regardless of how we feel, we have to put that aside and remember that our patrons come first. It is our responsibility to provide them with a seamless transition to the new practices that will be in place.
We will be doing more with less, which is brought on by the state of our financial reality. The days of doing business as usual are over. We have to be innovative and creative in our approach to issues and how we complete our tasks. We can no longer just throw staffing or other assets at a situation because all are in short supply. We have to work smarter not harder.
We are not going to be successful in achieving these goals just with management putting out instructions. We have to pull together as a team and develop new practices and procedures that will help us meet our goals of excellence. The people who know the job the best are the ones who do it every day, and that is you.
The Gift of the Reference Librarian by Jill Erickson, Head of Reference & Adult Services, Falmouth Public Library
While it discourages me that the regional reference centers are vanishing, and even librarians seem to believe that Google can answer all questions, I’d like to remind everyone of the gift of the reference librarian. In this season of giving and upheaval, sharing two recent reference stories I hope will remind everyone of what it is that reference librarians do. The first question came to me via MassAnswers (www.massanswers.org.) MassAnswers has been a terrific, but woefully underutilized (in this state,) online, live-chat resource for people lost on the Web, or just uncertain as to how to search our online catalogs.
The question was this: “What is the main theme of Aldous Huxley’s poem “Complaint of a Poet Manque”? I took the bait and picked up the question. It was a tough question in that not much has been written on Huxley’s poetry, as far as I could tell in a quick search of resources. Turns out that the student asking the question was in a class called Dominant Ideas and was writing a paper. We got to talking online about the class, about the poem, about Huxley, and ended up having a real discussion. I used actual books in our library as well as online resources to help him with his question. His last comment to me was: “wow; that is a great way to think about it. You're more helpful than any accessible source online or in books! Thanks very much.” That’s right, the gift of the reference librarian.
The question I got last week came in the form of a phone call. A woman in tears was calling from a town in New York. She began by saying she needed a photo of a particular man. This seemed like a long shot, but being the seasoned reference librarian I am, I continued with the reference interview. Turned out the photograph that she wanted was of a young man who had died in the Vietnam War in 1966. He had gone to high school in Falmouth, graduated in 1965, and died in December 1966. I told her there probably would have been an article in the local newspaper, with a photograph, and that we also had the 1965 Falmouth High School Yearbook. I went to the microfilm of the Falmouth Enterprise, and indeed found a photograph of this young man, as well as several news articles about him, his family and his friends. The article began: “The Christmas lights went out on Minot Street last Friday.”
I was able to scan the articles, and e-mail them to the woman who had been looking for a photograph. In addition I was able to find a photograph in the Falmouth Year Book, and also took a photograph for her of the monument to this young man, which is on the memorial veteran’s walk on the library lawn. For me it was a moving moment to be able to put a face to a stone I pass every day when I walk to work. By day’s end I got this message back from the woman: “I cannot even begin to thank you enough. I have been trying to find a picture of him for almost half a century. I surely can’t begin to tell you what he meant to me and still means to me. I was a couple years younger, but when you meet that one special person in your life….. This is priceless to me.” That’s right, the gift of the reference librarian.
As the year comes to an end and so many people (including, alas, librarians) think that all a person needs is a computer and a search engine, I suggest that you think again. Reference librarians have brains and souls and hearts that no search engine will ever have. Reference librarians can change lives and open minds in a moment. Reference librarians are here to stay, because even though the technology changes, the need for information and help in finding that information stays the same.
Congratulations to the following libraries in the southeastern region recognized by the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service, 2009, Round 2, for their levels of service provided. For more information on the results of the second round, visit: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6705374.html.
Five Star Libraries: Wellfleet Public Library; Provincetown Public Library; West Tisbury Free Public Library; Vineyard Haven.
Four Star Libraries: Osterville Free Library, Eldredge Public Library, Chatham; Dennis Public Library, Dennisport.
Three Star Libraries: Vineyard Haven Public Library; Snow Library, Orleans; Oak Bluffs Public Library.
Best Wishes in Your New Position
Mary McCauley, Library Teacher, Chandler Elementary School, Hull
Bryan Revis, Library Teacher, Hull High School
Mary Dunphy, Library Teacher, Hingham High School
Meredith Lebo, Library Teacher, South Shore Vocational Technical High School, Hanover
Jennifer Wiley, Library Teacher, Cape Cod Regional TechnicalHigh School, Harwich
Best Wishes to Our Newest Members
King Philip Regional High School, 201 Franklin Street, Wrentham, MA 02093
Maureen D. Mores, Library Teacher
Bridgewater Middle School, 166 Mount Prospect Street, Bridgewater, MA 02324
You can now begin placing your orders for paper products for the upcoming summer reading program in 2010. Orders are due by January 29, 2010. Materials will be sent directly to your library next spring. The paper incentives are provided free of charge to members of the MA Regional Library System. You must be a member of one of the six regional library systems to place an order.
All member libraries that order summer reading program materials will receive free access to the online manual and clip art.
Please contact Vickie Beene-Beavers, Assistant Administrator for Youth Services, for assistance and questions at SEMLS (508) 923-3531.
All 18 members or alternates of the TransTeam attended (one via phone) along with the ex officio members (regional administrators and MBLC representative) and facilitator.
Seventeen members or alternates of the TransTeam attended (two via phone) along with the ex officio members (regional administrators and MBLC representative) and facilitator.
Topics Discussed:
Confidentiality of TransTeam discussions, potential conflicts of interest, and a communication plan.
Tentative agreements were reached on the following topics discussed at the first meeting. Please note that agreements reached at this early stage of the process may need to be revisited as the work continues.
Name of Organization:
Massachusetts Library System [acronym or abbreviation to be determined.]
Mission Statement:
The Massachusetts Library System, a state-supported collaborative, fosters cooperation, communication, innovation, and sharing among member libraries of all types. The [Acronym] promotes equitable access to excellent library services and resources for all who live, work, or study in Massachusetts.
Services to be Offered:
Delivery
Databases
Mediated Interlibrary Loan
Continuing Education and Training (Includes Youth Services)
Advisory and Technical Assistance (Includes Youth Services)
This discussion is preliminary pending further legal advice. In general, a 15-member executive board would be elected at-large with requirements for representation from all parts of the state, all types of libraries and all sizes of library. The initial transition board would be comprised from the existing executive boards with each appointing two members and three additional members appointed at-large.
Working Groups Appointedat this meeting will report back to the February 9 meeting of the TransTeam. The following working groups were established:
Personnel and Staffingwill consider staffing and related budget levels needed to support the services listed above.
Human Resourceswill consider issues related to the hiring of the chief executive and staff including job descriptions, salary, benefits and the timeline for decisions on staff positions.
Structure and Locationswill consider the location of the hub (main office) and spokes or offices (field locations) including the number of locations, their staffing levels, and whether they will include facilities such as training labs or meeting rooms.
Communications will issue updates to the library community on behalf of the TransTeam.
This report is authored by Jim Douglas, Diane Giarrusso, Carolyn Noah and Rob Maier for the Regional Transition Planning Committee.
Jill Erickson, Head of Reference & Adult Services
Falmouth Public Library
Text-A-Librarian at Falmouth Public Library
Have a question? Send us a text message! The Falmouth Public Library now offers a free text message reference service. (Please note that standard texting rates apply to your phone.) Text us at 66746 and start your question with askfpl. For example: askfpl what are the library hours on Saturdays? We will respond as soon as possible. Save us in your contacts and text us questions when you're on the go. Americans are now texting twice as much as they are talking, so it made sense to us to give this a try.
This new service began in October, and our first question was asked by Gary Ingraham, our IT librarian. His question: “What is the average airspeed velocity of an unladen African swallow?” Fans of Monty Python will recognize the question from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The question is asked of King Arthur by the bridge keeper in order to cross the bridge in Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail. He responds by asking the bridge keeper for a clarification: “What do you mean? An African or European swallow?” to which the bridge keeper does not know and is sent flying into the volcano below. Of course, our answer to Gary was: “I think you may mean the European swallow. Try looking at www.eol.org” (The Encyclopedia of Life Website.)
We expected we would be flooded with questions, but it was pretty quiet at first. As with any new service, getting the word out is often the most difficult question. So how did we attract users? Well for one thing we gave every kid that came over for a tour with their junior high class a text-a-librarian bookmark. We knew they were paying attention, because the questions started to pour in! You know just the kind of question I mean. For example: “How many books on pornography do you have?” and “How far away is your library from the moon?” We were just glad they were using the service and answered their questions as best we were able.
Our next step to get people to use the service was asking the question: “What two books would you bring with you to a desert island?” If they answered using our text service they got entered in a raffle for a gift certificate to a local bookstore. Much to our surprise we got answers! East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Naked by David Sedaris; Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman; A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein; Fortune’s Rock by Anita Shreve; and She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. This was encouraging! They now knew how to use the service, but would they send us any questions?
One afternoon a Falmouth Enterprise reporter was roaming the library looking for a story, and one of our reference librarians suggested he take a look at our new service. Much to our surprise, two weeks later, we had a cover story in the newspaper, above the fold! The questions started to come in for real. Who knew? What kind of questions? Some having to do with our hours, but one person asked how a stapler worked, while another was curious as to the large police presence outside the Gus Canty Community Center one day. We’ve been asked the population of Falmouth and how many people watched President Obama’s State of the Union address. So gradually it is becoming just another way for people to contact us in whatever way is most convenient for them. We hope the word will continue to spread, and the community will embrace this new service as just another way to connect at their library. If you have any questions about the new service, just text us!
On March 9, 10-12, SEMLS will hold a final session of the Adult Programming Roundtable. Everyone who is responsible for adult programming is welcome to come and share what they are doing in their libraries and bounce ideas and quandries off their colleagues.
Guest speakers at this session will be Adrienne Latimer from Falmouth Public Library talking about their very successful one town , one book program anf how they have included all ages in their program. Our other guest speaker will be Janet Campbell, Director for the Mansfield Public Library, talking about their one town, one book program working with a citizen organizing committee to bring Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson to Mansfield.
Picassa, IrfanView and JPegger are free programs that can be used for basic image editing. Barbara Andrews will offer a three-hour workshop on how to get these free downloads and begin using them in your library on March 4, from 10 - 1 in the SEMLS computer lab.
Picassa is a free download from Google and is great for organizing pictures and has great search capabilities. Picassa makes editing easy by previewing changes in real time and by providing for multiple levels of undo to revert to the original image. Irfan View is a simple image viewer and editor that supports all major graphic formats and allows you to modify color depth, crop and sharpen images. JPegger provides standard image management functions as well as the ability to create autorun CD's for an easy way to distribute pictures.
Participants should hav basic Windows proficiency before taking this class. Register on the SEMLS Website.
Reinventing Library Environments: Focus on the Users' Experience
Libraries are in the process of reinventing themselves in response to community needs. On March 18 at SEMLS Cheryl Bryan, Asst. Administrator for Consulting and Continuing Education will show how libraries across the Commonwealth and across the country are doing this. As we plan extensive adaptations we need to stay informed about national trends toward green technology that can contain costs and serve as a conservation model for other community agencies while we make our libraries more welcoming and useful to our users.. This workshop will focus on how to go about finding space to add new services and integrating green technologies into existing buildings.
Are you looking for a way to deliver library programming online for those users who cannot make it to your building? On March 10, from 10 - 3 SEMLS will offer a hands-on workshop on Podcasting in the SEMLS Computer Lab with Beth Gallaway. Podcasting is one way to reach out to patrons at home. With a podcast, your library can record library events, book reviews, poetry slams and talks and easily make them available on the Web. SEMLS now has recorders available for loan to libraries to help them create their own podcasts. In this class participants will create a podcast by recording the audio file, editing the recording, uploading it to a server and syndicating the show. Participants should have basic Internet proficiency before taking this class.
Massachusetts Library System FY 2011 Cooperative Purchasing
The Pledge, Participation and Supply Listing forms for the FY 2011 material and supply cooperative are due by March 31, 2010. These forms are available at: http://www.selms.org/what/coop/materials.html.
Previous forms were sent out in January; if you review the new forms and want to add any amounts to new catagories, please fill out the forms again. We apologize for cross postings.
The Pledge form now includes catagory 18, which is for video games (Wii, Xbox, etc.). For the supply portion of the cooperative, there is a 27-page listing for all supplies; please fill in only the number for each item that is anticipated to be purchased for the next fiscal year. (No dollar amounts.) Only return the supply list pages that contain items to be purchased.
These forms are used by the statewide coordinator to review and use the current pledged amounts to approach different vendors to negotiate the best discounts for our members. Feel free to contact the SEMLS office for further information.
The spring delivery survey will be conducted the week of March 22-27, 2010. Please remind your circulation staff of these dates. The delivery survey forms will be sent out by the end of February.
There is a change in how this delivery survey will be done.
1. Please report the amount of books and AV materials placed into delivery each day, a separate space is provided for each item each day.
2. Please report the amount of incoming bins and outgoing bins. Again a separate space for each day is provided. (Do not include any empties in your count)
3. Do not count empty delivery bins picked up by the driver.
4. Answer question on the backpage of the delivery survey each day.
5. To provide the best delivery service, we are also asking that your library hour be reported on the form each day.
When you have completed the delivery survey, please send it through delivery by April 1, 2010 to the SEMLS office.
This may be the last delivery survey that SEMLS will supervise. Thank you for all of your help in making this information available.
Spreadsheets are a great way to create budgets and track expenses. On March 11 from 10-1 in the SEMLS Computer lab Barbara Andrews of Andrews Consulting will offer a workshop on creating spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.This hands-on workshop will explore all of the pull-down menus, toolbars and features that will help you create worksheets and charts. Learn to create and edit a spreadsheet, use formulas, preview and print a worksheet and create and edit charts.
The SEMLS Office is giving away the following items on a first-come, and first-served basis to our members, so please e-mail semls@semls.org if you are interested.
Starship Adventure at Your Library, 2009 summer reading supplies: 15 posters (11” W x 17” H); 8 packs of bookmarks—100 in each pack; 9 packs of timed reading logs—50 in each pack; 15 packs of lined reading logs—50 in each pack.
14 Labtec C-184, heavy-duty, stereo, headphones; padded ear cup and headset.
3 Black canvas messenger bags—Library Leadership Massachusetts 2009 printed on the front flap; 15” L x 12” H x 4” W. Lots of pockets.
88 Burgundy canvas zippered bags — SEMLS printed in lower front, right-hand corner, 14” L x 11” H; front pocket for 3” x 6” shipping tag; like-new condition.
2 APC SurgeArrest Essential surge protectors, eP Joules rating of 490; still in original boxes; never used.
1 APC SurgeArrest Personal surge protector, eP Joules rating of 1060; still in original box; never used.
1 S. L. Waber PowerMaster surge protector.
1 Quartet Tabletop Display Presentation Board; fabric on both sides, 72” L x 30” H, gray, includes four panels. Black canvas zippered carrying case with shoulder strap and handles.
1 3M 9085 overhead projector
3 Display stands, tabletop, solid black backing with clear, acrylic 8.5” W x 9” L pocket. Stand measurement is 18” L x 12” W.
1 AmpliVox Portable Sound System and standard microphone. Also including VHF Wireless Microphone for use with AmpliVox Sound Systems, Model S-1600, and SHURE T2 The Vocal Artist SM58 Wireless Handheld Microphone.
1 Continental utility cart, two-tiered, recessed top, heavy-duty plastic, gray, built-in handles, 31”H x 26” W x 38” L.
1 Da-Lite Project-O-Stand. A multi-purpose Project-O-Stand with telescoping aluminum legs. Non-skid platform is 11” W x 19” L and has a handle. Legs can be stored underneath the platform
1 Ibico EPK21 plastic comb binding machine, heavy-duty electric punch and bind for plastic comb binding, 12” punch and bind width, up to 25 sheets punching capacity (20 lbs. stock,) electric punch (foot switch operated) including four boxes (100 pieces each box) of 19 ring-length presentation plastic binding combs, 5/16” in diameter.
1 Acrylic, four-tier brochure holder — tabletop use or can be attached to a wall. Each tier approx. 4” W x 7” L.
12 Clear plastic photo/sign stands 8 1/2” W x 11” L.
2 Clear plastic photo/sign stands 8” W x 10” L.
1 Clear plastic magazine holder— single pocket tabletop or wall mount. 9” W x 10 1/2” L.
For Your Friends’ Groups
2 Round, black plastic bowls 160 oz. capacity
5 Black plastic, fluted edge, oval, recessed platters, 18” L X 12” W.
For many years, the Friends of the Somerset Public Library have funded a bus to bring some South Coast library supporters to the State House for Legislative Day. This year the Legislative Breakfast Committee has teamed up with Somerset and Fall River Friends and is making a bus available for Library Legislative Day on Tuesday, March 9.
The bus will make a stop at the Staples Plaza, 600 South St. West in Raynham. Boarding will begin at 7:15 a.m., and it will leave the parking lot at 7:30 a.m.
The next stop will be the Somerset Public Library. The bus will arrive there at 8:15 a.m., and then it’s on to the State House to arrive at 9:30 a.m.
The bus will leave the State House at 2:15 p.m.
If you would like to ride the bus, please send an e-mail to semls@semls.org. We just want to be sure that we have enough room for all those attending.
Please tell Friends and Trustees that the bus is available, too.
Programs may be cancelled if the registration is low. If the determination is made to cancel a program due to low registration, a notice will be sent to those who have pre-registered.
Emergency weather cancellation procedures:
·For morning and afternoon meetings: After 7:00 a.m., a message on the answering machine of the SEMLS office (877-923-3531) will update you on the status of the programs for that day.
·SEMLS Website http://www.semls.org will have information on cancelled programs by 7:00 a.m.
·School snow closings in the community where the workshop is scheduled will cause an automatic cancellation of that workshop.
· For evening meetings: Please call the SEMLS office after 3:00 p.m. or check the SEMLS Website.
How Will Your Library Celebrate Earth Day This Year?
Submitted by Cheryl Bryan, SEMLS Assistant Administrator for Consulting and Continuing Education
Earth Day will be on April 22 this year. One way to reenforce your library's image as earth friendly is to call attention to the library as the ultimate green agency in your community. There are so many ways to celebrate this monumental day—ways that don’t require a big budget but instead a bit of lead time and some creative thinking. You could put an article in your local newspaper highlighting all the recycling that goes on in running a library, invite a local green business in for a demonstration and information session, plan an exhibit of artwork made from recycled materials, or run a contest for the best earth friendy idea to implement in the library. More ideas are available from the Going Green series in the SEMLS Newsletter last August through December at http://www.semls.org/news/newsletter/index.html. How will you use the community interest to spotlight your library?
