Give the Gift of Libraries

Some years ago, when my extended family still held their annual Christmas draw, I request that instead of a gift my name-holder make a donation in my name to the charity of their choice. My uncle, an incredibly kind and intelligent school teacher, made a donation on my behalf to the St. Paul Municipal Library. This was long before I even considered becoming a librarian.

The holidays are great time to remind people that they can give the gift of libraries. Along with making a donation to the library, patrons can also purchase library vouchers for friends and family to get their own library cards. You may remember that Chinook Arch created of these last year for just such a purpose.

Libraries can also reap the benefits of the holidays with donations of recently purchased books. I now personally that the fewer books I have around my house the better, so it doesn’t hurt to mention to patrons that the library is always happy to receive new paperbacks or bestsellers they have finished. Of course, it is up to every library to decide individually if they would like to receive such donations.

And lastly, in this season of materialism and overspending, library cards are a minimalistic super-deal in the grand scheme of things. Instead of purchasing that one item that will cost at least $20.00 at Chapters, talk up how a library card gives you access to over 800,000 items in the Chinook Arch system alone. But don’t just sell it to you patrons. Chat it up to your friends, family, the folks at the grocery store or the local historical society. Let your community know that the library can be a great gift to them and their community and let your spirit shine through. Seasons greetings to all!

Post-Launch Program

With the launch of 33 new websites and BiblioCommons instances this week, many of you are likely wondering what we could possibly still have to do regarding your library’s website. In a word – plenty!

Although the sites have gone live, it will always be an ongoing process to refine them. At this moment, we are working hard to set up Google Analytics for every website and BiblioCommons instance to gather data about online visits. During the month of January, I am planning to do hands-on user testing to determine how to make your sites even more user friendly. Furthermore, we are hoping that user comments from BiblioCommons will provide more insight into what we can do better.

From this information, we are hoping to make small, iterative changes over time. Many of the most heavily used website today, like Facebook and Twitter, make tiny changes all the time. BiblioCommons does this as well. In the middle of our orientation sessions in November, they made a major change from “My Collection” to “My Shelves.” You will likely notice in the next little while that BiblioCommons will be changing “My Lists” to “My Shared Guides.”

The other side of this plan is that while training many of you to use the software to edit your own websites, it will be additionally helpful to you to keep the structure of the original website. This way, when I conduct user testing and gather results, I can more easily apply them to your website to improve it. Some libraries will definitely have specific needs that will require them to make more pages, but the more similar the websites are, the better I can assist all you.

In the meantime, I hope you are all enjoying your new websites and BiblioCommons. I think we are all looking forward to a better, more effective online library experience in the New Year.

Overdrive Cheat Sheet for Library Users

This morning, Overdrive's "Digital Library Blog" posted a link to a cheat sheet on compatible e-book devices for library patrons.  Since e-readers are among the top ten items on Christmas wish lists this year, this cheat sheet will definitely help your patrons choose the perfect, library-compatible gifts.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Christmas clean-up!

Gee, where did December suddenly come from?! This year seems to have flown by! In any case, it's finally here and many libraries may notice a similar thing: business slows down. I'm not sure if this is entirely true for everyone, but a lot of libraries may notice that not as many people are coming through your doors this month...so why not take advantage of this less busy time and take on one of the many projects you've been putting off? How about finally weeding that nonfiction collection? Or doing an inventory of your picture books? You could always shelf read to make sure your materials are tidy and in order for the new year! Just a few ideas to get you started. What other projects are you working on? Is there anything we here at Chinook Arch can do to help you with it?

Bluefire Reader brings e-books to your iPad

Do you or your patrons have the new iPad?  Wish you could use it to read e-books downloaded from Overdrive?  Now you can with the Bluefire Reader (free to download).


Bluefire is an app designed to display e-books downloaded from the library that use Adobe DRM (Digital Rights Management) - the DRM found in the PDF and ePUB books downloaded from Overdrive.  


Unfortunately you can't download library e-books directly to the iPad/iPhone because you have to use a computer with an authorized version of Adobe Digital Editions on it—which is required for e-books downloaded from Overdrive. Once the books are on your computer, you can use iTunes to transfer them to your iPad equipped with Bluefire.  


To use Bluefire on your iPad, first download the app and then head over to Bluefire's website, follow the steps and you'll be set.  The process is a bit complex, but if the directions are followed carefully, your patrons should have no problem reading downloaded titles on their iPads. 


Happy e-Reading!

The Future of Libraries

Have you checked out www.libraryfutures.ca yet? This site was created by a group of Alberta librarians during the planning of NEXT: A Library Futures Symposium. A number of Chinook Arch staff, board members and member library trustees attended this unique conference in October. The purpose of the symposium was to have a discussion about the future of libraries in Alberta. It included 5 keynote speakers and a full day of roundtable discussions - world cafe style.

This website came out of the imagined outcomes of the Symposium - a website that could be used to continue the discussion that would begin during the NEXT Symposium; a website that would be open to a broader audience, and that could be used to showcase the efforts of Alberta's libraries. As such, it is an excellent resource for learning, sharing and provoking discussion around the future of libraries.

The 'Learn' part of the site includes resources for you to learn what this is all about. Access articles, papers, videos, podcasts and more to learn about the futures thinking concept, or just see what people are talking about when they talk #libfu (#libfu is the 'tag' people use when tweeting or blogging about this topic).

The 'Share' section of the site is where you can take part in the discussion. Comment on articles, vote on polls, explore library futures questions, or participate in the discussion forum.

If you want to 'provoke' site participants, become a member so that you can post new content. Perhaps you've thought of something that hasn't even been mentioned yet. Don't be afraid to share! That's what this site is all about.

The site also contains content from the NEXT Symposium if you are interested in learning more about what went on there. Photos, discussion topics and even keynote speaker videos are available.

The site is a great way to get thinking 'outside the box'.

Help your patrons with their Christmas wishlist!

Shopping season has begun and you may have more patrons asking you which e-readers are compatible with Overdrive e-books.  To help you answer this question, Overdrive has created this "cheat-sheet" for library staff: http://overdrive.com/files/ebook-cheat-sheet.pdf 

Take a look and help your patrons make smart purchases.  

New Board Members? Check this out!

In light of the recent municipal elections, many libraries will be gaining new board members. There are several resources available that new board members should be made aware of. In fact, all board members could benefit from knowing about them. Here are a few to start with:

• www.albertalibraries.ca is the new website of the Government of Alberta's Municipal Affairs Public Library Services Branch. The site offers a variety of information that is helpful to library trustees, including library Standards, funding, grant information and the structure of Alberta Library Service. There is also a forum for libraries to discuss information and ideas.
• Visit www.librarytrustees.ab.ca to learn about the Alberta Library Trustees Association (ALTA), which aims to promote effective library service by promoting trustee education and development.
• Chinook Arch will also be hosting a New Library Trustee Workshop. Board Members may choose to attend this workshop on either Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 10:00 am or on January 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm. Intended for new library trustees, or just those who would like a refresher, this session will include an orientation to the legislative role of the library board as well as the roles and responsibilities of individual trustees and the board as a while. An overview of System services and how Chinook Arch can assist member library boards in their roles will also be included.
• Check out http://chinookarchregionallibrarysystem.memberlodge.com/ for details on The Southern Alberta Library Conference. Cosponsored by Chinook Arch and Lethbridge Public Library, the conference will feature a variety of sessions relevant to board members with very reasonable registration fees.

NaNoWriMo

Want a great library program for the month of November? Want to draw in all those emerging writers, or just those who love to write? Why not participate in NaNoWriMo - or National Novel Writing Month? Here's the concept:

NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces participants to lower their expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

In 2009, there were more than 165,000 participants around the world. Participants can meet and discuss via the online forum available at the NaNoWriMo website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

So, how can you participate as a library?

• Advertise the month at your library and lead people to the website for more information (flyers are available on the NaNoWriMo website for printing at http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/1005807)
• Set aside writing space for participants
• Have weekly programs that invite participants to come in and work together
• Hold a video conference with other libraries so that even more participants can work together
• Hold a reading at the end of the month where each local participant gets to read a passage from their novel
• Post a comment on this blog to share your unique ideas for participating in this event

A Library Outreach Guide and free Library kits are available from the website at: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/library

This is a great way to connect with emerging writers in your community, and just a fun event for your library that can be held with very few resources.

Customer Focused Service: Say Yes, Not No

Last week, the entire staff at headquarters participated in a day long workshop focused on customer service training. The workshop, conducted by Brenda Robinson of the Robcan Group, introduced some interesting concepts to the staff here including the idea that internal relationships affect your external service. One of the major focuses of the day, however, was the idea of always communicating positively with your customer. Here are a few points that I took away from the day:

• The first 8 words of an e-mail or phone message are the most important. A lot of people will not read beyond those first 8 words without being given incentive. So make them positive and reassuring.
• When faced with a challenging situation or dilemma, ask yourself "what would work"? Brenda gave a very humorous anecdote relating to the differing ways her and her husband like to fold towels. They ultimately decided that stuffing the towels in the cabinet was all that was really needed - it got the job done and eliminated the arguments. When thinking about how to best serve your customer think about "what would work"? Sometimes existing policies impede our ability to serve our customers well; perhaps its time to review and revise them.
• Good customer service must include, involve and engage. Involve and engage your customers in deciding how to best serve them.
• When you have to say 'no' to a customer, don't start with the word 'no'. Give them the 'why' first - the reason you are ultimately having to say no - and they are more likely to hear you.
• Don't stop there though - give them options and alternatives if you have to say no. Make them feel like you've done everything you can to help them, even if you can't give them exactly what they've asked for.
• And lastly, don't actually say the word 'no'. Use positive language. We are all so accustomed to saying 'sorry' that we don't realize it actually has a negative effect. Avoid words like: sorry, unfortunately, regret, can't, inconvenience, rule, only, have to. Instead use positive words/phrases such as: I'll do everything I can, the next step is, etc.

The kind of thing Brenda was describing reminded me of a blog post I wrote a few months ago called "Do Libraries Send Mixed Messages?" . It involved the use of signage in libraries, and that instead of telling our patrons what they can't do, we should be telling them what they can. In many ways consistent use of positive language is a whole new way of thinking. How often do we say 'sorry' or 'unfortunately' in a day? It may take some real effort but in the end we will end up with happier, more satisifed patrons.

Quick Computer Training

Looking to brush up on your computer skills?  Check out this article from ALA's Learning Round Table for websites offering free tutorials, webinars, screencasts and more.
http://alalearning.org/2010/09/25/5-library-sources-for-quick-computer-training/

Taking back ebooks!

On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, Terra Plato and I attended “ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point,” a virtual summit. In what I would describe as a highly unique experience, we both logged in to our individual computers and proceeded to listen and watch different presentations throughout the day.

Besides the exploration of such issues as what the future of reading will look like and scenario planning for ebooks, I was comforted hear much discontent from the panelists about the current software and structures offered by ebook vendors. Sarah Houghtan-Jan, techie librarian and writer of the blog Librarian in Black, complained bitterly about how user-unfriendly most of the ebook vendor interfaces are. Her thoughts were echoed by a number of other panelists, some quite revolutionary.

Which brings me to my favourite session, the closing keynote address, “The ‘New Librarianship’ in the Age of the Ebook,” by David Lankes, Director of the Information Institute, Sycaruse University. Coming out swinging, Lankes argued that the current situation with ebook publishing is both librarians’ problem and opportunity. Not only did he call for strong political action, but he also stated that in order for libraries to take control of offerings, they must innovate and build a platform to serve their own needs. “Waiting for publishers to figure out the ebook model of the future is like waiting for heroin addicts to develop methadone,” Lankes asserted and I couldn’t agree more. Almost breathless through his impassioned speech, I felt incredibly hopeful for the future of libraries and ebooks.

We have had our own struggles with ebook distribution, but knowing that we are not alone and that there is a strong desire to change is heartening. If libraries can forge their own way into the world of ebooks, we will be able to better serve the needs of our communities apart from current consumer models. With so much concern, change is inevitable and I, for one, will welcome it with open arms.

Sit. Stay. Listen.

This might just be the cutest and most heart-warming library program I have ever encountered - children gaining self-confidence and improving their literacy skills by reading to dogs in the library.  According to an article in August's issue of American Libraries magazine, libraries across the United States (and some closer to home) are bringing registered therapy dogs into the library a couple times a month to listen to kids read.

  

The programs, with names such as "Read to Your Breed," "PAWS to Read," and "PAWS for a Story" provide a safe and nurturing environment for beginning and struggling readers.  While most children would find it an exciting change to read to a dog, the experience is especially beneficial for children who may be slower readers than their peers.  Since animals are perceived as uncritical, it is easier for a child to read to a dog than it is for them to read to a grownup.  Gloria Laube, a certified dog handler, noticed that children who read to dogs "become more confident readers as well as develop more self-confidence socially.  Some children who would barely whisper were reading normally after a few weeks" (Hartman, 2010).  Gloria is so passionate about the program that she started librarydogs.com, a website designed to encourage others to start up similar programs.

Now, some of you may be hesitant about bringing a dog into the library fearing that they might be messy or might misbehave, but this is why the programs only use trained therapy dogs.  Therapy dogs are trained to listen to commands and have calm temperaments that make children feel comfortable. They are also well groomed and have no problems staying on a leash.  The dogs used in Read to Your Breed (San Diego Public Library) stay on a leash and sit on a mat or blanket the whole time they are in the library.  Sunny, an 80 pound Collie even lets the children cuddle up to her while they read and is attentive during the story.  

I thought this was such a great idea that I did a bit more research on similar programs and discovered that Edmonton Public Library has already embraced this idea.  In collaboration with the Pet Therapy Society of Northern Alberta 14 out of 17 EPL branches present PAWS for a Story at least once a month.

Libraries looking to use therapy dogs in the library should check out:

PALS

http://www.palspets.com/

St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Service http://www.sja.ca/Alberta/communityservices/programs/pages/TherapyDogService.aspx

Library Dogs

www.librarydogs.com

(Reference: Hartman, Anna. "Good Dog. Sit. Listen." American Libraries, August 2010 http://bit.ly/9qN6ta)

Unshelved Answers

I ran across a neat site today. It is called "Unshelved Answers" and the concept is quite simple. It's librarians doing what librarians do best - answering questions. It is a place for librarians and library staff to go and ask questions of other librarians, thus benefitting from the collective knowledge of the many librarians who contribute to the site. And of course, if you are one of those librarians who just isn't satisfied with how your detective skills were used on the frontline today, you can contribute too.

The site seems to be in a transition phase, but right now, anyone can post questions, comments, tags and answers, so it's easy to participate. And there aren't a lot of rules - it seems to be a casual, friendly site. The more specific your question though, the more likely you are to get a useful answer.

Here are some examples of recent questions posted (and answered) on the site:

• Suggestions for positive language to use with patrons - received 9 answers, including one library that prohibits food and drink who offers to put patron's beverages in the staff fridge for them until they leave and provide gumballs to replace gum or lollipops that were disposed of as the patrons entered the library.
• Youth library decorating ideas - one example posted was, "I always have one table covered with a large sheet of paper and a can of markers near by. In large letters, in the center of the paper I post a book related question. "What is your favorite book?", "What was the last book you read?", and others. It doesn't really matter what the question is, before you know it the paper will be full of colorful flowery (the girls particully [sic] like this) writing".

This is a great way to get opinions from a wide variety of other libraries and just see how others are handling tough situations where it's not always clear what to do. One of the most popular uses of the site seems to be questions posted about specific books patrons are looking for but for which they can't remember the title.

Ask your own question, or browse for existing questions and answers using the 'tag' section of the site. You can also subscribe to the 'recent question' feed via RSS (Lauren is teaching an upcoming workshop on this if you need to learn how).

Visit the site at: http://answers.unshelved.com

Mentally Prepping for the Futures Symposium

Over the last few weeks, I have spent a lot of time pondering library technologies and their future developments. As many of you know, Chinook Arch staff have been working away to bring you both BiblioCommons and a new website. Recently, however, I have also been investigating how to effectively plan for those technologies that will improve our services for you and your patrons.

In order to do so, I have been reading a variety of things and partaking in some educational opportunities. One of the most interesting resources I have come across has been “The Bookends Scenarios: Alternative Futures for the Public Library Network in NSW in 2030,” which Kerby Salberg sent to me and I would highly recommend. On the side, I have been reading Richard Florida’s new book “The Great Reset” and for the last six weeks I have been taking an Elements of Technology Management course from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

All of these activities have led me to wonder a few things. How do we prepare for what technologies are coming and how can we guess what your patrons will want? Right now there are many trends that are overhauling the current library landscape, which is still in flux. To make our best guesses about what will happen, we need to look to the patrons to see what they are doing right now and where we can do things better. Therefore, I would like to encourage you to turn your eyes to your own communities and observe what is happening and changing and share those observations with. If we wish to stay relevant in the future, we must consider what is happening today.

On that note, have a great long weekend!

Simple and Easy Shared Library Ideas

The 8bitlibrary blog shares lots of great ideas - get inspired!


http://blog.8bitlibrary.com/2010/08/18/nj/

TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards

Each year, beginning in 2007, the TD Summer Reading Club has been awarding Canadian libraries for their creative and innovative summer reading club programs by handing out the TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards.

The Library Awards promote excellence in summer programs by:

• celebrating the creativity of library staff who administer successful TD Summer Reading Club programs;
• promoting community partnerships that strengthen children's reading skills; and
• encouraging the sharing of information among public libraries across Canada so that they can further develop exemplary summer reading programs.

So, if your library put on a really great summer reading program this year (and I know you did!) why not apply for the award?  First Prize is $5000 and second prize is $2000.  All you have to do is submit the application form (found here) including a program description and some supplementary material.  The supplementary material can include photographs, stories, letter, drawings, etc. from your program.  All entries will be assessed for their creativity and effective outreach strategies in the Spring of 2011 before the annual Canadian Library Association Conference.  All libraries who have participated in the TD Summer Reading Club this year are eligible to apply.

To be considered for the award, entries must be received no later than November 15, 2010.  

You can send your entry to:

          Library and Archives Canada

          TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards
          395 Wellington Street, Room 196
          Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N4

For more information on the Library Awards, visit the TD Summer Reading Club website.

Dangers on the Web

Have you ever worried about keeping your privacy and your computer safe online?  Protect yourself and your library's computers by checking out the top ten most dangerous things you can do online.

http://gizmodo.com/5614047/the-top-ten-most-dangerous-things-you-can-do-online

Surf safe!

Why do Young Adults Matter?

I must admit that every week I check the inbox on my desk to see if the latest issue of Public Libraries has arrived. In particular, I look forward to reading the column 'Passing Notes' by Michael Garrett Farrelly. And the May/June issue did not disappoint! When I read it, I felt somewhat enlightened. Why do Young Adults matter? "The answer is simple: it's the age when we lose them" (Farrelly, 2010, p.26). Genius, right?! And yet surprisingly obvious. Farrelly (2010) goes onto say that teenagers are somewhat liminal in that they "exist between childhood's end and the dawn of adulthood" (p.26). At such a transitional time in their life, it's not surprising that many teens choose to leave the library behind. One statement Farrelly (2010) made, really struck me: "Teenagers today are presented with so many options for their time that it's staggering they're able to make a choice at all" (p.27). And with "all the shiny wonders of the world" (Farrelly, 2010, p.27) today, it's no wonder many teens choose to turn their back on an institution that they view as dull and outdated. We, of course, know that the library is far from dull and outdated. We know that libraries today are community centres. Libraries are internet cafes, job banks, bookstores, and so much more. That is why we need to focus our attention on teenagers now! If we loose them now, we may not get them back when they become adults. So let's give teens "an affection for a place that can be a window to a wider world, a center of culture, and a safe place" (Farrelly, 2010, p.27).

Farrelly, M. G. (2010, May/June). Why Young Adults Matter. Public Libraries, 49 (3), 26-27.

What would you do ...

Emily Lloyd, author of the Shelf Check blog (http://shelfcheck.blogspot.com/) recently blogged about the premise "What would you do if you didn't need the approval of 15 committees?" The idea is to post all of those great ideas that you have for your library that are often stymied due to organizational red tape. What I love about this post are the ideas it generates. Here are a few snippets with some interesting ideas:

If your library has a Facebook page, slap together a gift app. It takes about an hour. Create fake book covers in Picnik or wherever, covers that say things like "Pulse-Pounding Thriller" or "Savvy Historical Romp." Patrons can send them to people, and each should come w/the attached message: "For 10 Great Pulse-Pounding Thriller recommendations, call _____ Library at XXX-XXXX" [or insert ask-a-librarian's email, etc]". Boom. Facebook gifts. Reader's Advisory promotion. An hour or two of work. (Facebook quizzes are also a piece of cake. Have *something* fun & light to offer aside from your library's info, at least. Local history quiz? How Well Do You Know Your Library? quiz?) ....

National Poetry Month promotion for kids (or adults, really): run weekly drawings for personalized poems. You've got a poet on staff, or on your teen advisory board, or in your local literary community. You make up forms, or have a web form--kids write in 5 things they want included in the poem (give them suggestions: a sport, Harry Potter, a favorite color, toad guts, etc), and check whether they want the poem to be silly or serious. Draw one name a week, or 5 names a week, or 10 names a week during National Poetry Month--whatever your poet/s can handle. ...

What else? Some kind of free reading-type content to download to e-readers/iPhones/etc. A free ebook, courtesy of the library. That's right; your staff puts it together. A selection of our librarians' favorite short stories in the public domain, if no one on staff wants to write original stuff. A compendium of library-related humor. An anthology of literary mash-ups (Pride and Prejudice and Librarians) by staff. Our Library's Got Talent. Anecdotes. Whatever. People LOVE free ebooks. I slapped up an e-chapbook of previously published poems--poems! who reads them ... in May, and it's seen almost 1500 downloads. ... People are downloading it because they want free ebooks. But you, you promote your library's free ebook via your library's social network presences, your library's web page, etc. Boom. You've given people something different, for free, and folks, it really wasn't much work at all."

You can read Emily's full post (and the comments which offer more ideas) at: http://shelfcheck.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-would-you-do-if-you-didnt-need.html

A Storytime for Grownups?

Flipping through Public Libraries this morning, I came across an article entitled, "Thrilling Tales: How to do an adult storytime at your library, and why" - so of course, I had to read it to find out what an adult storytime might entail.  After reading the full article I have decided that the idea is genius and could be adapted to suit smaller libraries, such as yours.


To begin the article, the author David Wright (a readers' advisory librarian at the Seattle Public Library) sets the scene for his noon-hour program - a dimly lit auditorium, couples, seniors and groups with their lunches, needlework and soggy raincoats and the soundtrack from Vertigo playing softly in the background.  He then hooks the audience by suggesting, "Why don't we kill somebody?"  After getting their full attention with this bold opening line, he begins his 45 minute program during which he simply reads aloud to the group.  That's it.  He just reads - and he has an audience of between 45-80 people every time.


The idea is this: human beings are simply drawn to story; we use narrative everyday to explain and understand our lives and this doesn't end with childhood.  Everyone loves a good story, so that's what Wright delivers.


Here are a few ways that you could captivate your adult patrons in the same way:

• present stories that interest both you and your target audience (Wright prefers to use short stories from the suspense and mystery genre, but you don't have to do the same)
• add a discussion - read the story and then use pre-planned questions to get the audience involved
• read the story round-robin style, which each audience member taking a turn
• plan a "story and a movie" night - read a short story aloud and follow-up by watching the movie based on that story (make sure you have Public Performance Rights)
• travel through time - highlight stories from different eras and include music and facts about that time period in the program
• celebrate various genres with a festival or series of readings
• adjust the age range to include all members of a family - keep the stories humorous 
• combine a story with other activities that your patrons enjoy such as knitting or needlepoint

Here's what you need to get started:

1. podium or table to read from

2. a light (so that you can see the words in a dimly lit room)

3. a glass of water (no one wants to hear you clearing your throat for an hour!)

4. chairs for your audience

5. pre-show music to set the mood

6. a couple of great short stories, hand-picked by you with your patron's interests in mind

I don't know about you, but I would love to attend one of these "storytimes" - but then again, I am a bit of a literary geek. 

For more tips on creating a version of this program in your library, read the full article:

Wright, D. (2010, May/June). Thrilling Tales: How to Do an Adult Storytime at your Library, and Why. Public Libraries, 49 #3. Retrieved from Public Libraries Online

Do libraries send mixed messages?

One of my favorite blogs is The 'M' Word - Marketing Libraries (http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/). The authors Kathy Dempsey and Nancy Dowd always have lots of real world scenarios and examples to share. A recent post by Kathy, summarized a presentation she attended at the Texas Library Association's annual conference, by Wayne Disher, director of the Hemet Public Library in Hemet, California. Disher's presentation outlined how he has observed the mixed messages that libraries often send. These he categorized in 4 ways:
1. Attitude
2. Facilities
3. Policies
4. Signage

Every public library tends to want to get out the same kinds of messages. Dempsey lists them as:
"Everyone is welcome in the library!"
"We have experts who are trained to help you."
"The library is a safe, inviting place."
"We have something for everyone."
"We want you to use the library."
"Libraries are still relevant in the age of the internet."

So, Disher encourages us all to think about whether our attitude, facilities, policies and signage support these messages. Here are some examples:

1. Attitude - does staff attitude convey that everyone is welcome in the library, and that we want you to use the library? Are patrons welcomed as they come in? Do they have to step up to the desk and ring a bell to get your attention? Or wait until you are finished with that computer task? Try to acknowledge every customer as they come in. If they have to wait for service for some reason, just let them know that you know they are there. If you seem more caught up in your work then helping the customer many will go unaided.

2. Facilities - do your faded carpet, old shelving, chipped paint, and damaged computer desks actually say that you are still relevant in the age of the internet? Of course we know we are, but what does the average library patron think? Or, even worse the non-patron? Obviously, a lot of this is completely dependent upon available funding, but what a great way to build support for renovations or a new building. Your library needs to look the part of the vital and useful building that it is. One suggestion Disher provided was using "sign twirlers" - those kids who stand along the sidewalk wearing sandwich boards and drawing attention to your business. Disher suggests a moving sign that says "Free Wireless Inside". What a great idea. And completely do-able with just a sign and a young volunteer.

3. Policies - many policies are created with the mindset of what's good for the library, but what about the patrons? Do restrictive borrowing policies really say "we want you to use the library"? How about restrictions on food and drink in the library? Not very welcoming. Disher suggests taking a look at your policies and consider updating them to reflect the times and the messages we want to get out there.

4. Signage - this element goes hand-in-hand with policies. Disher suggests using signage with positive messages rather than negative ones. For example, instead of saying "No cell phones", how about a sign that says "Please take your conversations to ... (wherever might work in your library)". Many libraries will put up signs displayed in ALL CAPS telling their patrons what they can't do. Instead, tell them what they can. For example instead of "NO FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED", how about a sign that invites your patrons to go sit in your coffee area or on your patio? Try to use signage that invites your patrons to use the library.

If you would like to read the full post just go to The 'M' Word blog at: http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/

What about tweens?

By now, many of you have heard about the benefits of creating a teen advisory committee for your library. Teen advisory committees give teens a voice in regards to library policies, programs, and materials that relate to them and by listening to their suggestions, libraries are often able to draw more teens into the library...which is always a good thing! Many libraries have already picked up on this and have started their own Teen Advisory Committees, but what about "Tweens"?

For those of you who may not not know, a tween is vaguely defined as prepubescent between 8 and 13. A child becomes a tween when they start to reject more childlike images and associations and aspire to become more like a teen. I'm sure several of you, parents or not, are familiar with this age...when Disney Princesses take a back seat to Hannah Montana and iCarly? I read an article recently about a 10 year old girl who noticed the teen advisory committee meeting at her local library and wondered why there was not something similar for her age group. So, she took action. She approached library staff with a written list of suggestions and with that, the "For Kids Only" youth advisory committee was created. The committee received funding from the Friends of the Library and local rotary clubs to purchase new books, games, and other materials for tweens...all this from the mind of a ten year old girl!

So why not gage the interest of tweens at your library? They may even still be coming to the Summer Reading Club...you know them...the older brothers and sisters who roll their eyes when you sing five little monkeys or pull out the finger puppets? Pull them aside and ask them what they'd like to see in the library. Even if you don't form an actual committee, their ideas could prove to be invaluable to your library.

Some light, summer weeding ...

Experience and knowledge sometimes combine in wonderful ways. The other day, while brainstorming about a database I am designing, I turned to our OPAC for some informative reading material. In a basic search for "database design" (no quotations in my actual search) I stumbled across a handful of technology-focused resources more than 10 years old.

Now I know that deselection is a complex and nuanced art. I fully admit that I have no idea when any of these items were last checked out, how often they circulate, or what their general condition is. However, a provocative article I read in American Libraries a few days earlier inspired me to advocate for weeding in this post.

In Weeding Grows the Garden, Brian Mathews lists the accomplishments of Michael Sawyer, Director of Calcasieu Parish Public Library, Louisiana and weeding evangelist. Sawyer explains that not only do public libraries "have a responsibility to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information possible," he also espouses that weeding boosts circulation. By removing the dross from library collections patrons can more effectively see new and engaging materials - and check them out!

I'm sure that many of you have heard this before and that many of you are in the process of weeding right now. But for those of you that view weeding with a distasteful eye or feel the need to cling to titles of the past, take heart! A brutal and rousing round of weeding can freshen your collections and your bump circ stats!

Matthews, B. (2010, May). Weeding Grows the Garden. American Libraries, 41 #5. Retrieved from http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/next-steps/weeding-grows-garden

Cool Web Tools

Last week I attended the Canadian eLearning Conference at the University of Alberta to present a poster session on RISE and our new videoconference service.  Throughout the conference I was feeling a bit out of my league as most of the delegates were university staff and faculty, but despite my lack of “e-Learning” knowledge, I learned of a few interesting tools.

Here they are:

1. Diigo (www.diigo.com) 

• Diigo is a browser plug-in that allows you to highlight, bookmark and put sticky notes on web pages
• You can also share your annotated pages with others and create a “Group Knowledge Repository”
• Use it on your own to keep track of your interests online or share your bookmarks and notes with others

2. Animoto (www.animoto.com) 

• You supply photos, videos, music and text and Animoto creates a video piece just for you, with minimal effort on your part
• Use it the next time the library hosts an event; share your video with other libraries or on your website

3. Prezi (www.prezi.com)

• A cool alternative to Powerpoint presentations
• Rather than moving slide by slide, Prezi allows you to you’re your presentation along a path

4. Connexions (www.cnx.org) 

• View and share educational material in small chunks called “modules”

Try some of these out and/or share other cool web tools in a comment.

The Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

There is a short article in the November 2009 issue of American Libraries that talks about Word of Mouth Marketing. In Chinook Arch's last needs assessment it was clear that a priority for many member libraries is marketing themselves. And it became clear that this is an area where our libraries are asking for support. As such we have offered a series of training around this theme and are trying to provide support resources whenever possible. One thing that I have learned about successful marketing and advocacy campaigns is that they involve people. Lots of people. Marketing and advocacy only works by establishing relationships with others in your community. To be constantly talking about what the library offers (in a consistent and focused manner) and to get others talking. That's what this article is all about. Chinook Arch has developed some marketing materials (to be distributed by Fall) which we hope will assist libraries in establishing these connections in the community. In the meantime, here are a few key points from the article:

• Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) is not just word of mouth. The Marketing part of it includes developing a consistent message and a plan for getting it out there.
  
• WOMM makes sense for libraries for 3 reasons:
  1. We can afford it - it's free
  2. We have a potential 'sales force' of millions - including patrons, staff, trustees, Friends, etc
  3. ".. it absolutely is the most powerful form of communication"
  
• "Why WOMM?
  1. It's real and immediate - real, live people telling other people in real time.
  2. It's personal - not a pitch. The person knows you and is trying to be helpful.
  3. It's honest. There's no commission, no connection. You're more likely to believe.
  4. It's catching. People love to share a good idea or experience and other people love to listen. (The only thing people like to share more than a good experience is a bad experience.)
  5. It's customer-driven. The customer determines when she/he will talk/listen. It is not imposed."

You can read the full article via the Wilson Web database: http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?query=%3Cnear%3E%28the%2Cpower%2Cof%2Cword-of-mouth%2Cmarketing%29+%3Cin%3E+TI&prod=OMNIS&fulltext=notchecked&eid=c14406a3540a9758af124f8c9d3d0a71. For login information, consult your library manager manual.

(Source: Barber, Peggy and Wallace, Linda, "The Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing", American Libraries, November 2009, p.36)

Library Advocacy Now!

This year, I had the opportunity to attend the Alberta Library Conference in Jasper. As usual, the conference did not disappoint. One session stands out to me as having been particularly informative: Library Advocacy Now! Library Advocacy Now was a two part session that was presented by Pat Cavill and Wendy Newman, both of whom are well known advocates for libraries. We were provided with print copies of the Library Advocacy Now Training Program for Public Library Staff and Trustees. The Library Advocacy Now program “consists of background material and exercises that will make you understand your own passion for libraries and how better to tell the library story to others.” The online version of the program can be found at http://www.cla.ca/divisions/capl/advocacy/

As a library trustee on my local library board as well as a library staff member here a Chinook Arch, I found this program extremely useful. One exercise called Finding Your Courage helped me to identify the similarities between being a library advocate and risk taking in my own personal life. We were asked to recall a situation is which we took a risk and remember how we felt before, during and after the action. I remembered what it was like purchasing my first home. Before the purchase, I was nervous…a house is a really big purchase that comes with a ton of responsibilities. During the purchasing process, I was anxious and excited, after all I was about to become a homeowner! After the purchase I was proud of myself and very excited to start a new chapter in my life. We were then asked what conditions made the risk taking possible. For me, purchasing my house was made possible with the support and guidance of my family who already had experience with purchasing a home. I was also not alone as my husband was purchasing the home with me…I had a partner. Taking this example and applying the same principles to advocacy I learned that advocacy is made easier when you form partnerships with other people and organizations in your community who hold similar values to your library. And though it seems scary at first, the outcome will be well worth the risk. I encourage you to take this program to your library staff and trustees. It gives you the tools to become a great library advocate and if you don’t advocate for your library, who will?

Collaboration at CLA

Wherever I look these days, the topic of collaboration seems to be one of the hottest things in library land. From June 2 to 5, I attended the Canadian Library Conference in Edmonton with a few of my Chinook Arch colleagues. While we talk about the importance of collaboration within our own library system, it was wonderfully refreshing and inspiring to hear about how other librarians are encouraging the practice of and actively engaging in collaborative efforts in their own libraries.

At a session by Edmonton Public Library, entitled “One Library, One Staff,” the presenters identified a strong link between collaboration and organizational culture. They espoused that businesses that foster supportive and enabling organizational cultures urge their employees to “collaborate obsessively.” However, they specified that in order for collaboration to succeed, it must be based on solid communication and relationships and should only be used for things that matter. The librarians from EPL also said that when they were discussing collaboration with their staff, they asked them to think about whether they were a collaborator or a contaminator. Collaboration can be a fantastic endeavor but only if those involved are willing to participate and are open to new possibilities and approaches.

In another session, “Library Catalogues as Social Spaces,” two librarians from Halifax Public Library and Dalhousie University spoke about their study of statistics from interactive library catalogues that will include libraries across the country. By blending their academic and public library backgrounds and using data from Edmonton Public Library and Halifax Public Library, along with any others who volunteered, they are hoping to conduct a rich and comprehensive study about how social networking features in catalogues are being used. As there is no current information on this subject, their work was incredibly interesting to me and their approach seemed a perfect example of fruitful collaboration in action.

Currently, Chinook Arch’s most recent draft of the new Plan of Service includes specific wording about collaboration. It asserts the need to support “new partnerships and collaborative opportunities” and provide opportunities to foster collaboration on an annual basis. As you can see, the notion of collaboration hits home in many ways.

As more libraries share buildings with recreation centres and more programs engage community members and groups, the future seems to be brimming with possibilities for collaboration. So ask yourself, is there someone you could be collaborating with right now?

Interesting bits about Copyright Law...

So, for the last few months, I have been immersing myself in Canada's Copyright Act so that I could share a few of the basics with all of you.  Copyright Law can be overwhelming, so here are just a few of the more interesting bits of information I picked up (more to come later):

• copyright is complicated - even for lawyers - so, there's no need to feel discouraged if you don't fully understand the law
• copyright protects "works" and "other subject matter" - including, literary work, dramatic work, artistic work, musical work, sound recordings, performer's performances, and communication signals
• mechanical or trivial works are not covered by copyright (like your child's art or seismic data)
• Canadian creators don't need to use the copyright symbol or even to register their copyright to be protected - but, if you're worried, register with the Copyright Board
• the term of copyright on most books is 50 years - after that, the work enters the public domain
• people around the world celebrate Public Domain Day every year on January 1st - this is the day that the term of copyright expires on a whole new batch of works (this year, works by Sigmund Freud and Frank Lloyd Wright became property of the public)
• it's the responsibility of the copyright owner (creator, publishing company, movie producer, etc.) to police their own rights

I think that's enough for today - more to come in a later post.

The Dewey Divas and Dudes, Spring/Summer 2010 Picks

One of many people's favourite sessions at any Canadian library conference are the Dewey Divas and Dudes. A group of passionate librarians, they put together their picks for their favourite upcoming titles and present them to the session attendees in booktalk fashion - an overview of the book and why they loved it, in a way that makes you want to run out and read them all immediately. I attended one of their sessions at ALC this year and thought I would pass along some of their favourite adult books for spring/summer 2010.

From Oxford University Press:

A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities: Strange and Surprising Facts from the World's Greatest Empire, J.D. McKeown, June 2010, $21.95, 9780195393750

Cleopatra: A Biography, Duane W. Roller, April 2010, $27.95, 9780195365535

Plundered Planet, Paul Collier, June 2010, $29.95, 9780195395259

Angels: A History, David Albert Jones, April 2010, $24.95, 9780199582952

Secret Language: Codes, Tricks, Spies, Thieves, and Symbols, Barry J. Blake, April 2010, $27.95, 9780199579280

Sense and Sociability, Lorne Tepperman, May 2010, $29.95, 9780195439298

Theodor Seuss Geisel, Donald E. Pease, April 2010, $24.95, 9780195323023

On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears, Stephen T. Asma, November 2009, $33.95, 9780195336160

How Fantasy Becomes Reality: Seeing Through the Media Influence, Karen E. Dill, October 2009, $34.95, 9780195372082

Racism in Canada, Issues in Canada Series, Vic Satzewich, August 2010, $16.95, 9780195430660

Crime in Canada, Issues in Canada Series, Diane Crocker, August 2010, $16.95, 9780195432473

From Random House of Canada:

Curtains: Adventures of an Undertaker-in-Training, Tom Jokinen, March 2010, $32.00, 9780307355683

Everything Flows, Vasily Grossman, trans. by Robert Chandler, Elizabeth Chandler and Anna Aslanyan, December 2009, $19.95, 9781590173282

Wish her Safe at Home, Stephen Benatar, January 2010, $19.95, 9781590173350

The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi, trans. by Polly McLean, January 2010, $19.95, 9781590513446

The American Girl, Monika Fagerholm, trans. by Katarina E. Tucker, February 2010, $19.95, 9781590513040

The Unspoken Truth, Angelica Garnett, February 2010, $34.95, 9780701184353

Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, Bill McKibben, April 2010, $32.00, 9780307399182

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell, June 2010, $32.00, 9780676979299

One Day, David Nicholls, June 2010, $17.95, 9780307474711

From HarperCollins Canada:

Beneath the Sands of Egypt: Adventures of an Unconventional Archaeologist, Donald P. Ryan, Ph.D., July 2010, $28.99, 9780061732829

Juliet, Anne Fortier, August 2010, $29.99, 9781557684991

Locavore: From Farmers' Fields to Rooftop Gardens How Canadians are Changing the Way We Eat, Sarah Elton, March 2010, $32.99, 9781554684182

Mr. Peanut, Adam Ross, June 2010, $31.99, 9781554688371

Skin, Mo Hayder, April 2010, $22.99, 9781554686414

The Dark Vineyard, Martin Walker, May 2010, $27.99, 9781554682669

From NYRB Classics:

The Long Ships, Frans Gunnar Bengtsson, trans. by Michael Meyer, June 2010, $21.50, 9781590173466

Nightmare Alley, William Lindsay Gresham, April 2010, $17.95, 9781590173480

The Jokers, Albert Cossery, trans. by Anna Moschovakis, July 2010, $17.95, 9781590173251

The Mountain Lion, Jean Stafford, July 2010, $17.95, 9781590173527

The Murderess, Alexandros Papadiamantis, trans by. Peter Levi, June 2010, $14.95, 9781590173503

Pedigree, Georges Simenon, trans. by Robert Baldick, July 2010, $21.50, 9781590173510

Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking, Jessica Mitford, July 2010, $18.95, 9781590173558

A Posthumous Confession, Marcellus Emants, trans. by J.M. Coetzee, August 2010, $17.00, 9781590173473


I highly recommend their sessions if you ever get a chance. But in the meantime you can follow their blog "for ongoing book recommendations, book lists and rep adventures" at http://www.deweydivas.blogspot.com/

What do you NOT want to learn?

At this year's LAA Conference, I had the privilege of attending Lauren DeBruin’s session “Willing Engagement: Overcoming Learner Resistance in Library Staff.” Some of you may remember Lauren from the Southern Alberta Library Conference, where she presented a session on the language learning software AuralLog. With her enthusiastic speaking style and thought-provoking topic, Lauren started me thinking about why we choose not to learn and my own resistance to learning.

In Lauren’s presentation she explained that learning is actually a crisis experience. People react to learning by going through the same steps associated with a large upheaval in their lives: destabilization, disorientation, and re-orientation. When a change (ie. learning) occurs our way of thinking or doing something is disrupted and, therefore, destabilized. We then become lost and yearn for the way things used to be as we wade through disorientation. Finally, when we have had some time to become comfortable with something, we accept the new material and, eventually, start to engage with it in the last stage - reorientation.

As a technology-focused librarian, I have struggled with learning new things many times. I was a late adopter of Facebook, have only recently started using SiteJot and Bloglines, and am still working up the courage to create my own blog. And why, might you ask? Because learning is scary – especially learning new technologies! Luckily, in my learning travels, I have also run across some amazing resources that have helped familiarize me with new technologies, especially in the area of social networking.

While at Oakville Public Library, I learned about 23 Things, a list created by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County for their Learning 2.0 Program. The list includes challenges like set up your own blog, explore Flickr, and discover Del.icio.us. 23 Things is laid out in a 10 week program so you can gradually do each thing. Even if you have no idea what these things are, these easy-to-use guides will show how to begin playing with these tools, even if you choose not to us them indefinitely.

The other wonderful social networking resource I know of is Common Craft. Common Craft is a company that makes short videos about social networking tools and posts them to YouTube. They use paper cut outs to explain things in the simplest terms and the videos are super fun to watch! My favourite videos from them are:

• Social Networking in Plain English
• Wikis in Plain English
• Twitter in Plain English

So if you want, check it out! Even if you don’t end up signing on with one of these tools, you might learn enough about them that the next time you hear something new mentioned it won't be so scary. Now, to start writing my blog …

Better Together

A number of Chinook Arch staff were lucky enough to be able to attend the Alberta Library Conference last week in Jasper. As usual it was full of comraderie, food and good information. I learned about some new and upcoming books from the Dewey Divas (always a great session), Copyright Basics (which Lauren will be leading a session on May 31 at HQ) and building community partnerships. Brent Buechler and Jan Sahibzada, from Calgary Public Library, shared their experiences with building community partnerships in their session Better Together: Strategic Community Partnerships. I heard some great points at their session and thought I would share them here.

Brent started the session by sharing a great quote: 'When spiderwebs are woven together they can catch a lion'. What a great analogy for the power of partnerships.

So, why partner?
1. To reach more people; you might even create new library users
2. To find and better utilize resources
3. Funders (like granting agencies) like to see evidence of partnership
4. The community likes to see evidence of partnership for publicly funded institutions

Did you know that libraries make great partners? Why?
1. Because you already have established public trust and credibility
2. You have a wide customer reach - every age and every segment of the population uses the library
3. You have a wide geographic reach - especially libraries who are part of a System (or similar). You have the potential to reach a much larger audience than most local organizations.
4. Libraries are known for having knowledgeable and passionate staff who care about the community.

So, SELL YOURSELF as the ideal partner - because you are!

In partnering with other organizations, you will want to first determine what you want to achieve:

• Review your Plan of Service - what are your needs? Your areas of focus and opportunity?
• Identify how partnerships will deliver value. Why do you want to partner? What will you get out of it?
  
• Conduct an environmental scan - you don't want to compete with what's already being done in the community, you want to compliment it.

When selecting a possible partner, ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of the project/partnership and what resources are needed?
• Which organizations serve a similar clientele?
• How will both organizations benefit?
• Does the organization you are approaching have the capacity to meet your partnership needs/ambitions?

A good partnership requires management. Think of partnership management as:
1. Development of the partnership
2. Delivery of the resulting service/product
3. Evaluation
4. Celebration

The partnership process:
- Put it in writing. Partnerships are negotiated in good faith and confirmed in writing.
- Consider the 5 W's
1. Why - what community needs are you supporting?
2. Who - what are the roles and responsibilities of each partner
3. What - which organizational priorities (for your library) are you supporting?
4. When - determine timelines in regards to key activities
5. How - define the parameters for working together [okay, that isn't a W)
- Consider the risks involved; are there legal issues; will you need insurance?

Some things to consider about partnerships:

• Partnerships take time, clarity of focus, trust and a spirit of collaboration
• The partnership process is open, inclusive, accountable and consistent
  
• Both partners must have a mutual commitment to strategic results
• Common goals and open communication must exist
• Benefits to both parties must be clearly defined
• Decisions made should reflect all views and needs
• Each partner must retain its own identity and work towards its own goals
• There must be a commitment to ongoing review and evaluation
  

Your Website: A Redesign in Action

Following this month’s library managers meeting you may have some questions about the redesign of your library’s website. You might be wondering:

• What are they doing?
• Why are they doing it?
• When will things be changing?

Over the last two months, myself, Beth Norris, and Marketing Intern Elisa Wonnacott have been planning the design of the new website. To create a cleaner, more user-friendly design we have analyzed other library websites and incorporated best practices in current website design. We have used plain language and ruthlessly edited library jargon while writing the website’s copy. We have spent countless hours thinking about how your patrons think.

The driving force behind this effort is our desire to have the future site seamlessly mesh with BiblioCommons’ layout. For more information on BiblioCommons, check out April’s Enews. Also, watch out in May’s Enews for my article on the research we conducted on our website.

At this time, we are only beginning to build the website. The actual website role-out will not occur until later this year. Throughout this process, I will attempt to keep you informed of our progress through this blog, the Enews, and at library manager meetings. However, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me @ bnorris@chinookarch.ca or (403) 380-1516.

Donations - curse or blessing?

Every library gets donations - some are good, like barely-read new fiction and some are bad, like dusty boxes of Reader's Digest.  So, how do you ensure that you don't receive those musty, moldy, decades old copies of National Geographic and ancient tomes of Encyclopedia Britannica?  Develop a donations policy and stick to it. In a recent article, entitled "Getting the Most From Donations" (Public Libraries, March/April 2010) Tom Cooper, Director of Webster Groves Public Library outlines how you can ensure that a box full of donations is a welcome site.
First of all, since taking in donations is a time-consuming process, recruit your Friends group or volunteers to sort out the good from the bad.  Second of all, this sorting process becomes much easier when you restrict what comes in in the first place.  The only real way to do this without hurting people's feelings is to include these 4 element in your donations policy:
1. What kinds of donations you do and do not accept.
2. What you will do with the donations.
3. When and how you will receive them.
4. How you will acknowledge them.
(a complete policy can be found in the article)
Having this spelled out in a policy ensures that all staff members know what to say when patrons phone or come in and ask, "Do you accept donations?"
While writing a donations policy is the easiest way to avoid the curse of the moldy donations (and a trip to the store for your allergy medication!) Cooper has a number of other suggestions that can help:

• close boxes of donations before you throw them in the dumpster to avoid hurt feelings;
• use packing tape to seal up the boxes - it's much cheaper than the book tape you may have on hand;
• rotate the items on your book sale table so that "new merchandise" is displayed on a regular basis;
• use your current collection policy when considering adding donations to the collection;
• don't take something just because you feel obligated - use your donations policy to dictate what you will and will not take
• make sure your patrons know not to bring in more than they can carry - unless you have a bunch of burly teenagers on hand to help unload!
• use common sense - if you think it will sell in the booksale or can be added to the collection, take it, if not, don't.

 Read the full article:
Tom Cooper, "Getting the Most From Donations," Public Libraries, March/April 2010.

The Value of Libraries

Do you ever find it difficult to convey the value of a library to someone who doesn't use it? Myself and the Consulting Services team recently asked some non-library users why they don't use the library. If my colleagues had the same experience I did, they found it frustrating to hear answers like "I don't read" or "it's inconvenient". We know there are many arguments to refute those reasons, but no matter how passionate we are about the subject it might help to have more than just our own convictions to convince some people.

A number of library value calculators and other studies are available to assist us in clearly articulating the real value of libraries - even to those who may not use them themselves. Stephen Abrams popular blog Stephen's Lighthouse, includes one post which lists the variety of tools available for 'calculating' the value of public libraries: http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/

These can be a great advocacy tool. Or even if you just want to prove to your cranky uncle that libraries ARE valuable, these resources are a great way to help you get your point across.

The Book Arts

This month, the Coaldale Public Library will be hosting The Book Arts, a travelling exhibition presented by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition program. The Book Arts "explores books as objects of beauty, personal expression and curiosity, and celebrates the imagination, inventiveness and skill of the artists who produce them. The exhibition is also intended to acknowledge public libraries for the important role they play as cultural centres in their communities." I went to see The Book Arts earlier this week and was very inspired by what I saw. Such amazing pieces of art all related to books! It truly is breathtaking and I would encourage my fellow book lovers to head out to Coaldale and take a look. You won't be disappointed!

Earth Day Approaching!

Thirteen more days until Earth Day on Thursday, April 22! For 40 years we earth-dwellers have taken these 24 hours to honour our world and consider how to lessen our impact on it. Make Earth Day a feature in your library by choosing environmentally themed reading materials and activities for that day! Here are some great resources to get you started:

Darien Public Library in Connecticut’s “Kids Caring for our Planet” booklist: http://www.darienlibrary.org/catalog/search/tags/kids+caring+for+our+planet

Kaboose.com has a fantastic list of Earth Day crafts:
http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/earth-day/earth_day_crafts.html

Pierce County Library System in Washington's “Green Living” adult booklist: http://www.piercecountylibrary.org/booklist.aspx?id=0&list_id=243&list_set=0&type=list

Like our planet, don't let this holiday go to waste!