Monday Morning Eye-Opener 4/12/2010

Good Morning and Happy National Library Week!
Today in EYE-OPENER:

1) A Bold, Fresh JAMBOREE
2) Favorite Games @ Sioux Center PL
3) Everybody Counts @ Lake City PL
4) Meetings / Events This Week


1) A Bold, Fresh JAMBOREE
We’re switching things up this year for C.E. JAMBOREE, Northwest LSA’s popular spring workshop. Instead of a 2-day event, JAMBOREE will be one day only—one very fun-filled-action-packed day! It’s Thursday May 13, 9:00AM-4:00PM, at Prairie Lakes AEA in Storm Lake.

Taking a fresh angle, the day offers 4 breakout sessions instead of 6. Following the general session, there will be 2 breakouts in the morning, 2 more in the afternoon. This way, everyone in attendance can join all 4 breakout sessions.

And another nice change of pace: this year, rather than seeing everyone peel off after the last program, we’ll bring the entire group back together for a closing general session. The last hour promises to be pretty cool: Aimee and Nathan Clark will share how their libraries are using flat panel TVs for library promotion.

This year, C.E.JAMBOREE presents an opportunity to get your thoughts on the LSA reorganization project. That’s why we’ll begin the day with a discussion regarding our agency’s future—and yours! Here’s a look at the day’s topics:

Opening Session: Past-Present-Future
Morning Breakouts:
What Smart Librarians Know About Teaching Adults
Hello EBSCO: What’s New With Add-On Datebases
Afternoon Breakouts:
Beyond the Book Club—Popular Adult Programs
Libraries Going Green
Closing Session: On the Big Screen—Using Flat Panel TVs for Library Promotion

The fee is $15.00/person. Online registration is ready in the c.e. catalog. Make plans now to attend Northwest LSA’s C.E. JAMBOREE May 13 in Storm Lake!
2) Favorite Games @ Sioux Center PL
Kids and parents alike have favorite computer games at Sioux Center Public Library. Many of the library’s children’s games are free downloads; some are CD games that the library has purchased. Thanks to Staff at Sioux Center PL, here are some of their favorites:
• Fruit Frolic: 10 amazing fruits that can talk, laugh, and cry. A fun game for preschoolers that stimulates imagination and develops eye-hand coordination www.fruitfrolic.com
• Sebran’s ABC is all about learning letters: http://www.wartoft.nu/software/sebran/
• GCompris is an educational software suite of activities for children aged 2 to 10; learning games include reading, geography, science, algebra, and more http://gcompris.net/-en-
• PapaJan has coloring pages galore—printable and online versions—plus holiday activities and reading games: http://www.papajan.com/

3) Everybody Counts @ Lake City P.L.
In keeping with the Census, Lake City Public Library is counting on lots of visitors this week—they’ve set a goal of welcoming 1,000 people this National Library Week (the library averages just over 400 visitors in normal weeks…) LCPL will be serving coffee and cookies to all comers and once they learn where people hale from, staff will use push pins in Iowa and U.S. maps to show where people are from. The library is also planning a Mystery Theme contest, a bean counting contest, and setting Friday as Friends Day.

Anyone bringing a friend into the library with them is eligible for a prize donated by Lake City PL Friends Group. Thanks to Kim Olson for sharing this story! Make the most of National Library Week.

4) Meetings / Events This Week
It’s Library101 tomorrow, Tuesday April 13. Library101 is an orientation for newly hired staff, but a nice refresher too. Another appeal—it’s done online in Northwest LSA’s Adobe Classroom. The time is 9:00AM—12:00PM; registration is still open in the c.e. catalog.

And yes, this is National Library Week. Among all the festivities, be sure to thank your great staff tomorrow on National Library Workers Day!