Celebrity READ Posters Create International Buzz!

    
Stars of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" join ALA to promote reading - and the Internet is abuzz. Individual posters are now available.




Click HERE for more details.

Shopping for E-Book Readers

      We’re hearing from many libraries about the surging interest among patrons in ebook readers. News that ebooks are coming to WILBOR no doubt has something to do with that. But so does Christmas right around the corner. People of all ages are putting ebook readers on their Santa list this year!


     So how are ebooks rated? And which devices are compatible with WILBOR?

     Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2011 includes a lengthy section called “Electronics: A World of Choices.” Ebook readers are talked about, along with smart phones, DVD players, and GPS systems.


     But WILBOR libraries, take note: there are some ebook readers that are compatible with the ebook format available through the WILBOR Consortium—and some that are not. For instance, the Nook from Barnes & Nobel is compatible, the Kindle from Amazon is not. Read more at OverDrive’s website http://www.overdrive.com/

     Also, Southwest LSA has compiled a handy one-page listing of ebook readers that are compatible with WILBOR; this makes for a nice handout to give inquiring patrons. Let me know if you’d like that list, it’s in a Word document. And happy shopping!

Mark Your Calendar! Iowa's Online Conference

          Iowa’s virtual conference in January. Protect your calendars for January 20, 2011 for the 4th annual ISLOC: Iowa Small Libraries Online Conference. Sponsored by the LSAs and the State Library, ISLOC offers fun and effective online learning from the comfort of home.

          This year’s ISLOC theme is “Exploring the Possibilities, Embracing the Future.” Planning begins ‘roundabout August; the team has been busily loading up the schedule with topics, speakers, poster sessions, and a virtual exhibit hall. Familiar Iowa speakers will be on hand, along with speakers from other states.

         While we’re still working on the conference website, here’s a sneak peek at some of the topics on tap—from early morning to early evening:


The Bookstore Model

Tech Trends for Small Libraries

Presentation Zen

Recruiting and Managing Volunteers

Youth Outreach

Staff Incentives on a Budget

          And much more. There’s a keynote presentation in the morning to kicks things off and a closing keynote in the evening especially for trustees. Details will be posted on this website http://www.swilsa.lib.ia.us/isloc/ and registration will be available in the c.e. catalog soon...we’ll let you know when that’s ready.

         When venturing out to workshops often poses problems in January, staying tucked inside attending ISLOC is a warm alternative. Mark your calendars and join the fun for ISLOC 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving

         In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

WebJunction Online Conference in December

As we all become increasingly accustomed to online learning, here’s news about a 2-day virtual conference from Web Junction.  On December 1-2, WebJunction sponsors its second annual all-day online conference.  This year’s theme is “Serving the 21st Century Patron,” which sounds like the perfect capper to our 13Things series!

             Sessions run 1-hour with ample breaks built in.  To piqué your interest, here are just a few of the program sessions throughout the 2 days:

 

· Staying Committed to Great Customer Service When Your Library is in Chaos

· 21 Ideas for 21st Century Libraries

· 2-1-1– and Library Partnerships

· TechSoup for Libraries

· Morale Issues @ Your Library

Register at www.webjunction.org where you’ll find the full 2-day schedule, session descriptions, and more.  Also note: Pacific and Eastern times are listed throughout, so be sure to make those adjustments for Central Time—see you there!

Last Hurrah for 13Things

     Tomorrow is our last hurrah with 13Things - the 13th and final episode in Northwest LSA's online series of classes aimed at changing the way we work by more deliberately using web tools in everyday life.
    
     Tomorrow November 23 wraps things up with "Wow-Factor Websites," a tour through some of our favorite sites for library management, advocacy, programming......and a whole lot of sites just for fun.  Can't reveal our favorite picks here - no spoiler alerts!  It's sure to be big fun, with our highest attendance yet = 45 people!  See you there!

New ILA Interim Director/Treasurer Named

         The ILA Executive Board is pleased to announce that retired Central Iowa Library Service Area Administrator Roy Kenagy has been hired to be the interim ILA Executive Director/Treasurer to officially begin his duties on Friday, December 10, 2010.  Congratulations Roy!

FREE 2-Day Online Conference - Serving the 21st Centry Patron

Serving the 21st Century Patron

December 1 – 2, 2010

Register Now for this free online event!

          WebJunction's second free online conference will be held December 1–2. Topics will focus on the changing needs, approaches, challenges and opportunities related to customer service in your 21st-century library.

         Registration is required to join this event. If multiple individuals from your organization are attending and viewing sessions together, please register just once under a single name.
The archived recordings of the conference sessions can also be viewed by a group of colleagues who wish to discuss a common topic or project. See Best Practices for Cohorts attending Online Conferences.

21 Ideas for 21st-Century Libraries

2-1-1 and Library Partnerships

Changing Reference Services to Meet Patron Expectations

Morale Issues in your Library

Museums, Libraries, and 21st-Century Skills

Staying Committed to Great Customer Service When Your Library is in Chaos

TechSoup for Libraries: Sustaining Technology to Serve your Patrons

REGISTER HERE

Next Career Reading Roundtable

          If you’ve been a fan of Career Reading Roundtable, you’ll be a fan of the next book up for discussion. The title is Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America by Patrick J. Carr. From Publisher’s Weekly “…with a massive youth exodus from heartland America, small towns face extinction. Thousands of small towns in rural America are being depopulated, or “hollowed out.” Iowa figures into the storyline, where researchers interview 275 graduates of an Iowa high school. Deft and detailed case studies bring the population to life, making a poor prognosis heartrending. While the authors insist that ‘with a plan and a vision’ smalltown America can be revitalized, evidence to the contrary seems overwhelming…”

          Career Reading Roundtable (CRR) is an online book discussion group, co-managed by Central and Northwest LSA. We read nonfiction titles in the areas of business, leadership, customer service, and cultural trends, and apply those concepts to library service. Plus, there are nice spinoffs from this program: you can include these titles for local reading groups, booktalk these titles for presentations to Kiwanis or Rotary. Plus you come away with a pretty awesome collection development list!

          Speaking of which...in a trendy move, Jet Kofoot with Central LSA has created an Amazon Wish List which stores all the CRR titles suggested, read, or upcoming. Check that out; again, it’s a very good collection development list for nonfiction purchases. And consider joining the next CRR discussion when we talk about Hollowing Out the Middle: Monday Nov29, 9:30AM-11:00AM online in NWILS Adobe Connect classroom. Registration is open in the c.e. catalog.

Sioux City Library's New Music Collection

          You know that the WILBOR Consortium allows participating libraries affordable access to downloadable audio books—and very soon, downloadable ebooks too. But Sioux City Public Library is providing yet another downloadable collection: music. SCPL has invested two thirds of its music budget in downloadable music, giving patrons access to hundreds of thousands of songs in the Sony Music Catalog. Free + Legal = Freegal Music, “your new music library.” This DRM-free music service provides an incredible increase in choices for music-loving patrons—plus nice advantages for library staff. Because staff will order and process fewer physical CDs, there’s less time needed to clean and maintain the collection. Freegal Music is available to anyone with a full service library card from SCPL via http://www.siouxcitylibrary.org/.  And you can learn more about the Sony Music Catalog at http://www.sonymusic.com/.

Sue Kroesche Named New ISLA President

          Congratulations to Sue Kroesche, Le Mars Public Library Director. At the ILA Annual Conference in Coralville, Sue was elected the new president of ISLA (Iowa Small Library Association)


ISLA is a subdivision of ILA; its mission is to advocate for the interests of small libraries. “…“The Iowa Small Library Association is an active networking organization that strengthens and advocates for public libraries serving small and rural communities.”

          As part of her presidential duties commencing in 2011, Sue will organize ISLA’s winter planning meeting, preside at spring membership meetings, and help plan ISLA-sponsored sessions at next year’s ILA conference in Council Bluffs.
        Once you’re an ILA member, membership into ISLA is only another $5.00. So there’s no time like the present! After all, Northwest Iowa boasts 114 public libraries, most of which meet the population definition of small :-)

          So visit the Iowa Small Library Association website to learn more http://www.iowalibraryassociation.org/ And join me in congratulating Sue Kroesche from Le Mars Public Library as ISLA’s incoming president!

'Tis the Holiday Policy Season

          Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, IOWALIB is lively with chatter about holiday closings. The typical query asks how many libraries close the Friday after Thanksgiving…what about Christmas Eve…New Year’s Eve?

          Holiday closings would seem a simple thing, but instead proves to be a continually vexing problem. It’s really not so much which dates to choose—there are only a finite number of holidays and the same ones roll around each year! The deeper problem, I believe, is personnel-related.

          The majority of small town libraries operate on part-time hours with part-time staff. And in most cases, part-time staff receive few, if any, benefits. So when the library closes on a holiday, staff isn’t paid for that day—the crux of the problem.

          Library boards should answer this as a matter of personnel policy. Remember library boards have the authority to determine staff salaries and benefits, like holiday pay. Boards can opt to follow city HR policies—in whole or in part; they could choose to allow holiday pay for library staff apart from what the city allows. These are important discussions that come into sharp relief each year as Thanksgiving approaches.

          Granted, HR issues are harder to wrestle with and can’t be readily answered in this space. But let’s come back to the easier question—the dates themselves. What about the Friday after Thanksgiving…Christmas Eve…New Year’s Eve? All good questions, and there is a way to avoid this angst each year.

          Simply do what Storm Lake Library Board does. Every October, Storm Lake PL Board places “holiday closings” on its agenda. With next year’s calendar in hand, the board targets all the major holidays that the library and/or city offices will close. And then—they write it down! The list of the coming year’s holiday closings are posted for the staff and public, and a copy is provided to the board at its next meeting.

          Now that it’s November, it’s a perfect time to follow suit and put this item on your upcoming agendas. With policy deliberations, boards are well advised to follow the 3 Ds: discuss, decide, and document. Holiday closing decisions are similar to inclement weather decisions. Document what’s decided and try it for a year. Make adjustments as needed. But putting the decision in writing is the best way to “pay it forward” for next year, for new staff and new trustees coming on the scene.

More E-Book Info

          Hey WILBOR libraries, as you anticipate e-books coming to the collection in December—just in time for the holidays—learn more about e-books while you wait.


       Did you know there’s a listserve on the subject? To subscribe, simply send an email to ebooks@neilsa.org and type subscribe to ebook listserve in the subject line. This is a great way to hear from other libraries offering this dynamic new service.

       Plans to bring e-books to the WILBOR collection has caused a lot of buzz—happy buzz! And several good questions about compatible e-book readers. For answers, look to OverDrive’s website at www.overdrive.com Also, check out OverDrive’s Digital Library Blog at http://overdriveblogs.com/library/ another good way to keep current.

       Speaking of compatible e-book readers, one such reader is the Nook from Barnes & Noble (the Kindle, not so much J) Read about the Nook in all its features, and now in all its color, at B&N’s website: www.barnesandnoble.com

       And, in the November 1, 2010 issue of Library Journal hot off the press comes this feature article: Our E-Book Challenge: “...whether their arrival daunts or inspires, e-books are poised to affect how patrons read and how libraries serve those readers, help patrons access digital information, and foster a literate culture. These top take-aways from Library Journal / School Library Journal e-book summit illustrate that the hurdles abound, as do the strategies for how to approach them…”

       Remember EBSCO libraries, you have access to Library Journal in full text via EBSCO—read and ponder the advent of e-books @ your library!

Next Career Reading Roundtable

       If you’ve been a fan of Career Reading Roundtable, you’ll be a fan of the next book up for discussion. The title is Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America by Patrick J. Carr. From Publisher’s Weekly “…with a massive youth exodus from heartland America, small towns face extinction. Thousands of small towns in rural America are being depopulated, or “hollowed out.” Iowa figures into the storyline, where researchers interview 275 graduates of an Iowa high school. Deft and detailed case studies bring the population to life, making a poor prognosis heartrending. While the authors insist that ‘with a plan and a vision’ smalltown America can be revitalized, evidence to the contrary seems overwhelming…”


       Career Reading Roundtable (CRR) is an online book discussion group, co-managed by Central and Northwest LSA. We read nonfiction titles in the areas of business, leadership, customer service, and cultural trends, and apply those concepts to library service. Plus, there are nice spinoffs from this program: you can include these titles for local reading groups, booktalk these titles for presentations to Kiwanis or Rotary. Plus you come away with a pretty awesome collection development list!

       Speaking of which...in a trendy move, Jet Kofoot with Central LSA has created an Amazon Wish List which stores all the CRR titles suggested, read, or upcoming. Check that out; again, it’s a very good collection development list for nonfiction purchases. And consider joining the next CRR discussion when we talk about Hollowing Out the Middle: Monday Nov29, 9:30AM-11:00AM online in NWILS Adobe Connect classroom. Registration is open in the c.e. catalog.

November Milestones

     November is obviously about Thanksgiving. And some good Packer games, like last night! But if you’re in the market for a book display, website content, or newsletter articles minus the turkeys, you can draw lots of ideas from historic November milestones.

     
     Most every remembrance of JFK is the anniversary of his death (November 22, 1963) But 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of JFK’s election to the Presidency. A wonderful destination in person and on the web is the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.


     An especially intriguing feature of the website is White House Diaries, a day-by-day calendar of JFK’s appointments. Eleanor Roosevelt died in November 1962; you can read President Kennedy’s tribute to Mrs. Roosevelt in the diary’s November 7, 1962 entry.


For more November milestones:

• Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel was revealed to the public November 1, 1512.
• Edwin Hubble, astronomer and inventor of the Hubble telescope, was born Nov20, 1889
• Chronicles of Narnia author C.S. Lewis died in England, coincidentally on the same day that JFK was assassinated in Dallas; C.S. Lewis’ death was barely covered in international news until much later.
• John and Abigail Adams were the first “first couple” to move into the White House, November 1800.
• November 1940, the Warsaw Ghetto was sealed off from the rest of the city as the war in Europe intensified.
• Before he became known to the world as Pope John Paul II, he was Karol Wojtyla and a newly ordained priest on November 1, 1946.