Work Like A Patron Day

Brian Herzog, a reference librarian at the Chelmsford Public Library, is the author of the blog, Swiss Army Librarian or, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Fear and Loathing at a Public Library Reference Desk. With colleagues at the Chelmsford Public Library, Brian recently celebrated "Work Like a Patron Day" in which staff experience the library from the patron's point of view.

Must Reading is Brian's Work Like A Patron Day Proposal (excerpt below) and Event Recap.

"I’m proposing “Work Like A Patron Day” on October 15th. In honor of the day, I think library staff should (when possible):

• enter and leave the library through the public entrance (not the staff doors)
• use the public restrooms
• use the public computers to do your work
• reserve public meeting rooms for meetings
• follow all library policies"

Worthington Library receives ALA/Fetzer Institute Award

Good news from the Worthington Library!

"The Worthington Library is one of 50 libraries to be chosen for the ALA/Fetzer Institute “Let’s Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness” grant. The grant awards the library $2500 to cover project director training in Denver, honorarium for the local scholar who will run the book discussion series and any other expenses. Worthington chose the topic: “Love and Forgiveness in the Light of Death” which follows nicely our well-received series last year on spiritual practices in our community. We are partnered in the grant by The Worthington Health Center, the Council on Aging and the Congregational Church. Our local scholar is Walter Wright, Academic Dean of Clark University and a PhD in Philosophy. We are very happy to have received this grant."

~ Leona Arthen, Director, Worthington Library

In Good Spirits Opening This Weekend!

I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a really great musical opening at the Shea Theatre in Turners Falls Ma this Friday! The show runs Oct 17-18 & Oct 24-25 at 8pm. They’ll also be matinees on Sunday Oct 19 & 26 at 2pm!

The musical is “IN GOOD SPIRITS”, a hysterical comedy about 5 ghosts that haunt a theater and the second rate community theater group that moves in with them. Will the ghosts scare them out, or help them out? If you’ve never seen a show with dancing sharks, prima donnas, and haunted bathrooms all set to toe tapping tunes, you have to see this one!

Best of all, several local librarians are in the cast and crew, including the Jones Library's own Sondra Radosh, producing the show! (and a certain Springfield library associate in the chorus as well! LOL )

Reserve tickets by phone at the Shea Box Office, 413-863-2281, ext. 3. Or you can go to http://www.arenacivictheatre.org/

Sarah HW
Springfield City Library

Library License Plates to benefit Massachusetts Libraries

From the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System website:

"Be among the first with a library license plate!
Celebrate libraries by proudly displaying the new MA library license plate and encouraging your staff members, friends, trustees, or members to join us!
The Central Massachusetts Regional Library System (CMRLS) announces it is now accepting advance applications for a new specialty license plate celebrating libraries in Massachusetts.

Proceeds will benefit public, academic, special and school libraries across the state that belong to a Regional Library System. Equitable shares of the proceeds will be made available to qualifying libraries through an open grant process. Funds will not be used to supplant library budgets.

If you'd like to be the owner of a low library license plate number, apply now!"

Read more about Massachusetts Library License Plates

Apply for a Massachusetts Library License Plate

Summer Reading Program Updates

Greetings All,
I have 3 calendar years of Summer Reading Program (SRP) updates to share with you:

2008 – Thank you to all who evaluated last summer’s program. We’ve compiled your feedback and it is now posted online .





2009 – The links to the complete manuals for both the general and teen 2009 SRP are now posted on our WMRLS READS! blog . The Massachusetts Regional Library Systems are now working to finalize the 2009 order form of free promotional materials for our member libraries (posters, bookmarks, reading records, certificates). Our goal is to have the complete library order form for 2009 materials posted to our WMRLS READS! blog by mid-November.


2010 - It's time to Vote for our 2010 Massachusetts Regional Library Systems Statewide Summer Reading Program Theme. Our online Summer Reading Program Ballot - - runs today through Monday, November 3. We'll announce our winning 2010 Summer Reading Program Theme on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4.

~ Sincerely, Janet Eckert, WMRLS

Clip art from LibraryClipArt.com