In addition, Marguerite Bride will be blogging the experience at http://www.baportrait.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 27, 2009
Berkshire Athenaeum Portrait
A rare opportunity to watch the creative process taking place will be afforded to visitors to the Berkshire Athenaeum this Spring, when a new portrait of the library takes shape. The Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum have launched their first public painting event, selecting Pittsfield artist Marguerite Bride to create a watercolor portrait of the library building. The new work will ultimately hang in the main entrance of the “new” Berkshire Athenaeum, which was built in 1974 and is celebrating its 35th birthday this year.
WMRLS Library Stars!
For complete information, read "America's Star Libraries" by Ray Lyons & Keith Curry Lance
in Library Journal, 2/15/09
This assessment is based entirely on 4 per capita service output measures: visits, circulation, program attendance and public Internet computer use. The libraries were ranked and compared with peer libraries, but, in a departure from past rankings, the groupings are based on total operating expenditures and not population.
~ John Ramsay, Regional Administrator, Western Massachusetts Regional Library System
WMRLS Library Budget Crisis Roundtable
The WMRLS Continuing Education Workshop Library Budget Crisis Roundtable offered about 25 member librarians, mostly directors of public libraries, a chance to discuss the local situations that they are facing in their communities. While a few library directors reported cuts to their budgets this year, most libraries are making plans for handling budget shortfalls beginning in July, with options like fewer hours, staff furloughs, layoffs, and reduced materials’ spending under consideration. John Ramsay, WMRLS Regional Administrator, facilitated the conversation and his PowerPoint presentation, which includes several helpful links to budget tools, is shared here.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Posted on the AllRegions Email Discussion List today:The Governor's office has created a central website with information about what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act means to Massachusetts residents and information on how the Governor plans to invest federal stimulus funds in the Commonwealth. The Governor's office has also created a brochure with helpful information. The MBLC has posted a link to all this information on our consumer website:
The Governor's office hopes that libraries will make the information available to their patrons. Visit the Governor's website.
~ Celeste Bruno, Communications Specialist, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Libraries and Lead Law: An Update
ALA: U.S. Rep. Fortenberry’s legislation will protect books from regulation
March 25th, 2009 Category: OGR
Nebraska congressman introduces bill to amend consumer safety act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jenni Terry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) supports legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) yesterday to amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) to exempt ordinary books from the lead limit within the act. This is a welcome step toward ensuring libraries will not be adversely affected by the law.
In August 2008, Congress passed CPSIA, an important law to protect children from the real dangers of toys made with lead-based paint; however, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) misinterpreted the law to apply to ordinary books for children 12 years of age or younger.
The law was set to go into effect on February 10, 2009, but in late January 2009, the CPSC issued a one-year stay of implementation for enforcement of the new lead limits in children’s products, stating that the commission will not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing or selling a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as an ordinary children’s book printed after 1985.
Fortenberry’s bill, H.R. 1692, would remove the pre-1985 provision and states that CPSIA was not intended to apply to ordinary books – those books that are published on paper or cardboard, printed by conventional publishing methods, intended to be read, and lacking inherent play value. H.R. 1692 also states that testing has shown that finished books and their component materials contain total lead content at levels considered non-detectable, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that there is little risk to children from lead in ordinary books.
“We are grateful for this bill since it supports what the ALA, libraries, teachers and parents know to be true – books are safe and should not be regulated by this law,” ALA President Jim Rettig said.
“Reading is critical to child development, and libraries should be free to continue providing services to children without the fear of having to comply with unnecessary and expensive testing. Rep. Fortenberry’s bill corrects the CPSC’s misinterpretation that would deny our children access to books and limit their opportunities to learn.”
Read the full text of the bill here.
March 25th, 2009 Category: OGR
Nebraska congressman introduces bill to amend consumer safety act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jenni Terry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) supports legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) yesterday to amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) to exempt ordinary books from the lead limit within the act. This is a welcome step toward ensuring libraries will not be adversely affected by the law.
In August 2008, Congress passed CPSIA, an important law to protect children from the real dangers of toys made with lead-based paint; however, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) misinterpreted the law to apply to ordinary books for children 12 years of age or younger.
The law was set to go into effect on February 10, 2009, but in late January 2009, the CPSC issued a one-year stay of implementation for enforcement of the new lead limits in children’s products, stating that the commission will not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing or selling a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as an ordinary children’s book printed after 1985.
Fortenberry’s bill, H.R. 1692, would remove the pre-1985 provision and states that CPSIA was not intended to apply to ordinary books – those books that are published on paper or cardboard, printed by conventional publishing methods, intended to be read, and lacking inherent play value. H.R. 1692 also states that testing has shown that finished books and their component materials contain total lead content at levels considered non-detectable, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that there is little risk to children from lead in ordinary books.
“We are grateful for this bill since it supports what the ALA, libraries, teachers and parents know to be true – books are safe and should not be regulated by this law,” ALA President Jim Rettig said.
“Reading is critical to child development, and libraries should be free to continue providing services to children without the fear of having to comply with unnecessary and expensive testing. Rep. Fortenberry’s bill corrects the CPSC’s misinterpretation that would deny our children access to books and limit their opportunities to learn.”
Read the full text of the bill here.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
West Springfield Public Library: A Commitment to Early Literacy Training
Research shows that children get ready to read years before they start school. *Currently the West Springfield Public Library is featuring an exhibit that showcases its commitment to early literacy by highlighting the programming and services that the youth department staff is currently providing to its community.
On Tuesday, March 24, West Springfield Youth Services Librarian, Terri Mitus, conducted a live demonstration of the first session of her library’s successful “Little Crawlers” storytime series. Following this inspiring demonstration, Terri shared with colleagues tips and techniques on ways to conduct a successful lapsit program.
The West Springfield Public Library was a 2007 recipient of the Library Services & Technology Act "Mother Goose On the Loose" grant funded program that is administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
READ MORE ABOUT IT!
Baby rhyming time / Linda L. Ernst. Neal-Schuman Publishers, c2008 PROF 027.62
Early literacy storytimes @ your library : partnering with caregivers for success / Saroj Nadkarni Ghoting and Pamela Martin-Díaz. American Library Association, 2006. PROF 027.62
Lapsit services for the very young II : a how-to-do-it manual / Linda L. Ernst. Neal-Schuman Publishers, c2001. PROF +027.62
Mother Goose on the loose : a handbook and CD-ROM kit with scripts, rhymes, songs, flannel-board patterns, and activities for promoting early childhood development / Betsy Diamant-Cohen. Neal-Schuman Publishers, c2006. Prof 373.21
*From Every Child Ready To Read @ your library
