Your vote counts! Summer Reading 2012 slogan vote and 2013 theme vote! Deadline April 2, 2010!

Greetings Friends,

Due to the regional consolidation and the loss of staff and funding, the youth services consultants of each of the six regional library systems have decided to make every effort to continue a statewide summer reading program, provided to you as a member of the new Massachusetts Library System, by joining the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP).

Sarah Sogigian, Youth Services Consultant of the Metrowest and Boston Regions, will be representing Massachusetts libraries by attending the CLSP Annual Meeting on April 6-10 in Tacoma, WA. As statewide members, Sarah will represent us in voting on our favorite slogans for the 2012 program, and our favorite theme for 2013 (The collaborative plans well in advance).

Since we want to get all MA librarians' input, we've created an online survey. We invite all staff involved with summer reading to participate! Again, since MA just joined the collaborative, we are not responsible for the selection of themes and slogans, but they do want our thoughts on narrowing it down. There are different slogans for Adults, Teens, and Children.

The survey can be found at this link: http://tinyurl.com/y9yrcur

Please take a few minutes to fill out the online survey. Responses are due by Friday, April 2, 2010.

The 2011 general theme for the summer reading program is World Culture/World Travel and the slogans are:

Children's - One World, Many Stories
Teen - You Are Here
Adult - Novel Destination

2011's themes and slogans were decided last year, and our voting privileges begin with the 2012 program.

You may find information about the Collaborative at their website: http://www.cslpreads.org/

Most importantly, you will find information on the upcoming merger of the six regional libraries systems on both our WMRLS Homepage at http://www.wmrls.org/ and on our Friends of WMRLS homepage at http://friends.wmrls.org/

~  Sincerely, Janet Eckert, WMRLS

WMRLS Online CE Coffee Break Series Encore!

Good News!  WMRLS has archived each session of our recent Winter Continuing Education Series of 30 minute online programs.  Visit our WMRLS Online CE Coffee Break Series ~ 2010 website to view one or all of our coffee break sessions. ~ Sincerely, Janet Eckert, WMRLS

http://www.wmrls.org/ce/notes/online-coffee-break.html

Encore Post: Ware High School Library Goes GREEN!

Many thanks to Ware High School Librarian, Valerie Wlodyka, and all of the faculty, staff, and students, who decorated the library GREEN in preparation for our recent WMRLS Summer Reading Program Roundtable (Focus on Teen Programs)

Don't close the books on our libraries!

Rick Moon of the North Adams Public Library has shown us a flier he created to give to patrons to alert them to the devastating cuts coming our way. It's a very handsome flier and we're just posting it out here to give you some ideas. If you've done anything like this, could you submit them to Jan Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator or to a member of the WMRLS Friends?

Here's the link to the flier on the WMRLS Friends' page:
http://friends.wmrls.org/pdf/2010-get-our-voices-out.pdf

URGENT! INPUT NEEDED!

What is happening to WMRLS?

What is this statewide merger all about?

How will it affect our libraries?

Come join your colleagues at one of 3 discussion sessions that have been scheduled across the WMRLS service area. No need to register, just show up and participate!


Learn more about the plans and what effect they will have on you , your library and your users. Those who are working on the merger need your ideas ASAP!

Roundtable discussions are scheduled at:

• Tuesday, March 23, Lee Library Association, 10 a.m.

• Wed., March 24, Agawam Public Library, 10 a.m.

• Thursday, March 25, WMRLS , Whately, 10 a.m.

For directions, please consult the WMRLS website at: http://www.wmrls.org/directions/index.html

~ John Ramsay, Regional Administrator, WMRLS