TELL YOUR STORY; MAKE IT PERSONAL – Library Advocacy at Pelham

“Tell your story and make it personal." You can email or send a note, but let your legislators know that you support the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ Legislative agenda to restore state funding for libraries and Regional Library Systems. That was the ‘take away’ from Senator Rosenberg’s library legislative breakfast which was held Friday morning (2/19/2010) at the Pelham Public Library.

More than 70 people attended the Pelham breakfast including library users, students from the Pelham school, Pelham library volunteers, members of the Pelham Select Board, trustees from Pelham as well as area libraries, librarians, Friends of WMRLS, Senator Rosenberg, Representatives Kocot, Kulik, Scibak and Story.

Library Director Adam Novitt, after welcoming the group, described how libraries save communities money by providing resources that help the elderly stay in their homes and give kids activity options that help them stay out of trouble. Pelham’s Library Teas are a case in point. When the Pelham Library began to host teas as a way to offer the community a gathering event as well as a program, staff, trustees and volunteers decided that they should use dishes that did not add to the landfill. They acquired china, but the hot water was so far away and expensive, they washed the cups in cold water for years until they could find a practical, economical solution. In spite of the benefits of libraries, these are examples of the compromises that occur in libraries on a daily basis.

Linda Wentworth (Leverett) spoke of the Friends of WMRLS and the fundraising they have achieved to support Regional services. Pelham Library Trustee Jonathan Woodridge and Select Board Member Jim Huber shared stories of their libraries and concerns for funding. Jan Resnick (WMRLS) explained the probable impact of a 29% budget cut for State funded Regional Library Systems resulting in merging the six Regional Library Systems into one and her concern for the special library services needed in the Western Region. C/W MARS, the area’s largest automated library network, also receives funds from the State budget. Dodie Gaudet reminded the audience that when those funds are reduced, the difference must be made up by fees paid by member libraries.

In the Library Voices portion of the program, Pelham patron Mary Jo Maffei described her use of the library for Internet access since her home doesn’t have any and as an excellent alternate workspace. Greenfield’s Public Library has taken several budget cuts in the past year. Director Sharon Sharry gave examples of the impact of those cuts while the library is experiencing dramatic increases in community needs and use. Sixth graders Heather Eliot and Fran Lisa Rowell and their teacher Cathy Neale spoke to the value of the shared school/public library in Pelham and how much library services have improved and how valuable they are.

This year, at the suggestion of our legislators, the library legislative breakfasts shifted from March to February. The timing of this one was perfect. Senator Rosenberg is taking his funding priorities to Senate Ways and Means on Monday. Representative Story is meeting with House Ways and Means on Tuesday. Vice Chair of House Ways and Means Stephen Kulik is chairing a budget hearing at UMass on Monday and issued a special invitation to the morning’s speakers to bring their comments on library funding to the hearing.

The breakfast was spectacular! The morning was gorgeous, trustees greeted guests on the walk into the building and upon entry. The refreshments were delicious; there was room for conversation and real cups and plates. The programs are very striking; get a look at them if you can.

~N. Janeen Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator, WMRLS

Director Essentials: An Aid for MA Library Directors

A new resource for Massachusetts library directors in all kinds of libraries is now available on the web: http://directoressentials.org/. Arranged by topic or type of library, it is an ever evolving collection of tools and lists to help new directors understand their environment and challenges.

Developed by the six Massachusetts Regional Library Systems and funded by an LSTA grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the site is a collaborative effort to acquaint new library directors with a variety of tools and tips to help them acclimate to their position and their new circumstances. There is even a lot of information to interest 'old' directors.

The site was developed with the assistance of an advisory committee. Western MA representatives include: Christine Bergquist (Wilbraham), Tamson Ely (STCC), Alison Ernst (Northfield/Mt. Hermon), Howard Polonsky (Franklin Law Library), and Sharon Sharry (Sunderland and now Greenfield). Jan Resnick (WMRLS) serves on the Director Essentials Grant Committee.

~Jan Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator, WMRLS

MLA Conference Report ~ Nancy Pearl

Massachusetts Library Association Annual Conference 2008 Report

Two reports on Nancy Pearl's MLA programs.

Opening Books, Opening Doors: Providing Effective Readers’ Advisory Service

What an exciting program I attended at MLA! Nancy Pearl talking about Readers’ Advisory services. I felt like I was listening to the queen of Readers’ Advisors. I mean, who could know more about this service than Nancy Pearl? Nancy brought up the question that all librarians everywhere fear the most: Can you help me find a good book? Desk paralysis sets in, the mind goes blank and the stomach knots. No matter how many great books you may have read in the last month you can’t remember a single one of them. And I thought that was just me!

Nancy has 2 rules for a good Readers’ Advisor:

1. It’s not about you (your likes or dislikes when it comes to reading)

2. You need to read widely (outside your comfort zone) and ask yourself what it is in this book that someone else might enjoy?

Nancy started out talking about using the whole library when providing readers’ advisory services to your patrons. Thinking more broadly about the kinds of books your readers are asking for, and making the connections to the non fiction section of the library makes so much sense, and provided that “aha!” moment for me for that patron who can’t get enough of her favorite mystery writers – how about true crime and the paranormal for starters? I have to admit I hadn’t thought along those lines before. The first patron I steered in that direction was completely overjoyed to find this “new” area of our library! Nancy calls this doing “holistic RA”.

Finding that perfect book for your patron is about finding an experience that that patron can relate to, enjoy, and wants to replicate. Basically, everyone relates to books through at least one of four “doorways”.

The “doorways” to enjoyment that readers everywhere experience when they read the books they love vary from reader to reader and from book to book. First, there are books that use story as the doorway: you know a person enjoys books with a story doorway when you hear them say something like this about a book they loved: “I couldn’t put it down, I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!” Examples of books that have story as the doorway are: Michael Crichton’s Prey, Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code, and books by authors such as John Grisham, James Patterson, and Robert Parker. Non fiction connections for people who enjoy story as the main doorway to a book could include True Crime or Adventure such as The Perfect Storm.

Second, there are books with Character as the doorway. People may say “I loved the people in this book, I missed the characters when I finished that book, I felt like I knew them!” Books with Character as the doorway usually have a character’s name in part of the title such as John Irving’s Prayer for Owen Meany or James Joyce’s The Dubliners or Finnegans Wake. Non fiction connections for people who enjoy character as the main doorway to a book would include memoirs and biographies.

Third, some books use Setting or Place as the largest doorway. Lovers of these books claim that the time and place are so well evoked that you know it as well as you know your own house, town or country. Examples of books with this type of doorway include Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News, Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Arch Bishop, or A Thousand Splendid Suns by Hosseini. Science Fiction or Fantasy books use Setting as the largest doorway.

Finally, there are books with Language as the largest doorway. People who appreciate these books mention that the book was really well-written, or that they loved the writing. These books are the book award winners. They tend to be the slowest moving books, and what happens next is not that important. Books like The amazing Adventures of Harry and Clay, The Book Thief, and books by Ian McKeun, Rumor Godden, Alice Hoffman and John Updike would all be examples of books with Language as the largest doorway.

All books include the four doorways mentioned above, but one of the doorways is largest and it is this distinction that draws a certain type of reader to the book.

“A good book is any book that you liked” – Nancy Pearl

~ Karen Kappenman, Director, Edwards Public Library, Southampton


Book Buzz 2008

I am sorry to say I thought the session was over when everyone in the room rushed up to grab their free copies of novels by panelists Katherine Hall Page, Linda Barnes, and Mameve Medwed. While I missed the reviews for new titles coming out I thoroughly enjoyed the author panel moderated by Nancy Pearl.

It is usually interesting to get insight into the author behind the book and this case was no exception. Mameve Medwed, author of How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life, admitted she is never able to read her own books. When she is done they are dead and gone. Medwed admitted she is always listening in. Eavesdropping led her to the first line in her upcoming novel, “It all started with the twin pharmacists.” Carlotta Carlyle creator Linda Barnes has an acting background and often hams it up just to hear the voices, cadences and accents of her characters (Although when asked she wouldn’t “perform” for the audience.)

Katherine Hall Page talked about her Faith Fairchild series. Developing Faith Fairchild as a caterer was Page’s way to give her protagonist access to a wide number of characters and situations. And yes, she does try out all the recipes included in her mysteries.

All three authors agreed romances and mysteries were often trivialized – likened to sitting at the children’s table at Thanksgiving. Shelving all fiction together would be a better way to garner acceptance. Nancy Pearl chimed in saying she would like to see neighborhoods of books.

Each had an answer when asked about the problems with publishing. Barnes wished franchising would be eliminated. Medwed reminded us it is the book itself that matters. And finally, Page lamented that publishers are putting their money in bestsellers while cutting mid-list authors and new voices.

~ Deb Kern, Director, Dickinson Memorial Library, Northfield

Guiding Readers to Nonfiction ~ A Training Session by Neal Wyatt

Now is the time to integrate nonfiction recommendations into your Readers’ Advisory service, to use the whole collection, bridge the Dewey Divide and help readers find both fiction and nonfiction that they will enjoy reading. Rather than thinking about our collection in separate segments (e.g. fiction, nonfiction, CD, DVD), think about the appeal that various topics and stories have for our users. The same reader can enjoy David McCullough’s John Adams or 1776, Jeff Shaara’s novel Rise to Rebellion, and the HBO special series on John Adams. Any of the books or the special can draw a user into new areas of our collections. On April 15, Neal Wyatt, author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Nonfiction (ALA, 2007), ‘the readers shelf’ column in Library Journal (LJ), and the online LJ suggestions in Wyatt’s World, conducted a workshop to help participants learn how to analyze users and collections for use in a nonfiction RA transaction. Through presentation, small group discussion and treats, Neal widened our horizons and taught us new skills. We are pleased to announce that Neal will return July 22 for a second workshop. It’s a whole new world. ~ Jan Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator, WMRLS

The Digital Commonwealth: Information Session April 24

The Digital Commonwealth, a statewide digital library project, (www.digitalcommonwealth.org) is now in its second year and growing. The portal and website were launched in 2007 and the Repository will be launched later this year. On Thursday, April 24 from 10 - 12, at WMRLS HQ in Whately, Jan Resnick of WMRLS and Digital Commonwealth Executive Committee members Julie Bartlett and Marilyn Billings will present an information session for non-members on what the Digital Commonwealth is, why your organization should consider participating, how to join and what resources are available to get you started. We will repeat this program at NARA in Pittsfield on Thursday June 26, 10-12. If you are unable to attend and would like more information, contact Julie at jbartlett@forbeslibrary.org or Marilyn at mbillings@library.umass.edu. This program is co-sponsored by the Digital Commonwealth, WMRLS, and the Western Mass Library Club. Jan Resnick is the WMRLS contact person for this program. Registration for this event is available at: http://forms.wmrls.org/ceform

~~ Jan Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator

MA Legislative Day 2008

On Wednesday April 2, 2008, intrepid librarians from western Mass. hit the bus for the State House. On the way, we picked up another contingent from central Mass. The bus was organized and underwritten by the Friends of WMRLS. Donuts for the journey were generously provided by North Adams Representative Dan Bosley.

Legislative Day is sponsored by the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) and this year, for the first time, MLA joined forces with the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA). The drill for the day is pretty straightforward for those of you who haven't joined us before. A few weeks before Legislative Day, attendees contact their Senator and Representative to alert them to the event and invite them to attend the program and lunch, usually as this year, held in the Great Hall of Flags.

Let your legislators know you are coming and will be stopping by their office. If several of you from a particular district are attending, its a good idea to make an appointment. (The bus usually arrives between 10 - 10:30, lunch is usually at 12, the bus leaves at 2 or 2:30.)

When we arrive at the State House, the bus driver drops us off and reminds us of the departure time. We proceed to the General Hooker entrance of the building and go through security (usually to comments like 'the librarians are here.') At the Hall of Flags MLA/MSLA volunteers staff a sign in desk where we pick up information packets for legislators and carnations. There are one or two briefing sessions conducted by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to review the legislative agenda. The briefings are generally at 10 and 11. If you've attended a legislative breakfast you will have seen the packet before and may not need to go to the briefing.

It is now time to go to see your legislators. You'll have a list of legislators and office numbers in your packet, and there are plenty of people and signs to help you find your way. Your reps and senators will be pleased to see you. You'll have a few minutes to make a couple of key points on the value of state funding for libraries and to ask for their support. If they or an aide are not available, drop off a business card if you have one, a packet and a short note. These notes and your presence are very important. We'll hope to see you on the bus next year.

A summary of the day is available at http://www.masslib.org/legislative/legday2008.html.

~~ Jan Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator