Two morning programs on library construction were filled with the wisdom of the experienced and advice from professionals. "MBLC Grant Process and the Building Program" featured Patience Jackson and Rosemary Waltos of the MA Board of Library Commissioners overviewing our state's "very well run library construction grant program", a compliment given by Richard Marks, President of project management firm Daedalus Projects. In MA, libraries must meet well laid-out milestones to receive grant money and that makes our library construction grant program predictable and achievable locally---thank you MBLC! Patience and Rosemary spoke of the Planning and Design Grants that help the smallest communities move toward new libraries, and the new "green incentive program" to help communities build energy efficient buildings. Building Consultant Marjorie Judd described how she gathers data in order to write building programs for communities, and Aaron Cohen spoke of the visual scan that guides his work producing a library facility plan. He recommended that you put the largest pots of money into aspects of the new library that your community will see and use in order to earn their support. Two owner project management firms, Daedalus Projects and Scanska USA, cautioned that hiring a project manager should come at the beginning of your project so that their expertise can help you define a budget that will work throughout your building program.
"Library Construction: Notes from the Field" featured two library directors who have built new facilities and two architects who design community libraries. Carol Mahoney, Director of the Greenwich (CT) Public Library, won my heart when she emphasized planning a delivery area that is sized and located for the safety and convenience of those staff members who prepare and receive deliveries, and in consideration of the delivery drivers who move all the bins of materials into and out of our libraries every day. The slide show that Leslie Morrissey of the Falmouth Public Library shared emphasized how an historic building can be beautifully renovated and added to, more than once! Charlie Van Voorhis is an architect specializing in renovating historic buildings. He admitted that it can take more energy and creativity keeping the old parts in a renovation project but such renovations can be competitive financially with building brand-new, and are very helpful in maintaining a community's spirit. Stewart Roberts of the firm Johnson Stewart Roberts Associates listed the pros and cons of new construction versus renovation of historic spaces. He proved his love for older libraries by giving us his company web address
http://www.johnson-roberts.com where you will find "Library Postcards Online". It's organized by state so look for your library there!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
MLA Conference Reports on its Blog
MLA is going Web 2.0 this year with Twitter Tweets, Flickr Photos, and its annual MLA Conference Reports Blog ~ http://mlamasslib.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Flickr Photos & the Massachusetts Library Association Annual Conference
Enjoy Flickr photos of the Massachusetts Library Association's Annual Conference which runs through this Friday.
The Big Board by jmgold [9 results matching masslib09, licensed under the Creative Commons]
Twitter #masslib09
Many librarians who attended today's Massachusetts Library Association Annual Conference at the MassMutual Center in Springfield are Tweeting about their day's experiences! ~Read All About It
Friends of Western Massachusetts Regional Library SystemRecognized by Big Y
The Friends of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System
(WMRLS) is proud to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of
$5,000 from the Big Y Paul H. D’ Amour Memorial Charity Golf Outing
Committee. The Friends group was chosen for its efforts in raising
funds for services and programs for the regional library system (WMRLS).
Established in 2003, the Friends of WMRLS formed in response to a
devastating cut in Regional Library funding. Each year, the Friends of
WMRLS identifies one or more areas of Regional service to support
through membership dues and fundraising events, supplementing state
funding in good times and maintaining basic programs in times of
economic stress. This year the grant will be used to support the
delivery of books and audiovisual materials to library users in over 300
communities in western Massachusetts. The sharing of resources between
libraries is at an all time high in these challenging economic times.
Friends President Antonia Golinski-Foisy stated, “We are overjoyed by
this generous gift. Big Y has an established commitment to the
communities that it services and is dedicated to improving the quality
of life in southern New England. The Friends of WMRLS is honored that
Big Y would recognize our shared values by awarding us this generous
gift and assisting us in our own commitment to our communities.”
(WMRLS) is proud to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of
$5,000 from the Big Y Paul H. D’ Amour Memorial Charity Golf Outing
Committee. The Friends group was chosen for its efforts in raising
funds for services and programs for the regional library system (WMRLS).
Established in 2003, the Friends of WMRLS formed in response to a
devastating cut in Regional Library funding. Each year, the Friends of
WMRLS identifies one or more areas of Regional service to support
through membership dues and fundraising events, supplementing state
funding in good times and maintaining basic programs in times of
economic stress. This year the grant will be used to support the
delivery of books and audiovisual materials to library users in over 300
communities in western Massachusetts. The sharing of resources between
libraries is at an all time high in these challenging economic times.
Friends President Antonia Golinski-Foisy stated, “We are overjoyed by
this generous gift. Big Y has an established commitment to the
communities that it services and is dedicated to improving the quality
of life in southern New England. The Friends of WMRLS is honored that
Big Y would recognize our shared values by awarding us this generous
gift and assisting us in our own commitment to our communities.”
Friday, May 1, 2009
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY CLUB
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY CLUB - WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
The next meeting of the Western Mass. Library Club will be Wed., May 13, 9:30am at Chicopee Public Library, 449 Front St. The speaker that morning will be Katherine Dibble, Vice-President, MA Board of Library Commissioners, who will speak about how the Board manages the State Aid Program and also about the current situation with funding.
The Western Mass. Library Club has been in existence for over 100 years to support professional and paraprofessional librarians, currently working and retired, in professional development and socialization. Meetings may be attended by any current or retired library staff or trustees. Over the years, we have had some wonderful speakers including Suzanne Strempek Shea, Jay Ducharme, Daniel Goleman and Robert Meeropol. You are always welcome.
If you plan on attending, please contact President Mary Senecal at msenecal@cwmars.org or member Frank Taplin at 413-534-0867, as after Commissioner Dibble's presentation, we will adjourn for an a la carte lunch at Munich Haus in downtown Chicopee. If you like German food, this is the place to be!
Sincerely, Brian Tabor, Circulation Supervisor, Forbes Library, Northampton
The next meeting of the Western Mass. Library Club will be Wed., May 13, 9:30am at Chicopee Public Library, 449 Front St. The speaker that morning will be Katherine Dibble, Vice-President, MA Board of Library Commissioners, who will speak about how the Board manages the State Aid Program and also about the current situation with funding.
The Western Mass. Library Club has been in existence for over 100 years to support professional and paraprofessional librarians, currently working and retired, in professional development and socialization. Meetings may be attended by any current or retired library staff or trustees. Over the years, we have had some wonderful speakers including Suzanne Strempek Shea, Jay Ducharme, Daniel Goleman and Robert Meeropol. You are always welcome.
If you plan on attending, please contact President Mary Senecal at msenecal@cwmars.org or member Frank Taplin at 413-534-0867, as after Commissioner Dibble's presentation, we will adjourn for an a la carte lunch at Munich Haus in downtown Chicopee. If you like German food, this is the place to be!
Sincerely, Brian Tabor, Circulation Supervisor, Forbes Library, Northampton
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Agawam Public Library Presents ...
AGAWAM PUBLIC LIBRARYMonday, May 18, 2009
SHAKESPEARE…the Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet ...Presented by Richard Clark
One Monday, May 18th at 7:00, Richard Clark of “Keeping History Alive” will return to the Agawam Public Library to give a performance entitled “Shakespeare…the Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet”.
Come and celebrate Shakespeare by seeing twelve different characters, hear twenty-five monologues and soliloquies from his most famous plays. Share some of the most memorable moments in dramatic history.
Through “Keeping History Alive”, historical characters are brought to life in performances created from the lives and work of Mark Twain, Clarence Darrow, John Barrymore and Andrew Carnegie.
Richard Clark has been acting for over 30 years and has appeared in numerous New England regional theaters. He has worked professionally in New York Theater and in television. His film credits include “Guiding Light”, “As the World Turns” and “Saturday Night Live”.
For more information on Richard Clark, please visit his website at http://www.darrowactor.wordpress.com .
This program is sponsored by the Agawam Center Library Association. Please call 789-1550, or visit the Agawam Library to register.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Braille books at Forbes
The Forbes Library Children's Department is pleased to announce that we have recently purchased 250 titles in Braille for children ages birth through age 16. Many titles are already available, and the entire collection should be cataloged soon. These are specialty books that have been ordered direct from a publisher who strictly caters to visually impaired children.
The Forbes Library Children's Department is dedicated to increasing the opportunity for literacy by providing Braille books for all of our local patrons as well as children who live across the state. We have contacted the Perkins Institute for the Blind and asked them to pass on this information to the families that they serve. Most of the collection can be searched and requested through the CWMARS catalog. You can see what is in the collection by doing a subject search in thecatalog of "Braille book" in the Northampton Children's scope. More titles will be added in time.
The collection includes titles from mainstream popular literature as well as the classics. We are providing Braille books at each level of development from toddler board books to literature for older children. Sighted children learn to read when they are exposed to the printed word and visually impaired children also learn at an early age if they are exposed to the tactile page. "We are hoping that by providing Braille literature throughout childhood that we will increase the chances that these children will develop into competent Braille readers and lovers of books," said Jude McGowan, Children's Librarian at Forbes Library. Ifyou would like to learn more about the collection contact Jude at jmcgowan@forbeslibrary.org or 413-587-1010.
~ Thank you, Lisa Downing, Assistant Director, Forbes Library, Northampton, http://www.forbeslibrary.org/
The Forbes Library Children's Department is dedicated to increasing the opportunity for literacy by providing Braille books for all of our local patrons as well as children who live across the state. We have contacted the Perkins Institute for the Blind and asked them to pass on this information to the families that they serve. Most of the collection can be searched and requested through the CWMARS catalog. You can see what is in the collection by doing a subject search in thecatalog of "Braille book" in the Northampton Children's scope. More titles will be added in time.
The collection includes titles from mainstream popular literature as well as the classics. We are providing Braille books at each level of development from toddler board books to literature for older children. Sighted children learn to read when they are exposed to the printed word and visually impaired children also learn at an early age if they are exposed to the tactile page. "We are hoping that by providing Braille literature throughout childhood that we will increase the chances that these children will develop into competent Braille readers and lovers of books," said Jude McGowan, Children's Librarian at Forbes Library. Ifyou would like to learn more about the collection contact Jude at jmcgowan@forbeslibrary.org or 413-587-1010.
~ Thank you, Lisa Downing, Assistant Director, Forbes Library, Northampton, http://www.forbeslibrary.org/
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
2009 Massachusetts Teen Librarian Summit ~ A Web 2.0 Adventure
The next best thing to attending our 2009 Massachusetts Teen Librarian Summit is reading and viewing events of the day via our ...- Twitter #teenlib09 microblog
- Flickr pictures & slideshop
- MRLS Summer Reading Program Wiki listing of selected program handouts and recommended websites
*Photo by Susan Babb, Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System
Monday, April 27, 2009
Swine Flu Topic is on Medline Plus
Swine Flu topic on MedlinePlus is live- The topic will be live on the Spanish page by the end of the day.
~ Michelle L. Eberle, NN/LM-NER - UMass Med School, Lamar Soutter Library, michelle.eberle@umasmed.edu
Thursday, April 23, 2009
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDIAN ORCHARD BRANCH LIBRARY
Springfield City Library Plans Special Celebration!SPRINGFIELD, MA – April 23, 2009 – It’s 1909 and what’s happening in the world? William Howard Taft has just succeeded Theodore Roosevelt as the 27th President of the United States. Big band leader Benny Goodman is born. And construction begins on the RMS Titanic in Belfast, Ireland. On Oak Street in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield, Massachusetts, the Springfield City Library system is opening the doors of a Classical Revival style library, made possible through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. Designed by local architect John Donahue and built by local craftsmen, it is the first fully staffed suburban branch library in Springfield. In 1905 the Carnegie Foundation had given $260,000 to the city to build a central library and three branch libraries. (Also funded by this 1905 grant and commemorating one hundred years of service is the Forest Park Branch Library. A celebration event is being planned for the fall.)
In recognition of this milestone, there will be an Open House Celebration on Saturday, May 9th from 1-3 p.m. at the Indian Orchard Branch Library, which has now graced the corner of Oak and Worcester Streets for a century. The air will be filled with the sweet harmonies and jazzy blues sounds of the musical duo Too Human. Demonstrating her phenomenal artistry will be watercolorist Susan Pecora, who will work on a painting of the Library to be donated and hung in the branch. Crafts and face painting will provide fun for children. Refreshments will provide enjoyment for all!
This project is being funded in part through grants from the Springfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Special thanks and recognition go to the Indian Orchard Branch Library Advisory Committee for their continued help and support.
About the Springfield City LibraryFor over 150 years, the Springfield City Library (www.SpringfieldLibrary.org) has provided public library service to area residents. Starting with a single central library in 1857, the Springfield City Library today maintains ten neighborhood branches. Using state-of-the-art technology, the Library provides free and easy access to information and the opportunity for lifelong learning through a variety of programs and services, including Internet access at each location. Springfield City Library – A Place for You.
For additional information, contact: Janet Stupak, Community Relations Coordinator, Springfield City Library 413-263-6828, ext. 422; jstupak@springfieldlibrary.org
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Join in MayDay ~ Make a Difference for Your Library or Archives
On May 1, you can do something simple that will make a difference for your library or archives. Join in MayDay INDIVIDUALS can do many things on their own:
* Quickly survey collections areas to ensure that nothing is stored directly on the floor, where it would be especially vulnerable to water damage.
* Note the location of fire exits and fire extinguishers.
* Encourage your repository to participate in MayDay.
REPOSITORIES may engage in activities involving all staff:
* Conduct an evacuation drill to acquaint staff members with the evacuation plan and to test its effectiveness.
* Update the contact information in your existing emergency preparedness plan and create a wallet-size emergency contact roster to facilitate communication and rapid response.
Here are some tips on how to get started...
* Visit a website. Check out SAA's MayDay
* Find tools to expand your disaster planning resources
* Create a quick-and-dirty disaster plan from a free template.
* Find disaster planning classes near you and more in the Annotated MayDay Resources .
* See examples of what others have done for MayDay in the past or what they're doing this year
* Read a book.
* For practical information about what to do first in an emergency and how to prevent further damage, view Heritage Preservation's Field Guide to Emergency Response .
* The Council of State Archivists publishes Emergency Preparedness Initiative and Rescuing Family Records: A Disaster Planning Guide to help point you in the right direction.
* Enter a contest.
* Heritage Preservation National Task Force is hosting a MayDay incentive contest featuring four prizes donated by Gaylord Brothers.
* Share.
* What did you do for MayDay? SAA would love to hear from you - even if you just changed a battery! Send us an email: MayDay@archivists.org.
* Send a paragraph or a photo and caption about how you made a difference for your archives on MayDay. We'll feature your information in the next issue of Archival Outlook. Send to Helen Janousek at hjanousek@archivists.org.
~ Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, M.A.L.S., C.A., Preservation Specialist, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
* Send a paragraph or a photo and caption about how you made a difference for your archives on MayDay. We'll feature your information in the next issue of Archival Outlook. Send to Helen Janousek at hjanousek@archivists.org.
~ Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, M.A.L.S., C.A., Preservation Specialist, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
