Catalogue of the Photographic Exhibition of Irish Carnegie Libraries

Catalog of the Photographic Exhibition of Irish Carnegie Libraries

As a result of my correspondence with Carnegie libraries for our recent 90th celebration, I received this fabulous look at the beautiful libraries on the Emerald Isle. All brick structures, there is one or two that look like quaint country homes, others grand and elaborate. Hope you enjoy scrolled down the list as much as I did. As the Irish say... Cheers!

~ Janice McArdle , Youth Service Librarian, Granby Free Public Library

Friends of WMRLS Honor Someone Special

The public’s response to the Friends of WMRLS’ “Honor Someone Special” bookmobile project has been generous. In November, information packets with a supply of donation forms went out to every public library in the Western Region. Members of the public have responded using the donation forms found on libraries’ circulation desks. The project got a further boost when a splendid feature article appeared in the December 7th issue of Springfield’s The Republican, titled Book Service Strained by Elizabeth Roman. Over $2400 has been donated as of this writing, and more is anticipated as the project continues into the new year. The funds will be used to purchase children’s books for the bookmobile, which now serves 76 towns and villages throughout Western Massachusetts.

So far, the 52 contributors (3 from out-of-state) represent 22 different Western Massachusetts cities and towns. Of these, 9 are towns that receive bookmobile service. As the project continues, we hope to see this number increase. We are pleased to note that so many contributors come from towns that do not themselves receive bookmobile service.

Contributions have ranged from $260 from the Friends of the East Longmeadow Public Library to $200 from Anonymous (Bless you!) to $20, which is the more typical donation. It is really gratifying to see this kind of support, and touching to see people so ready to honor, celebrate and remember friends and loved ones in this way.

The Hatfield branch of the Bank of Western Massachusetts is also to be congratulated and thanked for inviting Friends of WMRLS to set up an “Honor Someone Special” display table (with donation forms) during the holidays to increase public awareness of the bookmobile project. It was a nice example of partnership and of opportunities to get the word out into other venues in our local communities.

Please remember – this project is ongoing. Keep those pink donation forms on the circulation desks and, where possible, place them at other sites in the community.For the love of your bookmobile!

~ Louise Kanus, Secretary/Clerk, Friends of WMRLS

Save the Date: March 5

Digital Commonwealth

Membership Meeting

March 5 at Holyoke Community College from 1 to 3

The Digital Commonwealth (http://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/) is having membership meetings across the state this spring. January at CMRLS, February at SAILS, and March 5 will be at Holyoke Community College's Kittredge Center 1-3 pm. Members and prospective members are invited to come and share with other libraries their current and future projects and discuss their needs and challenges. The Executive Committee is seeking input from members in creating a new strategic plan and learning what libraries need from the Digital Commonwealth for training and support in creating projects. To learn more information or to RSVP to join us March 5, contact President Vivien Goldman at viviengoldman@comcast.net

~ Julie H. Bartlett, Archivist, Holyoke Community

UMASS Amherst Libraries host Images from Visual Exhibit

NEWS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: LESLIE SCHALER, COMMUNICATION ASST., (413) 545-0162

UMASS AMHERST LIBRARIES HOSTS "Images From VISUAL"Amherst, MA - The UMass Amherst Libraries will host an exhibit "Images from VISUAL" from January 8, 2008, through April 29, 2008, in the Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library in the Lederle Graduate Research Center Lowrise, Floor 2, at UMass Amherst. VISUAL (Ventures in Science Using Art Laboratory: http://www.umassvisual.org/) is an educational outreach program of the National Science Foundation supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at UMass Amherst. An opening reception will be held on January 22, 2008, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library. The reception will include refreshments and speakers from VISUAL. The event is free and open to the public.

Among the speakers, Al Crosby, Associate Director of Educational Outreach for MRSEC, will provide an introduction to and overview of VISUAL; Naomi Sanbria-Delong, a student, will give a presentation on her research and how the images were developed; and teacher Phyllis Vincenty will discuss the process of how the images are used in K-12 teaching.

The exhibit will feature 13, 32"x28" images selected from VISUAL's collection, each one captured during research at UMass Amherst.Accompanying each image will be a description, in non-technical terms, that explains the science behind the picture. Note cards featuring selected images will be available for sale. VISUAL is based on the premise that the visual arts can serve as an effective means to educate the general public and as students of all ages on the importance of scientific research in our everyday lives. Each captivating image is a direct experimental result from research conducted on the Amherst campus. By building on synergy between art and science, VISUAL provides a unique avenue by which both disciplines can be promoted, appreciated and encouraged.

The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center unites the efforts of 34 faculty members from six departments (Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Plant Biology, Physics, and Polymer Science andEngineering) at UMass Amherst, and has research collaborations and outreach programs with over 12 other institutions. The Center has been supported by the National Science Foundation for 29 years.

For more information, contact Danielle Kovacs at dkovacs@library.umass.edu or 545-2784, or for more information about VISUAL, contact Kathy Russell at visual@mail.pse.umass.edu or 577-1629.

Don't Close the Book on Public Libraries

Recommended Reading in Today's Republican:

Don't Close the Book on Public Libraries

On Becoming A Raging Library Activist

On September 12, Maureen Ambrosino, Central Massachusetts Regional Libary System's Youth Services Consultant, requested that we change the location of our monthly Regional Youth Services Meeting to Boston as she had volunteered to testify at the State House to support school librarians for the Massachusetts School Library Association. After our regional meeting concluded, we accompanied Maureen to the State House to support her.

Maureen was among the last to testify and those who preceeded her all read from notes. While they were informative, their presentations were very dry. Maureen quickly realized that her testimony would be more powerful if she spoke extemporaneously. In fact, Maureen’s testimony was the best of the day and the legislators were truly interested in what she had to say.

Inspired by the day’s events, Maureen submitted an article summarizing this experience to School Library Journal. School Library Journal was so impressed by Maureen’s piece that they asked if they could reformat her story as a graphic arts piece.
Read about Maureen’s “Metamorphosis” in the January 2008 edition of School Library Journal at:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/info/CA6515886.html

~ Janet Eckert, Western Massachusetts Regional Library System

Westen MA Poetry Slam Website

Hi,

Now that the holidays are past us I am getting to work on the regional poetry slams. We have the round table coming up Friday (tomorrow!) and another at Pelham next week.

I threw up this quick Google Pages website to give people an idea of what the slam is and as a central place to draw resources from. Within a week or so all the resources should be there. These should not be a lot of work for people and I think they'll be fun and attract a lot of attention!

See the page at http://taxonomy.googlepages.com/home2

Questions? ask me at taxonomy@gmail.com

Happy New Year!

Recommended Reading:

The January 1 edition of U.S. News & World Report features a fascinating article titled 50 Ways to Improve Your Life. Under the category of "Improving Your Mind" are directions on how the reader can "Get an MIT or Yale Education Free". Reporter Kim Clark states "You can finally get that MIT, Yale, or University of Tokyo education you've always wanted without spending a cent. All it takes is an Internet-connected computer and a little familiarity with skills like downloading programs and unzipping files."

Complete information online at
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/50-ways-to-improve-your-life/2007/12/20/get-an-mit-or-yale-education-free.html

Forbes Library Special Collections Online Exhibit

Northampton State Hospital Photos Added to Forbes Library Special Collections Exhibit
December 2007 - January 2008 Online Exhibit: http://www.forbeslibrary.org/vewebsite/exhibit5/vexmain5.htm

Image printing, framing and digitization funded by the Friends of Forbes Library. Mark Majeski photographed the Northampton State Hospital buildings in 2002, when they had been unused since the early 1990s, and several years before they were finally torn down. The result is a series of exterior and interior views showing the buildings' architecture and how they were affected by years of neglect. The color images include the former theater, kitchen, cafeteria, visiting area, doctor's office/apothecary, among others. The buildings and rooms, even while uninhabited and in a deteriorated condition, give the viewer a sense of the people and activities that took place there during a period of over 100 years.

Twenty-seven 10"x15" archival prints made from the original 35mm negatives are on exhibit. Events during the exhibit include a public reception and slideshow of additional images by Mark Majeski, and a talk by local author Mike Kirby on the history of the State Hospital and the plans for redevelopment of the Hospital site. After the exhibit is over, the prints will become part of the library's Special Collections of historic photographs where they will be accessible for future research or any interested member of the community to explore. In addition, the process of creating the archival prints involves digitizing the images, so they could be cataloged and put into an online Virtual Exhibit with Past Perfect museum software.

The life and death of Northampton State Hospital is an important chapter in the history of our community. The exhibit, and the preservation of the images, will promote a better understanding of the environment that patients lived in. The interior views are of particular significance since while the hospital was in operation, only patients, staff and visitors saw the inside of these buildings. These documents can shed light on the history of health care in Northampton, treatment of the mentally ill, architecture, community preservation, and the ongoing controversy regarding the disposition of the land and buildings.

News coverage:

• Daily Hampshire Gazette [December 13, reproduced on Library website]: http://www.forbeslibrary.org/news/NSHphotos.shtml
• Downstreet.net [December 10]: http://www.downstreet.net/StateHospitalPhotos.htm
• Valley Advocate [December 28]: http://valleyadvocate.com/listings/cat.cfm?cID=4

~ Faith Kaufmann, Information Services Librarian/Head of Arts & Music Dept., Forbes Library, Northampton [fkaufmann@forbeslibrary.org http://www.forbeslibrary.org/ ]

10 Ways to Make Your Library Great in 2008

From the WebJunction "Learning Webinars" website:

10 Ways to Make Your Library Great in 2008—via Web 2.0

1/16/08 - 2 - 3 PM ET
As you think about your resolutions for the New Year, why not resolve to make your library a great educational asset within your community? This webinar will show you how to leverage social networking tools such as del.icio.us and Librarything to enable knowledge sharing and create collections of information around professional development. Ten key themes are presented to empower library staff as well as to increase a library's value within the community. Presented by guest speaker Ed Rossman, adult services librarian at Shaker Heights Public Library and author of Castles Against Ignorance: How to Make Libraries Great Educational Environments.

Note that registration for this free webinar is optional. If you wish to register and receive email reminders with instructions for attending, please visit the WebJunction website - http://www.webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=15543

The Big Read

From the Big Read Website:

"The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

Approximately 300 organizations in communities of varying sizes across the country will be selected to participate in The Big Read from September 2008 through June 2009.

Please note:
Applicants will be notified of their application status in late April 2008. The programming cycle has changed, and now extends to events from September 2008 through June 2009. The Big Read granting schedule is now on an annual basis."

For complete information, visit the Big Read Website - http://www.neabigread.org/application_process.php

WMRLS READS!

The secret is out - WMRLS has not One-Blog but TWO-Blogs! The goal of this, our One-Blog, is for all of our member libraries - academic, public, school, and special - to come together to communicate, cooperate, and share. While the goal of our second blog, titled WMRLS READS! is to plan our upcoming statewide summer reading program - we have TWO this year. Wild Reads at your library is our nature themed summer reading program geared to all ages while X-Pect the Un-X-Pected is geared to teens. Read more about these sure to be fun-filled library programs by visiting WMRLS READS!