Author Night at the East Longmeadow Public Library

The East Longmeadow Public Library has invited four local authors of young adult fiction to participate in a book discussion and book signing. This event will take place on Wednesday, May 28th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. in the library’s Community Room. The four authors are M.P. Barker - A Difficult Boy, Michelle Kwasney - Baby Blue, Judith Jaeger - The Secret Thief and D. Dina Friedman - Escaping into the Night. These authors reside in central and western Massachusetts and all have recently been published. Please join us for a fun and informative evening and get your books signed! Brief summaries of their books are given below.

If you are a fan of historical fiction A Difficult Boy written by M.P. Barker and Dina Friedman’s Escaping into the Night will interest you. A Difficult Boy is about two young boys growing up in Farmington, Massachusetts in the year 1839. Ethan and Daniel are indentured servants who suffer cruelty and hardship as they struggle to survive working for the wealthy Lyman family. The bond that forms between the two boys gives them strength as they struggle to right a terrible wrong.

Escaping into the Night is the story of Halina Rudowski who escapes from the Polish ghetto just as it is being evacuated by the Germans during World War II. Her struggle to survive tells the story of the underground forest encampments that saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

If “real life” fiction is more to your liking then you will definitely want to check out Baby Blue by Michelle Kwasney. Blue’s life is falling apart. Her father drowned in the river, her new step father is violent and abusive towards her mother and her beloved older sister, Star, has run away. Blue is determined to put her family back together by finding her sister and getting help for her mother before it is too late. Michelle Kwasney’s latest book, Itch, was just released last month.

In Secret Thief by Judith Jaeger, Connie Grey strives to be the perfect student, athlete and daughter to a psychologically troubled mother. By the time she graduates from college she has a chronic ulcer and has become a kleptomaniac or “secret thief”. While spending the summer with her grandmother, Connie uncovers family secrets that help her to face the truth about her mother and her past.

We are hoping for a great turnout to support our local authors. Please call the Information Desk at (413) 525-5400, x158 to register. This program is free and open to adults and teens. The East Longmeadow Library is handicapped accessible.

The Library at Springfield Technical Community College invites you to join us for an exclusive screening of Ann Seidl's original film 'The Hollywood Librarian: A look at Librarians Through Film' on Thursday June 26, 2008. The 95 minute documentary triumphantly premiered at the 2007 American Library Associations Annual Convention in Washington D.C. and continued to garner appreciation and acclaim throughout it's national release (to selected libraries) during National Banned Book Week (9/29 - 10/06/07).

It is our pleasure and honor to host an evening celebrating all of the smart, funny, dedicated librarians in the film and in our own communities.

Showtime - 7:00 p.m. Scibelli Hall Theatre/Building 2

RSVP by June 23, 2008

Light refreshments

Ample, free, and safe parking

Suggested donations of $3.00 - $5.00 appreciated

For further information about the film, please visit http://www.hollywoodlibrarian.com

For all other inquiries or responses please contact Kim Noel at knoel@stcc.edu, visit our website at http://library.stcc.edu, or call 413-755-4564.

Database presentations at Forbes Library: NoveList & ReferenceUSA

Hi all: Forbes Library in Northampton is having two database presentations of interest to librarians, so we're inviting you to join us if you wish. Both events should take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, the NoveList/readers advisory one maybe a bit longer.

The first, on Tuesday June 3rd at 1:30, will be on ReferenceUSA, the business information/white pages database which incorporates company information from many sources including annual reports, periodicals, and Census data, as well as yellow & white page listings. It's a great resource for small businesses, marketing, and job hunting, not to mention just locating companies and their contact information.

The second, on Tuesday June 17th at 1:30, will start with an overview of online reader's advisory tools linked in the Forbes website http://www.forbeslibrary.org/research/index.php?n=Books.Books, including outside links and our own reading lists. It then features a demonstration of the new NoveList interface & content, by EBSCO trainer Pamela Erickson -- something that is of particular interest to public service librarians. Since there has been some concern about the new version of NoveList, this is a good chance to hear from, and ask questions of, one of EBSCO's NoveList trainers.

Since both events are part of our regular public training series, we do ask that librarians who think they may attend RSVP to: rhart@forbeslibrary.org , or call 413-587-1012 -- RSVP not needed, but it will help us plan. Light refreshments will be served. If you would like a free parking pass for our lot (which is metered), we can provide one, and can send it via the delivery system if you give us enough time.

Hope to see some of you there! -- Rick Hart (Reference)

MLA Annual Conference Blog

Keep your eyes on the Massachusetts Library Association's (MLA) Annual Conference Blog. In the next few days, librarian bloggers will be sharing their unique conference experiences on this informative website.

A World Full of Story

A World Full of Story

The Greenfield Public Library, with support from the Greenfield Cultural Council, is proud to be hosting a series of world-class story performances on Saturdays in May. Each performance will run from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Greenfield Public Library and is free and open to all.

On May 3, Motoko will enchant and entertain with traditional Japanese storytelling. An award-winning storyteller, Motoko enchants audiences of every age with her weaving of ancient lore, original tales, lyrical movement and traditional music. Her repertoire includes Asian folktales, Zen tales, comical tales from rakugo (a Japanese traditional style of storytelling), funny mime vignettes, as well as personal stories from her childhood in Japan and her life as an immigrant in the U.S.

On May 17, local musician and storyteller Brendan Taaffe will amuse and entertain with a mix of stories from around the world. A popular elementary school music teacher, Brendan began using story as a way to capture attention in the classroom, and quickly his relaxed and magical telling became the hit of the school. Illustrating the stories with expert music, Brendan is sure to capture the imagination.

On May 31, Eshu Bumpus brings his mix of African and African-American stories, always a hit with every audience. A renowned storyteller, an accomplished jazz vocalist and a master at physical characterization, Eshu has performed on the Exchange Place stage at the National Festival and performed 36 sold out shows in 13 days at the Smithsonian. After appearing at the 10th Annual Connecticut Storytelling Festival in 1991, Eshu was acclaimed as "a fresh, responsible and knowledgeable voice... distinct and compelling... the hit of the Festival.”

All of these events are open to all. For more information contact the children’s librarian at (413) 772-1544 ext. 5.

Wheeler Memorial Library's POETRY SLAM a Big Success!

We had a lot of fun at our recent Library Poetry Slam -- it was a big success at the Wheeler Library in Orange.

• First Prize - Maureen Terence Moore of Shelburne Falls

Second Prize - Candace R. Curran of Orange

Third Prize - Robert Collen of Orange

I came in 2nd with a library poem performance titled Lamenting Your Loan. You might enjoy this...

If you had called to renew...tried
librarian's helper, reader's advisory,
conjured keyword or
asked the desk jockey for some assistance...

If you had talked to me maybe...

I would have organized a search, researched
the bottom of the drop box,
found it? deja vu displaced and steeled in stacks...
perhaps it's resting, that's all,
languid between the bed and the wall...

If you do find it,
heart, a bookmark, seems to be
caught somewhere inside it

I have and inkling
we could have kept it circulating -
rewritten in epic tantric, a shower-song and/or
refrigerator poetry to be or not to be summarized,
virtually cataloged and in rave reviewed
pillow-talk book talks...immortalized!...

with a seguel, a trilogy perhaps, but certainly not this
eulogy to a default - lost and paid!
Oh - think of the words we could have made
if you... had only called...to renew.

Candace Curran 2008
delivered with much theatrics of course

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

Children's author Marguerite Davol to visit Lilly Library

The Western Massachusetts Library Club is sponsoring a visit from local children's author, Marguerite Davol, Wednesday, May 14th at 4pm at the Lilly Library in Florence. Ms. Davol will speak about her extensive picture books publishings and her lively career. Join us for light refreshments and to meet this wonderful author, bring any books you have in your collections for signing!

Please bring $2 to help defray the costs. The Club will also be meeting for dinner at a nearby restaurant following the event at Members' expense. Please RSVP to Mary Senecal at lakmary729@lycos.com


~ Mary Senecal, Western Massachusetts Library Club President

Recommended Program: Golden Wings and Hairy Toes

I wanted to share a program idea geared for adults that ties nicely into this summer’s reading theme. Todd McLeish, author of the book Golden Wings and Hairy Toes: Encounters with New England’s Most Imperiled Wildlife, gave a presentation at our library and it was really interesting. He is a great storyteller and shared some fascinating facts about endangered species in our area. “Todd McLeish profiles fourteen of New England’s most rare and endangered flora and fauna — mammals, birds, insects, plants, and fish — by following the biologists who are researching, monitoring, and protecting them. Todd traps bats in Vermont and lynx in Maine, gets attacked by marauding birds in Massachusetts, and observes the metamorphosis of dragonflies in Rhode Island. He visits historical cemeteries to see New England’s rarest plant, tracks sturgeon in the Connecticut River, and observes a parade of one of the rarest mammals on earth, the North Atlantic right whale, in Cape Cod Bay.” His fee was very reasonable and everyone seemed to enjoy it. His website with contact info is http://www.toddmcleish.com/.

~ Lisa Downing, Assistant Director, Forbes Library, http://www.forbeslibrary.org/

North Adams Poetry Slam a BIG HIT!

The North Adams Public Library’s first Poetry Slam was well received and a delightful event for the poets as well as the spectators. The winners of the Poetry Slam are:

First - Jacob Snow -- “Understanding Time”
Second – Cairo Voltaire – Annemic Dissipatent
Third – Seth Brown – Quarterstaff
Fourth – Casey Finnegan —Car Crash
Fifth – Void Sans Ange –Sleeping or blinking?
Sixth –Christian Phiffer -- Spit
Charlene Fiske – Visability

The first three place winners are invited to compete in the GRAND SLAM FINALE to be held on May 25 at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Prizes were awarded and donated by The Berkshire Bank and Legacy Banks, Angelina’s Subs, Wal Mart, Stop & Shop, Big Y and Quadlands.

~ Marcia Gross, Director, North Adams Public Library

Springfield Slammers rock!

We had over 60 people at our slam - about 20 people competed and we have 3 very hot poets who will hopefully all make it to the "Grand Slam" on May 25th. Local businesses were happy to donate prizes, so we had gift certificates for UNO's, Frigo's, L.A. Fitness (opening soon next to the Basketball Hall of Fame), etc... in addition to the $100 certificate from the BookLoft folks in Great Barrington (they donated $100 to every slam.... to be used to help defray the cost of self- publishing a chapbook). We are also in the process of contacting the winners of our 2008 Poetry Contest - they will all be invited to read at our awards ceremony on April 26th, and the top winners will be displayed in a storefront on Main Street (this will be part of a larger storefront art project being sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council). We'll also post all the winning poems to the SCL website shortly after the awards ceremony.

~ Anna Brandenburg, Program Coordinator, Springfield City Library, abrandenburg@springfieldlibrary.org

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