Bus to State House for MLA Rally for Libraries

Dear Western Region Library Supporters:

The Friends of the Central and Western Regions have chartered a bus to help people get to the State House in Boston for the Nov. 4 MLA Library Rally. This year, with deep State budget cuts threatening the very existence of Regions and other statewide services, it is extremely important that library supporters show up and let legislators, decision-makers and the media know how important libraries are, especially in these difficult economic times.

The bus will start at Table & Vine in W. Springfield, then the Palmer Public Library and the Central Region headquarters in Shrewsbury. Due to the cost and short advance notice, we are not able to provide a stop at WMRLS Headquarters in Whately.

For more details and the registration form, click on
http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=WMRLS#1550289

After clicking on “Register” please complete the form, including your stop, and submit the form.

Seating is limited, so please register as soon as possible.

There is no charge for the bus to riders, although donations will be accepted on the bus if people want to help defray the costs.

Many thanks for your interest and support of statewide library services.

~ John Ramsay, WMRLS Regional Administrator

WMRLS Basic Library Techniques in Reference: Fall 2009 Session One

WMRLS thanks the Massachusetts Library Aid Association for generously sponsoring our recent day-long Basic Library Techiques in Reference Institute at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield. 

42 enthusiastic librarians attended this event which was led by Belinda Boon, Assistant Professor at Kent State University.  Professor Boon granted us permission to post a selection of the workshop handouts on our WMRLS Continuing Education Workshop Notes webpage.

Dr. Boon also showcased the Library Video Network title (available for loan from the WMRLS Professional Collection) - Conducting the Reference Interview and recommended the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems Sample Reference Policies website.

‘Shades of Stockbridge’ will return to the Stockbridge Library

STOCKBRIDGE, MA – On Saturday, October 17, between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., the Stockbridge Library Historical Collection will host an event called ‘Shades of Stockbridge.’ During the evening, ‘spirits’ of Stockbridge past will roam around the library and mingle with visitors who may either eavesdrop or speak with them.

These spirits, or shades, represented by area residents, range from Ephraim Williams, one of the original founders of the town; Georgiana Allen, daughter of Harriet Beecher Stowe; Cyrus Field, who laid the transatlantic cable; Nathan Jackson, the founder of the Stockbridge Library and early Williams College benefactor; Catharine Sedgwick, one of the first female American authors to be recognized internationally; Mark Hopkins, President of Williams College, H. Augustus Lukeman, sculptor of Stone Mountain, GA and the Soldiers Monument in Pittsfield; Emily Tuckerman, an early summer resident; and others. They represent several eras, from 1700 to 1920, and they can talk about the era of the founding of Stockbridge until the early 1900’s. They will reminisce and also give their impressions, some favorable, some not, about Stockbridge today.

The Gentleman Burglar, a genuine Stockbridge character in the late 1800’s, sometimes shows up at these events as well.

The Victorian term ‘shade’ means spirit, explained Barbara Allen, curator of the Historical Collection. She sees the event as a fun way to learn local history, as well as being entertaining.

A $5 donation is requested. No reservation is required. For more information, call 298-5501.

November 4 - RALLY FOR LIBRARIES!!!

Please join library colleagues and supporters for MLA’s rally for libraries! “Don’t Close the Books on Libraries” will take place on Wednesday, November 4th at 11:00 a.m. on the steps of the State House in the “well area”. Massachusetts Center for the Book’s annual MA Book Awards will be held inside the State House from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m., so plan to attend this exciting event following our rally so that we can celebrate and support Massachusetts libraries and authors!

We will have 250 signs printed with our slogan, and so need a minimum of 250 people to carry them. We need every MA public library to send at least one staff members, trustee or friend, so that a big message can be sent regarding the devastating impact of funding cuts to the Commonwealth’s libraries. Now more than ever we must let our legislators know that cuts to libraries will negatively impact the many citizens who rely on their libraries for Internet and technology resources, books and research materials, and for help in finding jobs.

Your participation is vitally important to the future of MA libraries!

Krista McLeod & Jackie Rafferty, Co-Chairs

MLA Legislative Committee

Bushnell Sage Library 7th Annual Local Authors Day

Bushnell-Sage Library's 7th Annual Local Authors Day

Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 10 to 12:30

On the first Saturday of November for the past 6 years, the Trustees and Friends of the Bushnell-Sage Library in Sheffield, MA, have hosted a Local Authors Day to celebrate local talent. Due to the space limitations at our library, we are able to host only the first 50 who accept from our database of over 230 local authors. Those 50 include authors and illustrators of children’s books, poets, cookbook writers, historians, writers of self-help books, sociologists, philosophers, and sports and mystery writers. It is a social event, not a fundraiser, for the authors and illustrators, whose profession is often a solitary one.

We are most fortunate in our corner of the tri-state area in western Massachusetts to have as much literary talent as we do. Our authors include a Peabody Award winner, an Emmy winner, and two Caldecott medal winners.

The authors and illustrators bring their books to display, sell, and autograph. The public often brings in books they already own for the authors and illustrators to sign, or they come to chat with the participants, or they bring their children to meet “real” writers. There is a coffee hour for the writers just before the public arrives and a luncheon for the participants after the morning’s event.

A group of volunteers prepare all the refreshments, the Selectmen and Town Administrator take part, the police direct the traffic, and the Friends of the Bushnell-Sage Library host the coffee hour and the luncheon. Those who work on the event feel privileged to celebrate our local talent at this popular annual event.

For more information, call 413-229-7004.

~ Nancy Hahn, Director, Bushnell-Sage Library, Sheffield

Western Massachusetts Library Club Fall Meeting

Tuesday, October 27 at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Keynote speaker Barbara Elleman will speak about her book Tomie dePaola: His Art and His Stories. Ms. Elleman is also the author of Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art. There will be time for viewing the exhibits, library, and gift shop. Lunch will be immediately afterwards at Judy's in downtown Amherst. If you plan to attend, please email Mary Senecal at msenecal@cwmarlsorg or telephone Frank Taplin at 413-534-0867. Registration deadline is October 26.  Directions

Friends of WMRLS First Annual BOOK IT TO THE LIBRARY Slide Show

The Republican Editorials: "Region's libraries need our support"

"Region's libraries need our support"


By The Republican Editorials
October 07, 2009, 5:34AM

"Western Massachusetts libraries took more than their fair share of cuts this year as cities and towns struggled to make up for reduced revenues that are the result of the recession...." READ COMPLETE EDITORIAL

The Massachusetts School Library Annual Conference WOWS!

The Massachusetts School Library Association held their annual conference at the Sturbridge Host Hotel on October 4 and 5.  I had the good fortune to attend.  In the coming weeks, my goal is to review the bounty of information that I gathered at this wonderful conference and to share it with WMRLS members via our WMRLS-One-Blog and by weaving the lessons that I have learned into upcoming WMRLS Continuing Education workshops.  ~ Sincerely, Janet Eckert, WMRLS

My first blog post, inspired by MSLA Conference, focuses on two fantastic Web 2.0 resources - Wordle and GoAnimate

GoAnimate:  Laura Beals D'Elia,  Librarian of the Fay School Library in Southborough, conducted an excellent workshop titled "My Favorite Tools".  Laura shared that at the beginning of the school year, each department was alloted 5 minutes to overview the services that they provide to administrators, teachers, students, and parents.  Laura and the team of librarians at the Fay School met this challenge by producing a 5 minute animated video (that is both fun and informative) titled The Library Gadget 3000 [Adobe Flash 10 is required]

Wordle: While I was aware of Wordle, I thought of it as an enhanced Word Art tool (and no more).  In his keynote address titled "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?  Key Challenges Today for Tomorrow's School Libraries", Dr. Ross Todd utilized Wordle to highlight its "tag cloud" function.  That is, Dr. Todd pasted one library's mission statement into Wordle which immediately showcased the library's serious flaw - the Wordle "tag cloud" clearly showed that this library was promoting itself rather than the services that it provides to its community.  (I decided to test our WMRLS Mission Statement and pasted our Mission's text into a Wordle page.  I am pleased to report that we have passed Dr. Todd's "tag cloud" test in that our services of working with libraries to cooperate, communicate, and share is dominent within our WMRLS Wordle.)

1st Annual Book It to the Library Road Race

The road race on Saturday, October 3, 2009, was a success. Rain poured down on surrounding towns, but not on runners and walkers. Lots of librarians and civilians turned out to support the Western Region and libraries in general. Participants got some fresh air and exercise, met new people, and toured the bookmobile and a delivery van. It was a very rewarding day. If you'd like to see more pictures look a few articles down. If you'd like to see the results, they are listed on the CoolRunning website; the race was sanctioned by US Track & Field. If you'd like more information on conducting such an event, please attend the Friends of WMRLS Annual Meeting this Friday, October 9 at the Bushnell-Sage Library in Sheffield. Registration information in on the Western Region Continuing Education Page.

~ Jan Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator

DATABITES!

Looking for those HELP screens in the Gale Infotrac database? They are now tucked in the toolbox. Click on the "Toolbox" link at the top of the screen and select "HELP" from the drop-down menu!


Shirley Keech
Research and Database Specialist, WMRLS

Friends of WMRLS Annual Meeting - Friday, October 9 from 10 to noon

Be sure to register online to attend our upcoming Friends of WMRLS Annual Meeting

Friday, October 9 from 10 to noon at the Bushnell-Sage Library in Sheffield

After a brief business meeting Leverett Library Director Linda Wentworth will report on what it took to organize the extremely successful 1st annual BOOK IT TO THE LIBRARY Road Race, which just took place as a fundraiser for WMRLS on October 3. The race was a huge success and lots of fun, so come to learn the nuts and bolts of how you can organize your own community road race! We will also hear from Regional Administrator John Ramsay about what is happening in the budget struggle for regional library systems next year. The Friends of WMRLS support the regional library with monetary donations and organizational help. They advocate for libraries all across Massachusetts and make it possible for all of us to meet with our elected state officials at Legislative Breakfasts and at the State House each spring.

Thank you to each of the sponsors of our First Annual BOOK IT TO THE LIBRARY Road Race!