We are all uncomfortable with trying new things, but there are such benefits. A few weeks ago, Kelley Library hosted the Pontine Theater of Portsmouth for a presentation of their program about ee cummings. I have been coming to all the programs this year, many of which weren't on topics that I would jump to attend. I haven't regretted any of them, and each has spurred me to explore the topic in some way or other.
I mention the Pontine Theater program particularly because ee cummings' poetry was a real trial for me in high school. I just didn't get it at all and came to the program sure that I would still not get it. Let me say that I lucked into one of those wonderful aha moments early in the program. Several poems were projected for background and reference during the overview of ee's life. There it was, the lack of punctuation, the lack of caps, the odd layout - the high school nightmare was returning, when one of the presenters said the simplest of comments. ee was creating a pattern that would mirror itself in the poem - the beginning mirrored the end. The content was important, but the precision of pattern was equally important. There was the aha. Suddenly it all fell into place, made sense and I could finally appreciate this respected poet.
I have had similar ahas over the years - watching the history channel (another thing I normally avoided) the cause of WWI suddenly made sense due to one simple sentence (and it wasn't just the Archduke assasination we all learned). Watching remedial math years ago (desperation early in the morning with a cranky baby) fractions suddenly made sense. The list goes on. I have often wondered why teachers didn't provide these simple explanations, but thanks to trying something different, something new, I finally did get the explanations.
Libraries often talk about lifelong learning, too often creating the idea that as we age we will be busy studying like back in school. Lifelong learning to me is finding these nuggets of information when I least expect it and heading off to find out more on the topic. I think this is why non-fiction has grown in popularity at libraries. No longer the dry books of the past that challenged even the most dedicated readers, there are now wonderful books being written as interesting, thrilling, and fun to read as any fiction book. I never used to read non-fiction and started to mostly due to my job. Now, I find it the best read there is.
So, take a chance, try something outside of your comfort zone, say yes to something new. You might be surprised where you end up going.
Yes Man, by Danny Wallace (way, way, way better than the movie)
Wild Trees, by Robert Preston
Round Ireland with a Fridge, by Tony Hawks
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Survey revisited
We have gotten a lot of surveys returned either from the webpage or in hard copy and I want to thank everyone that has done one. There is still a couple of days for you to fill one out if you haven't taken a moment to do so. Pick up a survey at the library or take a quick moment to go here to do it. Why? Because we want to hear what you think. A few minutes of your time will have a big impact on your library. You can be confident about one thing, I pay attention to what our users are saying and follow through. Your time is far too valuable to waste. I already know some things we will be doing in response to this survey: expand the audiobook collection focusing on new titles and big authors; expand our large print focusing on best sellers, big authors and non-fiction; and we will be keeping videos of movies that we don't have and/or can't get in DVD. You told us, we listened.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Outreach
One of the many services offered by the Kelley Library is one that not many people know about. However, it is a service that has a huge impact on those that benefit from it. For many years now, the Library has offered home delivery of books and other materials to residents who are unable to get to the library due to age or infirmity. Anne Pepin (who you probably know from her work at the main desk and is famous for her work on our garden) has been doing the home delivery for over 25 years after taking it over from someone who had also been doing it for years. Home delivery is now an expected service of libraries, but Kelley has been doing it longer than most.
It is an enormously rewarding service. The people who get home delivery have a limited world beyond contact with caregivers, family and trips to the doctor. A visit from Anne with a fresh supply of reading is a bright spot in a quiet life. It is someone new to talk to, a fresh source of news about the community, and a chance to have something new to read or listen to. Anne has many stories that she will share here at a later date, but it all comes down to a deep understanding of how important this service is to her people. It makes it worth trudging and driving through snow, ice and rain to make her monthly visit.
Soon after I started here, Joan Fardella, now a Library Trustee, came to me with an idea for providing this service. She knew I had worked with a bookmobile service which brought books to elderly people in assisted living facilities, and thought we could start our own 'bookmobile' - Joan in a car. When she discovered that we already provided that service, she was delighted that she would be able to help expand the program. That idea has grown over the past months to Mobile Books, an extension of the fine work Anne continues to do. Joan is providing home delivery to anyone who can't get to the library due to illness, physicial handicap or any limitation. The program kicked off on May 1st, and Joan is now accepting requests for service. Interested in arranging for home bound delivery to someone you know? Please call the library at 603-898-7064 or email me at abaker@salem.lib.nh.us and we will get the process started.
Book: The Camel Bookmobile, by Masha Hamilton
Book: Mystery of the Bewitched Bookmobile, by Florence Parry Heide
Website: Floating Bookmobiles
Website: Camel bookmobiles - (scroll down the page a bit)
Website: Mule Bookmobiles
It is an enormously rewarding service. The people who get home delivery have a limited world beyond contact with caregivers, family and trips to the doctor. A visit from Anne with a fresh supply of reading is a bright spot in a quiet life. It is someone new to talk to, a fresh source of news about the community, and a chance to have something new to read or listen to. Anne has many stories that she will share here at a later date, but it all comes down to a deep understanding of how important this service is to her people. It makes it worth trudging and driving through snow, ice and rain to make her monthly visit.
Soon after I started here, Joan Fardella, now a Library Trustee, came to me with an idea for providing this service. She knew I had worked with a bookmobile service which brought books to elderly people in assisted living facilities, and thought we could start our own 'bookmobile' - Joan in a car. When she discovered that we already provided that service, she was delighted that she would be able to help expand the program. That idea has grown over the past months to Mobile Books, an extension of the fine work Anne continues to do. Joan is providing home delivery to anyone who can't get to the library due to illness, physicial handicap or any limitation. The program kicked off on May 1st, and Joan is now accepting requests for service. Interested in arranging for home bound delivery to someone you know? Please call the library at 603-898-7064 or email me at abaker@salem.lib.nh.us and we will get the process started.
Book: The Camel Bookmobile, by Masha Hamilton
Book: Mystery of the Bewitched Bookmobile, by Florence Parry Heide
Website: Floating Bookmobiles
Website: Camel bookmobiles - (scroll down the page a bit)
Website: Mule Bookmobiles
Thursday, April 23, 2009
New Survey says . . .
A while back we conducted a survey concerning the Children's Department. It brought to light what users of the department liked and disliked, enjoyed and wanted more of, and what suggestions they had for us to improve the department. In previous posts I have discussed what we have done in response to the survey suggestions. It worked out so well, we have developed a similar one for the Adult Department.
You can find the survey link on the main page of our website or click here. It is only 10 questions, so I hope you will take a moment to give us your thoughts and ideas. Ask your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to fill one out too - especially any that don't use the library. We want to hear from as many people as possible. We will have some paper copies for those of you that prefer the more traditional way to take a survey.
And as with the Children's Room survey, I will keep you posted on the results and what we will be doing to meet the ideas from the survey.
You can find the survey link on the main page of our website or click here. It is only 10 questions, so I hope you will take a moment to give us your thoughts and ideas. Ask your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to fill one out too - especially any that don't use the library. We want to hear from as many people as possible. We will have some paper copies for those of you that prefer the more traditional way to take a survey.
And as with the Children's Room survey, I will keep you posted on the results and what we will be doing to meet the ideas from the survey.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What's new for April
We are offering a variety of programs aimed at adults this month. That's something new for Kelley Library right there. We saw a need to expand programming at the library and thanks to Andy, our new Assistant Director, we are offering three.
Of course, we are offering the next in the KLAS series (thanks as always, Deb)on April 16th and this month's session is sure to be fascinating, building on the growing desire right now to eat local and homegrown. Liz Barbour from Creative Feast is presenting a program exploring cooking and gardening with herbs. I have had extensive personal experience with both these as my mother was a member of the Herb Society of America for years, has extensive herb gardens (outdoors in Maine and NJ, and in her greenhouse in NJ), lectured on the topic, edited the Herbarist, and used herbs in everything. I highly recommend your exploring this varied and fascinating topic. It can range from a plant or two on your kitchen windowsill to enhance your cooking to exploring your inner gardener and creativity with an herb garden.
On April, 22nd we are celebrating Earth Day with a panel of experts discussing alternative and green energy sources and practices. On hand will be Peter Rudd from Salem's Atlantic Biodiesel, Jack Lin from Woodlins Renewables also here in Salem, Jeff Goodman from the Wind Guys USA in Rye, and Howard Coffman of Fuel Cell Info Network in Nashua. We are lucky and honored to have these well-respected individuals on hand to help us all explore the future of alternative energy and to answer our questions. It is a timely topic - wind energy is being vigorously debated in NH right now. Alternative fuel is sure to be a part of our country's future, and here is the perfect opportunity to learn more about it all.
Rounding out the month, we are offering a Job Search Workshop on April, 23rd. Although New Hampshire has not been as hard hit by the recession/depression/bad times as other areas of the country (like our neighbors Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont), many are looking for jobs in this exceptionally difficult job market. Michael Markham of the Northern Essex Community College will be at Kelley Library to offer tips, guidance and insight into what employers are looking for in prospective employees.
Three remarkably different programs, yet similar in the end - helping us to understand the world around us, find new ways to live in these challenging and changing times, and ideas to challenge, inform and spark creativity. That's a library in a nutshell. A single source for a broad spectrum of information and resources to enhance your life.
Little herb gardens, by Georgeanne Brennan.
How to say it: job interviews, by Linda Matias.
Farewell my Subaru: an epic adventure in local living, by Doug Fine
Of course, we are offering the next in the KLAS series (thanks as always, Deb)on April 16th and this month's session is sure to be fascinating, building on the growing desire right now to eat local and homegrown. Liz Barbour from Creative Feast is presenting a program exploring cooking and gardening with herbs. I have had extensive personal experience with both these as my mother was a member of the Herb Society of America for years, has extensive herb gardens (outdoors in Maine and NJ, and in her greenhouse in NJ), lectured on the topic, edited the Herbarist, and used herbs in everything. I highly recommend your exploring this varied and fascinating topic. It can range from a plant or two on your kitchen windowsill to enhance your cooking to exploring your inner gardener and creativity with an herb garden.
On April, 22nd we are celebrating Earth Day with a panel of experts discussing alternative and green energy sources and practices. On hand will be Peter Rudd from Salem's Atlantic Biodiesel, Jack Lin from Woodlins Renewables also here in Salem, Jeff Goodman from the Wind Guys USA in Rye, and Howard Coffman of Fuel Cell Info Network in Nashua. We are lucky and honored to have these well-respected individuals on hand to help us all explore the future of alternative energy and to answer our questions. It is a timely topic - wind energy is being vigorously debated in NH right now. Alternative fuel is sure to be a part of our country's future, and here is the perfect opportunity to learn more about it all.
Rounding out the month, we are offering a Job Search Workshop on April, 23rd. Although New Hampshire has not been as hard hit by the recession/depression/bad times as other areas of the country (like our neighbors Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont), many are looking for jobs in this exceptionally difficult job market. Michael Markham of the Northern Essex Community College will be at Kelley Library to offer tips, guidance and insight into what employers are looking for in prospective employees.
Three remarkably different programs, yet similar in the end - helping us to understand the world around us, find new ways to live in these challenging and changing times, and ideas to challenge, inform and spark creativity. That's a library in a nutshell. A single source for a broad spectrum of information and resources to enhance your life.
Little herb gardens, by Georgeanne Brennan.
How to say it: job interviews, by Linda Matias.
Farewell my Subaru: an epic adventure in local living, by Doug Fine
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Changes
We have all done it or experienced it. A rule, policy or procedure is created to solve problems at hand and it works great. Over time, the rule becomes ingrained in life and we no longer really think about it any more. It is just part of daily life, part of doing business, part of running the household. Unfortunately, too often the reasons that made the rule a great solution change or disappear over that same passage of time. What's left is a rule we continue to follow and enforce without any basis.
That's why it is vital to review the rules and traditions in our lives and see if they are still a good fit. We are doing just that at the Kelley Library - and we continue to find some that needed to be changed. I've been working the desk a lot recently - and I've had to enforce the rules. Being new, I wanted to know the reasons behind some of them and we all realized that the reasons were no longer valid.
For some years, there have been limits on the number of items that can be checked out - limits on music CDs, VHS, audiobooks of all kinds, DVDs. These limits made a lot of sense when they were created. These collections were small and slowly developing. To make sure there were enough for everyone, it was decided that a patron could only take out 4 of each. Well, these collections have grown, and in some cases, peaked in popularity and are now fading in interest. So, thanks to the service minded Board of Trustees, as of April 1, these limits are being lifted. Come on in and go crazy - we won't say no. And as a little added bonus, we dropped the fines on VHS - no more $1.00 per day. As of April 1, adult VHS will be $.10 per day and children's VHS will have no fines like the rest of the children's collection.
But we are keeping limits on the popular DVD collections - raised to 5 per card - but limits remain. Our new video game collection will also remain limited to 5 per card. Why? Because these collection are still too small to keep up with the demand. We are busy working to enlarge the collections, but for now, the limits - and the $1.00 fines - remain.
For now, but rest assured, we will revisit this rule regularly and when the time is right - changes will happen. In the meantime - we hope you enjoy what changes have been made.
Book: Strategies for successful career change: finding your very best next work life, by Martha E. Mangelsdorf
Music: Dance into the Daylight, by Phil Collins
Music: MTV Unplugged, by Bob Dylan
That's why it is vital to review the rules and traditions in our lives and see if they are still a good fit. We are doing just that at the Kelley Library - and we continue to find some that needed to be changed. I've been working the desk a lot recently - and I've had to enforce the rules. Being new, I wanted to know the reasons behind some of them and we all realized that the reasons were no longer valid.
For some years, there have been limits on the number of items that can be checked out - limits on music CDs, VHS, audiobooks of all kinds, DVDs. These limits made a lot of sense when they were created. These collections were small and slowly developing. To make sure there were enough for everyone, it was decided that a patron could only take out 4 of each. Well, these collections have grown, and in some cases, peaked in popularity and are now fading in interest. So, thanks to the service minded Board of Trustees, as of April 1, these limits are being lifted. Come on in and go crazy - we won't say no. And as a little added bonus, we dropped the fines on VHS - no more $1.00 per day. As of April 1, adult VHS will be $.10 per day and children's VHS will have no fines like the rest of the children's collection.
But we are keeping limits on the popular DVD collections - raised to 5 per card - but limits remain. Our new video game collection will also remain limited to 5 per card. Why? Because these collection are still too small to keep up with the demand. We are busy working to enlarge the collections, but for now, the limits - and the $1.00 fines - remain.
For now, but rest assured, we will revisit this rule regularly and when the time is right - changes will happen. In the meantime - we hope you enjoy what changes have been made.
Book: Strategies for successful career change: finding your very best next work life, by Martha E. Mangelsdorf
Music: Dance into the Daylight, by Phil Collins
Music: MTV Unplugged, by Bob Dylan
Monday, March 9, 2009
Survey says . . . part 2
Last month I talked about the Playaway audiobook collection purchased in response to the survey conducted recently about the Children's Room. By the way, the collection is now available - take a moment on you next visit to the Library to take a look. Programming for kids got a big response in the survey with a great deal of interest from kids and parents alike. We have been working on that too and I will keep you posted as we progress.
We have already kicked off programming for tweens and teens with a Teen Advisory Group. Cathy (Children's Department) and Andy (Assistant Director) are working with a group of kids to develop a teen page on the website. The first teen page meeting is scheduled for after school on March 26th and is cleverly called HTeenML. The kids are going to be responsible for the design, content and upkeep of the page. Not only will this offer a creative outlet for the kids and offer some experience in using web design software and languages, the library will benefit from the ideas, inventiveness and imagination of the kids. Talk about win win.
There is no limit to what will develop from the Teen Advisory Group - book discussions (Twilight?), Book Buddies mentoring younger readers, crafts (I would like to see 'trees' growing in the Children's Room - like this only more and bigger), video gaming - playing and creating - where ever their interests lead us. It will be a fascinating journey.
Create your own website, by Scott Mitchell
Creating web pages for dummies, by Bud E. Smith
We have already kicked off programming for tweens and teens with a Teen Advisory Group. Cathy (Children's Department) and Andy (Assistant Director) are working with a group of kids to develop a teen page on the website. The first teen page meeting is scheduled for after school on March 26th and is cleverly called HTeenML. The kids are going to be responsible for the design, content and upkeep of the page. Not only will this offer a creative outlet for the kids and offer some experience in using web design software and languages, the library will benefit from the ideas, inventiveness and imagination of the kids. Talk about win win.
There is no limit to what will develop from the Teen Advisory Group - book discussions (Twilight?), Book Buddies mentoring younger readers, crafts (I would like to see 'trees' growing in the Children's Room - like this only more and bigger), video gaming - playing and creating - where ever their interests lead us. It will be a fascinating journey.
Create your own website, by Scott Mitchell
Creating web pages for dummies, by Bud E. Smith
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