Big Talk From Small Libraries

Attending the Big Talk From Small Libraries webinar hosted by the Nebraska Library Commission! #btsl

Whirlwind

Busy doesn't even begin to describe this semester...and I cannot get over how fast it's moving along. It's been a whirlwind...

I've been spending my time doing homework/reading for LIS 7996, working at my practicum site (Caro Area District Library), and attending workshops to broaden my learning experiences...

Earlier in October, as part of my practicum project, I launched a survey in hopes of raising awareness and gaining insight into the information needs and practices of the legal community in Tuscola County. This morning, a similar survey targeting patrons and their legal information needs was launched within the library. 

Last week, I attended two "meet the candidate" sessions at Thumb area libraries which were facilitated by Bryon Sitler, Director of White Pine Library Cooperative. Session 1 was at Rawson Memorial District Library and featured 84th District House candidates Terry Brown (D) and Dan Grimshaw (R). The second session was held at Sandusky District Library and featured 83rd District House candidate Carol Campbell (D) -- Paul Muxlow (R, incumbent) was not present. All of the questions in which Sitler asked were relevant to libraries and the various issues in which they face.

Terry Brown (D), Me, Dan Grimshaw (R)

Carol Campbell (D) and I

To bed I go...

Marshall District Library: Explore, Discover, Grow

On Friday, July 20, Janet and I took a road trip to visit Library Director Angela Semifero at Marshall District Library in downtown beautiful historic Marshall, Michigan.

Profile
MDL serves the City of Marshall as well as the following townships: Eckford, Marengo, Marshall, and Fredonia --  a population of around 15,000 thus giving the agency a Class 4 designation from the Library of Michigan which is comprised of libraries serving populations of 12,000 to 25,999. The library operates with a budget of about $940,000 and houses a collection of about 71,000 items in a 19,000-square-foot former grocery store that has been renovated in 1997 to suit the agency's needs.

Mission: "...to serve its community by providing diverse informational, educational and recreational materials in a supportive and accessible environment."

Motto / Tagline: Explore, Discover, Grow. (love this!)

Vision:
To provide a stimulating environment and supportive staff;
To encourage the public's use and support of library services and facilities;
To stimulate children's interest and appreciation for reading and learning while supporting patrons of all ages;
To provide access to electronic resources including the internet;
To provide materials on diverse interests upholding democratic and intellectual freedoms (my favorite);
To provide guidance in the use of references, electronic and loan materials.

About the Director
Angela Semifero graduated from Wayne State University with her MLIS in 2004. She's been with MDL, in various capacities including Deputy Director, since 2006 and became Library Director in 2011. Semifero's resume is impressive and I was tickled to learn that she was an adjunct instructor for the School of Library and Information Science (Wayne State University) in 2009, teaching Young Adult Literature (LIS 6530) and Access to Information (LIS 6120)...and a member of ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table -- Feminist Task Force -- which is responsible for the Amelia Bloomer Project! Semifero is co-chairing the project and has been a part of the committee for 5 years now. (Yes, she is that awesome!)

From My Notebook...

• We met with Angela at 1:00p on a Friday and the library was BUSY! (She considered it to be slow.) Let me just say: it was a challenge taking photos due to patrons utilizing specific areas of the library.
• Always tries to have a manager in the building during public service hours.
• Very well-lit and with ample (and comfortable) seating for patrons. There was lots of tables for working on projects, as well.
• Excellent signage breaks down and simplifies the various Dewey classes for patrons!
• Oversized non-fiction books were shelved together and easy to access -- no worries about one falling on your head or having to crawl around on the floor to in order to browse the bottom shelf.
• MDL participates in local parades! They're already getting ready for this year's Christmas parade. Semifero said, "We are super involved in the community we serve, such as being a part of service groups, and already planning our float for the holiday parade."
• Uses Gmail and Googledocs for staff communication / collaboration.
• Interesting fact: the City of Marshall actually owns the parking lot.
• The library has a drive-up book drop!
• Space between the stacks allowed for multiple patrons to easily browse without giving feelings of  claustrophobia or bumping into each other people.
• Very big on grant writing -- especially collaborative grants. It's how many of the library's programs and events get funded.
• Uses Millenium ILS.
• Security cameras due to a break-in.
• MDL wrote a $15k grant for an after-school program which is highly utilized by area youth.
• The library provides "ideas" for tweens to teens to help them keep busy (and out of trouble.)
• I was super geeked to see that the library offered a number of a games and puzzles as well as paper, scissors, markers, crayons, and pencils for those feeling creative.
• MDL has a large graphic collection: Anime, Manga, comic books, and graphic novels!
• MDL hosts gaming nights with popular consoles. (Love this idea!)
• Policy and procedure manuals are available at every desk for staff's use.
• A grant from the community foundation has faciliatated the library with digitizing newspapers.
• Study rooms and the reference room -- 1 person must be over 18.
• Mobile laptop lab!
• The collection is shelf-read weekly!
• MDL hosts a volunteer / donor reception to say 'thanks.'
• The library has an artwork collection that circulates for 3 weeks.
• Regular circulation is for 2 weeks and the library offers a 1 week grace period -- very unique!
• Utilizes PC Reservation by EnvisionWare.
• Internet for adults: not filtered; internet for juveniles: filtered.
• Carries court forms.
• A small display cases features "MDL in the News" -- clippings of library happenings collected from the media.
• The library responds to every patron suggestion.

Photos from our visit...

Cops and Doughnuts

On my way to the Rural Libraries Conference in May, a pit stop was made in Clare for the express purpose of visiting Cops & Doughnuts! (In case you're just tuning in, my background is in criminal justice and psychology -- hence my love for law enforcement.)

A ditty from the bakery's website:

"There is a doughnut shop and bakery in Clare, Michigan that has been in constant operation since 1896. This foundation business was within weeks of closing when the members of the Clare Police Department came to the rescue. All of them. That's right, all nine members of the local police department banded together to save this historic business.

Dubbed "Cops and Doughnuts," the business boasts handmade confections of all types. Join us for a warm fresh doughnut and a steaming cup of cops coffee while you enjoy the police decor and friendly, and very safe, atmosphere."

Here I am sporting a t-shirt that reads "Use Libraries and Learn Stuff" and posing with a delicious blueberry-filled doughnut:

And I couldn't leave without purchasing a piece of swag for my law enforcement memorabilia collection:

Rural Libraries Conference: Photos

I didn't take many photos from my time at the conference, but here are a few
that I managed to snap. (After all, I was busy learning!)

I managed to snap a photo of a sign for the Rural Libraries Conference and the sign right next to it: GVSU's Master of Social Work hooding ceremony. Why? Well, if I had stayed in my previous career, I would've been pursuing a MSW. It was an interesting moment when I saw the two signs side by side...made me think of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Rural Libraries Conference: Day 3

The past few days have been a whirlwind -- my apologies for not posting a synopsis for Day 3 of the Rural Libraries Conference sooner.

I won one of the fabulous gift baskets: Dream Big -- which contained picnic supplies: decorative paper plates, a pinwheel, a bottle of blueberry wine, dark chocolate, a bubble wand, and a "chillable" gel wrap designed for a wine bottle.

Our morning keynote speaker was the "amazingly informed & therefore properly opinionated" Librarian in Black, Sarah Houghton! *virtual applause* 

• "Digital content forces us to be ethical people." 
• There is a significant difference between the lingo salespeople use when talking to libraries about digital resources -- they commonly use terms such as buy, sell, and own. On the flip side, the contract for these services utilizes a whole different lexicon -- license, subscription, and lease. 
• Houghton referred to the publishers whom are not lending e-books through libraries as the "Naughty Six." 
• "If you don't play nice with libraries, than you're an evil villain!" 
• Recently, a new director purchased several Kindles and using a smattering of faux Amazon accounts loaded bestseller content onto the devices which are now being circulated in the library!
• After 6-9 months, still no word from Amazon.
• Sarah Houghton, who just became director of San Rafael Public Library, plans on following suit. 
• Digital resources I want to look into: Open Library, Podio, Gluejar, and LibriVox.
• Barnes and Noble have remained library-friendly. In fact, they have a loophole in their TOS that allows the purchase of a title and placement onto 6 different devices. Impressive. 
• If I buy an e-reader, it's definitely going to be a Nook of some variety. 
• Patrons using Kindles + OverDrive are unknowingly having their personal data collected and stored by Amazon. Creepy!
• Houghton cited Doctorow's First Law (Cory Doctorow): "Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit." 

After the morning keynote, we split up into various break-out sessions. I attended Non-Fiction Reader Advisory for Everyone which was presented by Holly Hibner, Plymouth District Library, and Mary Kelly, Lyon Township Public Library.

• As I stated in my notes from Day 2 (Thingamabobs and Doodads: Tech Support IS Reference), these ladies could easily have their own comedy show. For now, we have their fabulous blog Awful Library Books. 
• Hibner and Kelly didn't focus on all new books for their presentation -- as it's beneficial to have back-ups when the newer materials are all checked out. 
• "Eye appeal is appeal." --Mary Kelly
• "You need to pair David Sedaris with the right reader." --Holly Hibner, (I think)
• Note: I am that reader.
• When working with patrons, librarians need to go with the moment, start a relationship, and share the pain of everyday life. 
• "There is such stereotypes out there. People feel the need to be serious when talking to us. Lighten up!" --Holly Hibner
• Think broadly when working with teens -- they read all over the place -- from children's to adult materials.
• Keep cool things/objects on your desk -- they're great conversation starters.
• Keep creep out things nearby -- teen boys love them.
• Stop using the word 'read' and try using 'look at this' instead.
• You don't necessarily have to read the book to have it on your go-to list -- patron recommendations work just fine. The key is knowing where the book is located that way you can keep the conversation with the patron flowing.
• When constructing your go-to list cover the gamut of the entire Dewey range.
• There was some discussion of interfiling / inter-shelving of adult, YA, and children's non-fiction materials. Popular reasons:
• Size driven -- frees up much needed space;
• Stigma -- people with different reading levels are spared browsing in the juvenile area and vice versa.
• Keep a 'cool book cover' pile on your desk -- another great conversation starter with patrons. 
• Ruth Hughes Memorial District Library in Imlay City had a unique idea 'Blind Date with a Book' 
• Books are wrapped in brown paper and a bow adorns the cover
• Barcodes are placed on the front or back of the brown paper for circulation ease.
• Encourages patrons to broaden their reading territory. 
• Has been received very well by the library's patrons! (Great idea!)

Rural Libraries Conference: Day 2

Day 2 of the Rural Libraries Conference is now officially complete and I cannot even begin to adequately explain about how wonderful it was and the fun I had while learning more about the LIS field.

This morning's keynote session, Powerful Interactions: Taking Inspiration from Small and Rural Libraries, was presented by Saroj Ghoting an Early Literacy Consultant -- it was so packed full of interesting and useful that I didn't want it to end. Here are some of the notes I scribbled down in my notebook:

• A common theme between small and rural libraries -- besides serving diverse communities -- is the number of partners and collaborative projects within their communities. Ghoting showed a graph that indicated that the small and rural library has almost double the partners/connections with their community than their suburban and urban counterparts.
• I need to check out the book Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee Massee.
• Librarians are social entrepreneurs. 
• A statistic from the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS): 57% of libraries service a population of 10,000 or less.
• In Michigan, that would be a Class 3 agency or smaller. 
• Class 3 = 7,000 - 11,999
• Her presentation touched on two facets to early literacy emergence: learning to decode + reading is understanding the meaning.
• Singing text actually slows down the language which helps kids to learn the soft sounds of the words.
• The whole room of about 200+ read aloud the text of the Itsy Bitsy Spider. It went relatively fast.
• Next, the whole group sang aloud the same text. It went much slower. 
• It's more important for the interaction around the book to be positive rather than long. 
• A book is a discussion starter.
• Factual books actually tend to produce more interaction and discussion; however, parents/teachers/caregivers need to mix it up. 
• A toddler at the age of 2 will know 5x's as many words than their counterparts who've been spoken to only a little. 
• On a budget (aren't we all)? Consider creating your own magnetic literacy toy by using laminated pictures with magnets glued to the back and cookie sheets! (I loved this idea.) 
• I also loved the idea of hanging different mirrors with an emotion on the endcaps -- kids will love making faces in the mirror!

My break-out sessions were as follows: Digital Resources and the Rural Library: Not as Simple as It Seems presented by Dr. Robert P. Holley, Got GLBT? presented by Melanie Earley, and Thingamabobs and Doodads: Tech Support IS Reference presented by Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly.

Digital Resources and the Rural Library: Not as Simple as It Seems

• This session touched on a lot of the concepts and topics that Dr. Holley presented in his Collection Development class. 
• Having the opportunity to see Dr. Holley actually present really made me wish I would've taken a face-to-face class rather than just online format. (He has a great sense of humor which is difficult to fully appreciate online.) 
• Many of the databases in which libraries subscribe might contain content that would never be considered for purchase if it was in print format. 
• Also worth considering: digital resources might consist of content that was previously weeded by the library.
• Memorable Dr. Holley quote: "One of the major points -- Amazon wants to take over the world."
• Participant point: "Digital resources can provide opportunities to access to information that wasn't previously available in Large Print format."

Got GLBT?

• Great presentation! It was mostly a literature survey and review. Free books were available thanks to generous publishers. 
• I was very disappointed by how few people attended this session. The 'why' questions -- why didn't they attend -- currently bumping around in my head actually make me feel sick and dizzy. 

Thingamabobs and Doodads: Tech Support IS Reference

• These ladies could have a comedy show. Highly entertaining! 
• Mary Kelly quotes:
• "I do everything at my library including moving the dead deer out of the parking lot before story time."
• "We are bartenders with books instead of booze."

Another passion of mine: library architecture. I got a complete charge out of looking through the design books of architect Alyce D. Riemenschneider -- she reworked and refreshed a butchered Carnegie Library and the photos gave me goosebumps. I plan on following her work by touring libraries in which she has redesigned and built. (Note: she's merging with Quinn Evans Architects.)

I'm off to dinner...

Rural Libraries Conference: Day 1

Day 1 of the Rural Libraries Conference is now complete and I must say: it was an absolute blast. Hopefully there aren't too many typos in this post -- I'm pooped.

It was great seeing a number of familiar faces -- Thumb area directors -- as well as making new acquaintances. I absolutely love hearing the seasoned librarian reflect upon his/her career and the amount of passion and pride in their voice for the field. While I am without a doubt that I have found my calling, it's moments like these that just help to cement the fact and further inspire me.

Nancy Robertson, the State Librarian, presented the LSTA Five-Year Plan Needs Assessment. The 6th priority, which I found particularly intriguing stated,"Targeting library and information services to persons having difficultly using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children (from birth through age 17) from families with incomes below the poverty line..." What I found interesting is the fact that she used the word "underserved" while referring to both urban and rural areas -- a fact in which I feel my library school and much of the student body as the tendency to overlook. (It came as no surprise to me as I am familiar with State and Federal grant data collection from my time in the human services field.)

A memorable quote from Robertson after the microphone was passed around the room allowing librarians to share innovative programs their libraries are offering, "Even while we're drowning, we're doing really good stuff."

Representatives from Gale Cengage Learning gave a presentation titled "How to Tell the Story of Your Library's Impact." While the whole presentation was very informative, a key point I'd like to share touches on the evolution of library marketing: there is a shift from hard information such as citing data and generating reports to utilizing more soft information such as sharing feelings about the library as well as stories. Several examples were shared and I especially liked the notion of utilizing OCLC's Geek the Library as a launchpad or "springboard" (a term they used) as a means of getting patrons to share their experiences and stories.

After the opening luncheon, I headed to Get Anime-ted! Get Graphic! Adding Graphic Novels, Anime, and Manga to Your Collection which was facilitated by Roy Soncrant and Robert Gorney from the Genesee District Library. Not only was it very informative, but also quite entertaining! I learned a great deal more about the history of comic books and some finally tuned methods for purchasing.  Here are some facts and points that I found interesting:

• Author Jodi Picoult actually did a Wonder Woman comic. 
• Famous Funnies -- 1st American comic book that featured original content.
• The comic book / graphic novel business is a billion dollar industry -- is any more rationale needed for inclusion in your library? 
• The notion of telling stories via images is ancient -- think: cave paintings.
• Many comics from the WWII era are quite rare as they were commonly pulped and the ink squeezed for paint thus making surviving editions very valuable. 
• When America went to war, comics became much more violent in nature. 
• After the war, the superhero fad cooled and horror comics became much more popular. 
• The Comic Code actually had a ban on vampires until 1970. 
• Chatting with a rural librarian after the session, she mentioned the benefits of having a relationship with an area comic book store -- they really make easy the confusing business of purchasing series and crossovers. What a great idea!

From this session, I headed to Problem Patrons: Addressing and Responding to Patron Behavior which was presented by Anne Seurynck from the law firm of Foster, Swift, Collins, & Smith, P.C. Like the first session, I also found it to be quite interesting -- especially when directors and staff shared their horror stories some of which included patrons spreading feces on bathroom walls and even a potential internet prostitution ring ran out of the library. Trouble happens in Mayberry, too. Naturally Seurynck shared several key cases relevant to libraries: Kreimer vs. Morristown, Armstrong vs. District of Columbia Public Library, Neinast vs. Board of Trustees of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, and Brinkmeier vs. City of Freeport.

Rural Libraries Conference: Sessions

Tomorrow, the Small & Rural Libraries conference begins and like just about every conference there will be multiple concurrent break-out sessions. For me, which sessions to attend is always a challenge because there are so many interesting topics.  It's times like these that I wish I had learned to clone myself or had access to Hermione's time-turner necklace procured from the Department of Mysteries.

Here's a breakdown of which sessions I plan on attending...

Wednesday, May 2
1:45 - 3:00p -- Torn between two sessions and decided upon...

Get Anime-ted! Get Graphic! Adding Graphic Novels, Anime, and Manga to Your Collection
This introductory program is focused on practical advice for developing and maintaining a graphic novel/manga/anime collection. It includes a brief history of the literature, information about selection of materials and other resources, displays and marketing, and using various types of feedback to build the collection.

3:15 - 4:30p -- No-brainer:

Problem Patrons: Addressing and Responding to Patron Behavior
Do you have patrons who consistently break library rules? Do you have patrons who are disruptive? Has patron behavior ever shocked you? This session will help libraries identify what policies they need to effectively deal with problem patrons and provide guidance on how to enforce them, as well as how to respond to police involvement in patron behavior situations.

Thursday, May 3
10:00 - 11:15a -- No-brainer! Dr. Holley is presenting!

Digital Resources and the Rural Library: Not as Simple as It Seems
Access to digital resources including ebooks, databases, and digital collections greatly expands the amount of information available to the users of rural libraries. These resources, however, require rural librarians to consider some potentially challenging issues. Should the small library provide access to digital resources that it would never add to the print collection?

1:15 - 2:30p -- No-brainer:

Got GLBT?
This presentation will explain the importance of having gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender material available in small and rural libraries. Online resources for collection development, what types of organizations are available in your area to provide informational presentations, popular authors that cover the topic and what to do if a patron objects to this type of material will be covered.

3:30 - 4:45p -- Torn between three and decided on this:

Thingamabobs and Doodads: Tech Support IS Reference
Library users often rely on staff for technology support. This session will describe core technology competencies required by library staff, especially at the reference desk, to capably help library users. We will discuss how tech support is directly related to customer service and library relevancy. Librarians and support staff will be inspired to provide tech support as a means to market library services - and themselves – as vital resources to the community.

Friday, May 4
10:45a - 12:00p -- Torn between two and decided upon:

Non-Fiction Reader Advisory for Everyone
Not sure how to break the ice and “sell” non-fiction? Not a big non-fiction reader? No problem! Everyone has something to share in the world of reader advisory. This program is designed to help librarians develop strategies for talking about non-fiction with all patrons and create a personal go-to list of titles -- even if your knowledge and experience of non-fiction are limited.

Rural Libraries Conference: Nifty Green Bag

Later this week, I am attending the 2012 Loleta Fyan Small & Rural Libraries Conference at the Grand Traverse Bay Resort and Spa. It starts on Wednesday, but I am heading up tomorrow morning for some much needed R&R. Cannot wait!

Here are the contents of my nifty green bag (my favorite color) for the conference:

(Yes, I printed off resumes.) 

To be added: chapstick, a water bottle,
and my camera...