Back to Books Recap
We had a huge turnout for our Back to Books program – 52 folks resisted the temptation of a picture perfect summer day, overcame the jet lag of returning from ALA, or were able to sneak off desk (and covering those who couldn’t resist or overcome) to attend our workshop emphasizing books and how to get more folks to use them.
Becky Spratford talked about how the Berwyn Public Library is incorporating technology into their readers advisory services – with great success. Here’s the link to her talk (and blog – if it’s not on your feed, it should be!). Becky had great ideas – using book lists as many different ways as possible – on Goodreads/Shelfari/Bibliocommons/etc, on Facebook, as bookmarks (gasp – paper?!?) and don’t forget to post them on your website and save them for future use. Link to staff reviews from the ‘about the staff page.’ This is a brilliant idea, but may cause some consternation among the rest of the staff or administration, so work deliberately. I took her overall theme to be putting all your work into a circle so that it feeds back upon itself. You read a book and review it for your website so patrons can read the review and want the book for their discussion group. The discussion group, looking for other book titles, will find a read-alike display in the library that encourages them to take part in an online book discussion. Don’t re-invent the wheel – just make that wheel bigger and bigger!
Carolyn Muci from the Mount Prospect Public Library talked about their successful programs outside the Library. Her presentation, Think Outside the Box focused on their book club held at a nearby Caribou Coffee stressed that creating a positive experience for the patron, wherever they were and however they used the Library was more important than making them feel obligated to visit the Library. By expanding the presence of the Library into the community through story times at local businesses or even simply offering them no-hassle internet access after a storm lets patrons know the Library will be there for them when they need it.
Jason Smith from The Book Table was our final speaker. Have you ever noticed that way more people claim to have witnessed an event than could ever have actually been there? I mean, only 15,758 people were at Wrigley Field when Kerry Wood struck out 20 batters in one of the best games ever pitched. But at least 50,ooo say they were there (heck, even I’ve done it on more than one occasion). This just may be one of those events. I predict BIG things for Jason Smith on the speaking circuit. He was funny, insightful, and intelligent. Five years from now, when he’s keynoting ALA, way more than 52 people will be claiming to have seen him talk at Park Ridge in 2011.
Big thanks to all three and to all who attended. You made our first summer program a big success!
Back to Books
RLA-CE has a fantastic program lined up for you. It’s so absolutely fantastic, we couldn’t wait until the fall to present it. It’s so wonderfully, phenomenally fantastic that we are having our first EVER summer program just to bring it to you as soon as possible.
This summer, RLA-CE brings you Back to Books.
Librarians have been focused on technology recently and RLA-CE is no different. We’ve had programs on eReaders, the dot gov websites, and consumer/product evaluations. But what about books? Y’know, those things that take up the majority of the space in most libraries? Made from paper, written from the heart and cataloged with love? Well, on Tuesday, June 28th, RLA-CE presents workshop highlighting some of the best ways to bring focus back to books and how technology can help us promote books more effectively.
We’ll have Carolyn Muci, Head of Marketing and Public Relations at the Mount Prospect Public Library to talk about the exciting ways they bring books out into their community. Becky Spratford, author, Dominican University instructor, and Readers’ Advisory librarian at the Berwyn Public Library, will talk how social media can be used to promote books. And we’ll also have Jason Smith, co-owner of Chicago’s Best Bookstore, The Book Table. He’ll share some of his marketing secrets with us. Not just the big, one-time events, what he does on a smaller, continuous scale to keep his customers coming back.
When: Tuesday, June 28th from 1:30-4:00 (If you’re not back from ALA yet, you’re just milking a few extra days out of New Orleans)
Where: Park Ridge Public Library (Map & Directions)
Cost: Free – Sponsored by HW Wilson
Registration: Online registration
Any questions? Please contact us!
Final Reminder for our End of the Year Speaker
Come listen to ALA’s Director of Intellectual Freedom – Barbara Jones this Thursday at Oakton Community College. Here’s more detailed information. She’ll be speaking in Room 1610, so please use Parking Lot C for easy access.
RLA-CE End of Year Program – Barbara Jones, ALA’s Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom
Barbara Jones, ALA's Director of the Office of Intellectual Freedom
RLA-CE is excited to announce that Barbara Jones, ALA’s Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom will be our End of Year speaker this year. The event is on Thursday, May 26th, from 9:30-noon at the Des Plaines campus of Oakton Community College.
Ms. Jones will speak about Intellectual Freedom in hard times. In the current economy many libraries are struggling to simply survive. Have they put Intellectual Freedom on the back burner as an issue? How are libraries dealing with situations where they are struggling to stave off drastic budget cuts while also taking the oftentimes unpopular stance in protection of a particular title/program/decision? She’ll also touch on the meaning of intellectual advocacy in the digital age.
Barbara Jones is the Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association in Chicago. She holds a Ph.D. in U.S. History, with a specialty in legal history, from the University of Minnesota. She holds an MLS from Columbia University in New York. She spent most of her library career in academic libraries, the latest being as University Librarian at Wesleyan University in Connecticut from 2003-2009. Her professional career has been devoted to intellectual freedom. She served on several state IF committees and on ALA committees as well, such as the Intellectual Freedom Committee. She also served on the international FAIFE Committee (Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) for IFLA, and in that capacity has conducted “train the trainer” workshops in Nigeria, South Africa, Croatia, Serbia, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and Costa Rica.
We’re expecting a big crowd, so please register early to secure your spot
When: Thursday, May 26th at 9:30am
Where: Oakton Community College (map and directions)
Cost: Free – sponsored by Gale
Registration: Online registration
Any questions? Please contact us!
Gotta Lov Dot Gov Presented at Reaching Forward
RLA CE committee member Steven Jablonski presented an updated version of his RLA program “Gotta Love Dot Gov” at the 2011 Reaching Forward conference. Here it is for those who missed it.
Field Trip: Pritzker Military Library
We pride ourselves on our longstanding tradition of visiting cultural institutions, libraries, or archives who are making a difference everyday. This year, we are delighted to announce the Pritzker Military Library, a winner of the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, as our destination at their brand new location (104 S. Michigan Ave) on Friday, April 29th, 10am.
Get a behind-the-scenes tour of a remarkable collection of books, videos, posters, uniforms and more, like an American Revolution soldier’s notebook dated 1777-1779 and a model of the USS Chicago. The Mission of the Pritzker Military Library is “to acquire and maintain an accessible collection of materials and develop appropriate programs focusing on the Citizen Soldier in the preservation of democracy.”
Just a few spots left, so RSVP today!
When: Friday, April 29, 2011 at 10:00am
Where: Pritzker Military Library (map and directions)
Cost: Free – sponsored by HW Wilson
Registration: Online registration
Any questions? Please contact us!
Whole Lot of Evaluatin’ Goin’ On Round Up
We had a great turn out for the program on finding evaluations! We all gathered on Wednesday morning to listen to Steven Jablonski of the Skokie Public Library present his informative take on locating evaluations of services. The presentation was enlightening and also, hilarious — a great combination for any program. So thank you for that, Steven! He covered a comprehensive list of resources and services, useful to any budding librarian or for those long established in the field.
Do you feel like you need a brush up on locating authoritative evaluations? Or did you attend the program but want to cherish the awesomeness of Steven’s presentation once more? You can check out his slides here:
Thanks to one and all who came to the event! And don’t forget, we will be having a field trip to the Priztker Military Library on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 10:00am. If you’re interested, and you know you are, you can sign up here: Online registration.
Libraries Celebrate Women’s History Month
We’re interested in knowing how your library is celebrating Women’s History Month. You are cordially invited to share in the comments below.
The Northbrook Public Library is proud to be hosting, “Writing Women Back into History,” an exhibit highlighting women who made contributions in the areas of law and government, the workforce, the military, education, healthcare, aviation and the sciences. Created in 2010 by the Illinois State Library, the Illinois State Archives and the Secretary of State Communications department, this exhibit won second place in the national contest conducted in conjunction with the History Channel’s 12-hour series “America: the Story of Us.”
On March 22 at 7pm, Northbrook author Cyndee Schaffer talks about her mother Mollie Weinstein Schaffer’s World War II experiences as a WAC in London, France and Germany. She is the coauthor with her mother of the memoir Mollie’s War. A book signing will follow.
The Evanston Public Library is celebrating Women’s History Month with two special events. Agatha Christie, prolific English “Queen of Crime” created such famous detectives as Hercule Poirot, the eccentric Belgian; and English spinster Miss Jane Marple. Christie enjoyed a career that spanned over 50 years and her works have now sold into the billions. Join actress Betsey Means of Womanlore Productions , as she brings Dame Christie to life March 12 at 2pm. This event will also take place at the Northbrook Public Library on March 14 at 7pm.
On March 5 at 2pm at the Levy Center, 300 Dodge Avenue, Evanston, join Chef Mike Niksic for a culinary tour of the cultures in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love. Sample Italian pasta, Middle Eastern couscous and a decadent chocolate dessert! The cost for this program is $1.00 and you must be 18 or older. Register by calling the Levy Center at 847-448-8250. This program is offered jointly by the Levy Senior Center, The Evanston Public Library, and Right at Home Health Care Services Inc.
Don’t forget to tell us how your library is celebrating!
I Dream of Jeannie (ology) Round-up
I loved that show. It almost made me wish for rain delays during Cubs game. But Sidney Sheldon? Really?!?
We had a great turnout this morning at the Wilmette Public Library for our workshop on genealogy. We had three wonderful speakers talk about ways to help library patrons start their family search. As Rose Faber of the Barrington Area Public Library District put it, it’s a lifelong hobby. Deena Butta from the Glenview Public Library and facilitator of the Genealogy CoP outlined several area resources as well as some of the CoP’s overall favorites. One favorite she didn’t cover was the Family History Center in Wilmette because we had Cyndy Richardson, a volunteer at the Center give a insightful talk about wonderful services they provide and the best way our patrons can take advantage of them.
We did have a small technical glitch with the FamilySearch video, so I’m including it here
And part 2!
Also here are Rose Faber’s Genealogy Slides
And Deena’s Genealogy FAQ is a great guide matching up recommended sources with common genealogy questions.
And finally, the super secret, double X classified, Eye’s Only (well local patron’s only) website of the FHC.
Are Reference Books Worth It?
It seems like most libraries are downsizing their reference collections in favor or more electronic resources and a heavier reliance on free websites, but most are still purchasing reference books to some degree. The Scholarly Kitchen blog recently posted a recap of a debate that happened at the Profession and Scholarly Publishing Annual Conference.
Here’s an excerpt:
Prior to the debate, a text-message polling system was used to take the temperature of the room. At the start, 56% felt that reference books and journals would endure, 35% felt they would perish, and 9% were unsure.
Crawford and Fisher defended the role of expertise, stressed the relative immutability of the functions of the reference book and journal in both academic life and intellectual output, spoke to the power of the tenure and promotion system in a publish-or-perish culture, and underscored the importance of trusted brands in an information realm that is exploding with choice.
O’Leary and I observed that while research reporting and reference works are still important, their containers are changing, evolving from time-limited and space-limited entities into updated, boundless, and interactive forms we’re still exploring. These changes will change editorial and authorship functions, and are already changing how readers access and evaluate content.
Many familiar themes were sounded during the debate, including:
- Expertise vs. elitism
- Trust networks vs. brand power
- Linking vs. referencing
- Crowd-sourcing vs. editorial control
- Motivations vs. inducements
- Timeliness vs. thoroughness
- Relevance vs. trust
So, what do you think? Will reference books and journals survive? How is your library handling this question?
