NCKL staff will be available the following Wednesdays if you want to come and ask library related questions of staff.
Introduction
“A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.”-Charles Baudelaire
Megan at work.
Hello NCKL,
My Name is Megan Gunther, and I’m the new Assistant Technology Consultant here at the NCKL, I thought I would use this post to say hello, tell you what I’ll be doing, and little about myself. Richard and I have already made several trips to libraries and I hope to be meeting everyone in the next few months!
I’ll be here to answer any technical questions you may have. I will be assisting Richard in the day to day operation of the technology for the NCKL. We have already set up several new computers for Frankfort, Hillsboro, Wakefield, and we are currently working on new catalog machines for Wamego. I hope to be as much help to Richard and the other libraries as I can be. At some point Richard and I will be going out to libraries separately so our hope is that it will take less time to get computers repaired and any issues fixed. To get in contact with me call me at ext. 188 or meggun@nckl.info.
Now, to tell you a little about myself, I just graduated from Manhattan Area Technical College with an Associates of Applied Science in Network Information Technology. Before that I had worked as a Customer Service Representative for a cell phone company. It was a good job, but nothing compared to what I am doing now! I was born and raised in Denver Colorado until I was 17. At that point my parents and I moved to Salina, Kansas. I have a love for reading and Technology. If it’s new and shiny I want it! The most recent book I finished was The Passage by Justin Cronin, It was an amazing book, and I’m impatiently waiting for the next instillation!
READ ACROSS AMERICA
Each year, the National Educators Association sponsors Read Across America. This awareness program calls for every child to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss. This year the theme is green and the spotlight will be on the book, The Lorax. March 2 is also the day the movie, The Lorax will open nationwide. So bring out the books, bake the cake, and light the candles! For more information and how your library can participate, go to NEA’s website at http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm.
Reading is Not Optional
Author, Walter Dean Myers, was sworn-in yesterday as the nation’s third Ambassador for Young People’s Literature at the Library of Congress. His slogan for the two-year post is “Reading is Not Optional.” In an interview with David Greene from NPR, Myers stressed the importance of early literacy by saying, “Well, one of the things that I want to do is to get very, very young kids being read to; 3 months, 4months.” Congratulations to Ambassador Myers. Myers is the author of the award winning book, Monster.
Weighing in on the Future of Libraries
This article was posted to the “Shareable” blog by Cat Johnson.
There are a lot of libraries in the U.S., and all of them are different. Some are geared toward young people, some are community centers, some are on the cutting edge of the digital information revolution, and most of them are looking for ways to keep up with, or ahead of, the times. But as library systems evolve, library users’ needs evolve with them and every patron has their own idea of what their library should be.
How does one begin to address the needs of these different individuals? How do library systems determine the best path to take? Enter the Pew Research Internet and American Life Project. A branch of the Pew Research Center, a non-partisan, non-profit “fact tank,” the project provides information on “the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.” When it comes to libraries, they want to know how libraries and library users’ needs and expectations are changing.
For the next three years, researchers will be gathering independent data through focus groups and surveys of library users in a variety of communities across the country. They will examine the changing habits of users regarding ebooks and reading devices, digital collections and mobile connectivity. They will also look at what library users (and non-users) want from their libraries in terms of physical offerings.
Funded by a 1.4 million dollar investment by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s library program, the study will “seek to inform, not to prescribe,” said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center. “It will provide facts to librarians, policymakers and the public to help them better understand how technology trends are shaping libraries and the communities they serve.”
Having a boundless sea of digital information available to us has put the spotlight on libraries, forcing them to figure out ways to get it into our hands. Library system have individually retooled their offerings and information-delivery methods, but this is an extraordinary opportunity for a nationwide, in-depth, data-driven study of the needs of library users in the digital age.
Get involved
Are you an ebook reading library patron? Are you a librarian? Researchers at the Pew Research Internet project may want to survey you. Email Rainie at lrainie [at] pewinternet [dot] org
Little Pigs at Storytime
NCKLS subscribes to the Children’s Programming Monthly from ALA Editions. This month, little piggies make an appearance at storytime. The author of the article is Rob Reid. He suggests reading If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff. Then have the children join in with the traditional nursery rhyme, “This Little Piggy.” Five Little Piggies by David Martin can then be read. Finish up with, “I’m a Little Piggy” sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot.”
I’m a little piggy
Short and stout.
Here are my ears
Here is my snout.
When I see the
Farmer in the dell
I oink, oink, oink
and wiggle my tail!
Try to incorporate movement and music in your storytimes to keep those little hands clapping and those little feet stomping! Let me know if you would like to check out this month’s issue.
Time Managment…Unclear Priorities
“Time Flies…But Where? Time Management Tips and Tools” is a workshop offered at NCKL. This workshop was created by Sandra Nelson of ALA. It is an excellent resource for helping you focus on analyzing your time, and weighing to see if where you are spending your time, is where you want your time spent.
This workshop offers six major time challenges. Unclear Priorities is another common time challenge. “In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.” ….Robert Heinlen
What can I do to have clear Priorities?
- Set Goal
- Make a plan
- Get to work
- Stick to it
- Reach Goal
Only you can decide what is important in your life.
Know yourself! What are your personality traits? What are your time challenges? What are your personal goals? What are your professional goals? Answering these questions may help you better understand your time management skills.
If this sounds like an interesting way to spend your time, please let the Technology Trainer know. Classes can be formed in your area.
Take a Stroll Around the Library
I had a great time this year at NeCessary KnowLedge. I learned a lot from Gail Santy who presented on the importance of signage in our libraries. She had many examples of torn signs, dated signs, and generally not-so-great signage. You know the sign, the one that has been posted on the door for the last three years and has more tape on it than paper. You know the sign, the one that says the library is closed for Veterans Day and its now after Thanksgiving. Gail also showed us several examples of good signage. The sign that is helpful to patrons, relevant, and attractive. To read Gail’s handout, go to Event Handouts and click on Signage Hands On. Maybe it’s time to take a stroll around the library.
Time Flies…..
“Time Flies…But Where? Time Management Tips and Tools” is a workshop offered at NCKL. This workshop was created by Sandra Nelson of ALA. It is an excellent resource for helping you focus on analyzing your time, and weighing to see if where you are spending your time, is where you want your time spent.
The Public Library, Completely Reimagined
You’ll hear a lot of talk about the “death of the public library” these days. It isn’t simply the perpetual budget crises that many face either. It’s the move to digital literature, and the idea that once there are no more print books (or rather if there are no more print books), the library as an institution will cease to exist.
This interesting article comes from a site called “Mindshift.” The rest of the article is here.
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