Library Administrator's Digest back issues from December 2006:
NEW RESERVE NOTIFICATION POLICY
Dec 01, 2006; ... The number of library items that customers have reserved this year is nearly five times what is was three years ago, while the number of staff available to fill those requests has remained unchanged. To free up staff time, as of February 1 reserve notices are being distributed by e-mail. In our ...
WAIT AND READ
Dec 01, 2006; ... The Kendallville Public Library, with the cooperation of several area businesses, has launched a new program, Wait and Read. Through this program the library has placed a basket of books at businesses where people typically have to wait for periods of time. Instead of wasting this time or ...
SCAVENGER HUNT FUND-RAISER
Dec 01, 2006; ... Henderson Memorial Public Library, (Jefferson, OH), was a flurry of activity Saturday night, September 23, for its first Scavenger Hunt Fund-Raiser. People and items were scattered throughout the entire library, covering tables, counters and floors. It was a HUGE success and a TON of ...
SHELVING THE KORAN
Dec 01, 2006; ... A library customer at a branch informed an information staff member that out of respect for the Koran, it should be placed high on the shelves. The Diversity Committee was asked to consider this issue. We spoke with a Muslim counselor at the Center for Multicultural Human Services and ...
WHY AREN'T LITTLE BOYS READING?
Dec 01, 2006; ... Children's librarians at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library are reading something new lately - boys' minds. In a recently launched initiative, library staff has been reviewing literature on why many boys do not read or use the library as much as girls do, starting just after first ...
PHASE-OUT OF BCPL VIDEO COLLECTIONS
Dec 01, 2006; ... Over the past three years, BCPL has had increasing difficulty in purchasing videos from vendors due to the industry-wide reduction in video production. Because of difficulty in purchasing materials in VHS format, we have not purchased nonfiction or feature videos for our adult collections since ...
LIBRARY EASES UP ON SECURITY
Dec 01, 2006; ... The Doylestown branch of the Bucks County Free Library added more than new carpet, wireless Internet and a teenage section in the past few months. It also increased its trust in users by eliminating three cumbersome security gates stretched across the entrance. The gates, which ...
GETTING IN THE GAME
Dec 01, 2006; ... In October, the Federation of American Scientists announced that it will invest in research to determine the educational value of video games. Sounds like the Federation attended ULC's audio-conference on gaming in September. "Gaming programs, collections and services fulfill the ...
BUDGETS SMUDGETS
Dec 01, 2006; ... While I would never advocate tossing the budget out the window, there has to be some wiggle room within line items to "get the job done." In these days of reduced funding and budget cuts, some library administrators tend to have a "knee jerk" reaction. These reactions have included ...
CULTURAL CENTER FUND RAISING
Dec 01, 2006; ... In January, the Decatur Public Library announced a three-year capital campaign to raise $2 million to fund a cultural center in 20,000 square feet of unused space on the library's second floor. To date, the campaign has raised just over $475,000. The campaign is raising $1,350,000 for ...
SUCCESSFUL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Dec 01, 2006; ... The Friends of the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library conducted a very successful membership drive during the month of October. Several Friends members set up a table in the library lobby on each Tuesday and Thursday during the month and encouraged library visitors to join the group. For ...
WHAT'S THE MESS?
Dec 01, 2006; ... What's all the mess at the Hackley Public Library? It's the long awaited repair of the plaster that was damaged by water coming into the library from the leaking flashing and gutters. Those repairs were completed in June 2005, but it was determined that it would be best to wait for at least 12 ...
IN THE MAIL
Dec 01, 2006; ... Mike Sawyer, director of the Rangeview Library District, Thornton, CO, sent along the following, saying "Thought you would like to know." "For the first time in the history of their existence, libraries that serve the northwest section of Metro Denver and beyond are receiving significant ...
RESERVES IN NASHUA
Dec 01, 2006; ... I note that reserves at the Nashua (NH) Public Library have increased to five times what they were three years ago. (See News Section.) And the staff available to fill the reserves has not increased. So action is being taken to use e-mail for notification. But why have reserves ...
DEAD VIDEOTAPES
Dec 01, 2006; ... It doesn't seem very long ago - about five years ago, I think - that I was wondering in these columns why some libraries hadn't yet adopted the new DVDs. I visited one large multibranch system that had none and didn't have any plans to buy any. Are there any libraries out there that ...
COST AND EFFECTIVENESS
Dec 01, 2006; ... I see that the largest branch of the Bucks County (PA) Free Library has taken out its security gates. (See News this issue.) Not only did they remove the gates but they told the newspaper all about it, so everyone will know. The library said the gates didn't work all the time, were ...
SALARIES AT NYPL
Dec 01, 2006; ... My wife recently visited her niece for the weekend, and when she returned she said that my niece had found an article in the Metro section of the New York Times for Nov. 20, 2006 about salaries for New York Public Library librarians. "Oh, I don't think they are all that high, especially if you ...
WHERE DO YOU CUT?
Dec 01, 2006; ... Susan Hill is the very energetic director of the Paulding County (OH) Public Library. She is also the editor of the Rural Library Services Newsletter, and I know well what that entails in work and meeting deadlines. Not an easy thing to do when you have the responsibility of running a library ...