stafflines

Almost 2010

2009-12-18T14:31:00.002-05:00

It's so hard to believe, but here we are at the tail end of 2009. We've seen many changes this year and many challenges, but there is also a great deal to feel good about.

My quick list:

You.
The hard work you do.
The rediscovery of the library by so many.
The large amount of good coverage we have received in the newspaper.
That we are the first public library in SC to offer Text Reference.
That one of our own, Ray Turner, is SCLA president for 2010.
that a record number of you gave generously to Trident United Way.

There's more, of course, but what is on your list?

Happy Black Friday

2009-11-30T16:32:00.001-05:00

Happy Black Friday: "

For those having to work the day after Thanksgiving, we bring you a repeat of an earlier post that may make you feel better about not being out t...

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If you haven't had a chance to see this RA blog yet, take a look.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T14:56:00.003-05:00

I'm thankful for some many things.
I'm thankful:

that I have a job
that I have a job with meaning
that I work for an organization that benefits the community
that the community values the library
that some many people have rediscovered the library
that people can turn to the library for assistance
that despite reducing funding, we all have jobs.

And I'm thankful for all of you.

Great SCLA

2009-11-03T16:34:00.002-05:00

Diverse People and Exceptional Services: SCLA 2009 concluded Friday, Oct. 30th. Our very own Ray Turner is to be commended for a well organized, interesting and productive conference!

Take a minute to look at the SCLA photos on Flickr SCLA photos

You'll spot several CCPL staff members, especially Ray.

And now for an even greater presidential year, Ray. We're proud of you.

Ebooks?

2009-10-16T15:54:00.002-04:00

Your thoughts on ebooks?
An New York Times blog, Paper Cuts.

Read their comments.
Does the Brain Like E-Books?

September is...

2009-09-09T16:54:00.003-04:00

The school year is in full swing, it even feels a little like fall and we're into the traditional fall library activities.

One of the many thing we do each year is Library Card Sign Up Month. It's underway and early reports are that more teachers want to get involved. Good news! More cards in the hands of more students. That's a good kind of busy to have.

Upcoming are the Friends of the Library annual sale
Friends Volunteer Application

and the Latin American Festival, formerly Hispanic Festival. Yet another volunteer opportunity!

Quote of the day

2009-08-28T11:54:00.000-04:00

"Embrace constraints. Constraints and limitations are wonderful allies and lead to enhanced creativity and ingenious solutions that without constraints never would have been discovered or created."
— Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen

Good words for these times.

"Influence of good design"

2009-08-25T17:37:00.002-04:00

Interesting column from theBubble Room, by Allison Circle. Makes some good points, but read it and please let me know what you think. I don't see libraries being able to revamp design every five year, even though we do end up with dated buildings.

Your thoughts?Influence of Good Design

Interviews

2009-08-14T16:49:00.002-04:00

They've been a long time coming! I'm glad that we are going forward with interviews for the Director. I know many of you have been chomping at the bit and wondering why we have made more changes already. I, too, am more than ready for us to move forward as an organization. I have been hesitant to make changes for CCPL, being concerned that any new directions might be changed again with the change in leadership. I know from past experience that working to get buy in on changes that never materialize, or are dropped without completion, is damaging to an organization and to trust. I hope that we are soon in a position to work thorugh what our new course should be.

Talking with the State Library Board

2009-07-24T16:09:00.003-04:00

Wednesday, July 22nd, Cindy Schweinfest, Darlene Jackson and Misty Jones attended the meeting of the South Carolina State Library Board. We'd been asked by our representative to send some staff members so that the Board could acknowledge of the hard work of CCPL staffers. The three of them, plus Jamie Thomas and I, met to discuss their very short (5-7 minute) presentation. Jamie pulled together an outstanding packet of statisics and materials and off they went.

By all accounts it was a success. The Board was interested and impressed to hear what we were doing, and loved the packets. Cindy talked about usage, Misty about services, and Darlene about programming and outreach.

I'm pleased that we had the opportunity and appreciate the hard work and preparation that went into this.

Helping the community

2009-07-09T09:59:00.002-04:00

CCPL is active in the community in so many ways. Programs, materials to check out, computers to use. We also work hard to highlight what the community needs, especially in these tough times.
Two upcoming programs:
Preparing Your Nonprofit for a Crisis: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 16, Charleston County Library Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St. Learn from experts how to prepare your organization for a crisis and how to handle the potential of a media and public firestorm. More info: 805-6930.

Networking Night for Entrepreneurs: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 16, Charleston County Library Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St. Bring your business cards and meet other entrepreneurs at this event, which is held monthly. More info: 805-6930.

And yesterday we added a new section the our web page, Recession Resources

Please share this!

Libraries and Web good team - The Post and Courier

2009-06-12T09:57:00.001-04:00

Libraries and Web good team - The Post and Courier

Shared via AddThis

So true and wonderful to see in print!

In the midst of work and worry

2009-06-05T12:58:00.002-04:00

In the midst of work and worries, I hope you are finding some time to enjoy life. It's summer, Spoleto and Piccolo have been great, but still have events to go to, and did I say it's summer?

Get out, have fun, refresh and come back energized!

Almost summer reading!

2009-05-29T15:14:00.003-04:00

It's that time again and I'm excited. We have great reading programs set up and I can't wait to see how they are received. Seems like this year, given our already high circulation, might break records.
Please take a minute when you are talking with patrons, to promote these programs. The best PR comes from you, sounding enthused. I'm hoping, not only for good children's and teen participation, but a real boost in the adult Reading Wave numbers.

The story continues

2009-05-29T15:11:00.002-04:00

Well, we are two thirds the way through the council budget meetings, with the third reading scheduled for next week. Although the council has been vocally supportive of the library, it appears that we will not receive the budget we'd hoped for. It is basically the budget that we had planned for, so all is not lost.
Our next step, assuming that nothing changes next week, will be to request a waive in order to receive State Aid for materials. This is a new process for us all, but I'm optimistic that we will be successful.

The never ending story

2009-05-21T18:59:00.002-04:00

Just returned from a Council Finance meeting. I'd planned to attend that and then stay for the Council meeting, thinking that the first reading of the budget would be tonight.

This has been a difficult year for the budget, both in term of planning and in terms of the council making decisions. Admittedly they are faced with hard choices and none of them particularly good ones. Lots of deliberation this afternoon and evening about last minutes changes, which funds could be use for one time expenditures, which could be used for recurring expenses. Many motions on the floor, enough to force the staff (the county staff) to go back and crunch numbers again and bring it back to the Council next Tuesday.

The good news? The library was mentioned three times and some council members are concerned about our budget and if we will receive state aid. I'd hoped to know that today, but don't. More to come.

West Ashley anniversary cake

2009-04-20T15:36:00.001-04:00

West Ashley anniversary cake
Originally uploaded by staff_lines

West Ashley branch celebrated its 45th anniversary today. Congratulations!

LJ star rating news coverage

2009-04-16T13:14:00.002-04:00

CCPL's been in the news often this week. It's so nice to have this to celebrate honor to celebrate during National Library Week and also nice to share the news with the community. If it weren't for our patrons, where would we be?
I don't know that you've been tracking this as closely as I have, but we've been in the email that goes to all County employees, the Charleston Regional Business Journal, on Channel 4, in the SC Biz daily email, the Charleston City Paper, in today's Charleston Currents, and today's The Post and Courier.

To read the Charleston Currents article, Library deserves praise for earning national honor

And the Letter to the Editor Busy library wins an accolade

National Library Week

2009-04-13T11:31:00.001-04:00

FINAL-NLW-jlc-ad
Originally uploaded by sgzalusky@yahoo.com

Great National Library Week Poster!

We're stars!

2009-04-10T16:35:00.002-04:00

Thanks to you and our community support

“Charleston County Public Library is one of the best library systems in the nation, according to a new rating system measuring library services of 7,115 systems across the country.

The Library Journal index designates CCPL as a “star” library, putting it in the top 3 percent of libraries nationwide. Only 11 Library Systems in the 11 Southeastern states received star ratings, and only two in South Carolina.

This first-ever service comparison clusters libraries with similar operating budgets then rates the libraries in four main categories: number of visitors, circulation, program attendance and public Internet computer use.”

Next week is National Library Week and in celebration I wanted share the news with you! We have sent a press release with this information, and more, to the media outlets. The complete text of this release has been added to our web page, and to the Staff Intranet, under News.

“Library Journal’s accolade comes at a time when CCPL is busier than ever, reflecting a national trend of increased Library use from residents suffering in this economic downturn, searching for ways to save money or needing help finding a job. This higher demand resulted in a 22 percent jump in new Library card registrations when compared to last year.

Residents in Charleston County can go visit our web page and click on the “Why I Love my Library” logo or stop by a local branch to share their stories.”

Want to see what people have said about us? Take a look at See what some of your neighbors are saying about CCPL in the Why I Love My Library section of our web site. They are saying wonderful things about you.

Paper copies of the “Why I Love My Library” forms and boxes where patrons may place their forms are on their way to each branch. Please display these prominently.

I am proud of you and of our services—this award reflects the hard work of all you . Thanks for making this a great library.

Reminder--send your pictures!

2009-04-06T16:10:00.003-04:00

Next week during National Library Week, the State Library is sponsoring the Third Annual South Carolina National Library Week Photo contest. We've gotten honorable mention before, but let's aim for a winning entry this year!

If you do not have a Flickr account, feel free to send your photos to me.

If you do have a Flickr account, take a look at the contest rules and entry guidelines. NLW Day in the Life of SC Libraries Photo Contest 2009 Don't forget to tag them with CCPL, in addition to NLWdayinSC2009.

Can't wait to see your entries!

Today's thought

2009-03-11T09:57:00.002-04:00

I've linked several times to Seth Godin's blog and I'm doing it again today. Nationally and locally we are in a period of uncertainty and it's tempting to put our goals and hopes on hold. But, is that approach to take? Would be better off, as a library system, and as individuals, to create a new dream together?
Take a minute to read this.

In Search of Dolphin Leather

Comments?

The Bigger They Come ...

2009-03-04T10:13:00.001-05:00

CCPL isn't exactly a large library, by these standards, but it's not a small one either. I know we have some of the same issues that large libraries face in dealing with bureaucracy, but we also have some truly creative and enterprising staff. Maybe we can be the best of both? I'd like to think so.
The Bigger They Come ...: "

“Bigger is better” was the mantra during the decades following the appropriation of the first federal library money. Many still believe...

Employee of the Quarter

2009-02-27T13:00:00.002-05:00

Here's she is! Our Employee of the Quarter, Charlotte Blasier. And here's the two of us with her poster. Charlotte was also presented with a plaque by the Library Board of Trustees at the Feb. 24th meeting.

We are so forutnate to have the talented staff that we do. Please take part in the next quarter's Employee of the Month selection. Nominate a co-worker!

Want more details about Charlotte's award and how to nominate someone? Look for this on our Staff Intranet.

What you are busy doing

2009-02-20T09:21:00.003-05:00

I just came across an interesting talking points sheet from ALA about the role that libraries are playing in these economic times. Many of you have reported these uses in conversations, emails and in your monthly reports, but this is a useful summary.
Please take a minute to look over this. Being able to sum this up succinctly is very useful for all of us. We each can play a part in educating our community about what we do every day in our libraries. I'm a firm believer in the more people know, the better, and the more they will support you.

So, read and consider the ways you can use this.
Libraries Helping America Get Back to Work

Valentine wishes

2009-02-13T09:41:00.002-05:00

Wishing you the best. In appreciation for all that you do.

Public Library Appreciation Day

2009-02-12T12:22:00.001-05:00

PLAD 2009176
Originally uploaded by South Carolina State Library

Yesterday, Feb. 11th, was Public Library Appreciation Day. Sharon Harvey, Friend of the Charleston County Library president, Jamie Thomas, Jim Letendre and I went to Columbia to both express our appreciation of the support we have received from the State Legislature and to highlight the increased roles that public libraries are playing in the lives of community members in these tough economic times.
We took posters, using the ALA Read software, for each of our 13 members of the Charleston Legislative Delegation, along with information packets about CCPL and our expanding usage. The posters look great and the delegation members were happy to come out of their session to speak with us briefly and receive them.

It was a good day and we'll be following up on these contacts, to spread the news about how hard you are working and how much we are valued by our patorns.

Libraries and learning

2009-02-09T09:13:00.002-05:00

Once again, I'm directing you to Seth Godin's blog. Today's post is on learning. He calls it learning all the time and libraries often call if lifelong learning. It's what we offer to our community and what, I hope, we participate in as well. He stresses that there are many ways to learn, but emphasizes that reading books is key. Be still my heart.
Read his post yourself Learning all the time

European adventure

2009-02-01T18:31:00.002-05:00

OK--it's sideways. This was an attempt to try something new for me, and it was only moderately successful My nephew is in Lyon, France this semester and posted pictues to an online slideshow site. On the right of that sight is an option to upload an image to several sites, Blooger included. So, I tried it. It worked, although I can't rotate the image without downloading, saving and manipulating, but it's an interesting asset to photosharing. Flickr allows that too, although it credits the source. My little continuation of Tech Trek for the week.

What's the best way to tell our story?

2009-01-26T16:45:00.004-05:00

Curtis Roger's blog, Libraries and Life, has a great summation pf an advocacy session he attended recently. He mentions the need to be concrete and, in these times, to tie your activities to politcal issues currently being addressed. I've qupted liberally.

Economic Recovery Goals
immediate action to create good jobs in america
immediate relief for struggling families
immediate assistance for homeowners
rapid aggressive response regarding the economic situation

How can libraries help with reaching these goals?

Exercise: create a one minute speech to meet these goals of economic recovery:

“My fellow Americans, Libraries ARE places where you can check out books, but that’s not ALL! Libraries are job centers offering resume writing opportunities, places where families can bring their children to learn and understand the world around them. Libraries are places to go when times are tough to learn how to make this country a better place for everyone!”

This is very useful stuff! Read the full posting, Libraries and Life: Advocacy Session

Additions to Staff Intranet

2009-01-22T12:10:00.003-05:00

If you haven't checked the Staff Intranet lately, take a minute to log in and look around. We have two new features this month, thanks to Brandi Hamrick. One is the Staff Classifieds, located on the side in the teal bar. Brandi put it well when she said

This means when there’s something you want to give away, sell, trade or rent you can post it in this section for staff instead of sending an email to everyone in the system. Simply log into the Intranet (see bottom of email if need a reminder) and click on Staff Classifieds (on the left side of your screen in the teal part).

There is also a section below the classifieds called On the Side. This is where you can let fellow staff members know about any side jobs you do or particular talents you have so we can support each other. Examples include cleaning services, real estate, handcrafted items, catering, etc.

Also, check out Showcases. She's added some pictures of the great displays in the Main Library's Children's Department. We'd love to feature your department or branch here!

Please help in making the Staff Intranet a fun and interesting place to look, in addition to a place to find all those pesky forms...

We Love Libraries!

2009-01-19T11:00:00.001-05:00

We Love Libraries!
Originally uploaded by ALA - The American Library Association

Yes, we do!
Do you have photos to share that show the many and varied faces of public libraries?

New County Administrator

2009-01-15T16:52:00.006-05:00

Today I attended a meeting with the incoming County Administrator, along with other elected and appointed officials. Allen O'Neal assumes the position officially next Tuesday. He's been in town for a week or so, receiving an orientation from the retiring County Administrator, Mac Canterbury.

The big news for us is that Mr. O'Neal is a book lover! He mentioned that he still has 17 boxes of books to unpack and that his wife, a retired teacher, already has a library card.

He's personable and I look forward to working with him. Once he's settled in a little more he'll be visiting us. He told me he looks forward to it. So do I. I trust that the library will have a great relationship with him.

It's 2009!

2009-01-05T11:17:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe, isn't it? I can remember staying here at Main, Dec 31st, 1999 to staff the building for First Night. The big turn of the millennium and now the first decade is almost over....

This year promising to be an interesting one and most likely, one with challenges. I not big on making formal resolutions, but I resolve to:

Try to maintain a sense of perspective and proportion
Try to maintain a sense of humor
Try to keep you informed
Try to make sure we keep moving forward
And
Try to make sure we have some fun along the way.

Today's burning question

2008-12-30T09:17:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading Libraries and Life, Curtis Roger's blog. One of the post today concerns the downturn in newspaper reading and other methods that are more used to gather news. What are the implications for libraries?

According to the Pew Research Center for the People & The Press, the Web overtakes all media except TV as a major source of news. Libraries need to follow this trend and make decisions about which in-print newspapers they subscribe to.

Your thoughts? Read the full posting at Should Libraries scrutinize their newspaper holdings?

So cute

2008-12-29T15:28:00.003-05:00

I've asked Brandi and Jamie to work on a section of the staff Intranet that would handle the various personal emails that we send out to everyone in the system. In the meantime, I know you got this one, but the pictures were so cute that I am repeating it.

Kittens need a home! Please contact Lisa Hale halel@ccpl.org if you are interested in these kitties.

Merry and bright

2008-12-23T15:51:00.003-05:00

While I might be playing the role of Scrooge lately, it's not my native way of being and certainly not filling me, or anyone else, with holiday cheer....

Please take some time over this break to rest and refresh your spirits. I truly believe that we are, in fact, still so very fortunate.

So, I'm sending you thoughts of good cheer and holiday wishes! Go ahead, have another cookie.

More attention for libraries?

2008-12-19T09:35:00.002-05:00

Some of you may know that the upcoming Obama administration is interesting in school and library improvement. They've asked for information from libraries that have "shovel ready" projects. (That does not include us, sad to say. They want projects that are already designed and just waiting for the go-ahead to stick that first shovel in the ground.) Nonetheless, that interest is encouraging.

Curtis Roger's blog today. Libraries and Life, has a YouTube clip of President-elect Obama's Dec. 6th weekly address. He touches on this briefly. Yes, it's very brief, but an presidential mention is significant. Thanks for alerting us all, Curtis!
Libraries and Life

Party Time

2008-12-12T13:16:00.003-05:00

OK, it's that time again:

2008 Holiday Gala
Saturday, December 13 from 7 - 11 p.m.
Arabian Temple, 4132 Rivers Avenue, N. Charleston

I understand that there's a friendly competition between Otranto and Mt Pleasant to see which has the most staff attend. Via Facebook I've heard rumors of a dance contest. Sounds interesting...

See you there???

2008-12-01T16:34:00.002-05:00

Today's issue of Charleston Currents, a "new online twice-weekly publication that offers insightful community comment and good news on events, accolades and accomplishments, " highlights the computer classes in the Technology Learning Center.

Great article, Jennifer and what a great way to promote what we do!

Take a look
Library's free classes can give job seekers an edge

2008-11-26T10:22:00.003-05:00

Thankful thoughts:

I'm thankful that we do work that is valued. Our statistics continue to go up and it's easy to see that we are being used even more than before, in this time of increasing financial stress.

I'm thankful that we all have jobs.

I'm thankful that we have such a great staff.

I'm thankful that you have all been so supportive.

What are you thankful for?

Odd Flickr groups

2008-11-23T11:33:00.001-05:00

work 08 015
Originally uploaded by staff_lines

You may have realized that there's a Flirck group for almost every interest, but did you know that there's a Librarian's Desk group? Added this to that group today.

SCLA 2008 Conference 117

2008-11-17T09:46:00.001-05:00

SCLA 2008 Conference 117
Originally uploaded by curtis rogers

That's our Nic Butler, presenting at the "Going green in Greenville" 2008 SCLA conference. Thanks Curtis for capturing this. I took a shot, but it was so bad it never made it out of the camera....

On the road

2008-11-16T09:44:00.002-05:00

I've been on the roads of Charleston County the last couple of weeks, visiting the branches. It's been energizing to talk with everyone and to make a new connections. I've been to Mt. Pleasant, St. Andrews, West Ashley, John's Island, Otranto, McClellanville and Poe, with more to come in the next couple of weeks. If I forgot someone, please forgive me!

Many things are the same, no matter the community or the size of the staff and building. Everyone is working hard. Everyone is concerned about the future and what the constant and somewhat oppressive financial news means for CCPL. Everyone has great ideas of what they would like to accomplish. Everyone is proud of their branch.

Many things are different. Mt. Pleasant has concerns related to overuse and how their level of work can be sustained. McClellanville, running of space too, wonders about small branches and their place within the system and if there will ever be expansion in their community. Otranto wants to build on their good record of outreach.

I don't have the answers for some questions, but I do want to hear them. All of these issues are important for us, for now and for the future. I look forward to continuing these conversations, at other branches and other communication methods. Have a question for me?

Truer words

2008-11-05T16:44:00.001-05:00

From Seth's blog today

Your customers and employees and investors will remember how you treated them when times were tough, when they needed a break, when a little support meant everything.

No one in particular will remember how you acted during the boom times.

Seth Grodin

What does this mean for us?

James Island 20th anniversary

2008-11-02T18:09:00.001-05:00

James Island 20th anniversary
Originally uploaded by staff_lines

James Island celebrated a big anniversary recently. Cake and cupcakes for patrons, lunch for staff, along with Jim, Nancy and me, and several days of programs. A busy, vibrant branch, with a great staff!

SCLA 2008 Conference

2008-10-28T07:45:00.001-04:00

SCLA 2008 Conference 006
Originally uploaded by curtis rogers

I attended this conference last week and came away with notes. I'll detail some of them in another post, but in the meantime, a couple of questions.

We're doing so many outstanding services and activities. Why don't we let other libraries know?

Should we expand on our existing sustainability practices and form a committee? Is there even time to add another committee meeting?

In the increasingly tough economic times, should we push our job and career services? Check to make sure our resume books are current, better promote our computer classes, pull together pathfinders with our resources for job seeking? Would it help us, in our pushing for continuing funding, to remind the community that the library has a significant economic impact?

Transitions

2008-10-17T16:37:00.003-04:00

This week has been a difficult one from many of us personally and for the organization, as events moved much more quickly with Tom's condition than we expected. I feel fortunate that I had a chance to visit with him the morning before he passed away. He was not alert, but I trust that he heard me, on some level, when I told him that we (CCPL) would miss him, but that we would be OK.

Thank all of you for your kind words of support in the past few days. Transitions such as this are difficult and we are facing lots of unknowns in the months to come. I trust and know that you will continue to work hard, do good work, and provide exemplary public service. I look forward to working with you.

Changes, changes

2008-10-10T17:05:00.002-04:00

As you already know, the shape of my days has taken a turn this week. I'm still sorting through what that means and trying to determine priorities. This may well mean that the scope of this blog will change also.
I'd always hoped that this forum could expand our communication and be a help to all of us in sharing and exploring concepts and ideas. I still hope that and hope that you will work along with me to continue the forward direction of the library. You do it every day. We're a good library because of you. I want to celebrate your sucesses and assist you. Please let me know what you are thinking and experiencing as we go along.

Difficult days

2008-10-03T16:58:00.002-04:00

It's been a hard week for all of us at CCPL. The news of Tom's illness is sad and difficult to absorb. I know many of you are thinking about him and he is thinking about us. He loves his work and this library. Please continue to send him cards and letters.

"Give people a break."

2008-10-01T09:12:00.007-04:00

Every once in a while you stumble across a blog posting that you wish you'd written and that you also feel compelled to share. I just read the following posting on Squidblog by Megan Casey. It's a great summation of the courtesy we should extend to each other, in person and online. And the courtesy we all want to receive.

Give people a break.
The break you probably deserve yourself.
People are out to do good, 99% of the time.
You probably are too.
Say thanks out loud and a lot.
Try making someone’s day.
Chances are they’ll make yours in return.

To read the whole posting, visit
Squidblog

Food for Fines

2008-09-26T09:53:00.003-04:00

We're well into the Food for Fines drive and I've heard some promising reports. Main has filled one bin and the second one is close to needing pickup. St. Andrews called for a pick up in the first week and Mt. Pleasant have filled their bin 3 times and are awaiting another pickup. Cindy Schweinfest reports, "we are continuing to receive very positive comments from our patrons about the food for fines. Many of them were aware that the Lowcountry Food Bank's supplies were getting low, and several have indicated that it is very easy for them to come to the library to bring in canned goods."

I encourage you to pitch in. We are fortunate and don't have fines to pay off, but you can help our community by bringing in a food donation. Please consider this, if you have not already contributed. The Food for Fines drive concludes October 5th.

Been gone so long...

2008-09-19T14:22:00.002-04:00

Between additional duties and vacation, I've been woefully neglecting this blog.

And speaking of vacation, that's me under those huge rocks, at Arches National Park, outside Moab, Utah. What an incredible place and fun town.

Anyway, I'm back and hope to be more present here. Keep me posted about your events and I'll be happy to plug them in.

Well done!

2008-08-13T16:51:00.003-04:00

Numbers are in and it was a very successful summer reading for all three programs. You are all to be commended for your hard work and support. I'm giving the Friends of the Library an update tonight. I've condensed the reports for them and want to share them with you.

Catch the Reading Bug
12,752 packets were distributed.
6,490 children read at least 5 hours this summer, up 11% from 2007.
645 programs were presented, with 33,647 people attending, a 14% increase from 2007. During June and July 227,755 children’s books were checked out.

iRead 2008
1,633 teens participated in iRead ’08 throughout the CCPL system. This is a 30% increase over 2007.
Over 9,000 entries were received and almost 2.3 million total pages were read.
The number of teens who reached their 500 page goal increased by 23%; the number who reached their 1,000 page goal increased by 26%.

Reading Wave
1,465 participants, up 60% from 2007. 8,065 entries received, a 58% increase from last year.

You've helped promote literacy, provided fun and entertainment and made the large numbers of people happy. Proud of you!

Challenges

2008-08-04T16:15:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Jim Letendre and Stephanie Roff for passing along a popular blog posting by a Library Director who responded, as the patron requested, online to their request for reconsideration. A thoughtful and graceful reply. Hit a nerve and librarians across the country have posted comments. So have some people who are not happy with his response.
All of us have to deal with challenges to library materials at one point or another. This is a great model.

Jaslarue.blogspot.com Uncle Bobby's wedding

Show yourself on Flickr

2008-08-04T09:25:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't seen this, I've copied some information from the Flickr site about a 24 blitz Flickr is having on 8/8/8.

Given the success of last year’s event, we hope that you’ll join us in celebration of another 24 Hours of Flickr – Flickr 888 on Friday, August 8th, 2008 (8-8-8!), a most auspicious day!

How can you participate? Take a photo any time during the twenty-four hour period that’s August 8th where you are and then share it with the group. We’ll accept one (1) contribution per Flickr member into the group from noon PST Friday, August 8th until Tuesday, September 2nd, noon PST, 2008.

We’ve partnered with the cool folks at MOO to create unique Flickr 888 Postcard Packs. Those images with sufficient resolution (1795x1287 pixels) that feature “safe” content (as defined in our Community Guidelines), will be printed and sold in postcards packs this coming fall at MOO. We’re still working out the final details of how many, how much, etc., and we’ll share the full details here in the group when we’ve got our ducks in a row.

So, mark your calendars, and get ready to capture August 8th in all its glory.

I know lots of you have department and branch Flickr accounts and even more have ones you set up during Tech Trek, so please post? If you do post library ones, please tag them with either CCPL or Charleston County Public Library, so we can find them. Look forward to seeing you! Rules can be found at flickr888

Notes and photos from the field

2008-07-25T16:17:00.003-04:00

Well, summer reading is almost over. I'm sure many of you are breathing a sigh of relief and are ready for some R&R. Please, before you drop, send me some stories and some pictures. I know there are great ones out there and I'd love to help spread the work about the work you've been doing. Any or all three of your programs--the more, the merrier!

You, not me.

2008-07-25T16:14:00.000-04:00

A very old draft that never got posted. Still a blog snippet form David Lee King and Seth Grodin worth reading, though.
Do many of you read David Lee King's blog? He's frequently thought-provoking and certainly worth adding to your bloglines account, or whatever aggregate you're using. I was behind in my reading and did some catching up today.

A posting on Dec. 18th has interesting implications for us. David quotes from Seth Grodin's blog about promotion and what gets the attention of people, promoting me or you? Do our users want to know what we are doing or do they want to know what they can use? Do we have a new database or can business owners now gather better demographics by using the XYZ database at CCPL? Should we more often think of how to show what the benefit is of what we have and do?
Read the post and let me know how you think we could use this.
David Lee King

Book cart drill teams

2008-07-18T16:48:00.001-04:00

annual36083
Originally uploaded by ALA - The American Library Association

You have got to look at this set on Flickr. It's great and quite amusing. Some pretty fancy teams here.
Where's our drill team?

Insect-i-gami

2008-07-16T16:58:00.002-04:00

Results
Originally uploaded by Lester Public Library

Great Catch the Reading Bug summer crafts. Take a look at this library's photostream.

Google even more popular?

2008-07-16T16:49:00.002-04:00

Today's ReadWriteWeb posting has this:

According to the latest data from Hitwise, Google gained yet another percentage point on its biggest competitors last month and now accounts for more than 69.17% of U.S. searches. In the U.K. and Australia, Google's market share has climbed above 87%. This increase comes at a time when, according to Hitwise, more and more Internet users are also relying on search to navigate to key industry categories.

Google ReadWriteWeb

What does that mean for us?

Concentration?

2008-07-11T14:16:00.002-04:00

I recently had a conversation with several people about being able to sustain concentration for serious, prolonged reading and how I feared I was losing that ability. Twice this week I've read the theory that our technology usage patterns are creating this shift, so I'm certainly not alone in my musings. Some organizations are creating email free Fridays, so that employees have a full day without instantly compelling distractions.

"in an article in the current Atlantic magazine headlined "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" author Nicholas Carr writes, "What the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski."

Information Age

Now, I don't Twitter, don't have a Blackberry, don't have a cell phone with email capability, and I still share these thoughts. I'm not saying that I'm becoming a technophobe, but feeling this shift personally, I can't help wonder where it leads us. Your thoughts?

Nic Butler goes national

2008-07-10T10:52:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Nic sent me a link to an NPR blog by Fred Childs. Nic corresponded with Mr. Childs about a very early concert in Charleston that may well have been one of the first performances of a Beethoven symphony. Childs had spoken of one in a Kentucky tavern in 1817, while Nic had evidence of a concert here in Charleston in 1805. Child's was fascinated and quoted a section of their email correspondence, as well as posting an image of the newspaper clipping that helped to document this claim. It's a great story and one that vividly illustrates the long and prominent cultural life of our city.
I know you want to read it for yourself. Performance Today

Thanks, Nic!

How cool is this??

2008-07-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Found this, unposted, from quite a while back.

Just read about a new (to me) site that lets you load a file and then share it. Text, pictures, video, audio all work. You name the web site you've created (they call it a drop), load the file, choose if you want others to view only, view and add or view, add and delete. Then you set how long you want the file to be viewed, by selecting a delete date. You can password protect, if you want to.
I haven't tried it yet, but there lots of practical apps, seems to me. Maybe a way to host podcasts? Store a presentation so you don't have to carry a laptop or even a USB drive, work on a project with others....
Check it out.
Drop.io

Play time

2008-07-07T16:03:00.005-04:00

OK, Tech Trek 2.0 mentioned, over and over, that play was good. Here's your play site for the day. New to me, anyway.

Librariandressup

Too busy?

2008-07-07T10:25:00.002-04:00

Another short gem from Seth Grodin blog, aptly named, Seth's Blog. If you're not familiar with Seth, take a look. He's a marketer and a good, common sense writer. Thought provoking too. One of the non-library blogs I read that almost always has implications for libraries.

"Two Seconds."

Sometimes, busy people need to remind themselves (and us) how busy they are by shaving off the last two seconds of what would otherwise be a pleasant interaction.

Seth's blog

Donors recognized

2008-07-02T16:21:00.001-04:00

june 30 021
Originally uploaded by staff_lines

On a recent trip to my hometown, my sisters and I stopped into the library. We wanted to see their "Katharine's Tree," a tree etched into glass with the names of donors to the library. My mother was one of those names, so there was both a personal and professional side to this trip.
I like the transparency of this display. Doesn't block the light or the sight lines for the staff or the public.

CML I love this sign!

2008-07-01T12:41:00.001-04:00

CML I love this sign!
Originally uploaded by tscrobinson

Have to admit that I came across this by reading Tame the Web (Michael Stephens), not by searching Flickr. Great sign!

Battle Your Librarian!

2008-06-25T15:29:00.001-04:00

Battle Your Librarian!
Originally uploaded by My Book House

St. Andrews rocks!

YA web presentation

2008-06-25T12:36:00.006-04:00

June 10th, Library Journal presented a webcast about serving teens. Despite my best intentions, I missed it, but the presentation is available for viewing.

Teen Spirit in the Library: Best Practices in YA and Teen Services

This presentation will be available to audience members until June 10, 2009 at 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.

If you're interested in watching this webcast, click
here

You'll need to register with an email address, but there's no charge to view.

Reading bugs

2008-06-18T17:07:00.002-04:00

April 30
Originally uploaded by capriciousladie

OK--either a very clever or somewhat gross bug themed thing.!

Online registration sucesses

2008-06-13T14:56:00.002-04:00

We've taped an audience with our online library card registration. Started in April as part of National Library Week, the first two weeks saw 75+ registrations. Now, with another month under our belts, we're up to 158! I have to admit, while I thought it was a great thing to offer, it's more popular than I dreamed.

Book sale!

2008-06-12T16:12:00.003-04:00

Hope you've seen this flyer or come across the ad in the June Calendar of Events. Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m.--3 p.m., Main Library Auditorium.
I sometimes worry that we have so many programs that some events get lost. If you can, come and buy a few books. This sale features fiction, children's books, and an assortment of media items. Help support the Friends, as they certain support us!

Catch the Reading Bug

2008-06-06T16:47:00.001-04:00

Catch the Reading Bug
Originally uploaded by staff_lines

Off and running! I'll be curious to hear Monday how the first week went.

If you have reports from the field--from Catch the Reading Bug, iRead 2008 or Reading Wave, please share!

2008-06-05T12:02:00.002-04:00

Every so often there's a moment that reminds of why we do what we do and why we love working in public libraries. Yesterday I had one of those moments that you treasure. I've been stopping in to catch a little of the various Piccolo Spoleto Festival events held by the Children's Department here at Main. Wednesday it was a group called Dream Merchants Reggae, a band of children and teens who play reggae. I'm a sucker for children performing and a big advocate of using the library as a venue for these events. It's important, not only to give children a place to perform, but for other children to see what they themselves can do. Plus, it's usually great fun. And that was the case yesterday. What a talented group and what a moment of happiness and joy. Great music, little children dancing in the aisles, smiles on faces--a true treat.

Catch the Reading Bug - FREE Fun For Kids Thursdays @ 2 PM

2008-05-30T12:37:00.001-04:00

Catch the Reading Bug - FREE Fun For Kids Thursdays @ 2 PM
Originally uploaded by My Book House

Some interesting thngs going on out there, in staff blogs and Flickr accounts! Great example from St. Andrews.

Festivals and Summer Reading

2008-05-29T09:39:00.004-04:00

Well, we're deep into the first week of Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto programming here at Main and just a couple of days away from the start of all three Summer Reading programs.

This year has been an exceptionally active on for participation in the two festivals. We have the American Film Festival, and a slew of children's programs as part of Piccolo Spoleto and the Freedom Bound film series as part of the Spoleto Festival's focus on their production of Amistad. On top of that, we have Local Blend 2008, with 9 music performances. Needless to say, the Auditorium is well used right now and will continue to be through next week.

And on to Summer Reading. Today's photo is of one of the bulletin boards in the Main Library's Children's Department. Interesting detail--the bee hive is spray painted bubble wrap. You should see it up close!

2008-05-16T14:17:00.004-04:00

Thursday, Dorchester Regional held their third Job Fair, with resounding success. Andy reported that between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 814 people visted. Thirty three employeers were there to talk with the attendees and everyone was pleased all the way around with the hard work and preparation that the staff put into making this event run so smoothly.

Great job, Dorchester, of working with the community to meet their needs!

Booktastic board game

2008-05-12T16:19:00.003-04:00

We got a donation recently, a board game called Booktastic! Upon opening the game board, you see a village green in the center, with shops around the edge. Much to my surprise, there's a shop called Cynthia's Fine Used Books!

The object of the game is to "amass the most valuable collection of books and cash." You select a moving pawn, get $220 from the banker, roll the die and move. You want to get near a bookstore (there are others besides Cynthia's) and then enact a transaction. There are questions of course--with more money going to correct answers in either the Avid Reader or the Collector categories.

Your question for today, chosen at random:

Avid Reader
Who wrote Death of A Scriptwriter?
A) M. C. Beaton, B) Nevada Barr or C) Sandra Brown?

Collector
A book description states "308 pp." What does this mean?

These seem too easy, so maybe librarians are way beyond Avid Readers or Collectors...

Care to answer? I'll have some suitable, and small, prize to send for both categories. If there are numerous correct answers, I'll draw at random. Meanwhile, I'll look for some more challenging questions. No fair using the catalog!!!

Bumpy week

2008-05-09T10:07:00.003-04:00

Monday marked the start of print management at the Main Library. Effective May 5th, users could print from computers, in black and white or color, for a charge. We anticpated an adjustment phase and a learning curve, but the week was more challenging than expected. Technical difficults made implementation quite a big less than smooth. The staff deserves a huge round of applause for dealing with the ups and downs. I truly appreciate their efforts. Today brings a letter to the editor in The Post and Courier, from a gentlemen who feels we've abandoned our service ethic by this change.

Those interested in proof of the deterioration of local public services should pay attention to the travesty that began May 5. That's the date on which the public library switched from free printing for library patrons to a payment policy.

Change is never easy and this was long deliberated. CCPL was one of the last to adopt a charge for printing. It's not an especially pleasant move, but one that was necessitated both by economics and a desire to manage our tax dollars better and a desire to reduce the waste of paper and resources that occured on a daily basis.

Hopefully we are close to resolving the technical issues today. And I hope that the majority of our users understand that we still serve the public and take our professional and fiscal responsibilities seriously.

Library gallery features CCPL staff

2008-05-02T16:34:00.002-04:00

May's exhibit in the Saul Alexander Gallery, Main Library, Charleston County Public Library, showcases the photography of John Van Dalen, a Reference Department Librarian here at Main.

Charleston resident John Van Dalen will exhibit black and white photographs titled "Images of the Rural South: 1973-1982" during the month of May in the Saul Alexander Gallery at the Charleston County Main Library, 68 Calhoun St. The photographs document vanishing examples of old barns, houses and main street architecture of small towns in the Midlands and Piedmont areas of South Carolina.

Lest you think that John received any special consideration, you should know that showing in the gallery is a juried process and the committee did not know that John was a staff member.

His photos are wonderful, so stop in if you're here for a meeting or go ahead and make the trip downtown to see this show.

Kudos, Otranto

2008-04-23T16:18:00.003-04:00

Wednesdays blog posting by Curtis Rogers is about an innovative outreach tactic from out own Otranto Regional Branch Library. They took door knob hangers trumpeting the services of CCPL out and canvassed the neighborhood. That's Holly and Joseline in action.
What a great idea!

Get a library card online!

2008-04-15T10:09:00.003-04:00

April 14th marked the start of a new service here at Charleston County Public Library. Our web page says:
Library launches online registration as part of national celebration

With the new online service, county residents submit their registration online and are mailed a new Library Card. On their next visit to a library branch or the bookmobile, they simply show the card and a photo ID to activate the card. Once active, they open the world to the Library's collection of nearly 1.3 million books, DVDs, videos, CDs and audiocassettes plus more than a hundred databases and electronic services - many from home.

And, in honor of National Library Week, the first 40 new patrons who successfully register online will receive a $5 Barnes and Noble gift card. This special incentive is available through funds provided by the Friends of the Library.

With the introduction of online library card registration, the Charleston County Public Library joins a select group of library systems nationwide offering this new service in response to requests from patrons.

We've been talking about this for a while now, so please spread the word to your co-workers and friends.

Thinking library thoughts

2008-04-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

In the not so old days, if you didn't attend a conference, you just missed out on some great presentations and energizing ideas. In the not so recent past you could link to a PowerPoint presentation and read the handouts.
In the happening right now days, you can read the blogs of people at the conferences and get the highlights of those same presentations. OK, it's not being there, but you still get some great ideas.
Like these, from David Lee King's blog, summarizing a talk by George Needham and Joan Frye Williams, entitled " Challenging the Assumptions of Legacy Librarianship." I've pulled two quotes from Daivds blog for today, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Assumption: libraries aren’t just about books anymore

reality: people think we’re about books
- this is not a bad thing - that’s great brand recognition
Why do people use the library? Studies show it’s mainly books…

If we have a brand, let’s use it.

And
Arrange the library by what people do there
- Do Your homework
- ask a question
- read new stuff

Zone staffing
- service points are wrong
- not just on desk - you’re responsible for a whole area.
- you’re responsible for the civlian’s successful experience - not just for specific transactions

What do you think?

Book oriented?

2008-04-11T16:04:00.002-04:00

I'm a member of a ALA Central Libraries listserv. The moderator actively mines the Internet for library news and today's email linked to an article about a new central library design for Macau. They are striving to do many things with their new building. (Macau Daily Times, Wednesday, April 9, 2008)

...the Macau Government is seeking to draw on the professional experience and talent of local architects.
Underpinning the design of the new library will be the core values of –“cultural legacy”, “guided learning”, “intellectual development”, and “service to society”. It will be dedicated to enriching cultural resources, carrying out cultural education, passing on documentary information, creating a reading atmosphere, and positioning itself as Macau’s city classroom, citizen’s square and cultural centre.

While that was interesting, here's the sentence that grabbed me.
"The new library will endeavour to shift from institution-oriented to people-oriented and from book-oriented to reader-oriented."

What would a reader-oriented library look like to you?

The Four P's

2008-04-10T09:50:00.002-04:00

I've read in more than one place recently about the presentation that Sandra Nelson, consultant and author of Strategic Planning for Results (ALA 2008) gave at PLA in March. Each time her points have resonated with me, so I thought I'd share them.

She said that libraries "rely far too much" on promotion and do not spend enough time on the 3 other P's: product, place, and price. Price you say? But, we're free. Ah...Are we? She went on to say that these P's are related to convenience. "What kind of hoops do I have to go through to check out a DVD, to sign up to use a computer, to get a meeting room?" she asked. "If it's too hard and takes too much time...they're not going to use it."

We've all witnessed this and have felt the same way in other areas of our own lives. What price are we asking? Are there things that you think we could make more convenient or less hard? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Show off CCPL for National Library Week

2008-04-04T09:51:00.002-04:00

Need your help here! The State Library has issued a call for participation in the second year of capturing what librarians and libraries do, as part of National Library Week. Here's what Curtis Rogers said:

Librarians Help Celebrate National Library Week in South Carolina

During National Library Week 2008 on the days of April 14-16, South Carolina Library Staff members will take a wide range of photographs of librarians working, researching, teaching, and doing all that librarians do in a given day.

Library staff members from any type of library are encouraged to be creative in taking photos that capture the essence of South Carolina librarianship and are visually attractive. Winners will be recognized on the SC State Library's web site and during the 2008 SCLA Annual Conference in the fall in Greenville, October 22-24.

Photos must be submitted via Flickr.com and tagged with NLWdayinSC2008. There is no need for library staff members to pre-register to participate in the project. To participate in the contest, simply join the Flickr group, NLW - Day in the Life of SC Libraries at Flickr.CONTEST GUIDELINES

1) Only SC Library staff (from any type of library) may submit entries for the contest.

2) Entries must be submitted on April 14, 15, or 16, 2008. Entries must be submitted to the NLWdayinSC2008 Flickr group by simply posting them. You must first have a flickr.com account, and then join the group, www.flickr.com/groups/nlwdayinsc2008/. Each photo should also have the tag NLWdayinSC2008. You may use any additional tags and titles and descriptions that relate to the photo.

3) Each individual library staff member may submit up to three photos to the Flickr group. The three entries do not have to be spread among the three categories.

4) All individuals pictured in submitted photographs must sign a photo release. You may download a copy of the form at www.statelibrary.sc.gov/docs/national_library_week.pdf. Entries will not be valid until all signed photo releases are received by fax (803-734-8676) and must be submitted by 5pm April 16, 2008. Please be sure to identify the photo as best you can on the release so the release can be matched with the posted photo.

5) Winners from the photographic contest will be announced on Friday April 18, 2008 on the Flickr group page and via the SC State Library web site. Judging criteria will be based on composition, quality, subject, lighting, creativity, and the ability to capture of the spirit of SC librarianship. A total of four photos will be selected winners: One in each category and one overall. These 4 photos will be posted on the SC State Library web site and will be announced in a press release. Various honorable mentions will also be announced. Winners will also be recognized at the annual fall SCLA conference in Greenville, October 22-24, 2008.

I'd love to see lots of Charleston County Public Library shots there, so please remember to tag your photos either CCPL or Charleston County Public Library, so they can easily be found. We won an honorable mention last year. Let's see what we can get this year!

Bowling, anyone?

2008-03-28T09:22:00.003-04:00

I have a free game card in front of me that entitles the bearer to "one free game of bowling for each member of your group up to 10 people. Limit one free game per person." It's for AMF Charleston Lanes and only good until April 6, so if you want to go bowling soon, let me know.
Comment here and let me know you would like this. First one to comment will get the card. I'll send it to you right away.

What I'm reading now...

2008-03-27T09:56:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I saw a great way to promote specific titles and reading in general. Becky Melancon read found this tip in Library Journal and worked with Kate Hudson in Reference to put it into action. It's a clear plastic badge holder, attached to our name tag, that holds a card that says:
What I'm reading now... Next to that is image of the book jacket of the book the staff member is reading. I was excited and Kate was kind enough to make one for me. I'm wearing it now and I've been on a mission in the last 24 hours to spread the news.
I think this is great! It may be a little hard to visualize, but if you visit Main you can see staff members in Reference wearing this and soon, I think, in other departments across the building. It could be expanded to be What I'm watching now..., or What I'm listening to now...

I think this is most definitely an idea worth spreading, so let me know if you are interested in more details. And, what are you reading now??

Calendar spotlight

2008-03-27T09:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday's The Post and Courier, March 26, 2008, had a great article by Kristen Hankla featuring Lee Moultrie's and CCPL's Kim Odom efforts to help people find health information in the library. Moultrie and Odom were chosen to be part of the Aetna African American History Calendar and are profiled on the December 2008 page.

Kim, manager of the St. Paul branch, is one of the members of REACH, Racial and Ethnic Approached to Community Health, which works in the Charleston and Georgetown counties. This group was awarded a national award last year for their innovative approach to working with the community to share health information. Kim is quoted as saying, "Giving people as much information as possible is going to help them be a better patient in the patient/physician relationship." Kim has not only shown people in the library how to find information about health conditions, medications and nutrition, she has shared this with numerous churches and the Hollywood Senior Center, all the while encouraging people to get a library card to take advantage of the library's offerings.

Interested in getting a copy of this calendar? You can download a free copy at Aetna's website or get a paper copy sent to you (for $4), by calling 860-273-0509.

Professional collection

2008-03-21T15:47:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I received an addition to the professional materials I store in my office and that made me think that probably many of you don't know about our professional collections. I have several books on my bookshelf of a wide variety of titles. These books are here for your use, as well as mine.

The latest addition is part of the Neal-Schuman series, A How-To-Do-It Manual, Library Contests, by Kathleen R.T. Imhoff and Ruthie Maslin. It covers the nuts and bolts of planning and implementing various types of library contests, including why and how to evaluate success.

If you'd like to borrow this book, just let me know!

Great stories CLUB grant

2008-03-20T14:31:00.003-04:00

We've won a grant!
(ALA website)

The Great Stories CLUB is organized by the American Library Association Public Programs Office (PPO), in cooperation with the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Major funding for the Great Stories CLUB has been provided by Oprah's Angel Network.

The Great Stories CLUB is a reading and discussion program that targets underserved, troubled teen populations. The program reaches teens through books that are relevant to their lives, inviting them to read and keep the books, and encourages them to consider and discuss each title with a group of their peers. It seeks to show that reading can be a source of pleasure, a tool for self-exploration, and a meaningful way to connect to the wider world. Its ultimate goal is to inspire young adults who face difficult situations to take control of their lives by embracing the power of reading.

Charleston County Public Library is one of 173 libraries, and eight libraries within South Carolina, to receive this grant. Our Young Adult Department at Main established a working relationship with the Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC) in 2006 to provide their teen residents with library cards, programs and materials. Once a month the YA staff visits the Ledford House, one of the programs directed by CYDC. As grant recipients, we will receive copies of three grant selected titles for the teens to discuss, access to online resources designed to assist with programming, and a small cash grant for refreshments.

Another good example of the great outreach going on here at CCPL. I know there are more--please share!

Jonathan Green week, part 2

2008-03-10T10:16:00.006-04:00

The Jonathan Green week festivities were busy and moving experiences, both for the presenters and the audience. It's touching to hear Jonathan speak and he has a great rapport with the audience. People love him and he couldn't be more gracious and giving.
He got a chance to go into the Children's department and was blown away by the paper dolls. Loved Karine's quilt, too. It's the photo above. What a creative use of his work--and he thought so too.

We're lucky that a man of his stature is such a library supporter and the community is indebted to him. I know that there are many students who will never forget meeting him. Cindy Schweinfest, Branch Manager Mount Pleasant Regional Library had this to say. "We generally do not get a large turnout for programs for adults at MTP (even though we usually get crowds to attend childrens, and especially summer reading programs). So many of the people shook my hand as they were leaving and thanked me for having the program, so I definitely consider this a complete success." I know these comments hold true across the county.

Libraries do touch lives!

2008-03-07T16:31:00.003-05:00

There are so many wonderful stories about the ways lives are touched by libraries. I'd like to share one I read recently. And if you have one that you'd like to share also, please let me know.

From Summer Mauldin, RAYA, Main Library, used with permission.
I wanted to tell you about an experience I had today. Two months ago on an outreach visit to Crisis Ministries homeless shelter, I met a woman named Ms. G**** who had just moved to Charleston from Virginia. She told me how her life had 'gotten away from her' and she moved to Charleston to start fresh, though she was finding it difficult to cope with homelessness. I told her about the Working Opportunities for Women (WOW) program I help with weekly at the YWCA (I take them library card applications, job-related books, TLC schedules, etc). The program targets low-income women and teaches them job skills. I got Ms. G**** a library card and encouraged her to use the library's resources to get herself stable. On my next visit to the shelter, she was already gone--which is sometimes a good sign and sometimes a bad sign. I hoped for the former.

On my visit to the YWCA today, I was excited to meet my new class of WOW recruits--each group of women takes the classes for eight weeks, so this was my first day with the new group. When I walked in the room, Ms. G**** was there! She came up and hugged me and said since leaving the shelter, she had found housing and enrolled in the YWCA's program, and most recently, gotten a job. She was thrilled. After I left, I started to think about how this is a defining example of successful outreach--when one person feels supported by the library. Ms. G****'s first point-of-contact with CCPL was when we came to her at the homeless shelter; then she came in and used our facility to locate housing and a job; then we return to continue supporting her at the YWCA while she completes an intensive job training class. It's the ideal outreach relationship! Now she and her class are taking a 'field trip' to CCPL's March 13 Small Business Fair where she will attend workshops, get SCORE counseling, etc. What a wonderful opportunity, and what a wonderful example of how library departments can work together, in conjunction with community organizations, to enrich our county--one member at a time.

As you can imagine, this was a wonderful feeling, and I know that the effect CCPL has had on this woman wouldn't show up in any statistics, but it's there. From the moment she arrived in Charleston, the library encouraged and supported her in her quest to better herself and her community. What a wonderful example of how the library services extend far beyond books and reference desks.

Jonathan Green week at CCPL

2008-03-03T11:58:00.005-05:00

Today marks the start of Jonathan Green week here at the library. There's a whole series of wonderful events planned, at Main, Otranto, Mt. Pleasant and Otranto. Movies, poetry, music, and a chance to hear Jonathan Green speak. I was lucky enough to hear him in September, when he joined us for one of the featured programs as part of The Big Read. Please do yourself a favor and go!

In addition to the planned programs, there's an activity for children. Pam Cadden had a great idea and Jonathan was gracious enough to say yes, so children can color Jonathan Green paper dolls. The Children's department at Main has them strung up, as you can see. They looks great! (And the staff has some obvious coloring ability too.)

Library travels

2008-02-29T11:21:00.002-05:00

I know many of you are like me, in that you visit other libraries while traveling. Maybe it's for professional reasons, maybe it's to check your email and to use a restroom, nonetheless, it's always interesting to see how others live and work.

Christmas-time found me in Florida, in the small west coast fishing village of Cedar Key. I've been there many times, but it had been a couple of years and the library had moved to a new location. I wondered why there was an old fire engine right outside the window off the Children's area. Much to my surprise, I was told that the Fire Department retrofitted the engine and donated it to the Library. They let the children climb all over it and (!) hold story hour programs on the top. As a kid, I would have been thrilled. As a more nervous librarian type I couldn't help but wonder about liability. It's a unique spot and I found it refreshing and worth a few photos.

So, what interesting library stories do you have?

Ray and Rose get recognized

2008-02-28T14:47:00.003-05:00

Tuesday night I was fortunate enough to be at the Library Board of Trustees meeting where two of CCPL staff members were recognized.

Ray Turner, Otranto. Hopefully you saw the article in The Post and Courier, or saw the link on our homepage or saw the Showcase item on the Intranet that says Ray Turner, Outstanding Librarian. (He's even on YouTube!) The Board wanted a moment to formally recognize Ray and his award from the South Carolina Library Association. As the Intranet piece says, Ray "

has been active raising money to fund scholarships for minorities seeking an education in Library and Information Science. He continues his efforts to promote diversity, recruit, retain and mentor African-American students through his service the past three years on the African American Leadership Group for the University of South Carolina’s School of Library and Information Science and on the school’s National Advisory Council."

And that's not all! I could go on, but also want to mention the other staff member who was recognized.

Rose Brown has been the point person for CCPL's participation in a MUSC project Go Local--South Carolina, a service of Hands On Health--South Carolina. This is a partnership " that will provide information about health services and resources all over South Carolina. Medical and public librarians are identifying and describing health services in their communities and across the state." Rose, Main Reference, has been most active selector in the State and Janice May, the program coordinator, said that Rose was her favorite. Rose was given a plaque to note her hard work and good professional skills in adding just the right content to the site.

It's always a pleasure to see staff recognized!

Your success stories

2008-02-21T10:34:00.003-05:00

I'm seeking your help, here. I'm reporting to the Friends of the Library Board and the Board of Trustees each month on our public programming and services. I'll be telling them what you have been doing, how well it went, and how creative you are, of course!

The reports are slightly different in focus. The Friends one is designed to let them know what magic we accomplish with their funding. I can gather dates and program names, but you can give me the back story. How many people came, what they said, the funny thing that the toddler did--you know, those libraries stories that are so inspiring and touching.

The Library Board wants to hear that too, but what if you didn't
have a breakthrough program this month, but you did have a patron who told you that your help made all the difference in their day, their project, their report, etc? I want to know. We all impact the lives of our communities everyday and those stories are ones that we should share.

So, take a minute and drop me an email, or call me, or send me a note--or comment here. I need your help to be able to tell our "tales from the front."

Kudos to you all

2008-02-13T09:53:00.002-05:00

We don't have valentine boxes here at CCPL, like we used to when I was in elementary school, but all of you deserve a valentine. Why? First and foremostly, just for being you. Secondly, cause it never hurts to spread some cheer. Thirdly, for being the incredible team that makes up our library.

I just looked at the statistics for January 2008 and they are impressive. Our numbers are up for so far this fiscal year for circulation, in-house use, reference, user visits and programming! Your're the ones who make all of that happen. Thank you, thank you for working so hard and for obviously providing what our community wants.

XXOO

Music surrounds us

2008-02-11T11:42:00.000-05:00

We're into the third day of CCPL Blues Bash offerings. Today's event features the Daddy mack Blues Band. Can't make that one? There's more the rest of this week, during the lunch hour. Handy if you're here at Main, but hard for others. While these are all free, of course, they aren't the only free programs in the Blues Bash, so grab a program and get ready to sing the blues.

Not a blues fan? This Saturday is the fourth direct simulcast from the Metroplitan Opera. Manon Lescaut, by Puccini, 1:00 p.m., Feb. 16, 2008. The simulcasts are truly incredible and great for opera novices as well as aficionados. I mean, its free, world class opera, right here in our library. Not sure you like opera? What better, risk-free way to find out? The programs have been packed, so plan to get here about an hour ahead to make sure you have a seat. We owe Sara Breibart and the Friends of the Library a huge round of applause. Sara for perserving and getting the Met to allow us to do this, (We're the only public library in the country offering this) and the Friends, along with some contributions, for funding it.