Vol. 9 No 23 June 21, 2007

OFF THE SHELF
A WEEKLY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
Vol. 9 No 23 June 21, 2007


QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“A true piece of writing is a dangerous thing. It can change your life.”

Tobias Wolff
Old School (2004)



T - SHIRT SCREENING
Children participating in "M.A.G.I.C., ” the Children’s Summer Reading Program, may drop off a light colored T-shirt labeled with their name and phone number by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26. Children's Room Staff and volunteers will silkscreen the Summer Reading Club logo on it for free! Shirts will be ready for pickup on or after June 29.



THE KICK OFF! ALEXANDER THE JESTER
The opening program for the Children’s Summer Reading Program will be Alexander the Jester. Alexander's mime, magic, and feats of balance will thrill the audience as he speaks the gibberish language of "Grammelot" and plays three flutes at once!!! Tickets are needed for the show since space in the meeting room is limited. Club members may pick up a free ticket for the show as long as the supply lasts. There will be two performances on Tuesday, June 26, at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.



MEET JOANNE PENTA
If you have been to the Library recently, you may have seen a new face behind the Circulation Desk or in the Children’s Room. We are happy to announce that Joanne Penta has joined our staff as a library technician. She will be working part-time: at the Circulation Desk on Tuesday evenings and also in the Children’s Room on Saturdays. Joanne has many years of experience as an early childhood teacher, and we are delighted to have her on our team. Please help us welcome Joanne!



DON’T FORGET: DDR THIS SATURDAY!
The Teen Summer Reading Program, “Get Graphic,” launches this Saturday with a DDR event from 2:00- 3:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room. Sign up for summer reading! Have fun, win prizes, and explore the world of comics!!



SLACKERS
"I was a liar myself when I was a kid. I'm still a liar, really, and I don't mean just in terms of telling stories and being a story writer. I wouldn't ever want to be held to a literal version of the facts when I tell people a story.”
Tobias Wolff

This month’s Slackers Book Club selection is Old School by Tobias Wolff. Slackers is the Book Club for people who don't want to be committed! Each month a new book is selected for the Slackers' display. If you are interested in sharing your opinions of the book, just fill out a Slackers' bookmark comment form, and leave it in the book when you return it.



DON”T MISS YOUR CHANCE
Have you completed the library survey which was mailed to you several weeks ago? OR is it at the bottom of a pile of bills, advertisements, and magazines? OR maybe the last time you saw it was when you used it to wrap fish? Is it lost altogether? If you have misplaced or inadvertently discarded your survey, come to the Library and ask for a replacement. It’s not too late for you to participate, and we want your voice to be heard! The deadline is June 30. Just ask for a replacement copy at either the Circulation or Reference Desk.

A professional marketing firm will tabulate the returns over the summer to provide valuable data for long range planning. We look forward to presenting the survey results in the fall and using the information gathered to develop the library’s new strategic plan.



YOUR AWARD -WINNING LIBRARY HAS DONE IT AGAIN!
The Massachusetts Library Association presented the 18th Biennial Public Relations Awards at their Annual Conference which was held in Sturbridge. Winners were chosen by a panel of independent judges from the public relations, press, and library fields. Evaluation criteria included graphic design, originality, and presentation. Over 85 entries were submitted in 17 categories.

Reading Public Library received First Prize for “Library Take-Out,” a brochure created by Nancy Aberman and Kathy Miksis to promote service to the homebound and “Listen Up Reading,” received First Prize in the logo category. Ruth Urell and Kathy Miksis came up with the logo and Kathy, Lorraine Barry and Andrea Mercado used the logo throughout the library and online to promote the Library’s new downloadable audio service. Congratulations to all of the talented and creative staff who worked on these projects!



MORE EXCITING NEWS
Recently Nancy Aberman and I applied for scholarships to attend the second annual Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute which will be held at the end of July in North Carolina. This Institute, which is sponsored by the Americans for Libraries Council, focuses on enhancing services for older adults (age 55 and up) with “opportunities for active learning, creative exploration, and meaningful civic engagement.”

As readers of this column know, the Reading Public Library received a federal LSTA grant this year to fund the LiveWires program for active, older adults. Nancy and I have found co-coordinating this program to be very satisfying and lots of fun! So we jumped at the chance to apply for scholarships to the Institute, and the exciting news is that we were both selected to participate!

We will join 20 other Fellows who participated in a nationwide competitive process. The Fellows represent 14 states and libraries as small as Reading, and as large as New York Public. The program will give Nancy and me an opportunity to learn about innovative and interesting library programs going on in other parts of the country, as well as having classes and seminars with experts in the field of lifelong learning.

Needless to say, we are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to sharing what we learn with our co-workers, with other librarians in Massachusetts, and with you!



FLIP OUT!
The Adult Summer Reading Program will begin on Monday, June 25. Every time you complete a book or audiobook, fill out an author and title slip and deposit it at the (Flip) Flop House which will be located next to the Information Desk. Each entry gives you the opportunity to participate in our grand prize drawing. So don’t let the kids have all the fun… join in the Adult Summer Reading Program!



WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
INTERNET DETECTIVE

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/

Internet Detective is a free online tutorial that will help you develop Internet research skills. The tutorial looks at the critical thinking required when using the Internet for research and offers practical advice on evaluating the quality of web sites. Take the tutorial and see how good you are at discriminating between the good, the bad, and the ugly!



BE A FRIEND!
Wouldn't now be a great time to join the Friends? For information about how to join the Friends, go to http://www.readingpl.org/membership.html


NEW BOOKS, MOVIES, AND MORE
To see the list of library materials purchased this month, follow this link:
http://www.readingpl.org/lists.html


WHAT’S HAPPENING @ YOUR LIBRARY!
All events listed take place at the Reading Public Library, 64 Middlesex Avenue, Reading, unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, June 21: Conversation Group for English Learners. 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, June 23: “Get Graphic,” the Teen Summer Reading Program begins for students entering grades 6 through 12. Come join us, win prizes, and have fun exploring the world of comics! Kick-off Event: DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Monday, June 25: Flip Out for Summer Reading, the Adult Summer Reading Program, begins. Participants may read a book or listen to an unabridged book and fill out a raffle ticket to be entered for a grand prize drawing.

Tuesday, June 26: Word of Mouth. Informal monthly discussion of what people have been reading lately 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday, June 26: Children’s Summer Reading Kick-off Program with Alexander the Jester! Pick up free tickets beginning June 18. Performances at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.


That's all for now!
Elizabeth


LIBRARY HOURS
Mondays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Wednesdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Thursdays 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Fridays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.