clipart of deskFrom the Director's Desk

I hope you have all had an enjoyable summer, despite the heat and all the rain.  As evidenced by how busy the library has been over the past couple of months, I bet many of you have visited the library regularly and taken advantage of all the free resources it has to offer. 

I can attest to the statement made above by looking at the statistics from one report that I complete each summer.  For those of you curious to know just how busy your local library is these days, the state’s Annual Report Information Survey (ARIS) for 2008 compiles statistics from each public library in the Commonwealth on a variety of services so that standards can be evaluated and set for all libraries that wish to participate in the State Aid to Public Libraries program.  

Important milestones reached for East Longmeadow, as reported in this survey, include a yearly circulation total of 203,829 items (this represents a 10% increase from FY2007), and the fact that 50% of our total circulation is from non-East Longmeadow patrons (representing a 16% overall increase in circulation to non-residents from the previous year). We have truly morphed into a neighborhood library, serving the needs of people not only from East Longmeadow, but surrounding towns as well.  It is my opinion that the following factors contribute in large part to this continued increase in the demand for our services—a) a recently opened new facility, b) a convenient location, both for in-town residents and those living or working nearby, c) adequate yearly funding from the town, state, and of course, the Friends of the Library for books and non-print materials to ensure that our collection continues to be relevant and “in demand”, and d) a courteous, knowledgeable and hard-working staff.

Did you know that your library has over 80,000 items in its collection?  Most (with the exception of reference and local history items) are available for circulation.  Did you know that 11,060 residents of East Longmeadow have a library card? Also, in the course of a typical week more than 800 individuals accessed the library’s Internet computers.  During the year ending June 30, 2008, more than 200 Children’s programs and 50 Adult and Young Adult programs were held.  In total, these programs attracted almost 7,000 patrons.  Your library was also a convenient place to hold town-related meetings and gatherings for non-profit organizations in the area, accommodating 375 meetings during the same year.

With all this activity, it’s not surprising that we rarely have a “down” day.  If you thought the library was just a place to go to borrow books, think again, and visit your public library.
You’ll be glad you did.


September is Library Card Sign-Up Month

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and the East Longmeadow Public Library wants to remind you that “The Smartest Card is @ your library” – it’s your library card!  Many cards in your wallet promise reward but cost you the world.  Only one card --  your library card --  can bring you the world.  That’s why it’s called “The Smartest Card”.

If you don’t already have a library card, what better time to get one?  With school back in session, students can use their library cards to get homework help, research their papers or find a title for their next book report.  It’s no wonder that studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

With election season upon us, voters can find the information they need to help them make an informed decision about candidates for office and issues of local, state and national importance.  Access to information has never been more crucial to the functioning of our democratic society, and your library is the perfect place to go for comprehensive and impartial information, whether in print or from online resources.

From health to history, food to fundraising, in print or online, you can find it @ your library.  Visit your library and sign up for a card today.  It’s your free ticket to a world of opportunity and no doubt the smartest card you can own.
             

clipart of footprints

             Making Tracks through the Stacks – September

 In keeping with the theme of Library Card Sign-Up Month (see above), you may be curious to find out more about what libraries are all about (in addition to what they have to offer).  Although many titles are published each year which are geared for us “professionals”, many books have been written about libraries in general that hold appeal for the “lay” reader.  Many works of fiction are also set in a library or bookstore, offering a glimpse at the behind-the scenes world of books and libraries. 

The titles listed below merely represent a sampling of works that may hopefully invite further exploration into the world of libraries and the information they contain.  Happy reading!

Here is my selection listed alphabetically by author:

Basbanes, Nicholas A.  Every book its reader: the power of the printed word to stir the world.  NY: HarperCollins, 2005.  Inspired by a landmark exhibition mounted by the British Museum in 1963 to celebrate five eventful centuries of the printed word, the author of four previous books about libraries and books offers a lively consideration of writings that have "made things happen" in the world, works that have both nudged the course of history and fired the imagination of countless influential people.

Battles, Matthew.  Library: an Unquiet History.  NY: Norton, 2003. Provides an intriguing historical study of libraries and books, their preservation, and destruction, from the U.S. to Europe and Asia, from medieval monasteries and Vatican collections to the ever-changing information highway of today.   
 
Christie, Agatha. The Body in the Library: a Miss Marple Mystery.  NY: Workman Publishers, 2006.  When Colonel and Mrs. Bantry find the corpse of a beautiful girl in their library, they rely upon their good friend Miss Marple to unravel the crime. First published in 1942, a classic tale in a classic location.

Conaway, James.  America’s Library: the Story of the Library of Congress, 1800-2000.  New Haven: Yale University Press, in association with the Library of Congress, 2000.  Traces the history of the Library of Congress under the leadership of each of the men who have been appointed as Librarian of Congress and discusses how the Library's collections have reflected American political and intellectual developments.   

D’Angelo, Ed.  Barbarians at the Gates of the Public Library: how postmodern consumer capitalism threatens democracy, civil education and the public good.   Duluth, MN: Library Juice Press, 2006. Offers a philosophical and historical analysis, through the reading of historical figures such as Plato, Helvetius, Rousseau, and John Stuart Mill, of how the rise of consumerism has led to the decline of the original mission of public libraries to sustain and promote democracy through civic education. The book shows how democracy and even capitalism were originally believed to depend upon the moral and political education that public libraries (and other institutions of rational public discourse) could provide.   

Dunning, John.  Booked to Die: a mystery introducing Cliff Janeway.  NY: Scribner’s, 1992.  The author’s first mystery featuring Cliff Janeway, a burnt-out Colorado cop and rare book collector, it investigates the murder of Cliff’s book scout friend, who was tracking down a valuable find when his life was brought to an abrupt conclusion. Dunning follows up this mystery with other Cliff Janeway mysteries.  

Laubier, Guillaume de.  The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World.  NY: Abrams, 2003.  The profession's crown jewels are on display in this engaging pictorial tour of 23 libraries in Europe and the United States, yielding what could be the most beautiful photography book ever on libraries. The 200 full-page and foldout color plates by Laubier, a prominent interior design photographer, not only capture in national and religious context each library's stunning, perfect beauty, but also convey the civilizing and educational power of manuscripts and printed books in historic settings.   

Manguel, Alberto. The Library at Night.  New Haven, Yale University Press, 2008. Inspired by the process of creating a library for his fifteenth-century home near the Loire, in France, Alberto Manguel, the acclaimed writer on books and reading, has taken up the subject of libraries. “Libraries,” he says, “have always seemed to me pleasantly mad places, and for as long as I can remember I’ve been seduced by their labyrinthine logic.” In this personal, deliberately unsystematic, and wide-ranging book, he offers a captivating meditation on the meaning of libraries.

Polastron, Lucien X.  Books on Fire: the destruction of libraries throughout history.
Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2007. Almost as old as the idea of the library is the urge to destroy it. The author traces the history of this destruction, examining the causes for these disasters, the treasures that have been lost, and where the surviving books, if any, have ended up.  Books on Fire received the 2004 Société des Gens de Lettres Prize for Nonfiction/History in Paris.

Truman, Margaret.  Murder at the Library of Congress. NY: Random House, 1999.
Commissioned by the Library of Congress' magazine, "Civilization," to write an article on Christopher Columbus, Annabel Smith finds herself matching wits with a wealthy bibliophile, a TV newswoman, and a killer to complete her assignment.  This title is one of a number of Washington, D.C.-based novels by the daughter of President Truman.

In case you missed last month's column... click here.

 

Adult Book Discussion

Beginning in September Sue French, East Longmeadow resident, will be hosting two discussion groups. The Saturday morning group will begin meeting again on September 27, 2008 at 10:00 am. The second group will meet on Monday evenings at 6:00 pm. beginning on September 22, 2008. Both groups will meet in the library Community Room. For more information you may contact Sue French at (413) 525-8404 or email her at french64@charter.net. In subject box please enter Re: discussion group.

By the way, if you belong to a Book Discussion Group and are looking for a guide on a particular title, try NoveList, a Readers' Advisory database. NoveList has a growing list of book discussion guides developed for this purpose. Click on http://www.eastlongmeadow.org/Library/directoryofresources.html to use NoveList.

 clipart of calendar  Library Community Calendar Form

The East Longmeadow Public Library has added a calendar to its web page and would like to encourage community groups (municipal, civic and other non-commercial organizations) to post their events.

Please submit information about your event one week in advance.

Contact Name:
Email Address:
Phone Number:
Event Name:
Date or Date Ranges:
Start and End Times:
Brief description of event:

graphic of suggestion boxLibrary Suggestion Box Form

We are interested in hearing your comments and ideas about our services. Please take a moment to suggest ways in which we can better serve your needs. Thank you.

Name:
Email Address:
Your suggestion:
 

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