A Day in the Life of a Children's Librarian

Have you ever wondered what a day is like for a librarian?  For me, every day is very different depending on what is going on at the library.  Here is what my day looked like on Monday, October 14th.

8:40am- Arrive at library.  Fill up my coffee cup (a VERY important part of my day) and help give Morgan LibraryBunny her medicine.  The poor thing has been under the weather.  :(

9:00am- We are open!

9:40am- Go to local elementary school to read to the 5th grade classes and the Kindergarten classes.  The 5th graders enjoyed hearing The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton and the Kindergarteners loved Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak.  I also talked to the 5th graders about what types of books they wanted me to Book Talk during my next visit.  They want funny and scary!  Suggestions? 

11:30am- Arrive back at the library.  Check e-mails and talk to a staff member about Storytimes for 2014.

12:00pm-  Lunch!

1:00pm- Work on some program scheduling.  Talk to Cassie about tonight's inbeTWEEN the Lines book club.

2:00pm- Two Kindergarten classes stop by to check out books.  Am informed by one Kindergartener that we are in desperate need of more Power Rangers books.

3:00pm- Practice magic tricks for the Afterschool Adventures program.  Scare staff members and Morgan with popping balloons.  

4:00pm- Give Morgan her afternoon snack.  Start gathering books for next Thursday's Imagination Storytime.

4:25pm- Realize my Evening Storytime is this week (Thursday, 10/17 at 7:00pm!) and switch to working on that program.  Luckily, many of the books I took to read to the classes this morning will work for my program!

5:00pm- Check e-mails again.  I still haven't put away the leftover crafts from Morgan's birthday party, but I decide that can wait until tomorrow....

5:30pm- I'm done for the day!

The Library of the Future

Sometime in the not-too-distant future, possibly in five or six years, we may remodel the Main Library in Martinsville.  While it seems like a long time away, it's not too early to start thinking about the future and how we can make the library ready for it. 

Library professionals talk a lot about what the library of the future will look like.  Some say that libraries will become a place where people come to create content, not just borrow content that someone else created.  Others say that books will be obsolete and we'll only offer electronic versions (In fact, there's already a bookless library in San Antonio, Texas!).  Still another group thinks that libraries will become a 'third space' where people come to gather, relax and just hang out. 

I think there are two things to keep in mind when we make plans for a future library - Community and Flexibility.  First, our purpose is to serve Martinsville and the surrounding county, and we need to keep the needs of our patrons foremost in our minds.  Secondly, our spaces need to be flexible enough that we can adapt them as the community's needs change. 

If I were to redesign the library today, these are the things I'd like to have: 

• A secure, climate controlled area for keeping genealogy, local history and archival materials safe and properly preserved.
• Group meeting spaces of all sizes. We should be able to accommodate groups of any size from 2 to 200.  The small group spaces should have adequate technology, too, so people could Skype, show a presentation, watch a video or practice a foreign language.  There should be a space large enough to have an auditorium-style presentation, but it should have dividers so it could house smaller meetings as well.
• A dedicated area for kids' programs complete with kid-sized furniture and easily cleaned floors and lots of storage for craft materials.
• A family restroom in the children's' area.
• A dedicated area for Teens where they could get loud if they wanted to.  It should have computers just for teens, as well as other up to date technology like game consoles.
• Shelving that is easily moved and reconfigured, perhaps having shelving units on wheels.  
• Lots and lots of electrical outlets so that people could plug in their laptops or tablets wherever they needed to.
• A single entrance and exit with a just one check out desk located right next to it. 

 These are a few of my ideas. What would YOU like to see if you could remodel the Library?

Krista Ledbetter, Director

Spies & Thieves...the work of YA author Ally Carter

Enjoy this guest post by one of our teen volunteers, Emily!

Hey guys!  It’s Emily again! Today I’m going to talk about Ally Carter and her two series, The Heist Society and The Gallagher Girls. Sadly, Ally Carter’s books really only appeal to girls, because the main topic is teenage girl power. They’re fantastic books nonetheless, and I’d highly recommend them to anyone. 

Her first series, the Gallagher Girls, is about an all-girl spy academy. It features Cammie, the daughter of the head of the school and her friends. The girls get into trouble everywhere they go, and it’s always full of adventure. I really liked this book because Cammie, despite being a top secret spy, is a very relatable character. She tends to blend in and not be noticed. People even call her the Chameleon. She also gets into very common problems, such as not knowing how to act around boys, being grounded, cramming for tests, and having problems with teachers. Cammie and her band of teenage spies solve crimes, defeat bad guys, all the while having to study and do homework. The girls are constantly being assessed by their teachers, and freaking out about it—another thing everyone can understand. I loved these books. They were packed with action. I never knew what was going to happen next, and I was always routing for Cammie. Plus, they have the best titles. For example: I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You, Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover, and Only the Good Spy Young. This series is supposedly finished, but I’d love it if Ally Carter continued the series, because I can never get enough of Cammie and her friends. I haven’t described the other main characters, because I don’t want to spoil all the surprises. Trust me though, you’ll love them all. I can’t even pick a favorite out of the four kick-butt spies.

In contrast to Cammie, a spy on the side of the government, Kat is a thief. She’s like Cammie in many ways, but has her own personality too. She’s also a teenager filling a role meant for a much older person, and she also bands together with a team to save the day—even if that means stealing something. These books are just as enticing as the Gallagher Girls books. You’ll feel for Kat as she struggles with people doubting her, trying to keep her family together, and getting in trouble. Despite the fact that day-to-day problems have been taken out of context and thrown into the world of thieves, you’ll still feel like you’ve been there. Kat’s uncle tells her not to get involved with a big crime boss because she’s just a child. She’s the only girl in a world of male thieves. She breaks rules and goes at things alone, then realizes she should have called for backup. Kat gets into tangles and gets out of them too. She makes new friends, new enemies, and somehow always manages to steal something.  I loved Kat as a character. She had so many flaws that would make her unlikable. She was jealous, a control freak, and always worrying. But I still loved her, because she always realized what she had done wrong in the end. She’s also one of the most forgiving characters, probably because she makes so many mistakes herself. Kat’s family is just as loveable. You’ll feel just as infatuated with them. 

These books are just as good as the Gallagher Girls, with a different main plot line. Kat and her gang break laws, steal things, and over all avoid attracting the government’s attention. Cammie and her girls are the law. I have to say, if Ally Carter ever wrote a cross over, I would buy it the day it came out, because I honestly don’t know who would win. Kat is fierce, sneaky, and not afraid to break the rules. Cammie is clever, strong, and knows how to work around the rules. These two girls are fantastic characters. It’s a shame these books aren’t more male-accessible, because they really are amazing. They have original plot lines, schemes you won’t understand until they’re explained, and plot twists you won’t see coming. I highly recommend both series, for the characters and the plot.

  

Check out all that the library has to offer by Ally Carter!

From the Reference Desk

It's October 1st and that signals the beginning of the Affordable Care Act.  A previous blog mentioned the website that is useful for getting signed up for Health Insurance.  You may go directly to the health care marketplace by clicking on this link: Healthcare.gov . 

Because not everyone out there may be good with computers, there is a phone number that may be called 24/7 to enroll or ask questions.  The number is 1-800-318-2596. 

In addition to answering all kinds of questions everyday at the Main location of the Morgan County Public Library, I oversee the collections of items that go into the display cases.  The displays usually remain for about a month.  If you or someone you know has an unusual collection of something and they would like to display it at the library, please let me know.  We're always looking for something different to display.  What do you collect that could be in a future library display case?

Looking for a new way to research your family's history?  Try searching a family member's name (ancestor) at http://news.google.com/newspapers .  I searched my father's name and learned that he was a secretary of an organization.  I found this amusing because his handwriting wasn't very legible.  I hope someone else took minutes at those meetings!  Give it a try.  You just might find out some interesting things about your family's history.

Until next time...
Janice

Carnegie's Legacy

Did you know that the Morgan County Public Library is part of the legacy of Andrew Carnegie?  After making a fortune in the steel industry, Carnegie donated some his fortunes in helping towns all across America start up public libraries.  In fact, Indiana has the most Carnegie start up libraries in the country!  In  1906, Carnegie gave $12,500 to Martinsville to build the library that is now the main branch of the Morgan County Public Library.

When you visit the library you are also visiting a part of local history.  When you visit the main branch in Martinsville, see if you can locate the portrait of Andrew Carnegie.  Look at the architectural details that have been preserved in this old building and marvel with us our place and importance in the community!  

Autumn is in the air.

     Last week we had a few warm days followed by a nice cool down. I believe fall has arrived as each morning it has been pretty cool outside. Its time to plant those fall bulbs and clean up the flower beds. The library has several books on bulbs and how to thin your existing plants.
     The cool weather makes me want to make soup and homemade bread. There are several books about making soups and homemade bread (either by hand or machine). Cook books are one of my favorites. You might find a new favorite recipe! A fresh loaf of bread makes a great gift for a friend or your family, at least I have never had anyone turn it down.
    It is also not to early to start collection ideas for crafts for the upcoming holidays. From Halloween to Christmas we have added several new craft, cooking, or Holiday books to the collection.
Enjoy
Laura B.

A Potpourri of Reflections

I've been looking over past blog entries, and they have stirred up a number of reflections about the topics discussed by other bloggers.
The open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act will begin on October 1. As Lorie noted in her post, one excellent resource for information needed to navigate the options involved is at: https://www.healthcare.gov/   That site has numerous links to information, including links to specific Indiana resources, and also has links to tell you what you will need to begin the registration process.

Another site with links to medical information from a wide variety of sources may be found at Indiana's Inspire website, located at:    http://www.inspire.in.gov  (There's also a link in the library website's electronic resources and databases section.)  You may already be familiar with that website and the wealth of information it offers. The database for health and medicine includes the ability to search in the Medline & MedlinePlus databases, with a large number of independent articles with links, reviews, evaluations, etc. You just need to select a database and use "affordable care act" as your search term. You can also experiment with various other terms and set limits for search results to get articles that best meet your needs.

You may, of course use the library's computers or wireless connections to do these searches.

The posting on genealogy reminded me that PBS has a new show premiering September 23 at 9 P.M., following Antiques Roadshow.  It is called Genealogy Roadshow and will travel to various cities inviting  people to bring in their family stories about their heritage. Experts will then guide them through the process of investigating the reality those stories. You may read more about the program at: http://www.pbs.org/about/news/archive/2013/genealogy-roadshow-natl/

To end these long and rambling reflections, the last item to capture my thoughts was Jennifer's post about the book reviews entered during the adult summer reading program. I had been looking through the entries we had posted at Waverly, and was struck by the variety of the books patrons had rated as "Groundbreaking Reads", the highest rating:

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman. "Such a heartbreakingly beautiful book."
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. ''It is an enchanting tale of myth and magic, and a little boy who is caught between worlds."
Toilets, Toasters and Telephones by Susan Goldman Rubin. "All kinds of great information on the how, where, and why of our modern inventions."
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. "Flynn did a great job piecing together a story told from two very different viewpoints, all leading to an ending that is totally unexpected."
Jane by Robin Maxwell. "Jane is the story of Tarzan as told by Jane. Finally, a strong heroine who does not need to use violence to prove her strength!"
Bean Blossom Dreams by Sally Ann Murphy. "I loved this book! I felt like I was on the farm in Brown County with them. Great recipes even included. Following them through their life on the farm was fun!"
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. "So good and nerve wracking all the way to the end. I am utterly speechless!"
True Believer by Nicholas Sparks. "This book shows how love can change a person's view of everything."
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. "Coping with cancer, several teens become friends and deal with life and death."
Seven for a Secret by Victoria Holt. "I loved this book! It was a mystery-romance, with a few twists to keep you wanting more."
Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan. "A comedic look on life, family, and fatherhood."

I love the variety of interests exhibited by our patrons, as evidenced by these titles.

Thanks for bearing with me though these thoughts,

Chuck