New in the Professional Collection

Building a Buzz : Libraries & Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Peggy Barber and Linda Wallace

Amazer Wall Units

You saw them at our Story Skills workshop, and now we've got them for your libraries!

Through a $3000 grant from the GE Elfun Society, MVLS has purchased twelve Amazer Wall Units in three sizes to be placed in twelve member libraries and/or branches. These Amazer wall units to be placed on the wall or shelf stack at toddler/preschool height, will offer educational and interactive play experiences for toddlers and preschool aged children. They are easy to clean with no loose parts and meet infection control standards. Importantly, they are space-saving products for even the smallest of areas. The Amazer wall units offer open ended play for your smallest patrons; the children influence direction and speed while playing, and gravity vectors, and momentum are playing partners. This initiative, offered to our member public libraries, will increase public awareness – particularly among parents, families and children – of the value and importance of science literacy for their smallest children’s future, and the value of learning science for science’s sake, by allowing children to practice science and math standards as fun activities at a very young age in the library.

If your library would like a unit, please let Sue know by December 16 (355-2010, ext 226 or srokos@mvls.info) the unit size, preferred color (if the full size), and your ability to install the unit (units are screw-mounted - for full installation instructions, contact Sue). If more libraries desire the units than number we have available this year, we will hold a lottery. Units will arrive mid-December.

There are three sizes of units:
- 5 Amazer Full size units sized: 23"w x 2"d / 19 lbs
(2 Purple on Speckletone, 1 Purple on Maple, 1 Blue on Red, 1 Yellow on Blue)
- 5 Junior Amazer units sized: 18"w x 2"d / 12 lbs
- 2 Mini Mazer units sized: 16"w x 2"d / 6 lbs

The Elfun Society is providing small donation plaques to attach next to them.

Each library receiving a unit will be responsible for completing a short followup questionnaire in Spring 2010, for comments about your experiences with the Amazer units; what you learned, how it was used, and why it was valuable. If successful, we will request more units in 2010 for our other member libraries and branches, if desired.

Let Sue know if you have any questions!

New in the Professional Collection

The PLA Reader for Public Library Directors and Managers
Edited by Kathleen Hughes for the PLA

Librarians as Community Partners : an Outreach Handbook
Edited by Carol Smallwood

Implementing for Results
Sandra Nelson for the PLA

Bite-Sized Marketing : Realistic Solutions for the Overworked Librarian
Nancy Dowd, Mary Evangeliste and Jonathan Silberman

The Library PR Handbook : High-Impact Communications
Edited by Mark Gould

Twenty-First Century Kids, Twenty-First Century Librarians
Virginia Walter

Tune Up To Literacy : Original Songs and Activities for Kids
Al Balkin

The Early Literacy Kit
Betsy Diamant-Cohen

Grant Opportunity - Stewart's Holiday Match

Stewart's Shops matches individual donations made at their stores between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and distributes funds to local nonprofit agencies. Organizations that benefit children are eligible to apply for funds. An application can be downloaded at the Stewart's Shops web site. All applications must be postmarked by January 31, 2010.

Workshop - Black Belt Librarians

Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Place: Schenectady County Public Library, Central Library
Presenter: Warren Graham
Cost: Free for MVLS member library staff/trustees. Lunch will be provided.
*Registration is open only to MVLS member library staff/trustees.

Warren Graham is a nationally renowned expert on day-to-day library security procedures. He has been a security professional for 25 years, having spent 17 years as the Security and Safety Manager for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, NC, developing and overseeing its program.

Topics to be discussed include:
• Essential elements of a truly effective security program
• How to inform patrons of rules in a way that will most ensure compliance
• How to recognize levels of emotion that a patron may be in and strategies on how best to respond
• Easy ways to document your security and safety matters

Please register for this program with Janice Martin at SCPL, 388-4544.

(This program is funded by the SCPL Board of Trustees, SCPL Friends of the Library, and MVLS.)

Webcast - Christian Fiction Book Buzz

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Time: Noon - 1:00 PM
Place: Online at www.libraryjournal.com/christianfiction2009
Cost: Free

It may seem simple, at first, to categorize Christian fiction. Most readers would agree that there is a core of biblically-based attitudes, values, and actions, and likely there would be very little, if any, profanity, sex or violence. But there are as many subgenres in Christian fiction as there are in popular fiction – from cozy mysteries to legal suspense to fantasy. Many libraries are seeing an increased demand for Christian fiction with more readers looking for inspirational and uplifting stories and finding good writing in newly discovered places, contributing to the cross-over appeal of this growing genre.

Join four leading publishers for this one hour webcast which will feature over 60 new and forthcoming titles in all Christian fiction categories for adults and young adults. Register at www.libraryjournal.com/christianfiction2009, and even if you can't attend the webcast on Thursday, you'll have access to the archive for 12 months.

Grant Opportunity - Preservation Needs Assessment Program

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is seeking applicants to participate in its Preservation Needs Assessment Program. Through funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), CCAHA is able to offer a limited number of subsidized preservation needs assessments for $350. The funding also covers the assessor’s travel expenses.

Completing a Preservation Needs Assessment is a key first step in developing a preservation plan for institutions. The preservation needs assessment process encompasses a general evaluation of the institution's preservation needs for their collection(s): environment (temperature, relative humidity, pollution and light), housekeeping, pest control, fire protection, security, and disaster preparedness; collection storage, handling, exhibition, and treatment; and preservation planning. The site visit consists of a review of the site, an examination of the collection(s), and interviews with relevant staff. The written report provides observations, recommendations, and resources to serve as a guide in the development of a comprehensive preservation plan for the collection. In addition to pinpointing areas of concern, the preservation needs assessment is a valuable fundraising tool.

Eligibility: Institutions with paper-based humanities collections that are available to the public on a regularly scheduled basis and that have national or regional significance are encouraged to apply. Additional eligibility requirements are on CCAHA’s web site in the Service/Surveys/Consultation section at http://www.ccaha.org/services/surveys-consultation.

Application Process and Deadline: Application forms and additional information about the Preservation Needs Assessment Program can be found at http://www.ccaha.org/services/surveys-consultation.

All applications must be received by Friday, December 4, 2009.

If you have questions or want to discuss the suitability of this program for your institution, please contact CCAHA’s Preservation Services Office, call (215) 545-0613, go to www.ccaha.org or email pso@ccaha.org.

Workshop - What's New in YA Literature

Date: Monday, December 7, 2009
Time: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Place: BOCES Gick Road Training Center, 27 Gick Road, Saratoga Springs
Presenter: Kathleen Odean
Cost: $35

In this lively one-day workshop with area school and public librarians, Kathleen Odean will introduce the best recently published books for teens in grades six through twelve. She will share practical strategies and tips for promoting and evaluating the best books for teens. There will be opportunities to share ideas and favorite titles with each other. Register by November 23 through the form, located here.

Webinar - Sweet Talk : Romance Fiction in the Library

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Place: Online https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/354863994
Cost: Free

Romance is hot . . . in the library, that is. Join Donna Seaman, Booklist's romance fiction editor, and a panel of librarians, authors, and publishers to discuss the state of the genre—in public libraries and in the marketplace.

Register for this free webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/354863994

Webinar - Helping Job Seekers in the Library

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Place: Online http://infopeople.org/training/webcasts/webcast_data/313/index.html
Cost: Free

Your library has been helping the unemployed and underemployed (aka job seekers) in your community for a long time. However, the declining economy over the past year has dramatically increased the demands on library staff, services, and resources. Would you like to learn about some successful programs in other libraries? Do you wonder if there are some new ideas you could try for getting patrons started? Would you like to know the resources other libraries recommend to job seekers? Are you interested in partnerships but feel unsure who to talk to?

This webinar will help you by introducing three successful programs, giving you a fresh look at getting started in helping job seekers, providing information about some "best resources", and exploring agencies and organizations you may consider partnering with.

To attend this webinar, just visit the link above on November 10 starting at 2:30 PM. There is no need to preregister for this webinar.