March: A special event for an excellent cause:
Syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson to speak at Friends of
Library event
Attention all mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces,
grandmothers and granddaughters, and sisters: At 2 p.m. on
Saturday, May 8, at the Springside Inn in Auburn, there will
be an afternoon tea geared just for you and for other women
who have close bonds with other women.
The afternoon tea will feature Amy Dickinson, author of
The Mighty Queens of Freeville: a Mother, a Daughter, and
the Town that Raised Them,” a New York Times bestselling
memoir. Books will be available for purchase, and there will
also be a book signing after the author’s speech. The event
is a fundraiser for the Friends of Seymour Library.
The book is about Dickinson’s experience as a single mother
and her relationships with strong women in Freeville, New
York. Her ancestors have lived in Freeville since the
Revolutionary War. Freeville, in Tompkins County, with a
population of 504, is fifty miles from Auburn. Currently
available in hardback, the book will be available in
paperback format on April 13, 2010. Seymour Library has five
copies of the book. There are over fifty additional copies
of the book available in the Finger Lakes Library System. If
you prefer to listen to the story, Seymour Library also has
a copy on compact disc.
Given a starred review in the library journal Booklist,
Dickinson was described as writing “with an honesty that is
at once folksy and intelligent, and brings to life all of
the struggles of raising a child (Dickinson was a single
mother) and the challenges and rewards of having a
supportive extended family.” Kirkus Review, another library
journal, describes the book as “a gutsy debut memoir about
family, resolve, and the secret of survival, farm girl
turned advice columnist Dickinson plows to the root of her
down-to-earth American know-how.”
Dickinson, a general advice columnist since 2003 for the
Chicago Tribune, replaced Ann Landers after Landers' death.
Her column, “Ask Amy,” appears in over one hundred
newspapers. She is also a weekly contributor to National
Public Radio. She has written for The New York Times,
Allure, O magazine, Esquire, Time, and The Washington Post.
If you would like to learn more about the author and her
book, visit
www.amydickinson.com or
www.themightyqueensoffreeville.com where you will find
reviews, video clips of the author, and video footage in the
village of Freeville.
Tickets are now available for $25 each or two for $45. They
are available at the main desk of the library and at
Creekside Books and Coffee in Skaneateles.
Not only will the afternoon tea with author Amy Dickinson be
a fun and interesting event, but it supports a great cause.
All proceeds will support the Friends of Seymour Library,
which originally began in 1968 and was re-organized in 2009.
The goal of the group is to support the library's functions,
promote reading, assist through fundraising, and enhance the
community's appreciation of the library.
January: Off to a busy start in 2010
Seymour Library has a lot of programs planned for the first
four months of 2010. Here are a few highlights:
* Storytime continues on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Storytime
for toddlers, ages 15 months to 3 years old, is offered at
10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and at 11 a.m. Wednesdays. Preschool
Storytime, for children 3 to 6 years old, is offered at
11:30 a.m. Tuesdays. Please register in the Children’s Room,
and remember that if there’s no school (either because of a
holiday, a weather-related event or other reason) there’s no
Storytime that day.
* Our book groups continue to meet monthly. The Coffee and
Crime mystery book group always welcomes new members; it
meets the second Tuesday of each month at noon. Click
here for book titles and more
information.
* During the school break in February,
we’ll have all-day activities for children: board games on
Tuesday, Feb. 16, puzzles on Wednesday, Feb. 17, and cup
stacking on Thursday, Feb. 18.
* February is Love Your Library Month. Please consider
buying a raffle ticket for a basket to support the Friends
of Seymour Library. The basket will be on display in the
Children’s Room and includes all kinds of winter-break
treats for children ages 7 and up.
* Thanks to the generosity of the Everett Trust, the
library is offering computer classes this winter and spring
on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Space is limited, and
registration is required. In order to provide
individualized attention, the class sizes need to be small.
Computer Basics will be held on Feb. 6, Online Databases
will be held on Feb. 27, Computer Basics will be held on
March 6, with a second class that day at 11:30 a.m.; Social
Networking will be held on March 13, followed by an e-mail
class that day at 11:30 a.m., and Grants Databases will be
held on March 20. Future classes will be announced by the
end of February.
* In April, the library will host an exhibit about the Progressive Era from the Gilda Lehrman Institute of American History
* On April 13, there will be an
informational program about hosting an exchange student and
being an exchange student in another country.
We’ve been busy making improvements around the building,
too. In January we installed spinners, the upright racks for
our ever-expanding collection of movies. We’re also in the
process of installing wood end panels on our old metal
shelving throughout the building. Not only will the end
panels improve the look of the library, they will provide
space for displays and signs that will make it easier for
you to find books.
December: It's never too early to start reading
On November 11th 2009, I gave birth to Emily Mikkelson,
who weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and measured 20 inches long.
During her first week of life, Emily did not leave the house
except to visit the pediatrician. On Day Eight, my husband
and I headed to Seymour Library, where Emily made a guest
appearance at the library Board of Trustees meeting, then
got her library card.
It’s never too early to start reading to a child.
Children develop much of their capacity for learning by the
time they’re three years old. Reading is a great way to help
their brains develop – and a library card gives you access
to thousands of books that children love.
When we arrived home that evening and checked our postal mail, we learned that Carolyn Hirst-Loucks, Assistant Superintendent of the Auburn Enlarged City School District, sponsored Emily’s participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, administered by Success by 6. Through the program, Emily will receive a book in the mail every month until she turns five. Although Emily will be an avid reader of books from Seymour Library, I’m sure that she’ll also enjoy getting her own books to keep every month.To learn more about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, visit http://www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com/ or contact Success by 6 at 255-2746. Any child under the age of five in Cayuga County may participate for free, and a sponsor isn’t necessary.
Financial contributions to the
Imagination Library always are welcome, too. If you’re
interested in donating, contact Nancy Tehan at Success by
Six.
There are many ways to give the gift of literacy this
season. Support the Imagination Library, or join
Friends of
Seymour Library. Sign up your child for the Imagination
Library or a Seymour Library card, and encourage others to
do the same. It’s a gift that fits everyone, that will never
need to be returned, and that will last a lifetime.
November: How to find new authors and books
If you’re an avid reader, you know that
nothing is more disappointing than to discover you’ve read every
book by your favorite author. What you need is a stand-in - a
replacement author until your favorite writer can come out with
another book. At Seymour Library, we can help you find just the
kind of author you need.
We’re featuring an “If You Like …” display in November. There,
you’ll find bookmarks with the names of popular writers, along
with suggestions for authors who write similar books.
Do you like James Patterson? He’s the
most-circulated author at Seymour Library. Patterson writes
fast-paced novels filled with suspense – and if you like them,
you might also like books by John Sandford, Greg Illes, Ridley
Pearson, Jeff Deaver, Lee Child or Michael Connelly. Pick up a
Patterson bookmark on your next visit, and you can leave with a
stack of new books to enjoy.
We have suggestions for other authors, too: David Baldacci,
Robert B. Parker, Patricia Cornwell, Danielle Steel, Jodi
Picoult and more.
Another way to find books to your liking is
by using one of our online databases, such as NoveList, which
lets you browse through recommendations, find out about
award-winners, explore author read-alike lists – even describe a
plot and come up with a list of books that fit your description.
You can view NoveList and other databases for avid readers at
our Web site, www.seymourlibrary.org – just click on the
Electronic Databases heading, then the Literature and Books
selection. If you’d like to learn more about these resources,
come to our “What to Read Next” workshop at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21. Stop in at the library or call us at
252-2571 to register.
We’re also making it easier to find nonfiction. Look for a
display near the magazine racks, where you’ll find bookmarks
that explain the various Dewey decimal classifications and a
guide to where those sections are located in the library.
If you’re looking for bestselling fiction
and nonfiction, look for the New York Times bestseller list,
which you can find in two locations at the library in an
easier-to-read format. The lists are posted weekly where they’ve
always been, on the wall by the main circulation desk, and also
on the table in what we call the Fireplace Room, the main room
on the first floor. That’s closest to the area where we shelve
our newest fiction and nonfiction, so you can quickly look for
the books that interest you.
You also can access the bestseller lists through our Web site.
Just click on the “Search Our Catalog” heading, then click on
the bestseller lists, located on the right hand of the screen.
If you see a title that interests you, simply click on it and
see if a copy is available at Seymour Library. In all
likelihood, you’ll be able to get that bestseller here: Our
association with a book-leasing service results in bestselling
books quickly arriving at the library, in multiple numbers in
the case of very popular books. We currently have, for example,
29 copies of Dan Brown’s No. 1 bestseller “The Lost Symbol.”
Once the book’s popularity begins to wane, we’ll be able to
return excess copies to the leasing service.
All of these efforts are to help our patrons find the books they want as quickly as possible.
October is community reading month
You’re probably familiar with the expression “Pay it forward.” It’s a way of suggesting that instead of paying back a favor, you do a favor for someone else and spread some goodwill.
The expression comes from the novel “Pay It
Forward” by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It’s the book selected for this
year’s Cayuga Reads community reading program.
Seymour Library has been part of Cayuga Reads since its
inception in 2005. Our partners are the Auburn Enlarged City
School District, Cayuga Community College and Cayuga-Onondaga
BOCES. Together, we encourage students and adults to read a
single book, then come together to talk about the book. We have
reading discussions and events scheduled throughout October.
We’re branching out even more this year, choosing a companion
book for younger readers. We’re partnering with Success by Six
to encourage children to read a picture book with a similar
theme, “The Kindness Quilt” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.
“Pay It Forward” was selected for its positive message and its
appeal to a wide variety of readers. “Pay It Forward,” often
compared to the story told in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful
Life,” centers on 12-year-old Trevor McKinney and the
extra-credit assignment he tackles for his social-studies class:
to come up with a plan to change the world for the better, and
put it into motion. Trevor decides to do a good deed for three
people, then ask each of them to help three others. No one – not
his teacher, his mother, or even Trevor himself – realizes the
power of his simple idea.
September: Go back to school with a book
The first day of school is a big event in a child’s life. The titles of a few of the books in our Children’s Room reflect the feelings that day can create: from the picture book First Day, Hooray! by Nancy Poydar, to I Don’t Want to Go Back to School, a picture book by Marisabina Russo. Help your child make the back-to-school transition by reading some books together. Here are some titles from Seymour Library’s collection:
Arthur’s Back to School Day (EASY READER Hoban)
Arthur’s Back-to-school Surprise (EASY READER Brown)
Awful Aardvarks Shop for School (E Lindbergh)
Back to School for Rotten Ralph (E Gantos)
Berenstain Bears Go Back to School (E Berenstain)
Billy and the Big New School (E Anholt)
Book! Book! Book! (E Bruss)
Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery (J Adler)
Emily’s First 100 Days of School (E Wells)
First Day, Hooray! (E Poydar)
First Day Jitters (E Dannenber)
First Grade, Here I Come! (E Carlson)
Froggy Goes to School (E London)
I Am Not Going to School Today (E Harris)
I Don’t Want to Go Back to School (E Russo)
I’m Telling You, Dex, Kindergarten Rocks! (E Davis)
It’s My School (E Grindley)
Jazzbo Goes to School (E Novak)
Little Bear Goes to Kindergarten (E Langrueter)
Little Cliff’s First Day of School (E Taulbert)
Little Miss Spider at Sunny Patch School (E Kirk)
Little Rabbit Goes to School (E Horse)
Lizard Meets Ivan the Terrible (J Scott)
Molly Rides the School Bus (E Brillhart)
Mouse’s First Day of School (E Thompson)
Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth (E McGhee)
Off to First Grade (E Borden)
Off to Kindergarten (E Johnston)
Off to School, Baby Duck (E Hest)
Otto Goes to School (E Parr)
Stuart Goes to School (J Pennypacker)
Vera’s First Day of School (E Rosenberr)
We Share Everything! (E Munsch)
Wemberly Worried (E Henkes)
What Did You Do Today? The First Day of School (E Forward)
When an Elephant Comes to School (E Ormerod)
Wow! School! (E Nuebecker)
August: Learning about Lincoln
Seymour Library has a vast collection of materials
about presidents. In August 2009, we will be focusing on
Abraham Lincoln. Throughout the month, we will host the
exhibit "Looking at Lincoln: Political Cartoons from the
Civil War Era."
The exhibit is on loan from the Gilder Lehrman
Institute in New York City. The exhibit includes political
cartoons that appeared in newspapers and were sold
individually as prints. Some of those that will be
displayed include The Political Quadrille, Music by Dred
Scott from 1860, Honest Abe Taking Them on the Half Shell
from 1860, Northern Coat of Arms from 1864, The National
Picture, Behold Oh! America, Your Sons, the Greatest Among
Men from1865, and Forcing Slavery Down the Throat of the
Free Soiler from 1856.
We also have two programs planned in conjunction with
the exhibit. They are:
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m. : Michael Groth, history
professor at Wells College, will discuss emancipation and
whether Abraham Lincoln deserves the title of the "Great
Emancipator." His principal scholarly interests focus on
slavery and abolition.
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m. : Jason Emerson, an
independent historian and free-lance writer, will discuss
his latest book, "Lincoln the Inventor," an examination of
Lincoln's invention of a "device to buoy vessels over
shoals" and its subsequent patent. He also will discuss
Lincoln's overall mechanical genius and how it shaped his
entire life from boyhood to the White House.
If you would like to learn more about Abraham Lincoln, these
are some resources available at Seymour Library that
have been published in the last five years:
House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, a family
divided by war by Stephen William Berry
Gettysburg Gospel: the Lincoln speech that nobody knows
by G.S. Boritt
Lincoln: a life of purpose and power by Richard
Carwardine
Lincoln the inventor by Jason Emerson
Lincolns: portrait of a marriage by Daniel Mark
Epstein
Case of Abraham Lincoln: a story of adultery, murder,
and the making of a great president by J.M. Fenster
Lincolns: a scrapbook look at Abraham and Mary by
Candace Fleming
Team of Rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Lincoln and Douglas: the debates that defined America
by Allen C. Guelzo
Lincoln poems by Dan Guillory
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: a tall, thin tale by
Deborah Hopkinson
Lincoln: the biography of a writer by Fred Kaplan
Mr. Lincoln Goes to War by William Marvel
Lincoln and the decision for war: the northern response
to secession by Russell McClintock
Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as commander in chief
by James M. McPherson
Summers with Lincoln: looking for the man in the
monuments by James A. Percoco
Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: slavery, secession, and
the president’s war powers by James F. Simon
Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln by Judith St. George
Lincoln Legends: myths, hoaxes, and confabulations
associated with our greatest president by Edward Steers
Chasing Lincoln’s killer by James L. Swanson
Manhunt: the twelve-day chase for Lincoln’s killer
by James L. Swanson
Intimate world of Abraham Lincoln by C.A. Tripp
A. Lincoln: a biography by Ronald C. White
Lincoln: the presidential archives by Chuck Wills
Abraham Lincoln (DVD)
Abraham and Mary Lincoln: a house divided (DVD)
Looking for Lincoln (DVD)
Young Mr. Lincoln (DVD)
July: Getting by with a little help from our Friends
On July 22nd, join the
Friends of Seymour Library for the Library Love-In! The Friends
are sponsoring this event to celebrate the Summer of Love and
the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival. Beginning
at 6 p.m., Dr. Maryanne Felter from Cayuga Community College
will discuss rock lyrics as poetry. At 7 p.m., join us on the
front lawn of the library with a blanket or chair while a disc
jockey plays music from the late 1960s. Children and teens,
join us for crafts, games, and a guitar demonstration. The
Friends of Seymour Library will have an information booth for
those interested in joining the group. Light refreshments will
be served, sponsored in part by Wegmans. Hippie attire is
strongly encouraged, so break out your bell bottom pants and tie
dye shirts!
The Friends of Seymour Library was originally established in 1968 and recently formed again. The mission of the Friends of Seymour Library is to support the library's functions and to assist the library through fundraising and advocacy. At its annual meeting in June 2009, Friends members approved the following slate of officers:
Suzanne Klink, president
Ann Bryant, vice president
Marianne Larson, treasurer
Patricia Hayes Myers, secretary
Patricia Messina, ex-officio, trustee representing Seymour
Library Board of Trustees
Sheila Mikkelson, ex-officio, library director representing
Seymour Library
May 2009:
Help for pregnant and parenting teenagers
The Zonta Club of Auburn has awarded the Seymour Library $500 to
purchase books and DVDs to assist pregnant and parenting
teenagers in preparing for childbirth and raising their
children. The topics of the books and DVDs include materials
that are geared for pregnant and parenting teenagers and that
have been specifically published for this population, and some
books that are published for pregnant adults, but have teen
appeal.
The awarding of these funds is especially important to me because in the past, in my capacity as a librarian, I focused on nontraditional teens, including those who are pregnant or already raising children. The funds will be used to support the betterment of women by enhancing the availability of information to pregnant and parenting women, and mostly teenagers. By making these materials readily available, teen parents will have more access to accurate, timely information to help them have a healthy pregnancy and an easier birthing experience. The collection will also assist them with making better decisions about childrearing.
Click here for a list of materials purchased
March 2009: How Much Can You Save at the Library?
How much would you spend if you bought books, magazines and DVDs
instead of borrowing them from Seymour Library? A hundred dollars?
Two hundred dollars?
How about almost $1,000? I easily could have spent that amount last
year if I had bought books and other materials instead of checking
them out of the library.
The Maine State Library created a calculator that allows library
patrons to figure out how much they would have spent on the
materials they borrowed from the library. You can use the calculator
by going to
http://www.maine.gov/msl/services/calculator.htm
Off the top of my head, I came up with a list of some of the books I’ve read, as well as some of the audiobooks and DVDs I’ve borrowed in the past year. (If you want to see my list, click here.) After I entered the number of different items I’d borrowed, the calculator came up with a figure: $975. That’s a lot of money, especially compared to the library district tax I pay as a homeowner in Auburn.
There are any number of ways you can achieve
impressive savings. Take out just one book a week for a child, and
you’ll save $1,040 a year. If you borrow an audiobook every other
week, you’ll receive a value of $780. Borrow two bestsellers a
month, and your savings is $648.
You’ll find more than books at Seymour Library. You’ll find a
bargain.
Sheila Mikkelson
Library director
| Books | Audiobooks |
| Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | |
| Admissions Confidential: An Insider’s Account of the Elite College Selection Process |
Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog |
| Bats at the Library | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
| Confessions of a True Hollywood Starlet | Nineteen Minutes |
| Contents Under Pressure | |
| Dear Author: Letters of Hope | |
| Dewey: A Small-Town Library Cat who Touched the World |
DVDs |
| Finding Nouf | Black in America |
| Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank |
Jewish-Americans: Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America |
| The Glass Castle | The Bucket List |
| J.K. Lasser's Income Tax 2009 | Everyday Creativity |
| The Kite Runner | For the Bible Tells Me So |
| Later, at the Bar | Forgetting Sarah Marshall |
| Millennials Rising: The Next Greatest Generation | Mean Girls |
| Outliers: The Story of Success | The Mystery of Love |
| Pay It Forward | The Power of Forgiveness |
| The Spellman Files | Smart People |
| Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers | Snakes on a Plane |
| Still Alice | The U.S. vs. John Lennon |
| Their Eyes Were Watching God | |
| The Tipping Point | |
| Too Fat to Fish | |
| Under the Sabers: The Hidden Lives of Army Wives | |
January 2009:
Why you might get a call from the library
You may be hearing a
male voice on your answering machine, informing you that you
have a book on hold at the library, or that your items are
overdue.
The Seymour Library has started using Telephony, and a computer
will now call patrons with a recorded message. By using this
service, the library will be saving hundreds of dollars in
postage since we will no longer be mailing holds notices and
overdue notices. Those funds can be used to buy more books.
If you are already getting an e-mail message when you have an item on hold or an overdue material, don’t worry: You’ll still get the e-mail message, not a call. The Telephony service will be only used for library patrons who currently get postal mail from the library. If you have an e-mail account and you prefer to get an e-mail message notification instead of an automated telephone call, please let us know the next time you visit.
December 2008: Facing the difficult times
ahead
Economic downturns affect libraries in two ways. Libraries are busier in
tough economic times, as more patrons seek out the free services
they offer. Instead of buying a magazine subscription or a new
bestseller, patrons borrow magazines and books. Instead of renting a
movie, they check out one for free. They come in to use computers
with free Internet access. We won’t have final statistics for
another month or two, but so far this year, Seymour Library has seen
a significant increase in usage: Our circulation is up 11 percent
the first nine months of this year, compared to the same time last
year.
At the same time that libraries experience increased demand for their services, they feel the pinch of decreased funding. Seymour Library is no exception to this trend, either. We have been cautioned to expect cuts at both the state and county level. Although the majority of our funding comes from the library tax district, we have not asked taxpayers for an increase in that funding since 2005. Under other circumstances, the library likely would propose a new budget that would go to a vote in 2009. At this point, however, we don’t want to pursue this option. With so much economic uncertainty, we would rather not ask local taxpayers for even a slight increase in funding.
What we’re going to do instead is what families do when times are hard: We’re going to make the most of the resources we do have. It will be a challenge, but it’s one we’re ready to accept.
Part of our effort will involve more fundraising events. In December, we’re launching a “Give a Gift that Lasts” campaign, in which donors can contribute to a fund exclusively for new books. Our campaign will emphasize how buying even a single library book can directly benefit the donor and many others. One library book circulates through our community many times over a period of years, making it a gift that truly does last.
On Dec. 17, we’re inviting library supporters to take a night off from cooking and join us at Pizza Hut for dinner. The restaurant will contribute 20 percent of your bill, whether you eat in or carry you, when you mention that you’re participating in the Seymour Library fundraiser.
Finally, we’d like to revive a Friends of Seymour Library group to provide advocacy and support for the library’s work. You’ll be hearing more about ways to get involved with the Friends in the months ahead.
We’ll be looking for ways to cut costs as well, in ways that we hope will have a minimal impact on our services. We’re reviewing every aspect of our operation, examining what services and resources are most in demand. We plan to have an energy audit conducted to find ways to cut costs and operate the library in an environmentally friendly way. We’ll continue to look for the most efficient way to bring you the services you want, such as our book-leasing program that so far this year has resulted in a triple-digit increase in new-book circulation.
There’s no denying that some difficult times lie ahead – but there’s no denying, either, that difficult times can bring out the best in people. We’re determined to approach the months ahead with a spirit of optimism and resolve, working in partnership with the community we serve.
October 2008: Make
a Splash at School
At
Seymour Library, we strive to meet the educational, informational,
and recreational needs of library patrons of all ages. Serving
students has always been a priority for us. Here are a few ways we
help students:
-
Library cards: We encourage everyone to get a library card, and for the past few years, we’ve celebrated Library Card Sign-Up Month in September with posters, bookmarks, and pencils. We’ve also sent information about the library, including library cards, to schools, and they’ve distributed the information for us. In the past, youth had to be able to write their names in order to get a library card. That is no longer the case, and anyone of any age is allowed to get a library card. Since parents and/or legal guardians assume financial responsibility for minors, they must visit the library with children and teens in order to sign the library card application form.
-
Library policies: In the past, youth under eighteen were not able to check out materials unless they were in the children’s room or the teen area. This rule changed about a year ago, and youth can check out materials from the adult section of the library. Also, patrons were allowed to check out three books per subject area. Now there is no limit per subject area, except holiday books, due to popularity.
-
Collection development: We purchase library materials based on the needs of students and what is being assigned by teachers. We do not, however, purchase textbooks. Recently, we did an inventory of our classics, and added hundreds of titles to our collection. We’ve also added study guides for high school students taking state and national standardized tests.
-
Computers: The computers in the Children’s Room and the Teen Area are now available on a first-come, first-served basis. In the past, we took reservations, and we found that people not showing up for reservations resulted in other people having to wait longer to access a computer. Also, due to high demand, two of the computers now have time limits of 30 minutes instead of an hour. This should speed up the process of accessing a computer.
-
Finally, we’ve created interactive displays in the Children’s Room. Last month, a bowl of colorful paper fish was displayed with a note saying, “Write your goal or wish for this year…” Youth responded with the following wishes:
1. My goal is to pass 8th grade
2. To learn to read harder books
3. 4.0 GPA
4. Do good in school
5. Be a great friend
6. To find the best college and pass 12th grade
7. To get my GED
8. Play baseball
9. Meet the Jonas Brothers
10. Be a positive influence wherever I go
11. Be good
12. Have a good day at swimming
13. I would like to start dance/ to read the books
14. My goal for the whole school year is to get good grades
15. Do good in school and in math
16. To get better grades
17. My goal is to pass
18. To write my first and last name well
19. To be good
20. For dessert in my lunch every time
21. Getting 100 on tests
22. I wish for a batman set
23. To have a positive year with no fights or enemies/to get along with everyone
24. I want to learn math
25. My goal is to be a good student
26. I can’t wait until tomorrow
27. I wish to have lots of friends and do better in science and spelling
28. Get smarter in school
29. I wish to do great in school for the rest of the year
September 2008:
Answers to your questions
The library provides
comment cards for patrons to give suggestions about improving
library services. Here are a few comments during the past year and
a half, as well as answers to the questions:
Question: Can you please subscribe to the Skaneateles
Journal?
Answer: Thanks for the suggestion. We now subscribe to this
publication.
Question: Why was the borrowing period for magazines extended to
two weeks?
Answer: The borrowing period for magazines was extended to two
weeks so that it would be more convenient for patrons who also check
out books, most of which also are due back in two weeks or more.
That way, patrons don’t have to make an extra trip to the library
just to return magazines.
Question: There is not enough light in the new book area. It is
very difficult to read titles and see the lower shelves.
Answer: An additional lamp has been placed in this area, providing
more light. If there are enough funds in future budget years, we’d
like to change all of the lighting in the new book area.
Question: Why isn’t the children’s library open until 9 p.m. like
the rest of the library? It should be!
Answer: Hours in
the Children’s Room are now the same as the hours throughout the
library. This change occurred in September 2007.
Question: Why don’t you have more documentaries? These types of
DVDs are less likely to be bought by patrons.
Answer: We have been adding DVD documentaries to the library
collection as our budget permits. Due to space issues, nonfiction
DVDs are shelved with the nonfiction books, throughout the stacks in
the library. To help you find them, we've created a printed list
with all of our nonfiction DVD titles. If you have a specific
suggestion for a documentary, please fill out the form titled “Not
Finding What You’re Looking For?” and available at the main desk.
Question: Could you please get back to printing out the list every
few months or “recently acquired books” by category?
Answer: This list is available on our website under “New Books,
DVDs, and Books on CD” and is usually updated every month. We also
have begun listing recently acquired materials for children and
teens. Printed copies of these lists continue to be available, but
in limited quantities because printing is expensive and the
information is available online. You're welcome to print the list
off our Web site on your home computer, or on a library computer at
the rate of 10 cents a page.
Question: Why don’t you put a sundial in the garden in the back of
the library, right in the middle of the two benches?
Answer: The garden
you are referring to is the Charles B. Goldman Memorial Garden. The
Goldman family specified exactly what they wanted in the garden, and
a sundial was not part of the plan. If a sundial were to be placed
in the middle of the two benches, it would block the memorial sign.
Question: Why do the newspapers have to be put on those sticks?
Answer: The newspapers are placed on sticks so that they stay in
order. Most libraries use sticks to store newspapers; otherwise,
portions of newspapers tend to go missing.
Sheila Mikkelson
Library Director
May 2008: Improving library services
When I began as the Library Director in February 2007, one of my goals was to gain more feedback from library patrons about how to improve library services. In February 2008, that goal was partly accomplished. Staff from the South Central Regional Library Council in Ithaca visited the library on three days. They conducted focus groups, asking qustions to library patrons, key community leaders, and staff members about library services.
The results of the focus groups are in, and you can read them by clicking here. The participants provided many worthwhile suggestions on improving library services, and the Library Board of Trustees will be discussing the report in the future.
I mentioned that my goal of gaining feedback was partly accomplished because gaining feedback is an ongoing process. If you've got any suggestions for improving the library, please don't hesitate to complete a comment card, located near the front desk in the building.
Sheila Mikkelson
Library Director
